Olympic sleeves: Which is better: smooth or serrated?

[agent8698]

I bought a cheap 215 lb olympic weight set the other day: olympic bar and 'Marcy Grip' plates (love the plates). I have been adding and subtracting plates to the bar, and I noticed that the weight sleeves on the bar are serrated (look like they're finely threaded). (In another store, I saw an olympic bar with smooth sleeves).

So now, after adding and substracting plates and moving the spring collars around, it seems to me that these serrated sleeves cause a certain amount of noise and hassle when manipulating plates and spring collars. First I thought, well, the serration is obviously supposed to be a safety feature, to make extra sure that those spring collars don't ever have a chance of sliding off. But then I read somewhere that competition bars are ALWAYS SMOOTH. Oh? Of course, they use a different, expensive type of collar, but hey, if it's easier and quieter to use a bar with a smooth sleeve and a different type of collar, then that's what I want. So I checked around, and I found that most stores selling cheap 300# olympic sets have the serrated-sleeve bars. So what's going on here? I asked the store where I bought my set if I could exchange just the bar, but they said they only have the serrated-sleeve type. I'm trying to decide whether I should return the whole set now and go out and buy another set elsewhere with smooth sleeves. I mean, I'm probably going to own this for many years. Is it generally accepted that smooth sleeves are better, or does everybody get used to that "zztt zztt" sound of plates and spring collars sliding against serrated sleeves? Max

[Wildcat33]

My 2 Olympic bars at home both have smooth plate extensions, but I know what you're talking about. It's as if there are tiny rings scored into the plate extensions all up and down their length. I've used the serrated style before and can't tell any difference in loading/unloading plates. Only difference I've been able to tell between the 2 styles is that on the serrated type the spring collars are slightly harder to put on and slightly more resistant to loosening.