waterbaby Posted January 11, 2011 Report Posted January 11, 2011 so by all your theory before hand then you shouldnt be using slingshot at all because they had an issue with their products! Just like you say dont use Best because they had an issue. Best are one of the few companies that actually post up straight on the forums to say something is wrong, just look at the NXG. The manufacturer tried to save money on amount of material used, they thought if it was cut one way they could get more pieces out of a roll. Unfortunately this wasnt what Best had paid for and caused issues with the first few batches, Best offered everyone a straight replacement (not repair). Last word as Jacko said let people make up their own choice as to what they want to try out and what they want to ride/buy. its abit diff loads probs with best one with slingly u know wat makes me laugh every time u post u say this was wrong that was wrong ur only saying wat i hav siad but yet ur getting ur best nickers in a twist. as for the last word its a forum were people ask and people reply they do make there own minds up any one huw biys from u saying there the dogs bollocks or me saying there shit with out looking at them first has to be a bit shallow anyway!!!!!!! when i changend from waroos (thank god)only jokeing cowboy i posted asking every one about every kite got loads of infor then went down the beach tryed loads and made my own mind up at the time best were all over are beach did i by best agian no. reason well we hav been there so dont get up set if sum one points out that ur brand got it wrong because it makes u look a little bit silly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Quote
jacko Posted January 11, 2011 Report Posted January 11, 2011 Love it lol.without all this what's good what's bad what's cheap what's expensive,we wouldnt have a forum.keep it going,apart from anything it makes good reading... Quote
Richiethered Posted January 13, 2011 Report Posted January 13, 2011 Cowboy, have to back up Waterbaby's comments as I'm the guy he's talking about re quality problems with Best. Just to start, I've got 2010 14m and 9m NXG's currently and a 2009 Nemi HP 12m. Had a 2009 bar, now have a north 5th element 4line bar and a redline performance bar. For the record, I've ridden Best since I started and still do (so we can clear that up) and I have to agree with the fact that they have great, nay excellent Customer services. Their rep in the UK is first rate and the customer comes first which is great. However, Ive also had great customer service from Slingy (as I rode the Fuels for a while but the lack of depower wasn't for me) and CrazyFly with the first boards I had. Just so we can put this into context, Firstly I had a Best Nemi HP 2008 explode on me whilst pumping up on the beach at 8psi. Result - Best sent me a 2009 Nemi 12m free of charge after haggling but I didn't appreciate the kite going boom after less than 6 months and no impacts as I was a noob at the time. the 2009 Nemi 12m I still have but every strut valve is screwed and leaks as the valve design is crap - I've had to patch this up myself with PTFE tape. But I love the kite. 2nd and most damning was the fact that I had a 9m 2010 Bularoo pop after one session. No impacts, I flew it for 3hrs - great session, great kite. Next time out its leading edge bladder had gone. So Best send me another Bularoo and midway through a 360, the kite goes one way, I go head first into 4 feet of water and I think a line has gone. No, the tab on the side of the kite that holds the bridle, the one that should be unbreakable, has torn through. Lines are fine. So then Best apologise profusely and the dealer I have used since I started kiting, decides in his wisdom to send me a 9m 2010 Nemi NXG to tide me over. Great. Best promise me a 2011 Taboo 9m (which I also now have but have only flown for 20mins as no wind). Moving onto Bars, the 2009 bar I had, I was flying the 9m NXG at Rossy, when in mid jump something went wrong, the kite hits the water, the chicken loop is gone and the safety has snapped. Snapped! So I'm left 600yds out attached to nowt, watching my new NXG drift off towards RAF valley and I have to swim in with my board. When I retrieved it, the reason everything went pear shaped was because the Bar end had shifted 90degrees and the chicken loop had snapped! Yes it wasn't a new bar but anyone who knows me knows I'm a steady intermediate rider trying basic stuff, not the top guys I see at Ainsdale pulling loops and pushing it unhooked. Getting onto the Redline bar, this was £300 worth of kit. It's a great bit of kit but because of the design of the hole in the middle of the bar having shoulders on it, the power rope was worn to the point of snapping in 4 sessions! So I order a new one only to be told by Best that they don't have any spares as they should last ages. So the Bar was out of action for 4months whilst they made some. In the meantime, I ordered a North bar. The build quality is infinitely better on this than either the Carbon bar of 2009 or the Redline bar of which it is £100 cheaper. So after having spent nearly 4 grand on Best gear, I'd say that they need to up their performance in terms of build quality. Would I buy another Best kite? Yes. Do I think they should sort out their production problems before release? Yer damn right and I deal with Production and QA/QC all over the world. No good making good kites if people who are loyal (like me) start looking elsewhere for the next purchase just because of the problems they've had. We put our faith and safety in this kit whilst we're out having it large. I agree that other manufacturers also have issues but Best used to be cheaper so you got a lot of value for your hard earned. The 14m NXG was £1100 kite only. That's right at the top of the scale. You want to charge that much? Have the best build quality. They haven't. And as a team rider, you do get the added advantage of new kit as and when you need it, not having to maintain your kit through it's natural lifetime like most of us do. I personally want to see top end reliability, not just customer service. They get that, they deserve the plaudits. Quote
mmuppet Posted January 14, 2011 Report Posted January 14, 2011 nagh jacko.........it reads more like blame the kites rather than lack of progression due to lack of balls or skill..... Quote
waterbaby Posted January 14, 2011 Report Posted January 14, 2011 out at blackpool 2mrow cant wait with me balls and me skill see u there;);) Quote
Richiethered Posted January 15, 2011 Report Posted January 15, 2011 nagh jacko.........it reads more like blame the kites rather than lack of progression due to lack of balls or skill..... Was that directed at me about lack of balls or skill? Quote
kitemare Posted January 15, 2011 Report Posted January 15, 2011 I hate Best! But only because they are being sold from a van near us and thrown out at 30% off list for 2011 stuff (without any vouchers!)! As a shop how can I compete? But as a repairer have to stick up for them in the build quality argument. We get very few Best kites in, material quality is good, leading edge is good, like all manufacturers they don't get it right all the time but do you? The fibre joints are a bit poo, they wear out the bladders beneath but everything else is good. I personally wouldn't fly them as they are too slow for me (I haven't tried the Taboo yet so can't comment on this one) but everone to their own. Happy flying my windy buddies.... Quote
jacko Posted January 15, 2011 Report Posted January 15, 2011 00.34 you posted your comment rich. You should be in bed old boy at that time reading ya mags. How ya doing Best boy? You ok? Quote
billparthun Posted April 19, 2011 Report Posted April 19, 2011 Best use a new canopy material made by a Taiwan manufacturer. It is a printed material used also by Cabrinha. The material is very cheap compared to premium cloth from Teijin. It seems the material has something wrong with the coating process, obviously lack of durablity. yes I can, any make can have bad batches. Ive personally seen 2 of the other favourite brands have major issues with LE's popping on their 2011 gear already. Another that brought out a new pro bar this year and a local rider had it snap in half on his 4th time out. I know there were some quality issues last year, which is one of the reasons they moved manufacturer. Ive bought other products and seen others the last couple of years, and have to say that I do believe the kit is just as good as others on the market. Its just down to what you want to be seen riding with and what you like using Quote
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