Need New Bar & Plates (Belt too)

[ihavecandygetin]

I've got a cheap bar/plate combo from a local box store. The bar bends pretty good with the 300# it came with and it has ribbing on the ends that sands off metal burrs from the cheap plates it came with, it's just a terrible bar all together. I'd like to get a new one now that I am able to squat/deadlift the entire 300# I have.

I was looking at Rogue. The beater bar and a pair of HG bumper 45's, tossed a 13mm belt in too so I got free shipping. Is this reasonable pricing? I'm sure there are a million stores but I like the free shipping with 3 items.

Belt: $126
Beater Bar: $165
HG Bumper 45's: $148

Free shipping was neat. Any input would be great. I've scoured CL and local newspaper ads, but no luck there

[Northernmoris]

I've got a cheap bar/plate combo from a local box store. The bar bends pretty good with the 300# it came with and it has ribbing on the ends that sands off metal burrs from the cheap plates it came with, it's just a terrible bar all together. I'd like to get a new one now that I am able to squat/deadlift the entire 300# I have.

I was looking at Rogue. The beater bar and a pair of HG bumper 45's, tossed a 13mm belt in too so I got free shipping. Is this reasonable pricing? I'm sure there are a million stores but I like the free shipping with 3 items.

Belt: $126
Beater Bar: $165
HG Bumper 45's: $148

Free shipping was neat. Any input would be great. I've scoured CL and local newspaper ads, but no luck there

I'm confused, you bought that or thinking of buying? If you bought it already just be happy with it. If not get a athlete cut belt from best belts.net. You can get cheaper bumpers from Wayfair.com, Pendlay Econs, there is always a coupon. Bars- there's tons of options.

[ihavecandygetin]

I'm confused, you bought that or thinking of buying? If you bought it already just be happy with it. If not get a athlete cut belt from best belts.net. You can get cheaper bumpers from Wayfair.com, Pendlay Econs, there is always a coupon. Bars- there's tons of options.

Verbage sucked, my bad.

I have not bought it yet. I liked the bar, price looked good. Not super worried about the bumpers/belt as I just "want" those. I am not made of money so if there is a better deal on a bar let me know. I was suggested this one a few times and the price was okay. Everywhere else I look I can beat the price but $75 shipping charges start to suck.

[ihavecandygetin]

Pendlay's on wayfair are $161, rogue was $148.

Belt was comparable price wise, $5 shipping was okay.

Bar was what I need, not sure where to get that still besides what I found.

No knocking your advice, still appreciate the input, but I don't see a better deal. Am I missing something?

[KJ4GR]

This is a great bar for the price. I ordered it last Friday and it was $128 shipped. I have two of them now.

http://www.wayfair.com/Cap-Barbell-S...B-CBB1047.html

[ihavecandygetin]

This is a great bar for the price. I ordered it last Friday and it was $128 shipped. I have two of them now.

Not that my rep means much, but thanks! This was exactly what I wanted, thanks again.

[dumb.bell]

Not that my rep means much, but thanks! This was exactly what I wanted, thanks again.

I'd definitely go with the bar the KJ4GR recommended and the Best Belt is one of if not the best belt on the market.

[judgecrandall]

Another vote for the Cap OB86B and BestBelts. I was also directed to those on the advice of the forum when I was first starting out here and haven't been disappointed at all.

[justinluck]

It's currently $135.55. Does the price tend to fluctuate?

This is a great bar for the price. I ordered it last Friday and it was $128 shipped. I have two of them now.

http://www.wayfair.com/Cap-Barbell-S...B-CBB1047.html

[rlundregan]

It's currently $135.55. Does the price tend to fluctuate?

It does fluctuate a bit. I wonder if it will go down in price for Black Friday, since that is only about a month away.....

I bought this bar last year on Black Friday, and I can also vouch for it being a lot of bar for the money.

[judgecrandall]

It's currently $135.55. Does the price tend to fluctuate?

Yeah, it jumps around. I've seen it as low as $124.

[Stasher1]

I'm sure the Beater Bar is a decent bar, but the 31mm diameter is a bit too large for an all purpose bar, IMO. It would probably be good for pressing movements, but I don't see it doing anything better than the OB-86B...and the $30 savings could be invested in a decent set of collars.

[ihavecandygetin]

I'm sure the Beater Bar is a decent bar, but the 31mm diameter is a bit too large for an all purpose bar, IMO. It would probably be good for pressing movements, but I don't see it doing anything better than the OB-86B...and the $30 savings could be invested in a decent set of collars.

After I looked at the CAP bar on Wayfair the miracle that is Amazon put an ad up for the same bar in my FB feed, but even less money and qualified for prime free 2-day shipping. Took the savings and grabbed some lock-jaw collars.

You gear wh0res notice a big difference in plates? I'm still finding the big-box 45's to be the best price for iron, of course bumpers are cheaper online.

Edit1: I am not super picky on the look of plates but I need iniformity, 3 different brands would make my OCD rage and I couldn't stand it.

Edit2: Cap 45's are $37 shipped on amazon, seems like I could buy 6 of those and be pretty happy.

[rlundregan]

After I looked at the CAP bar on Wayfair the miracle that is Amazon put an ad up for the same bar in my FB feed, but even less money and qualified for prime free 2-day shipping. Took the savings and grabbed some lock-jaw collars.

You gear wh0res notice a big difference in plates? I'm still finding the big-box 45's to be the best price for iron, of course bumpers are cheaper online.

Edit1: I am not super picky on the look of plates but I need iniformity, 3 different brands would make my OCD rage and I couldn't stand it.

