UKC

Hi, I have been using Wild Country's product for my bigger passive pro. but the slings need replacing. So, whilst dithering, one of my climbing partners bought himself the 4 in a set Torque from DMM.

These claim to have a camming action as they seat into a crack and of course they have a longer extender.

There are 6 in the Rockentrics and only 4 in Torque so presumably each Torque covers a larger range of size.

Anyone with any strong preferences either way?

In reply to Andy Cloquet:

I think I've used my DMM hexes once, and probably the only area I've climbed in that I wished I had them was some of the steep cracks at Swanage.

I would have thought both the DMM and WC hexes have a camming acton as they are both irregularly shaped? I can't see there being much difference between the two. No idea if the WC ones have extendable slings but these are useful

In reply to Andy Cloquet:

In my opinion the DMMs are a better bit of design but I don't think there's much in it.

Both cam into a crack if set properly.

Each DMM does cover a larger range but I'm pretty sure the smallest is bigger than the smallest WC.

If I was you I'd buy some tape and re sling the ones you have but put extendable slings on.

In reply to Andy Cloquet:

Take all of your hexes, throw them in the sea and never replace them. Job done.

In reply to Andy Cloquet:
Hi Andy, personally I feel that there is very little difference in profile, size and camming action between torques and rockcentrics. I've used both but on balance I prefer the WC version - I find that the extension sling on the torque is a faff for leader and second/client alike, especially in winter. Having said that, I think it might be a little more resilient than the dyneema sling on the rockcentrics? I've had a couple of them furr up or even get nicked, but I may just have been unlucky.

In reply to Andy Cloquet:

The extendable slings come in handy, you can use them when you run out of proper slings, so a 2 in 1 application.

In reply to Dell:

Andy is an MIC, he's never going to run out of slings!

In reply to ianstevens:

Now, why do I get the impression your tongue was in your proverbial cheek when you wrote that?

In reply to Jamie B:

The Collective noun for a bunch of karabiners & slings is called 'an assessment'!

In reply to Jamie B:

You need less torques to cover a range.
The different profile is sometimes better, sometimes not, not a lot in it.
The double sling can be a pain or blessing,it depends on whether you have one krab per torque or carry a bunch, but TBH is too tight to move in the torques I have used.
The standard sling length on both is a pain, far too Newton balley.
I prefer varying length dyneema slings knotted, with the knots hidden on the larger nuts.
You cannot buy them loose now, I have cut wires and tapes off ( found and new ones ) to resling them, would probably do that to any torques I find working their way onto my rack.

The only crag I have climbed on where I would only carry cams is Indian Creek. Otherwise Rocks+wallnuts, hexes, cams in that preference. HTH

In reply to ianstevens:

I like hexes. Bombproof.

In reply to knighty:

You do know when they are good. Wonderfully reassuring, when placed well.

In reply to Andy Cloquet:


Because it was I personally don't get on with them at all - I find the annoyance:usefulness ratio to far to the left, but appreciate that some people swear by them, and they are bombproof. Personally if I think I'll need hex size passive pro (generally winter) I've got some of the big (12/13/14) WC rocks, which seem to serve just as well with the added bonus of a stiff wire, and the dangle from the harness less. You also don't sound like a heard of swiss cows.

Having said all that, I think there's little difference between the two makes - WC make a wider range, hence more sizes, whereas the sling on the DMM ones is a nice touch.

In reply to ianstevens:

The big size rocks are less versatile than hexes and they weigh a lot more for the range of cracks covered. (I guess you have more pieces but I find a few hexes and a range of cams in sufficient.

In reply to Andy Cloquet:
Ok I've used both and here are the pros and cons of torque nuts:

Pros
In the medium width less stable setting (ie the wider of the two non sideways placements) they are more stable than rockcentrics, however I rarely use this placement option.
Lighter (possibly per unit but definitely less units required for similar size range)
Extendible slings
DMM will resling them

Cons
This more torque thing I don't buy, you don't place them torqueing on their corners in any case there is enough torque on a well placed rockcentric
The slings are not super slick to extend and reattach normally
They are much less tapered in the standard placements and that along with not having a rounded back edge makes them sit not as well with as good contact in many placements.

Overall not sure what I'll buy next. The ideal nut would be the rockcentrics but with slick easy to extend slings and rejig the sizing a little so the smallest placement option on the next size up is the size of the largest of the nut down. I'd also make them a little wider in the wide placement option (as compared to the smaller) especially in the larger sizes so there is not need to carry larger than a blue one.

I think the green 11 walnut is superior to the same size hex (as those small hexes are fiddly to place). To be honest I'd probably get a 12 walnut if it was the same size as a red hex also.

In reply to Greasy Prusiks:



I'd re-sling them but not with extendible slings so you could then hide the knot inside the hex to make things nice and tidy.

In reply to CurlyStevo:


I find I use the little green Torque all the time, while I rarely use the largest wallnuts...

I am a big fan of the Torque Nuts but have never used the WC versions.

In reply to andrewmcleod:
Strange - I'd advice you start trying to place your large nuts more as they are some of the best bits of kit on your rack when they go in! Also another good bit of advice especially in your first few years of climbing is to try lots of different bits of kit out, you may be surprised what your like! I own 3 types of hexes (old hexcentric, rockcentric I've reslung on cord and torques)

Regarding the green Torque sure its goes in many placements a large nut would and a few it wouldn't. However because that width of crack is often narrow enough you can only get your fingers in to it means you can't access all the parts of the crack you can be manipulating a nut from the wire. Also removal is easier if you have a wire to wiggle.

I've never owned a normal nut the size of a red torque nut but I think that size is the borderline where either would be about as good as the other (for differing reasons).

The WC large rocks I'm not a bit fan of the sideways dimension isn't wide enough and they are too long, this means you need to carry quite a lot of weight compared to carrying modern hexes to cover the same width of cracks.