http://www.newyorkbarbells.tv/im-0033.html
http://www.newyorkbarbells.tv/im-0030.html
I'd like to get 18" ones, so we're talking up to 100 lbs on one handle.
Which of these 2 do you think is more secure? Are the first ones as quick to change as they look?
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05-14-2012, 05:17 PM #1
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05-14-2012, 05:24 PM #2
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The first are quite quick to change but not very secure at all. Spinlocks will be slower but far more secure. I would use the first for nothing where the weights would be suspended over my face. There are however more secure collars that fit that type of bar.
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05-14-2012, 06:25 PM #3
Definitely get the first kind, not the spinlocks. Its much quicker to change plates with the screw type collar than the spinlocks, and they won't loosen with use.
Also, because of the thick threading on the spinlocks, a lot of metal has to be removed from the parts of the bar that hold the plates. This will make the bar weaker that one without the threading. The large diameter of the spinlock thread is about 15/16", and the small diameter is about 3/4". A smooth 1" diameter bar is much stronger. So an 18" spinlock handle will not be able to hold as much weight as smooth handle (or may bend more).
As far as safety is concerned the screw type collar will be more than adequate for any lift you might do. They were in universal use long before spinlocks came along. I did some testing of an old screw collar that was laying in a junk bin. Take a look. That's 200 lb sitting vertically on the collar.
Regards and happy lifting,
Sherm
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05-14-2012, 08:56 PM #4
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05-14-2012, 09:09 PM #5
It's not a big issue but with the spinlock thread taking so much metal off the bar, its effective cross section, and thus tensile strength, is only 56% as much as a smooth 1" bar. (Assuming steel quality is the same.) And the general forum consensus is the stronger the better. For most casual lifters even a 1" diameter wooden dowel will work up to 100 pounds or so.
Six 10's distributed evenly is the same as having one 60 pound weight halfway between the inner collar and the outer collar. Any bar bends when there is weight on it, and how much generally depends on the tensile strength of the bar.
Really my main point is that the screw type collar is as safe as the spinlock, and steel quality being equal, the 1" smooth bar is stronger than the spinlock bar.
BUT, when you can get a decent spinlock handle for $5.00 at Walmart, it's a very good deal no matter how much steel they took off by threading it.
Regards and happy lifting,
Sherm
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05-14-2012, 10:22 PM #6
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Spinlocks for me. I have trust issues with the other ones.
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05-15-2012, 02:42 PM #7
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I don't get why spinlocks are perceived as the safer option in all circumstances. If you roll the dumbell on some surface, or touch the plates in a move like tricep extensions, you can loosen the collar. If the loose collar is near the end of the bar, it is not safe.
Also spinlocks take a while to secure properly. Not only do you have to put the collar on and spin it to the plate, you have to spin the plates to get a really tight lock that won't loosen. So there's a higher chance of user error.
I would get the non-threaded handles and invest more in collars if the included ones are crappy.
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05-15-2012, 02:56 PM #8
If you know how to secure a spin lock collar, it won't come loose unless you drop it.
I have never had any issue with them coming loose. Don't get the $5 Gold's Gym piece of crap. Get one like that pictured from NY Barbells; with a metal handle and rubber washers. You can get it super tight simply by rolling the plates clockwise once the collars are secured.
Even 200 lbs. on a short dumbbell handle really isn't that much weight. If anybody could bend one of those handles I'd be very impressed.()---() York Barbell Club #5 ()---()
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Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.
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Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
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05-15-2012, 06:15 PM #9
That's a real good argument against spinlocks. How many Joe Blows off the street are going to know what you know about tightening the collars? They buy them and start lifting. I doubt that they do a search on the web or tune into this forum to find out the fine points. So for those people who don't know the trick, the collars will work loose and might fall off. (I remember my adventures trying to tighten spinlocks, always coming loose.)
With any other type of collar, except spring clips, you tighten them the same way you tighten everything else - turn hard clockwise. No secret to that. And they will hold very well.
Regards and happy lifting,
Sherm
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05-15-2012, 06:27 PM #10()---() York Barbell Club #5 ()---()
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Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.
