Best Mid-Level Plates ~ $500

[Peter_Klim]

What are some good mid-level plates to get? 255 lb set (no bar)

Preferably I'd like to get Iron Grip Urethane plates but the lowest I've seen them shipped is $860 with up to a 2 month lead time to ship.

Troy VTX Rubber and Body Solid Rubber go for $500.
CAP a little less - $435 (one place told me $1.50/lb but not sure as that calculated price seemed very low: $382 as compared to other places)

Is there anything wrong with the Troy, Body Solid and CAPs?
Anything else in the $500 price range to consider?
How much better is urethane over rubber?

[Domicron]

just curious: why are you interested in rubber or urethane plates vs either iron or bumper plates?

[MonkeyT]

I had the BS Rubber (coloured with grip slots), they smelled bad - I had them outside on a covered terrace so it was OK at the time. They were OK as plates go but I sold them and went with Ivanko OM next. I thought the rubber was a good idea as they were outside and we were not too far from the coast.

Far as I am aware, Urethane has no (less) smell, but i´ve seen posts lately that mentioned Urethane smelling too. Come to mention it, I think it may have even been the IronGrip ones.... search recent posts, it was in the last week or so.

I bought Urethane DBs as I was assured they would have no smell compared to the rubber counterparts, and indeed they do not smell at all - They were at least double the price of the rubber version but well worth it as my gym is now integrated into my office, and it is not a large space, smell is a killer for me.

Personally I would spend the extra on getting something quality. I´ll never own BS plates again - I would personally only have Bumpers or machined iron.

What are some good mid-level plates to get? 255 lb set (no bar)

Preferably I'd like to get Iron Grip Urethane plates but the lowest I've seen them shipped is $860 with up to a 2 month lead time to ship.

Troy VTX Rubber and Body Solid Rubber go for $500.
CAP a little less - $435 (one place told me $1.50/lb but not sure as that calculated price seemed very low: $382 as compared to other places)

Is there anything wrong with the Troy, Body Solid and CAPs?
Anything else in the $500 price range to consider?
How much better is urethane over rubber?

[jormone]

Search this forum for (body solid) "rubber plate smell".

I personally wouldn't buy rubber coated plates (unless somehow guaranteed not to have that toxic smell)

I'd take the 255lb Intek Urethane ($850) over the IronGrip ($860) because I don't like the flat sides. Or you can ask Santa for the Ivanko OUEZ ($1150).

A set with 4x45s instead of the 2x35s would be better. 35s remain unused.

[Ramcharger310]

From what I have seen new...
SA and DSG are the bottom barrel sub $200 weight sets. Especially if you sell the barbell. That would be 255lbs for about $130 bucks.

Next, I would go with the CAP slime line as they are still machined. http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=153169061

After I break the $500 budget limit, I would be going for some OMs or Revolvers from Ivanko. Especially since Ivankos HQ is SoCal based out of the 310 area code.

[Peter_Klim]

But that rubber smell goes away after some time, right? Just like new tires.

[Peter_Klim]

just curious: why are you interested in rubber or urethane plates vs either iron or bumper plates?

My ears are old (too many rock concerts and loud stereos). I'm always in the gym with earplugs on.

Plus like MonkeyT's situation, I am close to the coast and I will be lifting outside. Even though I do plan to bring the plates back inside, I'm sure I will forget once in a while.

I also work out a lot around the midnight hour. So it does often get down in the 40s. Rather be touching urethane than iron. (I know, the bar is steel too)

[Peter_Klim]

From what I have seen new...
SA and DSG are the bottom barrel sub $200 weight sets. Especially if you sell the barbell. That would be 255lbs for about $130 bucks.

Next, I would go with the CAP slime line as they are still machined. http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=153169061

After I break the $500 budget limit, I would be going for some OMs or Revolvers from Ivanko. Especially since Ivankos HQ is SoCal based out of the 310 area code.

TKO Grips are $649 with urethane. About $200 less than the IVanko. Any thoughts on them?

[Peter_Klim]

Just saw that the Rubber version of the TKOs at $509 don't smell:

TKO's Olympic Rubber Tri Grip® Plate provides years of trouble free performance without cracking, fading, or damage to floors and equipment. Solid steel insert ensures a precision fit for a more effective workout tool.
Durable, non odor rubber encased


So beside smell, how else are urethane better?

[MonkeyT]

TKO Grips are $649 with urethane. About $200 less than the IVanko. Any thoughts on them?

