Ball Nutz Break Tests - climbing gear destroyed in slow motion
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2020
- Ball Nutz by Trango and CAMP are tested in real rock by real dudes. They broke above MBS when they didn’t come out, and when they didn’t come out, they didn’t want to come out when we wanted to remove them! I broke these because they suck and we love breaking things.
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Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but I think it's interesting that they kept complaining how CAMP #1 isn't good and they can't get it to break, but the rock that they are placing it in is breaking. What is breaking at failure is the rock, so maybe the CAMP #1 breaking point is still higher, its just getting deformed under that pressure of the rock's breaking point.
They could have also been mentioning how the put a lot of pressure on the rock
They can climb. But they arent good in science
Don't forget that a scientifically correct experiment won't save you in a fall. The rock looks good and if these things stress the rock so much the rock gives, well, that's still just 3 kN of fall protection.
Yeah I don’t understand why they didn’t do a drop weight test. That’s what I would want to see. Not slowly applying pressure but the sudden impact of a fall.
The blue and red ball nuts are some of the best pieces of climbing gear. They fit where absolutely nothing else will fit. When you talk about how tough they are to get out, remember that it is they are far far better than having nothing. They go smaller than any cam and are way stronger than the tiniest cams or wires.
Being 225lbs and having whipped on the 1 and 2, I completely agree. And to clean a stuck piece, put a sling around the trigger and bounce on it. It'll release the brass ball.
#1 #2 have no cams as small. I've used ball nuts on summer alpine climbs as I have no alpine hamer ice are and still need thin gear
@@floyd5567 Thanks a lot for this tip! I haven't thought of that!
I have taken a 4-5m fall on the blue #1 ball nut at least three or four times. It always held for me.
Yeah, #1 & #2 are always bomber and clean out well enough. I can think of a few routes where that's all I had for some distance and felt fine.
I can’t imagine putting my life in something like that. No way. You guys are freaking super brave.
Came for the science - stayed for the ball jokes
That's nuts!
hahahaha thats good!
We knew it were coming... and... that's what she said.
came for the ball jokes, stayed for the ball jokes
Ball Nutz: stay solid at 2kN past their rated strength
Ball Nutz (when placed poorly): hold until 93% of their rated strength
Some guy: TheSe tHinGs sUck!
Hopefully it was sarcasm.
Some guy: These things suck!
Me: Suck Deez Nuts!
I felt a touch of bias by the creator.
45 seconds in and this is already my favorite episode. Please never stop with the 5th grade humor
You should test regular cams that fit in the same size crack to show us how cams could be a better choice (range wise and strenght wise)....you will find cams that fit for the #4 and #5 Ballnuts and rated about the same.... but wont find any cams rated equal that fit where the #2 and #3 Ballnuts fit.
Camalot z4 #0 RATED 5KN and fits in crack 7.5mmm to 11.8mm.... compared to Ballnut #3 RATED 8KN and fits in 6 to 12mm cracks.... and other than the #1Ballnut...your test did seem to show that the #2 and #3 failed above the 8kn tating. I use and recommend having #2 and #3....and we could also talk about how narrow these are... Regarding ballnut #1.... NO regular cam will fit where this one will fit so you cant really complain! Your testing shows rock failure with this one... probably because of the very limited surface the #1 uses...... OH....and what about the $ aspect; 40$ for a 8kn pro that fits in very thin cracks with no competition (strenght wise for the #2 and #3) from regular cams ( camalot #00 and #000 dont come close strenght wise). SORRY but your take on these (at least for the #2 and #3) is unfounded.
I love ballnuts. They are awesome for hammerless aid climbing, they are lightweight, super narrow, go on much thinner cracks than any cam and they are the only thing that will work apart from a knife blade piton in a lot of situations.
They are a bit of a pain to get out if you actually fall on them though.
Said that don't buy the larger sizes (4 and above) you can use a cam at those sizes. Just like you wouldn't buy the small big bros...
