Buzz Bars ?

[naxian62]

Need a little input from you carpy guys. I'm about to buy a set of buzz bars and I see most of them are stainless steel. For me weight is an issue. so are there any disadvantages in them being aluminium or maybe even carbon, or a mix of the two?
Cheers

 

[alsoran]

Forget buzz bars and use 4 single sticks, that way you can have your rods pointing at you baits. Disadvantages if you use Ali ones they can't be hit as hard as SS ones.

 

[sam vimes]

There are pros and cons for whatever type of rod support hardwear you choose.

Carbon - Usually damned expensive, not necessarily as long lasting as stainless. It is light and rather tarty though. If you find cheap carbon, it probably isn't carbon at all.

Aluminium - Basic stuff is usually inexpensive and lighter than stainless. Depending on just how basic it is, it may not last overly long. Flasher alloy stuff can improve dramatically on quality and longevity. It can be pretty expensive though.

Stainless - Good stuff is likely to be expensive and fairly heavy, but last forever. Cheap stuff may well be even heavier and not last particularly well. Some of the stainless steel out there doesn't live up to the name.

Whether you go for single sticks, sticks and buzz bars, or even a pod, is a matter of personal preference. However, consider the banks of the fisheries you frequent. I have gear to make up all three set ups and have no particular preference. However, I still consider a pod to be the most versatile. I've never been somewhere and found I couldn't use a pod. That's not necessarily been the case with sticks/buzz bars. Hard gravel, baked compacted earth, concrete and wooden staging can all be a PITA for bank sticks, though there are ways of overcoming such obstacles.

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

Cheap stuff may well be even heavier and not last particularly well.

The density of stainless steel ranges from 7.85 to 8.06 mg/m^3, so very little weight variation for the parts in question here. Also, 'cheap' does not necessarily mean its heavier.

 

[bennygesserit]

Per cubic metre ? Really that's very very light

 

[sam vimes]

The density of stainless steel ranges from 7.85 to 8.06 mg/m^3, so very little weight variation for the parts in question here. Also, 'cheap' does not necessarily mean its heavier.

My you are being very literal recently! I'm sure that there's very little in different grades of stainless steel, if I even knew or cared what they were. Can cheap stainless banksticks not be thicker, not as well machined and therefore be heavier without it being taken as a comment on the density of the material? When I said cheap stainless, I meant cheap bankstick made of stainless, not the grade of stainless used.

Whatever the reason, in my experience, cheap stainless banksticks are usually heavier than the more expensive stuff, unless it's the ridiculous super chunky stuff that was in vogue for a while.

 

[arthur2sheds]

I use Ally.... SS is too heavy for my old bones to lug about.... but there is a sort of semi-tartism about stainless.... We are victims of a prolonged dealers campaign to buy the latest bit o' kit..... as yesterdays gear is just soooooo errm... yesterday...! but hell stainless lasts years and unless you are uber-rich carbon is a bit of a waste of time..... I'll stick with my Ally Buzz-bars.... and to continue the tartiness aspect, I have a set of Interlok 2 rod single stick bars.... Tartier than a tarts drawers and lighter than stainless.... hell if they were any tartier they'd be crutchless sorted:thumbs:

 

[sagalout]

I have been using some cheap ali ones from ebay (6.50 inc delivery for a pair) for the last year without any problems. They ain't exactly a high wear item are they.

 

[sam vimes]

They ain't exactly a high wear item are they.

Depends on what you are pushing, or hammering in some cases, them into.
Some carpers are rather fond of mallets.

 

[arthur2sheds]

Unless o' course you do the right thing and buy a set of sticks with screw points, or buy a JAG auger (in SS.... lololol)

Mallet Man....... ooooh..... shoot em inna face

 

[sagalout]

Depends on what you are pushing, or hammering in some cases, them into

I use 'em on an arm attached to me chair. Hammering into the bank no hang on that ain't enuff I have had to stop there because the images police have issued me with an official warning which also stops me putting a smilie here!

 

[sam vimes]

I use 'em on an arm attached to me chair. Hammering into the bank no hang on that ain't enuff I have had to stop there because the images police have issued me with an official warning which also stops me putting a smilie here!

See, that's the thing, if you are an out and out carper that only owns sticks, what are you going to do when you turn up to a venue with baked hard, or fairly solid gravel banks? Some folks give their sticks and pegs a right pounding.

 

[alsoran]

Have something like this with you

View image in gallery​

or

Have some sleeves made for you sticks that you can attach to wooden platforms.

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

Material costs money, so why would a thicker SS bank stick be cheaper than I thin one?

 

[benny samways]

I thin??

If your going to be a pedant get your spelling right!:w

 

[alsoran]

When it comes down to cost and quality, some SS ones use hollow tube with machined caps on each end, some use solid machined bar.

 

[sam vimes]

Have something like this with you

View image in gallery​

or

Have some sleeves made for you sticks that you can attach to wooden platforms.

You'd best ask those that insist on using single sticks for everything, and mallets when things get difficult. I just use a pod in such circumstances. Far less hassle all round.

---------- Post added at 16:30 ---------- Previous post was at 16:22 ----------

Material costs money, so why would a thicker SS bank stick be cheaper than I thin one?

I've no idea, you are the fella with the engineering company. Perhaps some of the better quality ones involve more machining? If they are extendibles, as many are, some may have more involved locking mechanisms. I'm sure that sort of thing must cost money as well. If material cost were the only factor, surely all SS bank sticks would be a very similar price and we'd be buying them by weight.

 

[alsoran]

You'd best ask those that insist on using single sticks for everything, and mallets when things get difficult. I just use a pod in such circumstances. Far less hassle all round.

A smaller version of one of these with a detachable handle works great and is easy to carry around. Plus I never seen single sticks get pulled over, but seen a good few pods get dragged in over the years. Even more so on swims where you have to have your rods at odd angles due to the lack of room eg Canal towpaths..

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

When it comes down to cost and quality, some SS ones use hollow tube with machined caps on each end, some use solid machined bar.

Well I'm glad we got there

---------- Post added at 17:31 ---------- Previous post was at 17:26 ----------

Sam
You're right. If it was all down to material costs all buzz bars etc would be similar prices.

However, ones made in small batches in the uk are going to cost more than those that are exact the same but made in huge batches (here or overseas). In this case the more expensive ones are no better.

It's all down to set up cost.

If it costs, say £1000 for tooling and machine set up then the cost of 1 item would be £1000 plus material and labour.

Increase volume to 1000 and the set up cost is effectively absorbed.

 

[flightliner]

Had mine for decades now. Dont use them all that much now preffering banksticks but, I did use them a few weeks back on a big concrete bowl trout res on its any method weekend.
Sticks, mallets etx would have been out of the question.