UKC

I have recently been chatting to a climber that I met at my local crags who uses Metolius TCU ultralight cams. I was very impressed by their weight and by their cheep price tag. So my question is this, how good are these cams in comparison to WC friends, BD camalots and DMM 4CU's? Are they worth the purchase and if so why are there so few climbers using them?

In reply to eddie6655: I have had TCU's for years now. I am still on my original set from 1998, and they are going strong. They are only really competitors to Aliens, mastercams, zero's i.e. small gear. The idea of the 3 cams was to make the head narrower. Whilst technology has kind of overshadowed them they are still an excellent work horse cam that will fit in many placements a standard cam wouldn't. If you are talking about powercams, I think it's just the british market being a bit narrow minded. It's not british, it's a ladder design, they are anodised in sparkly colours, they don't have extendible slings they look a bit rustic. But in reality they are great...

In reply to eddie6655: The new ultra light TCUs are light but they are not very durable. I got a set og BD C3s a few years ago but the shop was missing one size so I got a TCU instead. The cables became easily bent and also the trigger wires snapped. Its a trade off, light means less durable.

In reply to eddie6655:
I think Metolius uses a smaller camming angle on their cams then most other brands giving smaller range but greater holding power, but I may be confused. Anybody know for sure?

In reply to eddie6655:

ive had a mix, powercams too, for 3 years and theyve been as good as anything else ive owned (friends mostly), tho cams seem nicer to the feel somehow.
they do seem to have a smaller camming range - but that could be me, ive not actually looked into it.

id say people dont use them as much because brand awareness isnt so pushed in the uk.

in the US steve house is associated with them. they work for him....

In reply to MRJ:
that's right, Metolius uses an angle of 13.25.
Most UK brands 13.75 (so not that much difference)
but Camelots are around 15 and Aliens around 16 (if I remember correctly). And that should make a difference if you put them in soft stone

In reply to uncontrollable: Yes - it's reduces their holding power in theory.

In reply to mike kann: I should clarify - larger camming angle reduces holding power... I believe the Metolius' are not a constant camming angle - I have heard that they are more like 15 at the fully closed position and the angle reduces around the radius of the cam to the fully open position when its more like 13... the idea being that if the cam starts to skate out of a flaring crack, the cam expands as it goes and hits a higher holding power area. I'm 100% certain if this true though so treat it as UKC bollocks for the minute...

In reply to mike kann: I don't think this is true Mike.

In reply to Richard Hall:
It seems unlikely, I'm certainly under the impression that it's 13.25 throughout.

To the OP: I only have the old version, not the ultralights but I believe that the only difference is how they attach the stems to the head, and the slightly shorter stems. Mine have been very durable, but the wires do get a little "funked" when they catch a funny fall. Still perfectly usable just as any other cam is. I haven't had the wires snap, but I could certainly see how this could happen (but it's hard to say if it's more likely to happen with a u-stem cam).

In reply to Richard Hall: That's what I meant to say... replace apropriate words where required with I dunno whether it;s true... It;s certainly more than feasible though and would in some respects have some merit...

In reply to mike kann:

Had the old version of the TCU's and thought they were good, they aren't as nicely finished as DMM 3cu's but they do the job really well.

Thanks for all the advice. I have come to the conclusion that considering their cheep price they will be well worth the purchase. I will just have to cope with the fact that I am useing unfashionable cams.