I think small big bro's take up little space for the size range.. Just need the right cracks, obviously your mileage varies. I second the large balls. Cheers! Did I just write that
Trango and Camp both source from the same manufacturer. Not sure what the licensing arrangement is. They're a semi specialty piece but when you need them, you NEED them. Their big pluses are expansion range for size (greater than a cam at ~2:1) and STRENGTH for size protected. I don't think there are ANY options that get that small that can get 7-8kN. It's related to the size of the wire they can solder onto the wedge portion. Really tiny nuts are limited by wire size (and how they're attached) vs the smaller Ball Nutz. Micro seams in granite and other hard rock (think Gunks conglomerate) and you'll be thankful you've got the 1-3 with you for dire leads. Cleaning can be tricky but loaded micro nuts aren't much different
That's so true, if you need them there's nothing apart from maybe a really well placed piton that can hold that much in a 4 mm crack. Used a double rack in a artificial route on a nice overhanging granite crack system and if you get used to place them they are nothing more complicated than little cams. Best way to remove them, hold the trigger and push on the wedge with a nut tool or better a long flat screwdriver. You can do it one handed and it's super fast even after some bounce testing has been done on the piece
dont know why Trango Blue is 6kn while Camp's is 8
Yoo, this was sick. I just got a set of these and now I'm stoked to use them knowing they hold really well. Honestly wasn't sure before this video
Damm. They should make these with 10-12kn cables, because these seem to be bomber ways to protect thin cracks.
Get Tesla on it, Elon!
My favourite, most used piece of protection for trad. You gave these a hard time, they really are great.
even break test tri cams or hexes?
Nice! I use the 3 smallest sizes with a screamer on them when there is no other gear available. This video made me feel a little more comfortable about using them believe it or not.
Right? I'm sitting here like 10/10, would whip.
@@brandonwhite6421 He was definitely too harsh on them. BallNutz are great pieces. He keeps referencing the fact that they get stuck as a negative, but when the placement is that small I would soooo much rather get a piece stuck than have it blow. To get 7kn out of something as small as the #1 BallNut is a miracle.
@@scottssim3173 far as I can tell all he found is that they need to beef up the cables on them
The smallest ball nuts are actually quite useful and go in places few other pieces of gear can go. And it's reassuring that they hold well
Think of a shallow tiny crack, this may fit and hold 3/400 kg, many times a piton needs a 2" 5cm deep crack to hold that much
A good way to emulate a real-world loading of ball nuts might be to find ways to place these where the stem is bent. Just thinking about how they actually take falls could change a lot about the findings here!
What do you mean you don't know what you are doing? The BNs passed your test with flying colors. I have taken 30' whips on BNs. They have never failed. I had to leave one (red trango) after multiple friends of mine took 8-9 short hard whips on it. Extraction after a solid whip is probably as much art as science, a nut tool is required. As a matter of fact I often carry a little hammer in my pack to deliver a sharp blow to the wedge to displace back in the rock relative to the position of the brass ball. They usually extract just fine after you tap the wedge a few times.
I feel a caribiner through the wire may have concentrated the load and a sling on it may have helped.
This channel is gold!
I use trango ball nuts and enjoy them, while they are more specific in their use, I definitely wouldn't write them off. I really did not like them at first, but when you figure out what to look for in placements they can be bomber
Just found the channel and I'm blown away by the great content and reaching back through history. I'm an "inactive" (LOL!) AMGA Guide and have been climbing since 1967. My first use of the ball cams was a few months before release as I got "promo" gear to test out. Fell in love with them from day one and still have an original around here someplace. Since then I have purchased many more as I use them in my work as a stone mason for lifting rocks into place as well as climbing too. There is nothing like them for a single-point lifting point on some pretty big stones going into a wall or foundation. The longest fall on a #1 was just shy of 12 m (~40')...Not a good day...!!!...LMAO...!!! Love the channel and looking forward to "binging more of them later!!!"
I watched it all for science. The older I get the more I run into people that pull out gear and ask me what I think. Thanks guys.
I've bought one of these as a novelty item. I placed it a few times just for the sake of trying it out. Didn't fall on it but it looked pretty secure. Didn't find many good placement opportunities for it, and none where a cam or regular nut wouldn't work. Interesting video.
Love my ballnuts. The 2 larger sizes are around a 0.2 and black 0.3 micro. So definitely a stronger alternative to a micro cam. Not great for every placement, but definitely feel better above a ballnut vs micro. Cleaning can be a pita, but worth it.
Ive taken some big falls on the blue #1. Anything larger than the 2 isnt very useful though. At the gunks they were always on the rack
So they all broke above MBS except the smallest piece that was placed in bad rock. I'd say they are awesome. Almost every time I use a ballnut they are the only placement possible and they are relatively cheap so I think they are a good addition to my rack in many situations. The only downside is that they are a bit hard to get out after taking a fall on them, but I still have not had one completely stuck.
Never tried them. Great video!
I use them occasionally, they'll fit where other stuff doesn't. I tend to think about placing them as an adjustable nut that can be temporarily smaller so I can sneak it into the placement. For cleaning I use a nut tool and tap the ramped side in and unseat the ball. Then the trigger works.
Sponsored by...NO ONE! LOVE IT! If your coffee is ever available in the EU, I'll buy it.
