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renohandjams
Oct 7, 2005, 5:39 PM
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Registered: May 24, 2005
Posts: 616
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After using this for 6 months now I feel so sorry for everyone else who has a dinky run of the mill ATC. I love how beefy it is and all of the different things I can do with it and I love how easy it is to take a double rope repel out of it while the other people I go with are still fiddling with their ATCs trying to free the rope.
SBGII
http://www.tradrack.com/...images/eqp223_01.jpg
I love this piece of gear! It is one of my favorite pieces. If you have used it post what you have thought. Hopefully I'm not the only one who has fallen in love with this piece of metal.
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climbinginchico
Oct 7, 2005, 5:46 PM
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Registered: Mar 24, 2004
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Personally I can't stand it. I always seem to find it shifting around on my belay carabiners, and the rigid stem with a small hole can allow it to lock itself onto the nose if you don't stay right on top of it all the time. Actually, nobody I know who has used it likes it much.
I much prefer my Reverso or ATC-XP, and can't wait till the ATC-XP guide comes out. Booya.
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notch
Oct 7, 2005, 5:54 PM
Post #3 of 14
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Registered: Jul 13, 2005
Posts: 599
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I got a good look at the ATC-XP Guide at a regional trade show last month. That thing could be the standard setter.
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slacklinejoe
Oct 7, 2005, 6:29 PM
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Registered: Nov 5, 2003
Posts: 1423
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I absolutely hated that damn thing. I sold it after 2 months of use.
The solid stem is a major liability IMO. I didn't like the way it handled because of it and it didn't offer anything new over my ATC (I've yet to have the device oriented for the extra friction any time it would have been useful). I didn't like the way it handled fat ropes, it was jerky, the fact it wasn't light, that it bound up one my biners all the time and sounded as bad as slung hexes.
If any solid stemmed belay device such as figure 8's gets cross loaded a little against the gate they can actually break the biner with the way it binds. I think there's a thread going right now from someone biting the big one that way. Granted, slim chance, but it happens.
Just one person's experience.
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northerndrawl
Oct 7, 2005, 6:46 PM
Post #5 of 14
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Registered: Jul 13, 2005
Posts: 42
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In reply to: I love how easy it is to take a double rope repel :roll: out of it
It repels all right. Stiff and clunky in my experience. Trango Jaws is much better.
Rappel - to slide down a rope using a friction generating device for control
Repel - to possess qualities which turns away those who might otherwise be interested
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mtnbkrxtrordnair
Oct 7, 2005, 7:51 PM
Post #6 of 14
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Registered: Jun 11, 2003
Posts: 267
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I'm through with ATC's with a wire loop. Just what I want after the plastic coating wears off is a pice of bare wire next to my rope, that's before it frays and breaks off. Anyone want a used ATC without a wire? I have a couple for sale cheap. So I went out and got an HB? ATC with a solid aluminum loop instead of the wire. Love it, but then I tried to rap on it with 8mm ropes-what was I thinking? Since an XTC-XP has a wire loop, I had to disqalify it. So I saw an SBGII and got one because it has the v shaped slots for rap & belay with thin ropes and a solid stem. It has it's problems like it needs a little more attention, but overall not bad, it does the job.
If anyone has a picture of the ATC Guide, please post. If it has a wire loop, don't bother, I'm not interested.
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mingleefu
Oct 8, 2005, 2:02 AM
Post #7 of 14
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Registered: May 24, 2003
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In reply to: I always seem to find it shifting around on my belay carabiners, and the rigid stem with a small hole can allow it to lock itself onto the nose if you don't stay right on top of it all the time. Actually, nobody I know who has used it likes it much.
..Add to the list at least one person you don't know. I dislike it for all the reasons you said.
Also, the SBGII does not allow you to thread it for belay or rappel without taking the device off of the belay biner. A belay device with a big keeper loop (BD ATC, Jaws, etc) can be threaded without taking the device off the biner. push the loop(s) through, clip them to the biner- Lock and Load. Everytime I'm setting up for rappel or belay, I'm paranoid about dropping the SBGII because I'm grabbing it and the loops of rope (including the weight of the rope hanging below me) while navigating the nose of the biner through the tiny hole. Anytime I'm leaning back to weight it on rappel I have to be very conscious about making sure it sits right, out of fear that it will catch on the nose, applying leverage to it, snapping the biner as in fig-8 horror stories. Anytime I'm belaying, I have to be constantly vigilant that it doesn't slide down to the nose, for the same reason. Even if the thing slides onto the spine of the biner, if weighted, it can get jammed crooked and spin the biner, crossloading it.
But I continue to use it anyway (~3 years running). Once watching for these things becomes second nature, It does the job. While on rappel or lowering, it works just fine, though it does feel different than other devices. Oddly, a person can get used to cursing the belay device every climbing day.
My previous device was a Petzl Vario. The cable got twisted in the rappel and two feet later the rope had melted through the sheath. That's why I bought the SBGII - no cables.
One benefit to the SBGII is the ability to clip through the upper hole for smaller ropes. I've never had to do this, but it is possible.
All told, I think my next device will have a big, beefy, cable. The cable can get stripped, but that one time won't cause catastrophic failure like breaking the carabiner would if a fixed stem device got snagged.