If there is only a 200$ difference with the Ivanko, then get the Ivanko.

[matchsprint]

The rubber coating won't stop rust. Water gets underneath at the center hole and any nicks and just starts rusting the plates from there. And unless you get good ones, the urethane coating does start to peel off. It chips off on all of them.

I don't think most people will ever really drag in 250-350 lbs of plates at the end of each workout, unless you have a wheeled rack for them. Metal plates in good condition can sit outside if you are leaving a bar and a rack outside, or you need to keep them all out of the weather. I've seen commercial gyms in San Diego that have everything sitting out on a rooftop year-round. Stuff does take more of a beating than it does indoors, but it's not that bad. However, I'd personally keep the stuff inside and do my weights workouts there. Take a couple ketttleballs or something like that outdoors instead.

Iron grips plates? Those are octagonal rather than round. It's a pain when you want to move the bar slightly. Not sure what prompted them to go octagonal, but nobody else does. They sell a lot of plates and bars to commercial and university gyms, but frankly, I'd really go with round ones instead. Iron grips are way overpriced for what they are -- slack center hole, fairly inaccurate weights, fairly thick.

Look at the better Troy plates, the GO's. They come with really good finishes, they're thin, have hand holes to make it easy to move them around, and they are all-around excellent plates. The center holes are a bit slack but you can minimize the effects of that with a pair of good compression collars. They come in a grey-ish hammertone and are a lot nicer than most Yorks and other iron plates. The best deal is always to get used Ivankos off Craigslist, but we've priced the Troy GO plates at about $1/lb new.

Since you're worried about noise, though, I'd suggest you look at an inexpensive but decent bumper plate. You can get the price and weight you want for your budget. The lower-priced black bumpers tend to be pretty weather resistant and they're plenty durable for a home gym. Rogue typically has some good deals right around the corner on Black Friday. The HiTemps are solid and durable, although they aren't quite regulation diameter and won't mate well with 450 mm (45 lb) iron plates. Rogue's own black bumpers are quite good and will be a lot quieter than any iron will be. Again, the holes are pretty slack but a pair of compression collars will fix that. I wouldn't buy bumpers under 25 lbs -- the lighter ones just come apart too easily and are a waste of money. Get some inexpensive iron plates in lighter weights to tune your lifts with.

[845ToastT]

I'm a fan of Intek plates. They are $599 (edit: free shipping too) on Dumbbellbuddy. However, I've only ever used their urethane plates so I can't comment on the rubber.

[Peter_Klim]

If there is only a 200$ difference with the Ivanko, then get the Ivanko.

$200 is not some pocket change. That's more than 25%. How are the Ivankos better? BTW, moving up this $200 takes me from Urethane to Rubber plates, so that is another negative added to the extra cost (sorry if I didn't make that clear in my previous posts).

[Peter_Klim]

Just wanted to add how funny it is whenever I start with a budget, weeks go by and I double it, then the last week it becomes triple or even quadruple from the starting budget. Stereo equipment, camera gear, car modifications, computer, bicycles...Here I go again...but like everyones says, "buy once, cry once" (or something like that).

[Deep-Voiced-One]

The rubber coating won't stop rust. Water gets underneath at the center hole and any nicks and just starts rusting the plates from there. And unless you get good ones, the urethane coating does start to peel off. It chips off on all of them.

I don't think most people will ever really drag in 250-350 lbs of plates at the end of each workout, unless you have a wheeled rack for them. Metal plates in good condition can sit outside if you are leaving a bar and a rack outside, or you need to keep them all out of the weather. I've seen commercial gyms in San Diego that have everything sitting out on a rooftop year-round. Stuff does take more of a beating than it does indoors, but it's not that bad. However, I'd personally keep the stuff inside and do my weights workouts there. Take a couple ketttleballs or something like that outdoors instead.

Iron grips plates? Those are octagonal rather than round. It's a pain when you want to move the bar slightly. Not sure what prompted them to go octagonal, but nobody else does. They sell a lot of plates and bars to commercial and university gyms, but frankly, I'd really go with round ones instead. Iron grips are way overpriced for what they are -- slack center hole, fairly inaccurate weights, fairly thick.

Look at the better Troy plates, the GO's. They come with really good finishes, they're thin, have hand holes to make it easy to move them around, and they are all-around excellent plates. The center holes are a bit slack but you can minimize the effects of that with a pair of good compression collars. They come in a grey-ish hammertone and are a lot nicer than most Yorks and other iron plates. The best deal is always to get used Ivankos off Craigslist, but we've priced the Troy GO plates at about $1/lb new.