This was sick. I free climb on the 2 smallest and have fallen on the red quite a bit so this is a big confidence booster. They are the shit for uber thin parallel cracks and the only option to be honest. Have always been curious if it matters where the ball is when its placed on a horizontal crack.
Killer channel btw
I’m donating
If I had coffee in my mouth, I would have spit it out at the "left the phone in the bathroom while wiping" comment because that was exactly what I was doing at the time. Couldn't stop the video for that, they are too good.
Thanks for your sharing 👍
I used them quite some times in aid and trad on my home crag in Basalt rock. I bounced it but im not sure if i took a fall on one. With a nut tool I always got them out
I had only used em for aid progression, not really for protection, good to see they could hold a fall
Amazing how such a simple and flimsy looking device can still provide so much holding strength that the actual steel cable snaps before it slides out from the rock.
Hey, that is a really neat concept for a nut, they kind of act like a cam but can be way thinner.
For removing these a hammer and pin would do it, but that is certainly a hassle, maybe if the balls were on both sides it would be easy to wiggle it loose since the surfaces that need to move would be rounded metal-on-metal rather than trying to move the flat face against the rock. Might be less safe that way, but I think it would be fine in most positions?
Best so far an iam binge watching
This guy’s coffee is awesome. Similar to Starbucks individual instant packets, but better, and a way better cause!
Well first off what other options in the small sizes are there?.. I thought so. I'm a rope soloist/ aid climber so I find them usefull for many reasons. If I were a slack liner not so much I'm sure. Cheers Mate!
Ball nutz are nice! I think of them as cheaper cams or adjustable-sized nuts (making them much easier to place and retrieve) -- I don't take any nuts which are covered by the #2 ~ #5 ballnut anymore.
I don't usually bring the #1 with me - it is so tiny, and the rubber wire guide prevents you from placing the device much deeper than the stopper portion. I'd never expect the #1 to break before coming out, but if you're trusting your life to something that small, you should be questioning other life choices as well ;-)
Sick! 🔥🔥🔥
Pretty heavily opinionated against them, considering they're breaking above 8kn and stronger than anything else at that size.
I love ballnuts, and regularally place them. They're nearly half the price of cams, easy to place, and stronger than cams of that size, so I'm not sure for the hate. If one got welded in but held a significant fall, I would be happy with it, considering the equivalent cams would fail with less load.
This was interesting, from someone who doesn't rock climb. 🤔 good stuff. 👍
Sweet ball nut video!
The number 1 broke rock at least 2 of the 3 times so the lower kN makes sense to me. Try again with a new one in different rock? I have faith
Obrigado por compartilhar!
Saudações desde Brasil!
You did a really good job cleaning up all those busted nuts. Was it your first time or have you done it before?
I really like BallNutz. Sometimes the magic placement.
Would you try normal nuts or hexes?
A good ball busting is always entertaining!
They were designed by Lowe, until camp bought their gear rights. Originally to be used in pin scars, flat sides. They are awesome for aid, wouldn't wip if I didn't have to, but I also won't leave the ground on a big climb without them.
It would interesting to test the strength by pulling above the horizontal bars (green, yellow, blue ones) instead of below them since all those cables broken were at the end. Hope you understand what I mean
You guys talk a lot about the gear but what about rock type. For example comparing a Cam to these ball nuts in the same type of rock. The small one in this video blew out the rock so would be nice to try to compare these two types of pro in different rock. My thinking is that the ball part of the Ball Nutz is very small compared to a cam so it puts more pressure on the rock over a smaller area so might blow the rock easier.
Poor Ball Nutz! I love the Number 3, because it there if nothing else fits. Got the small one as well and have the same problem. There is just seems to be no crack in this world where this little thing wants to fit properly.
Tricams!!!
Also- could you test different rock strengths?
I think ball nuts are awesome....When you have perfect placement that is. They just aren't very versatile is the problem...If you're not sure what you're gonna run into, I'd rather just have nuts and offsets because you can turn them and get different sizes and shapes.
Nice bathroom joke 😂
Love it
“Used a bunch
Like twice”
:D
What’s the max weight recommended for slack/high lines? 6’5” 275 is probably not recommended?
If the slack line is 2 foot off the ground and you aren't tricking (flips bouncing etc) then it should be OK as long as your anchors are good (big tree etc)
People tandem walk stuff so its safe enough, just understand the forces and how to rig them and you'll be fine. Just binge watch 250+ episodes we have about it and you'll be an expert in no time! haha
HowNOTtoHIGHLINE I’m trying! Been watching for a few months. Florida is really flat but slacks look fun and a great core workout. Love your videos! Thank you!
I bought some of your coffee. It's very good.