Winston Churchill
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
Mahatma Gandhi
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05-15-2012, 07:17 PM #11
Please, they are not idiots just because they don't know your collar trick. They probably know a lot of stuff you and I don't know.
Most of the screw type and compression type collars I've come across take very little effort to secure tightly. But, hey, anything can happen. Maybe the post office will put the quicklocks tightening trick on their next stamp.
Regards and happy lifting,
Sherm
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05-15-2012, 10:24 PM #12
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I lucked in to learning that plate spinning trick by spending hours researching various weight equipment and stumbling on a youtube comparison of spinlock vs normal dumbells. That video covered the trick.
I might have figured it out on my own because sometimes the collar was difficult to unscrew, so I spun the plate instead. It just feels cheap when you have that kind of inconvenience.
Also I often forget to do the trick on lighter weights where there's no danger of the collar spinning off. And it usually comes loose and reminds me that I still bought crap after hours of internet research.
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05-16-2012, 05:34 AM #13
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I have the NY Barbells spin lock dumbbell handles and they are very secure. I used them strictly for overhead movements like pullovers and seated overhead tricep extensions. I've had 100 lbs over my head doing both exercises and never had an issue with them. No way would I trust any type of locking collar overhead. You can see if the spin lock needs to be tightened down. I always thought the twisting "trick" for tightening down the spin locks was common knowledge in gyms.
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05-16-2012, 08:13 AM #14
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05-16-2012, 08:52 AM #15
I think the point is, you can tighten either down sufficiently to hold more weight than you would be lifting.
The difference is that with spin-lock handles you don't need to use any additional tools to do so, and IF the collars are looser than they need to be, they will STILL hold the weights on the bar. The rattling will warn you, since the whole point of spin-lock is that by tightening them, the plates get pressed together. Unless you are using cheap $5 "Gold's Gym" spin-lock handles, the collars will not be loose and spin off the handle with ease. With even a quarter inch of extra handle on the end you'll have more than enough security that the plates will stay on even if you didn't tighten them down well. With bolt collars, the plates probably rattle a little all the time, unless you are really good at pressing them together when you wrench them on.
Seriously, you can get by with either kind. People do and have done so for decades. However, the OP is interested in security, and to me there is no doubt which is most secure. Hands down the spin-lock provides the most security because the plates will stay on the handle even if you don't know how to secure the collars adequately. This is NOT the case for bolt on collars.()---() York Barbell Club #5 ()---()
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Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.
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Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
Mahatma Gandhi
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05-16-2012, 08:54 AM #16
A point to consider, however, is that if you plan to do do dumbbell snatches, you would probably prefer to use Bolt-on collars.
The reason being that spin-lock collars prevent plates from spinning freely, which some people want when doing snatches.()---() York Barbell Club #5 ()---()
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Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.
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Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
Mahatma Gandhi
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05-16-2012, 09:06 AM #17
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05-16-2012, 09:29 AM #18
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05-16-2012, 09:37 AM #19()---() York Barbell Club #5 ()---()
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Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.
Winston Churchill
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
Mahatma Gandhi
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05-16-2012, 02:14 PM #20
I don't suppose that anything will change your mind, but.......
The point of the internet forums is to disseminate information. Any "Joe Blow" that cares to can come here and learn the trick to spinlocks. Any "Joe Blow" that doesn't care to come here is destined to learn the hard way regardless (they can also go some place else to learn things, the point isn't the location...but the desire to learn something).
I don't know when I stopped being a "joe blow" (sarcasm), but I know for sure that I was one when I came here. I learned a lot and now I pass on what I know (and continue to learn). Heck, now that I think about it...I didn't know the "trick" to tightening spinlocks before I came here either....now I do.
A lot of "joe blows" out there think selectec dumbbells are a good product...if they didn't come here they may plunk down a lot of money for that crap. If they take the time to educate themselves by reviewing information available to them on the internet...they might find this site, learn how crappy those things are and learn about the other good choices available to them.
