maybe a good deal on Hampton bearing bars

[morebarbell]

I've never done business with this company so I don't know if they are reliable but the prices look good. They have the 1500 test bushing bar for $100 shipped and some specialty bearing bars for $70 shipped. It looks like about half the usual price.

I realize this might look like spam but it's not. I'm not selling these bars (or fat gripz)

1500 test bar: http://www.rockbottomfitness.com/ham...l#.UPSdp6GBAhQ

all bars: http://www.rockbottomfitness.com/bars-and-collars.html

Anyone have experience with the urethane grip bars?? They look sort of strange. Is the bar recessed under the urethane grip or is it a normal bar underneath? I ask because I wonder if the bar would be usable if the grips were removed.

[ygohome]

the part number from Hampton on that bar is B-86-15CE

I see that the MSRP is somewhere around $269 USD. $100 shipped sounds almost too good to be true. Then I saw that it is 32mm, which is pretty thick bar. Usually oly and power bars are about 28.5mm or 29mm.

watch this Rippetoe video... skip to 1:39 mark to hear what he says about sub $150 and bars that are over 30mm.

http://startingstrength.com/index.ph...r_bar_straight

[snova031]

I can't comment on the bar itself but I've purchased from rockbottomgolf.com which looks to be the same company and they were good to deal with.

[morebarbell]

the part number from Hampton on that bar is B-86-15CE

I see that the MSRP is somewhere around $269 USD. $100 shipped sounds almost too good to be true. Then I saw that it is 32mm, which is pretty thick bar. Usually oly and power bars are about 28.5mm or 29mm.

watch this Rippetoe video... skip to 1:39 mark to hear what he says about sub $150 and bars that are over 30mm.

http://startingstrength.com/index.ph...r_bar_straight

I did a search before my post and the 1500 test bar got some good comments but you make a good point about the diameter of the bar. As you said, it sounds a little too good to be true which gives me some concern. It's actually cheaper than the Cap 86B.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...7259293&page=1

[ygohome]

Hampton is a pretty good company. I have their olympic dumbbell handles and they are top notch. So they do make good stuff. I just don't know about this particular bar.

*edit: fyi, I just bought a new Buddy Capps TPB bar (for power lifting and dead lifts... not for oly) from lifestylesports... http://www.lifestylesport.com/Texas_...s-powerbar.htm
also sold here:
http://www.wwfitness.com/

That is a low cost but reputable power lifting bar that is made by Buddy himself. RogueFitness also sells a nice one called The Rogue Bar that can be used for power lifting and Oly/cleans.

Also check out the Burgener & Rippetoe bar (also sold at roguefitness).

These are all about $250 - $300, which is probably the lowest price you will find on a nice/reputable new bar.

[morebarbell]

Hampton is a pretty good company. I have their olympic dumbbell handles and they are top notch. So they do make good stuff. I just don't know about this particular bar.

*edit: fyi, I just bought a new Buddy Capps TPB bar (for power lifting and dead lifts... not for oly) from lifestylesports... http://www.lifestylesport.com/Texas_...s-powerbar.htm
also sold here:
http://www.wwfitness.com/

That is a low cost but reputable power lifting bar that is made by Buddy himself. RogueFitness also sells a nice one called The Rogue Bar that can be used for power lifting and Oly/cleans.

Also check out the Burgener & Rippetoe bar (also sold at roguefitness).

These are all about $250 - $300, which is probably the lowest price you will find on a nice/reputable new bar.

Thanks for suggestion. In the link, NM mentioned that he switched from the Hampton to the TPB. I've overspent my "allowance" recently so I was going to hold off before buying a new bar but got excited by the price on the Hampton. I might just wait and put that $100 toward the TPB.

[HawkTime7]

Thank you for the heads up. Just placed an order. I was going to get the CAP OB86 but the Hampton has a center knurl and is cheaper.
On this forum, most Hampton product owners say they are satisfied with their equipment.

[morebarbell]

Hampton is a pretty good company. I have their olympic dumbbell handles and they are top notch. So they do make good stuff. I just don't know about this particular bar....

Now I want the olympic dumbbell handles and they appear to be discontinued. I can't find them anywhere. Model number IB-20CE. If anyone knows where I can buy them please let me know. Thanks!

Thank you for the heads up. Just placed an order. I was going to get the CAP OB86 but the Hampton has a center knurl and is cheaper.
On this forum, most Hampton product owners say they are satisfied with their equipment.

I'm glad it was helpful. If you get a chance, could you post your impressions of the bar when you get it?

[HawkTime7]

Absolutely morebarbell.

[ygohome]

Now I want the olympic dumbbell handles and they appear to be discontinued. I can't find them anywhere. Model number IB-20CE. If anyone knows where I can buy them please let me know. Thanks!

I got mine a couple years ago before they were discontinued. I google search that part # I can see someplaces still sell them but they are not on Hampton's website anymore. They are expensive! I actually got mine as a bday present, otherwise I'm not sure I would've paid that much for them. But they work great and the sleeves spin very nice. The grips are nice too.