Since you're worried about noise, though, I'd suggest you look at an inexpensive but decent bumper plate. You can get the price and weight you want for your budget. The lower-priced black bumpers tend to be pretty weather resistant and they're plenty durable for a home gym. Rogue typically has some good deals right around the corner on Black Friday. The HiTemps are solid and durable, although they aren't quite regulation diameter and won't mate well with 450 mm (45 lb) iron plates. Rogue's own black bumpers are quite good and will be a lot quieter than any iron will be. Again, the holes are pretty slack but a pair of compression collars will fix that. I wouldn't buy bumpers under 25 lbs -- the lighter ones just come apart too easily and are a waste of money. Get some inexpensive iron plates in lighter weights to tune your lifts with.

This dude always has a ton of useful information and knowledge and I agree on the Troy GOs (As far as iron plates go they are good quality, I own a set myself and a set of them can be had for about the price you listed in your original post). I didn't get mine through Troy's site however, but through elitefts (at the time) and later when I needed more from adamant barbell's website (I highly recommend going through adamant's site if you're interested in these plates their site is the cheapest I found them new).

[Peter_Klim]

This dude always has a ton of useful information and knowledge and I agree on the Troy GOs (As far as iron plates go they are good quality, I own a set myself and a set of them can be had for about the price you listed in your original post). I didn't get mine through Troy's site however, but through elitefts (at the time) and later when I needed more from adamant barbell's website (I highly recommend going through adamant's site if you're interested in these plates their site is the cheapest I found them new).

Which one are the GO plates?
Bumper
Rubber
Urethane
Iron w/o any coating

http://www.tko.com/products/category...-bumper-plates
http://www.adamantbarbell.com/Olympi...9690db78b6aeda

[MonkeyT]

Lmao

...but like everyones says, "buy once, cry once" (or something like that).

[rlundregan]

To answer your question about urethane vs rubber, my understanding is that urethane will last longer than rubber. That said, both will eventually start to chip, tear, etc, especially around the center holes.

You should also be aware that some companies use a much heavier/thicker coat of urethane than others. If you really want to go with urethane, make sure that you do some homework on that--it may well be the reason for the $200 difference between Ivanko and TKO plates as an example (I'm guessing here, I don't really know).

Much of the discussion from your questions about bumper plates seems germane to this discussion, here is the link to your previous thread:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...post1395354073

If it were my money, going toward a weight set that would stay outside, I would still just go with a less expensive set of iron plates (CAP might be a good choice) and plan to repaint them every few years and be done with it.

[MonkeyT]

You should also be aware that some companies use a much heavier/thicker coat of urethane than others. If you really want to go with urethane, make sure that you do some homework on that--it may well be the reason for the $200 difference between Ivanko and TKO plates as an example (I'm guessing here, I don't really know).

Good point rlundregan - I remember reading somewhere that the Ivanko Urethane is the thickest in the industry, and there was a cross section photo showing just how thick it is.

OP - For 200$ the differences will be more than just the thickness though, hole tolerances, calibration of plates etc. Ivanko is at the top of the game, "tko" isn't. To be honest, I´m surprised the price difference isn't much more, or even much much more!!

[rlundregan]

By the way, I happen to agree with matchsprint that dragging plates in/out of the house will get old, which is why I am thinking inexpensive iron is the way to go. You can buy a wheeled plate rack that is meant for bumpers from Rogue and several other vendors, although I would think that would get old too. Just my 2 cent opinion.

[Deep-Voiced-One]

Which one are the GO plates?
Bumper
Rubber
Urethane
Iron w/o any coating

http://www.tko.com/products/category...-bumper-plates
http://www.adamantbarbell.com/Olympi...9690db78b6aeda

There are a couple different versions of the GOs. The GO (original), The GO-R (Rubber coated) and the GO-U (Urethane). I have the bare iron ones (just GO) they are the ones that say grip plates under that section you linked on adamant's website. They are nice plates and if you wanted to save even a few less bucks you can always go with their non-grip bare iron HO, or PO plates (Which are basically the same, just without grips and they don't interlock which is not a big deal), Those would be listed under "premium plates" on the site. The HO plates are hammertone colored just like the GOs and perhaps have a slightly nicer finish than the PO plates (which are black, but have a paint droplet design which is cool looking, but can chip sort of easier than the flatter hammertone paint job on the HOs and GOs).

