@thelonelynow that sounds like a pretty bad experience! I love my Clouds for rough terrain, haven't tried the chrome cores though. I have Elites and found them super sticky too. I also have Rapidos but found them different - less sticky, different colour (Elites are more 'natural', Rapidos more 'bleached'), different smell, different feel - maybe the differences are all in the colouring??? I get they're made in the same factory by the same company, but is it possible they're different formulas?
They are China made decks made with Chinese maple not Noth American or Canadian maple and they are not the same decks as the pro models made in Mexico. It’s cheaper and easier to use china maple decks than to recycle old wood (decks) they just market it like that
Hey Ben - I just gotta say you are a true inspiration. I'm 37 and my son is 7. I recently just took up skating again after a long hiatus. It's been the perfect excuse to get out more and teach my son how to skate. We both really enjoy watching your videos and my son asks all the time if you've posted something new. Keep up the great content and we'd love to see more father and son skate sessions! Happy Father's day from one skater dad to another!
Bronson raw’s are the worst bearings I’ve ever skated, most expensive too.(lasted 3 weeks) Haven’t made the mistake of paying more then $20 for bearings since.
Thank you Ben, I thought it was just me as I have been trying to find the sweet spot on my deck and went to Bones V3 99a 52mm wheels with Bronson G3 bearings...2weeks later and I have to pump so hard to get to the coping in our mini bowl I thought I was losing my mind. Well my super reds just arrived with my Formula 4 101a 53s and everything just works. Racing around the coping like a kid again. Thanks for not sugar coating these reviews...best!
I snagged a pair of the new ATG Tensor Mag-Lights a while ago, and they feel like a perfect middle ground between Thunder and Indy in terms of turn response. (Probably a bit closer to an Indy.)
We've been asking a while. I don't know..seems like Ben may have been traumatized trying some Tensors back in the 90s or 2000s to where he won't even attempt now. I get it though...his style gravitates towards high pop, responsive turning, and heavier trucks. The old Tensors are the opposite of that. But I still think he should give the All Terrain Geometry ones a shot....given they're 55 mm tall (like normal Indy's) so more responsive and supposedly the king pin is quite low now. I think if he tries the Magnesium ATGs he'd like the great slideability....but he may not like the low weight (last video he said that he doesn't like the 149 titanium Indy's....he prefers the Standard heavier ones for the added heft to not rocket kickflips/heelflips. I'd still be interested in his opinion of the ATGs so looking forward to the day when he reviews some. One of us may just have mail him a pair of 8'5 ATGs.
I rode a set of G3s for about 5 years, periodically cleaning them. The cages eventually cracked, but it wasn't a big deal until much later in their life.
I’d like to see Andale Swiss bearings. But I am very happy to hear someone say how they feel about Bronson because I’ve been looking into skating again after many years(which I built a set up 2 years ago but wasn’t for me so I’m going to give it some kid at a park). I have some stuff that I like and also others interested in so we’ll see. But again I’m glad to hear someone talk about Bronson since I started with Reds ‘02 until ‘07 and still bought them but wanted to check out other ones for a new setup to relearn everything I guess.
Ben I love everything you're doing and also love how lowkey your sales tactics are. But you're killing me without a link to your board shop in the description of your videos! Don't forget! Some ppl won't do the search I am about to do!
I feel like there's more to say about bearings even if it's unlikely anything will sway you from Bones. I've heard good things about Pig and Andale and would be interested in your thoughts.
It would be really interessting to know what your opinion on Breeeze ceramic bearings is cause they seem to be the only cheap way to get ceramic bearings.
@thelonelynow I rode 3 Polar 8.5" boards in a row earlier this year and they all had a fairly full nose similar to a Primitive or AWS nose that Ben reviewed in this video. Most of their models have that full nose shape, but not as much as an FA or WKND.
With my bronson raws I have always put the shields outwards like with all other bearings, this meant that dirt and stuff didn’t come in. I have had them for 2+ years and ridden them in the rain with no issues, however I could definitely understand how dirt could accumulate if you put the exposed side outwards.
Hi Ben, love watching your videos keep up the good work. I had two sets of Bronson G3's they felt good for a couple of weeks but then slowed down. I bought mini logo bearings about a month ago for £8 (I'm from UK) and there still going strong. Best bearings I've bought in a while and the cheapest.
I loved my OJ's 97a's Orange juice Henesy wheels. Great on the rough streets of my city, and could power slide all day at the park. They are retired now. I just got an Alienworkshop 7.875 Spectrum deck.
I’ve only skated bones reds for most of my life so when I got the Bronson g3 they felt amazing and I loved them over the reds I ended up gets a second pair of the G3’s but it have to say I never tired Swiss bearings and I never heard anything bad about then I never tried the super reds also I might have to get some super reds and see how they are compared to the g3 thanks for the review keep it up 👍🏼
I recently skated a Quasi acid ply PS board that I cracked on the nose doing a front shuv off a curb only a week into skating it.. not sure if I'm just gaining weight in quarantine, but I'm reluctant to try another one. Right now I'm skating my first ever enjoi deck and loving it.