It's nice to be able to use my 10lb olympic plates with the dumbbell handles and they work great for DB snatch. If you do get olympic dumbbell handles then be sure to get collars that will not slip or fail. Some clamps start out strong, but then after awhile they can break (the plastic ones) or loosen and slide. You don't want to be doing something like skull crushers and have the plates slide off. So I use Ivanko CTO 1.25 collars. The best collars (in my opinion) and they absolutely do not slip. But they aren't cheap either.

[Andrew_WOT]

I did a search before my post and the 1500 test bar got some good comments but you make a good point about the diameter of the bar. As you said, it sounds a little too good to be true which gives me some concern. It's actually cheaper than the Cap 86B.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...7259293&page=1

This is outstanding bar, pretty good steel (165,000 psi) combined with 32mm makes it virtually indestructible, killer industrial chrome non slippery finish, bronze bushing with good spin, very nice knurl.
32 mm might be a problem for pull lifts as will challenge your grip. I was just using versa grips for max work set.
Price is suspicious though.

[HawkTime7]

Thanks for the great info Andrew_WOT. You're last sentence had me buggin' though. Did a "legit" check on them and all comments were positive but unfortunately they only reffered to the golfing equipment at rockbottomgolf.com.
One of the golfing forums talked of how rockbottom are able to sell(typically very expensive golf clubs, etc.) at very low prices. Apparently, rockbottom buys out golf stores going out of business and they also wholesale. I'm hoping that is the case with their fitness equipment. They shipped my bar yesterday with tracking info and you can use PayPal with them. The transaction was smooth. Andrew_WOT hopefully you can do a legit check on my bar once I'm able to post pics.
I was pumped at first but now I kinda feel like I just bought a pair of fake Air Jordans. I hope this works out.

[snova031]

Thanks for the great info Andrew_WOT. You're last sentence had me buggin' though. Did a "legit" check on them and all comments were positive but unfortunately they only reffered to the golfing equipment at rockbottomgolf.com.
One of the golfing forums talked of how rockbottom are able to sell(typically very expensive golf clubs, etc.) at very low prices. Apparently, rockbottom buys out golf stores going out of business and they also wholesale. I'm hoping that is the case with their fitness equipment. They shipped my bar yesterday with tracking info and you can use PayPal with them. The transaction was smooth. Andrew_WOT hopefully you can do a legit check on my bar once I'm able to post pics.
I was pumped at first but now I kinda feel like I just bought a pair of fake Air Jordans. I hope this works out.

As I mentioned above, I have purchased from rockbottomgolf previously- bought my Odyssey putter from them when they were selling various models for $50 shipped, which was a great deal. My putter was brand new and genuine, I'd purchase from them again.

Let us know your feedback when you get the bar. If they have this still I may pick it up.

[Andrew_WOT]

Thanks for the great info Andrew_WOT. You're last sentence had me buggin' though. Did a "legit" check on them and all comments were positive but unfortunately they only reffered to the golfing equipment at rockbottomgolf.com.
One of the golfing forums talked of how rockbottom are able to sell(typically very expensive golf clubs, etc.) at very low prices. Apparently, rockbottom buys out golf stores going out of business and they also wholesale. I'm hoping that is the case with their fitness equipment. They shipped my bar yesterday with tracking info and you can use PayPal with them. The transaction was smooth. Andrew_WOT hopefully you can do a legit check on my bar once I'm able to post pics.
I was pumped at first but now I kinda feel like I just bought a pair of fake Air Jordans. I hope this works out.

Did you get IB-86-15CE?

Yeah, post the pictures after you get it, for a reference you can see mine here. Click on pictures for bigger view.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...light=westside

[morebarbell]

This is kind of a girlie thing to say but I really like the color of the bar. I'm not a big fan of the rubber guards though.

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/bj8vi

[HawkTime7]

Yes, rockbottom had the same model #. The pic they had matches your bar...center knurl and rubber sleeve collars. Thanks for the pics link.
I like the color too. Hope this is what I receive. I'll give you folks a heads up soon.

[Andrew_WOT]

This is kind of a girlie thing to say but I really like the color of the bar. I'm not a big fan of the rubber guards though.

I wish all bars had them, saved my rack from nicks on multiple occasions.

[HawkTime7]

Heads up. rockbottomfitness has 15% site wide. $85 is awesome for this bar.
I am very happy with this bar and will do a review soon.
I wish I had caught this sale before I pulled the trigger though. Awesome sale so I figure I can apply it to buying supplements, proteins which were already very cheap on their website.

[Jetigen]

Heads up. rockbottomfitness has 15% site wide. $85 is awesome for this bar.
I am very happy with this bar and will do a review soon.

Just purchased it for $84.99 with free shipping. That's the best deal I've ever seen on a good bar. Beats craiglist. Thanks for the heads-up.

