super, mexican-style, and 4444 comparison pics

[riqal]

No substantial difference in terms of action of the bag and punching experience among these three swivels.

Loudest swivel: Mexican-style - built like a tank AND SOUNDS like one when you are hitting the bag. But no big deal.

Fastest swivel (everything else being equal): no decernible difference in speed among the three swivels.

Best quality and craftsmanship: super swivel is put together very tight with respect to the way the bolt fits through the u-bar and the way the u-bar fits on the swivel mechanism. "Snug" is how I would describe the relatuion of the parts fitting together.

Quietest swivel: Super swivel (due to the tight fit of parts - no clanking of loose metal/steel)

Locking pin: the locking pin on the super swivel and the mexican swivel is easy to pull out and insert. The 4444 locking pin requires a tool to push/pull out and for insertion. I learned this lesson after nearly puncturing my skin trying to push the pin back into the 4444.

Smoothest swivel: super swivel has the smoothness edge over the 4444 and a big edge over the mexican swivel.

Notice the two pics of the super swivel - one was taken with the swivel mechanism pushed up into the housing and the other with the swivel mechanism pulled down. Is this normal? Is there anyone who has a super siwvel and is able to push the swivel mechanism up into the housing?


BOTTOM LINE: If you are looking to buy a u-bolt swivel just go down to your local sporting goods store and see if they have the 4444 in stock. Save $20. The super swivel is built like a tank but you don't need a tank to hit a speed bag. I want to point out that I bought my 4444 from Dicks sporting goods about 6 months ago. It was the only u-bolt there, mixed in between a dozen everlast chainlinks. I recently went to dicks and they have nothing but the u-bolts, and I examined about a half dozen of them. I noticed some differences in the craftsmanship between the one I bought and the ones they currently have (mine has grooves on the sides of the swivel mechanism whereas the current ones do not, and some of the u-bars on the current ones were victims of bad welding jobs with respect to the holes welded to the u-bar where the bolt fits through.

[Tim]

[

No substantial difference in terms of action of the bag and punching experience among these three swivels.

Loudest swivel: Mexican-style - built like a tank AND SOUNDS like one when you are hitting the bag. But no big deal.

Fastest swivel (everything else being equal): no decernible difference in speed among the three swivels.

Best quality and craftsmanship: super swivel is put together very tight with respect to the way the bolt fits through the u-bar and the way the u-bar fits on the swivel mechanism. "Snug" is how I would describe the relatuion of the parts fitting together.

Interesting comparo thanks for posting.

Notice the two pics of the super swivel - one was taken with the swivel mechanism pushed up into the housing and the other with the swivel mechanism pulled down. Is this normal? Is there anyone who has a super siwvel and is able to push the swivel mechanism up into the housing?

Yes, mine does this as well.

BOTTOM LINE: If you are looking to buy a u-bolt swivel just go down to your local sporting goods store and see if they have the 4444 in stock. Save $20.

I concur on that point , I also think the 4444 is the way to go for a u-Bolt

[crapshoot]

The only thing I would change is the size of the u-bolt itself. A little shorter and narrower would be ideal. Maybe a trapezoidal shape. I think I need to take a metal shop class.

[Tim]

The only thing I would change is the size of the u-bolt itself. A little shorter and narrower would be ideal. Maybe a trapezoidal shape. I think I need to take a metal shop class.

Jim Bradley has the ultimate short u-bolt. It's actually not a u-bolt proper but works on the same principles. It's quite nice



Jim Bradley Speedball Co. site

[riqal]

I wish manufacturers in this country had enough sense to make swivels less massive than what you see in the above pictures. I'll bet that Jim Bradley swivel is super fast. That's why I love my chainlink - a lot less massive then the above swivels and thus the fastest.

[paranday]

I wish manufacturers in this country had enough sense to make swivels less massive than what you see in the above pictures. I'll bet that Jim Bradley swivel is super fast. That's why I love my chainlink - a lot less massive then the above swivels and thus the fastest.

Agreed. Nobody would put cast iron wheels on their car or motorcycle or bicycle. Reducing the weight of these moving parts is a design goal. Polycarbonate, as in the Jim Bradley, weighs nothing compared with some other designs. Of course, Skunk blew one of these apart -- strength is the other half of the equation.

[riqal]

Agreed. Nobody would put cast iron wheels on their car or motorcycle or bicycle. Reducing the weight of these moving parts is a design goal. Polycarbonate, as in the Jim Bradley, weighs nothing compared with some other designs. Of course, Skunk blew one of these apart -- strength is the other half of the equation.

Well what we need is something like the Jim Bradley except made out of steel - that way little chance of being blown apart. The swivels in the above pictures have way too much metal/steel when really only half as much is needed to make a swivel.

But you guys don't get me wrong - each of the swivels above work just fine and I would be happy using any one of them exclusively.

[riqal]

An update on the swivels:

The ps3 (super swivel) is not the quietest swivel - to much clanking going on in the housing of the swivel. I had not noticed this at first. Thus, the 4444 is the quietest of the u-bolts.

I am really digging the mexican-style swivel (ps4) - I like the way the bag is "locked" in place by the narrow u-bar. This mexican swivel is definitely a u-bolt with a different feel from the other two. So it wouldn't be a waste of money to buy either a 4444 or a superswivel and a mexican-style swivel. It has a uniqueness to it that I really like.