Edit2: Cap 45's are $37 shipped on amazon, seems like I could buy 6 of those and be pretty happy.

If you are determined to buy new, anything less than $1/lb is probably pretty good. If you are able to wait until Black Friday, Dick's Sporting Goods usually puts a 300 lb set on sale for around $160 (give or take a few bucks). I can usually sell a Frankenset on Craigslist for $150, so it would be worth the wait to pick up a couple of sets and maybe sell off the junk bars that come with them to defray the cost even further.

You might consider keeping one junk bar around for a beater to do T Bar Rows or whatever, they sometimes come in handy.

Weight is weight, until you get to a point where you decide it is not. Some guys continue to buy whatever is cheap on CL, others eventually decide they want accuracy, vintage, super spiffy grip plates, or whatever.

[twodog]

Belt was comparable price wise, $5 shipping was okay.

The belt you are looking at is $126. Best belts, shipped are $99 for a 13mm prime, and $87 for a 10mm athletic cut.

First of all $126 to $99 is not comparable at all, not only is there a $27 difference, but Dean Best will make your belt, yes it is custom made, as soon as he receives your payment and ship it immediately, taking about a week and a half, or less to get to your door.

Secondly, I would recommend the 10mm Athletic cut, single prong belt, for $87 shipped . Most people here that have Best belts have gone with 10mm as there are as strong as you need, and more comfortable. If you still aren't sure, just contact Dean Best and talk it over with him. He will help you choose the belt best for you, and since his belts have been custom made since the 70's he has a little knowledge on the subject, lol.

Good choice on the CAP OB-86B, you will not be disappointed with it.

[judgecrandall]

After I looked at the CAP bar on Wayfair the miracle that is Amazon put an ad up for the same bar in my FB feed, but even less money and qualified for prime free 2-day shipping. Took the savings and grabbed some lock-jaw collars.

You gear wh0res notice a big difference in plates? I'm still finding the big-box 45's to be the best price for iron, of course bumpers are cheaper online.

Edit1: I am not super picky on the look of plates but I need iniformity, 3 different brands would make my OCD rage and I couldn't stand it.

Edit2: Cap 45's are $37 shipped on amazon, seems like I could buy 6 of those and be pretty happy.

Congrats on choosing the OB86B, it's a great bar. I hope you factored in tax and the 10% Wayfair coupon, as I've always found Wayfair to be cheaper than Amazon for this bar. 2-day prime shipping is nice though.

As always, used plates are going to be your best value, though you have to be at least a little patient for something to pop up on Craigslist. As rlundegran says, if you want new, just wait a bit longer for Black Friday sales. Buying weights online is rarely going to be the most cost-effective option given shipping costs.

Also, if you post your location people will be able to help you out tracking down deals in your area.

[ihavecandygetin]

If you are determined to buy new, anything less than $1/lb is probably pretty good. If you are able to wait until Black Friday, Dick's Sporting Goods usually puts a 300 lb set on sale for around $160 (give or take a few bucks). I can usually sell a Frankenset on Craigslist for $150, so it would be worth the wait to pick up a couple of sets and maybe sell off the junk bars that come with them to defray the cost even further.

You might consider keeping one junk bar around for a beater to do T Bar Rows or whatever, they sometimes come in handy.

I'm using that bar/set from Dick's! The bar sucks so bad, the ribbing on the end ground off pieces of metal from the weights. It ends up in my palms and doesn't feel great. The next set of 45's I get from there I intend to hit with a wire brush in my drill chuck. Hopefully the new bar fixes the issue.

[rlundregan]

I'm using that bar/set from Dick's! The bar sucks so bad, the ribbing on the end ground off pieces of metal from the weights. It ends up in my palms and doesn't feel great. The next set of 45's I get from there I intend to hit with a wire brush in my drill chuck. Hopefully the new bar fixes the issue.

Yeah, you're not the first person to experience that with those cheap ridged bar sleeves splintering. If you are getting a decent bar anyway, just sell off the crap bars that come with the sets. If you see a cheap bar on CL that does not have the ridges, that might be a good choice for a beater bar if you think you need one.

I have also noticed that cheap plates are poorly cast, and often have extra material in the center holes. At times it has been so bad that a plate has not fit on the bar. I think that was the point at which I decided that weight is not necessarily weight.

THere wouldn't be anything wrong with building a collection of good plates over time....Many of us have made do with cheap plates while we collected Ivanko Revolvers, vintage Yorks, rubber-coated GPI, or whatever. I hear you on the OCD thing, many of us are in the same place. I'm one of the guys who has to have his plates on the racks so the weight numbers are right-side up.

Where are you located? Some of us are pretty good about keeping eyes/ears open for good deals, and help each other out.

[ihavecandygetin]

Yeah, you're not the first person to experience that with those cheap ridged bar sleeves splintering. If you are getting a decent bar anyway, just sell off the crap bars that come with the sets. If you see a cheap bar on CL that does not have the ridges, that might be a good choice for a beater bar if you think you need one.

I have also noticed that cheap plates are poorly cast, and often have extra material in the center holes. At times it has been so bad that a plate has not fit on the bar. I think that was the point at which I decided that weight is not necessarily weight.

THere wouldn't be anything wrong with building a collection of good plates over time....Many of us have made do with cheap plates while we collected Ivanko Revolvers, vintage Yorks, rubber-coated GPI, or whatever. I hear you on the OCD thing, many of us are in the same place. I'm one of the guys who has to have his plates on the racks so the weight numbers are right-side up.

Where are you located? Some of us are pretty good about keeping eyes/ears open for good deals, and help each other out.

I'm in Maine.