In the end, there isn't really anything wrong with using spinlocks or solid dumbbells. They both have their pros/cons.....just as the available adjustable db's and even fixed db's do too. Its always better to find out the things that are good and bad about what you're considering and weigh that with your uses, funds, space, and idiosyncrasies.....
For the record... if I was using db's of this sort, I'd never use one of the screw collars that relies on one single screw to dig into the bar in order to gain its bite and secure the plates. I've seen too many of them that are too difficult to screw without a wrench....I mean I've actually seen wrenches in the gyms where they were used. They also dig into the bar which might damage the bar.
Compression type collars (like ivanko's), where there is a band that wraps around the bar are much more secure and better for the bar. I'm sure your collars are good too (I've seen them, obviously), but something just didn't do it for me with them (which I highlighted when I reviewed them). I still imagine that that may be my own bias and that they work fine. I'd absolutely used them over the screw types....which I'd throw into a lake before I'd use them to secure weight plates.▪█─────█▪ Equipment Crew #4 ▪█─────█▪
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05-16-2012, 02:16 PM #21
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05-16-2012, 02:56 PM #22
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I spent days researching exercise equipment online, trawling through reviews on Amazon and elsewhere. Asked people on forums I frequent. I even stumbled on this site for a few things but it never registered to look here more carefully. Good info on this topic takes a long time to find. This forum and the content here doesn't pop up when you google for equipment reviews, Amazon does with it's less critical and detailed reviews.
I started out trying to get those Bowflex dumbells and was fortunate not to. Got a crappy standard weight set instead, so not too fortunate.
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05-16-2012, 03:16 PM #23
Well, the internet isn't perfect...but its something...a tool we didn't use to have. The point is that you can find things by looking....if you don't look you're just looking for wasted time and money.
This site does come up in searches. Thats how I found it. I was looking for information on an obscure piece of equipment and found this very forum. Heck...there wasnt even much here on out and I still found this site.▪█─────█▪ Equipment Crew #4 ▪█─────█▪
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05-16-2012, 03:33 PM #24
When I used the term screw collars, what I really meant is all the different types of collars other than spinlocks and spring clips, including compression types. I can understand how you thought I was just talking about "set screw collars" where the screw makes direct contact with the bar. Hard to believe, but I wasn't trying to push my collars.
A little off topic. In my opinion if you want visitors to feel that the forum is open and unbiased, the first thing I'd do is do is ditch the Bowflex sticky. Its got more venom and less factual content than I've seen on a lot of forums. Hate for the product, and distrust of any users of the product, shows through from the first few posts. Might be some other biases, but Boflex is where I"d start. Just my opinion.
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05-16-2012, 03:38 PM #25
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Sherm I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that one.
Many people have turned a screw or nut, but that doesn't make them experts at it. People fail to realize that over torquing a bolted assembly can be as or more dangerous as under torquing.
How many of us have racks with some compressed steel because a previous owner torqued the heck out of it?Boomer Rep Crew #1
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05-16-2012, 05:57 PM #26
I didn't think you were trying to push your collars. I think its ok to discuss them though because they're an option.
I can't make or take away a sticky. If you feel that strongly about it, I'd suggest you ask ctgblue or wildTim. I gave up on the boflex thread a long time ago. Arguing with its supporters is futile and if newcomers can't find what they need to know about that junk by looking at what's already been said.....Then nothing new being rehashed is going to help them.
I don't think anyone distrusts boflex owners... Its the company. I don't like their junk... But a boflex that's being used is better than a rack that is not.▪█─────█▪ Equipment Crew #4 ▪█─────█▪
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05-17-2012, 07:20 AM #27
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05-17-2012, 07:25 AM #28
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05-17-2012, 12:16 PM #29
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I'm not defending sherman, but.......
All through the 60's, 70's and even before the screw type collar on a dumbell was the only option. I had used it for years, doing pullovers with as much as 80lbs. on one db, without any problems.
That being said, I wouldn't do it today because of the options I have, such as compression collars from Jesup Gym."Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do, than by the ones you did" Mark Twain
"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats" H. L. Mencken
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05-17-2012, 12:20 PM #30
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