[RemainDieHard]

That is an amazing deal. I have a Hampton 1500 bar and their multi-hex trap bar and they're both amazing. I got my 1500 lb bar several years ago and it looks a little different. Mine was used 9.5/10 condition, they were asking $150 and I got them down to $120. I picked this bar specifically because of the thicker grip. I broke my hand many years ago and the thicker grip does not aggravate the area. Plus, more grip training

[morebarbell]

Thanks for the heads up, HawkTime7!

[swimmer32]

I've never used a thicker bar before, but that's a heck of a deal.

[HawkTime7]

No problem fellas thanks for the love.
Yes it's a noticably thicker bar. I was like, "Wow a silver axle with knurling!". You get over it quick because of the bar quality.
Came in a plain rectangle style cardboard box and nothing else. Bar was still in good condition. No abrasions I could catch. I attribute this to FedEx delivery. They are great. They also delivered my TPB from Legend and it was spotless. So not only is the bar cheap, you also get premuim delivery.
This bar does have that great kind of golden/champagne color that morebarbell (Thank YOU for the heads up) likes.
Spins like it should. I wasn't expecting it to spin like a Pendlay lol.
The knurl is my favorite trait of this bar. It reminds me a Rogue knurl, more agressive, but without hooking on to your skin. I know it sounds like a contradiction but I can't quite describe it correctly...all I know is that it feels great. Don't forget the center knurl. Many don't care for it but I love a center knurl.
Rubber protector both on bar sleeve collars and on the end caps. These are also a big reason that the bar was not damaged on transit.
I love the non ribbed sleeves because I can use my cheap Weider Hammertones on them, and the sleeves won't get scarred up.
Many pics of this bar and other equipment I have are coming but I gotta work on my post count.
Overall, I am very happy with this bar. It really is a steal due to the bar quality and price. Go treat yourself.

[HowardCSCS]

No problem fellas thanks for the love.
Yes it's a noticably thicker bar. I was like, "Wow a silver axle with knurling!". You get over it quick because of the bar quality.
Came in a plain rectangle style cardboard box and nothing else. Bar was still in good condition. No abrasions I could catch. I attribute this to FedEx delivery. They are great. They also delivered my TPB from Legend and it was spotless. So not only is the bar cheap, you also get premuim delivery.
This bar does have that great kind of golden/champagne color that morebarbell (Thank YOU for the heads up) likes.
Spins like it should. I wasn't expecting it to spin like a Pendlay lol.
The knurl is my favorite trait of this bar. It reminds me a Rogue knurl, more agressive, but without hooking on to your skin. I know it sounds like a contradiction but I can't quite describe it correctly...all I know is that it feels great. Don't forget the center knurl. Many don't care for it but I love a center knurl.
Rubber protector both on bar sleeve collars and on the end caps. These are also a big reason that the bar was not damaged on transit.
I love the non ribbed sleeves because I can use my cheap Weider Hammertones on them, and the sleeves won't get scarred up.
Many pics of this bar and other equipment I have are coming but I gotta work on my post count.
Overall, I am very happy with this bar. It really is a steal due to the bar quality and price. Go treat yourself.

Any warranty on the bar?

[irongrandpa]

Just tried to order this bar and their 6', 700lb bar, both weren't available.

[HawkTime7]

HowardCSCS, there was no warranty.
irongrandpa, I'm so sorry about that. I was a bit of a hypebeast on this and maybe they sold quick because of that.

[Detrus]

The knurl is my favorite trait of this bar. It reminds me a Rogue knurl, more agressive, but without hooking on to your skin. I know it sounds like a contradiction but I can't quite describe it correctly...all I know is that it feels great.

I use both Hampton and Rogue and the knurls couldn't be more different for me. Hampton's has 80% peak. The triangles are a bit bigger. Rogue has 10% of peak with another hole inside. Rogue doesn't feel nearly as good.

I think the sleeves on the Hampton are smaller than they should be though. A lot of slop between bar and plates.

[Andrew_WOT]

I think the sleeves on the Hampton are smaller than they should be though. A lot of slop between bar and plates.

Never noticed that, in fact Ivanko plates are quite tight fit, barely go over rubber cap. Do you use the same 1500lb 32mm bar.

[Detrus]

Never noticed that, in fact Ivanko plates are quite tight fit, barely go over rubber cap. Do you use the same 1500lb 32mm bar.

Hamptons are at local gym. They have rubber on sleeve collars, it looks like the same model.



The gym has some old York plates, some milled and there is slop even with those last I remember. That's what I'm going by. There's a bunch of other standard barbell plates that are definitely sloppy.

[morebarbell]

It might be the plates that are sloppy. I'd trust the fit of Ivanko plates over the others. I did place an order and will be using Ivanko plates. I'll share my experience with the bar when it arrives. I'm looking forward to seeing HawkTime7's photos to tide me over until my bar arrives!