[Mechanon84]

I've seen the troy rubber grip plates in person and wasn't impressed.

I think the best coated plates you can get are Intek and Cemco. I've read a couple instances of the ivanko rubber coated plates being kinda crappy lately.

[cmarti063]

I've seen the troy rubber grip plates in person and wasn't impressed.

I think the best coated plates you can get are Intek and Cemco. I've read a couple instances of the ivanko rubber coated plates being kinda crappy lately.

I'm fairly certain neither of those are standard diameter 45s, maybe someone can confirm. I like Ivanko, IGX, and GPI.

[Peter_Klim]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Just a note, that I m not looking for the Best plates. I'm pretty much in agreement with which brands are the best. I'm trying to stick within a budget (~$500) and purchases something at that price that is the best for me at my budget.

I'll look more into everyone's replies after work.

[Domicron]

i've always felt like rubber/urethane coated plates are more fragile in the long term because you can't repair them once they crack/tear.

also plenty of people have said that a lot of time the noise from plates when setting down the bar and such is from the spacing between the sleeves and the center hole. finding a bar and plate combo that fit together with less space might help to reduce noise.

[jackbravo]

How about Hi-temp plates? You can use them outdoors without problem I believe.
260lb set from Rogue for 500$, shipping included

I'm not sure as to their accuracy, but maybe that doesn't matter.

[845ToastT]

I'm fairly certain neither of those are standard diameter 45s, maybe someone can confirm. I like Ivanko, IGX, and GPI.

I know that Intek urethane 45s are full diameter and I believe their rubber as well. It's their metal plates that aren't full diameter.

[urbanlifter]

York G2's and Rubber G2's can be had at a decent price brand new (via Allison Foreman 30-40% discount). I priced out some rubber coated ones recently before I picked up the Iron Grips's and it was between $1.15 and $1.30 per lb shipped. I know some people are not a fan of the G2's because of the handles slightly throwing them off balance, but I honestly never noticed an issue.

As for Iron Grip Urethane, I picked up a used set and they are something special. The Urethane feels very durable, the center seems to hug the bar well, and I actually think the unique shape looks bad@ss. Mine appear to have been well used in commercial gym setting, besides typical scuffs I didn't see any real signs of the urethane tearing or starting to fall off. There was some chipping away around the center, but nothing that would compromise the plate. I would think brand new those things would last a lifetime in a home gym setting, especially if you really take care of your equipment....

[matchsprint]

I'm just not a fan of coated iron plates. They rust under the coating and are that much more of a pain to maintain in the end. And they become quite a bit more expensive. The coating is fine for gyms that want to reduce the amount of plate-banging noise, but other than that, it doesn't have much purpose.

I was referring to the plain GO plates -- hand holes, rims notched to lock together. They are standard 450 mm plates, and match up nicely to 100 lb Ivanko OM plates. The finish is decent, the paint is durable, and they are both less expensive and frankly better done than most current Yorks I've used. Indoors or out, they are good plates for the price.

Perhaps to clarify for the OP, rubber- or urethane-covered iron plates aren't the same as bumper plates. I was suggesting inexpensive bumper plates. The HiTemps are especially durable but have a slightly smaller than standard diameter. That isn't really an issue if you are only using HiTemps, but if you're mixing them with other plates -- bumper or iron -- they don't work well.

[urbanlifter]

I'm just not a fan of coated iron plates. They rust under the coating and are that much more of a pain to maintain in the end. And they become quite a bit more expensive. The coating is fine for gyms that want to reduce the amount of plate-banging noise, but other than that, it doesn't have much purpose.

The coating is also great if you have a home with children and are trying to limit the noise. As for the main concern being rust, meh. The environment that you store them in will determine how much a plate will rust, if they are kept inside or in a controlled environment I don't foresee a whole lot of issues.

From Iron Grip....

"Iron Grip Urethane Olympic Plates offer the same unique patented features as our premiere iron plates, including integrated handgrips to provide a safe, user-friendly means for lifting and carrying, plus a 12-sided design to eliminate rolling. These urethane-coated plates are highly impact-resistant, exceptionally durable, and the urethane will not split, peel or delaminate from the insert. In addition, the urethane won't scuff, scratch, mar or chip equipment, walls or floors. These plates are also impervious to rusting, chipping, flaking and losing their color."