Fittings - which are the best

   Morning,
Friend of mine is buying a new Phantom and has the option of which type of fittings he can have - at a cost obviously.

So, which are the best nowadays, or are they all pretty much similar?
Giles
Solution 414

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glewis Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Groupie Joined: 05 May 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 79	Post Options Post Reply Quote glewis Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Fittings - which are the best Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 9:06am
	Morning, Friend of mine is buying a new Phantom and has the option of which type of fittings he can have - at a cost obviously. So, which are the best nowadays, or are they all pretty much similar? Giles Solution 414

craiggo Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 01 Apr 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1810	Post Options Post Reply Quote craiggo Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 9:09am
	Harken every time, although if you are on a budget Ronstan are next in line. Never touch HOLT. Cheap, nasty and horrible and they dont last very long

jeffers Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 29 Mar 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 3048	Post Options Post Reply Quote jeffers Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 9:18am
	I agree Harken or Ronstan, I would not touch Holt with a bargepole (had a Holt auto ratchet, it lasted 2 days then broke so i took it back for a refund).
	Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74

timnoyce Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 05 Aug 04 Location: Hampshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 1991	Post Options Post Reply Quote timnoyce Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 9:36am
	Not that I want to show any bias but there is a cracking video on the Harken site! HERE
	BEARFOOT DESIGN Cherub 2648 - Comfortably Numb

Crafty Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 09 Aug 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 11	Post Options Post Reply Quote Crafty Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 10:09am
	I reckon that harken is the best, just wondering what are your thoughts "fredirekson" , ive heard they do good racthet blocks
	Laser Radial/4.7 144929

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 10:17am
	I think there are good and bad fittings from all suppliers. I tend to mix and match. Ronstan seem a good compromise for price against durability for blocks. Holt's basic metal work is all plenty good enough and they have the best range, Harken don't have much of a choice in that area and are horribly expensive for what are basically strips of pressed steel. Holts blocks tend to be shortest lived, although their new range looks pretty neat and I have no long term experience of them.

combat wombat Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 16 Jan 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 345	Post Options Post Reply Quote combat wombat Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 10:31am
	Holt aren't bad blocks despite what other people say. I would fit my boat with Holt over Ronstan as they are crap. On the B14 we have Holt autoratchets for the kite sheets, they are about 5 hard racing seasons old and still work just fine - and anyone who has sailed a B14 will know the kite sheet loads aren't insignificant. Blocks just need maintenance ie lubrication occasionally and wash the salt out of them each time you come off the water. Having said that, if I had the choice I would fit out a new boat in Harken throughout. I've almost got rid of all the Ronstan rubbish on my boat although Ovi's insist on using it on their masts and booms.
	B14 GBR 772

Scooby_simon Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 02 Apr 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2415	Post Options Post Reply Quote Scooby_simon Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 10:34am
	Harken and Freds all he way
	Wanna learn to Ski - PM me..

FireballNeil Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 03 Oct 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 654	Post Options Post Reply Quote FireballNeil Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 12:13pm
	I sailed a 29er at the weekend with freddies instead of harkens which are what I am used to and they seemed really good, the non carbo harkens seem really heavy for no real reason, these freddies were quite old and had been used to death but the still seemed really good

gary Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Groupie Joined: 02 Nov 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 55	Post Options Post Reply Quote gary Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 12:22pm
	Any of Harken/Holt/Ronstan/Freds should do the job. As combat wombat says its all about boat maintainance. I've seen many a harken equipped boat retire due to gear failure when they're not looked after. I sailed a couple of seasons in a boat that was Holt throuout and never had a problem, BUT the owner was mad keen on boat maintainace - as soon as anything started showing signs of wear, of it didn't work quite right it was sorted out. Its the same with my boat now, there's all sorts of different makes of fittings on there but it always gets checked over and de sanded/salted after use, then sorted out if its not right. We very rarely have any probems.