Hey there, great video as always!
I recently watched a video from "Hard is Easy" about the figure 8 knot and how the position of the load-strand influences how hard it is to undo the knot. Would be really interesting to see if the position also influences how much the knot weakens the rope.
Greetings from Germany
Nice, thx alot :)
Can you test the resistance of a doubled sling with no knots? Just a normal sewed sling, doubled on itself. Does it have double resistance? Nice video anyway, keep on with the good content
It would yes. I don't think he did that test per se (just a doubled up sling) but he double up a sling for a sliding X anchor and it broke at 103KN
@@heli400 but I was wondering if it was different, since the setup for the sliding X does not double the sling into an actual ring, but it's done passing the whole sling into a carabiner and then blocking the to ends into the second carabiner. Maybe just doubling it into a ring is actually different even if it doesn't seem so.
Davide Riga How bad do you wanna know? I’m sure he’ll do it for sure if you send him one,... but if a doubled up sliding x breaks at 103 (over double) how much of a difference do you think it’ll make?
I was curious because I have never seen anybody doubling a sling into a ring therefore I've never done it myself, afraid that it could be dangerous for some odd reason
The 103kn was a doubled doubled. It was 240cm doubled twice. Normally 22kn-ish. But yea, doubled is almost double usually
Random boulder in the woods, why is this rock full of bolts and wires?
to get them out carry a long blade chisel with the sharp ground flat. Tap the sled into the crack freeing the ball.
Funny you were crapping on them the whole time but they held really well. Sure seems like they get stuck so you probably don't want to put them where you're be whipping on them constantly but if you are in a place where you can't get anything else and you need pro to keep you safe seems like they'll do the job really well.
#1 Ballnutz are great for aid.
Can somebody explain 0:15, i dont see any parachute or anthing really?
I don’t know if it’s only me but I find it very hard to place them good enough. For me placing these things is a Russian roulette. For aid they are good though.
Does anyone do lead cimbing with these?
Why do they stick tho
I wish he would take sponsors
#2 and #3 are the only ones worth buying.
Wrong.
The balls material is not brass, it´s cooper. I have them in my rack too, but never realy used them besides showing them arround :D
Interesting!
Yeaaah
i like 1 2 and 3 size
you can get them our with a blade piton and hammer
Very clever jokes.
0:15 god i hate it when the opening spoils the ending of the show.
You guys need higher quality rock
Yea... this rock sucked. I think we figured out a way to break stuff in real rock in the slacksnap machine now.
They do make a tool just for the purpose of removing ball nuts.
So dangerous so this means we will surely fall for sure...and this wire breaks...by just pulling by hand
what?
You want to hate these for some weird reason I think this test shows how good they actually are I would rather it hold and not come out then pop and have me take a dangerous Whipper. Next time let Bobby do the placements
Super random request. Would you be willing to test some glue ins, by hammering them over to one side, bending them back to straight, and then pull testing them? If you do, ill donate $10 per bolt tested, up to 3. Thanks for all the hard work. Thanks.
I use them, good for thin cracks, aid, trad but not sure they’re intended for trad. Rock quality and shape matters when placing these items. Steel is harder than granite so may slip
Him: “For 20 of you or so that are still watching this, 10 of which probably have forgot the phone in the bathroom”
Me finishing my number 2:
.>
"I think I'm just gonna leave them in here... nobody cares" 8:41 - is it just me, or... seriously?
Who’s downvoting these??
Please do your research before putting out these videos. There are multiple places online to learn about Lowe/Byrne Low Balls and how they morphed into the Trango/Camp BallNutz of today.
Yes they are sticky, but they are not a beginner piece of gear. They are best used for aid climbing, as well as for protecting big falls on bad rock. They are more likely to get stuck then a similarly sized nut, but they also hold 2-3x more weight. In a sketchy situation, I'd rather have a piece that gets stuck than a piece that pulls.
Wiping joke. Lost it.
thanks, i borrowed that from another channel and realized how spot on it was hahaha. were you wiping while i was pulling my nuts out?
Where do you go to find the boulders that you guys have been damaging and bolting? I'm sure it is well off of any trail, not useful for climbing, and we are getting science out of it, but I'm sure that there are people that will question the ethics of what you are doing. You guys have more than made up for it with the knowledge you are spreading and the amount of rebolting projects you've done elsewhere, I'm just playing devil's advocate.
way in the middle of no where, turn left at the hicks doing shooting practice in the trees and then take a right at the "everything is a road for my dirtbike" guy. We have to test this in real rock and even the quality isn't that great because it is a shit area. Its not off some popular hiking trail. I know better than that haha