Anyone have anything brilliant to say about HB's Sherriff, with the solid metal loop?? I seem to remember something about it being just a bit on the small side...
Maybe I should give the reverso a test run..?
Dang. It is awful slow at work tonight.
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climbinginchico
Oct 8, 2005, 2:57 AM
Post #8 of 14
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Registered: Mar 24, 2004
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I've got no complaints with my reverso. It works well, and the autoblocking is sooo nice for multi pitch climbing.
I will however definitely be buying an ATC-XP guide when it comes out.
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jimdavis
Oct 8, 2005, 3:25 AM
Post #9 of 14
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Registered: May 1, 2003
Posts: 1935
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In reply to: I'm through with ATC's with a wire loop. Just what I want after the plastic coating wears off is a pice of bare wire next to my rope, that's before it frays and breaks off. Anyone want a used ATC without a wire? I have a couple for sale cheap. So I went out and got an HB? ATC with a solid aluminum loop instead of the wire. Love it, but then I tried to rap on it with 8mm ropes-what was I thinking? Since an XTC-XP has a wire loop, I had to disqalify it. So I saw an SBGII and got one because it has the v shaped slots for rap & belay with thin ropes and a solid stem. It has it's problems like it needs a little more attention, but overall not bad, it does the job. If anyone has a picture of the ATC Guide, please post. If it has a wire loop, don't bother, I'm not interested.
You'll wear out the inside of the ATC and make it way too sharp long before you wear off the cable coating. I have never seen a problem with this on ATC, and I inspect the dozen or so our gym has that have been used everyday for over 3 years.
There's nothing wrong with a wire loop, they last longer than the body of it. Belay devices are wear items, you have to replace them after time.
A wire loop isn't gonna trash your rope either, and in the orientation it's held in, it won't even touch your rope.
But if your of this mindset, I hope you never ever clip a wired piece of gear to your rope without a sling in the middle.
The XP guide is wired, and I can't wait for it to come out.
Cheers,
Jim
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landgolier
Oct 8, 2005, 5:33 AM
Post #10 of 14
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Registered: Mar 3, 2005
Posts: 714
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Ditto, I've never seen an ATC with the wire exposed. If something does cut the plastic down to the cable, that's why God made duct tape, electrical tape, gaffer's tape, plasti-dip, epoxy, and shoe goo. If you don't have at least one of the above kicking around, you're not a climber :D
Figgin' line for the XP guide when it comes out is going to be around the block.
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anykineclimb
Oct 8, 2005, 6:07 AM
Post #11 of 14
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Registered: Mar 30, 2003
Posts: 3593
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Never tried the SBG2 but never really wanted to. I'm not a big fan of the solid stem style belay devices. Tried the HB one before and did not like it at all.
Trango devices are what I've always liked. Jaws is aweome and the B-52 is perfert (with the new, thinker version even BETTER!)
Not too impressed with the ATC XP guide. BD seems to be playing catch-up in the autoblock game.
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slacklinejoe
Oct 9, 2005, 12:01 AM
Post #12 of 14
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Registered: Nov 5, 2003
Posts: 1423
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For those who asked about the HB sheriff with the solid metal loop instead of wire: it's actually a pretty good all around belay device. My ex GF uses the solid stemmed one and I used the rubber stemmed one - perform great with zero complains. The rubber stemmed one I use technically can get in the rope while rigging for rappel, but I've never had it happen.
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krustyklimber
Oct 9, 2005, 1:37 AM
Post #13 of 14
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Registered: Jan 25, 2002
Posts: 1650
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I like my SBG, and I like my SBGII even better. The solid shaft is THE feature I most like (I hated having to wrestle a "floating" device loose, after a catch).
With heavy loads, I feel very confident in the holding power of the SBG's.
Short of a Gri-Gri, there's no other device I'd rather run down a one line rappel, especially one smaller line.
I have tried Jaws, many versions of 8's and ATC's, B-52s, Bugs, that stinkin' Reverso (which I didn't like as much for the cowbell jingle as much as anything else), and a long list of other belay devices that came along through the years.
I own a pair of SBG's (and an Omega sidegate 'biner), and have since they first came out, and I don't plan on changin' soon.
Apples and oranges....
Krusty http://pages.prodigy.net/.../emoticons/wave1.gif
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socialclimber
Oct 12, 2005, 10:12 AM
Post #14 of 14
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Registered: Nov 18, 2001
Posts: 1163
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In reply to: ... the SBGII does not allow you to thread it for belay or rappel without taking the device off of the belay biner. A belay device with a big keeper loop (BD ATC, Jaws, etc) can be threaded without taking the device off the biner. push the loop(s) through, clip them to the biner- Lock and Load. Everytime I'm setting up for rappel or belay, I'm paranoid about dropping the SBGII...
In reply to: ...Anytime I'm leaning back to weight it on rappel I have to be very conscious about making sure it sits right, out of fear that it will catch on the nose, applying leverage to it, snapping the biner as in fig-8 horror stories. ...
In reply to: ...Anyone have anything brilliant to say about HB's Sherriff, with the solid metal loop?? ... |
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