That's weird, I've been skating a Quasi Acid Ply for about a month now and just now is getting chips and wood splits in the nose and tail. I feel like PS boards are harder to chip.
I bought the hype, and have been skating Bronson Raws for a good few months now, and they're easily outlasting any other bearing I've skated in the past 20 years or so. Every other bearing I skate usually gets kinda fucked, the shields get dented and I have to remove them, I have to grease and clean them more often than I care for etc... Usually they'll just fucking explode and leave the outer race stuck in the wheel, which is always fun. Raws just kinda keep going through anything. They seem to be near indestructible. The one thing I've made sure of though, is to NEVER clean them or grease them. I suspect that doing that would affect the tungsten coating in their races, and make them less durable and/or slow them down. I'm not exactly sure how right I am about that, but it's been working well so far. For what it's worth, I greatly value durability over speed when it comes to bearings. (Not saying they're slow, although I probably wouldn't be the best authority on that.)
You should check out some Welcome decks. I've been having so much fun trying all their different shapes. The Ryan Townley shape has been my hands down favorite of the 7 I've tried but they've all been great.
Completely agree about the "human touch" on PS Stix, I love me a BBS/Gen board and they last me longer than PS but man sometimes they just feel lifeless. PS feels heftier, more oomph to my pop and they have some very nice shapes. But like I said they usually start feeling pretty dead about a week sooner than my dlx boards. I usually pick up whats available at my local so mostly dlx but when a PS board pops up I usually snag it.
Good review! If this video shows one thing, it is that we all need to transition to the metric system. These imperial measurements are making my head spin LOL
I’ve never tried OJs hard wheels, but I do like the mini Super Juice for cruising crusty streets (which are all the streets in the rural area I live in lol) and Formula 4s are just the best for everything else.
Mini Super Juices are INCREDIBLE cruising wheels, TBH they might be my favorite wheels ever (assuming we aren't trying to do crazy tricks) in general because they are fast, grippy, and super comfy and well dampened.
I've had the bronson g3's and im currently riding g2's. Apart from the packaging they feel identical. Still a good bearing in my opinion.just as good as standard reds.
@thelonelynow Pretty sure he was joking ;) but man now i'm sad I just installed a set of china big balls - found em on sale a few weeks ago so decided to try em out. We'll have to see how long they last...
Personally I think oj does best in its lower durometer categories, would love to see you try to flat spot their 95a nomads or their 87a. I have been riding their 99a hardline and think they are much more suitable for street than their 101 ez edges
@@GilletteSkater true but look at their skaters and the trend of their wheel formulas. Their are really doing well in the mid to hard range of duro (87-99a) + their 78s are reliable and I can comfortably do all my tricks (though I’m a basic skater) using the 55mm mini super juice which I was surprised by
@@wanton_chips3638 interesting. You make me wanna try the nomads. I have a 99a set of elites sitting in my closet til I'm healed up. You really think the 99a and 101a have that big of a difference?
Skinny wheels are just easy to power slide while 95a feels wildly smooth and quiet. I was genuinely surprised how true to the hype the wheels were. Also I haven’t owned my own 101a OJ wheels but I’ve only ever owned 99a and every time I step on my buddies board who rides 101a, feels like he is riding plastic. If you want harder than 99a OJ wheels for the benefits of high durometer, I’d just go with spitfire. Spitfire 99a feel like OJ 101a rolling but they actually slide like a good *hard* wheel should slide The speed you keep with Oj’s kinda softer feeling ride is noticeable as a beginner skater or after a long session
I would love to love PS Stix decks. I have had bad luck with them lasting as well. Love the feel too, but don’t last. I live at 8,500 altitude, that could be it.
I had a welcome (ps wood) and honestly liked it for a few weeks. The nose and tail at the beginning felt great. Popped well and felt comfy. Gave it away recently but hated it by then. The nose became super flat. The tail felt flat but big so I liked that. Cracked it by my front truck from a 50-50 that went wrong. If you’re going to get a ps board, I would make sure you have enough money for a new board a few weeks later. They go soft fairly fast.
My Plan B board has the same shape as yours. I remember i was struggling with the shape of it so far, the 8.25 on the front truck area and 8.125 on the back truck. I enjoyed riding them on Indy 144 for a while but I change to venture 5.25 ones. It’s also still nice on 8” trucks and you said but Im used to a bigger or fit truck to a board so the 8” trucks get me feel uncomfortable while riding or grinding sometimes
yeah, i've also had very negative experiences with bronsons. people I know swear by them because they're in love with NHS. bones super reds are by far my favorite bearing
Hi Ben, you asked for our comments about Ps wood so here's mine. I have had probably about 6 to 10 ps decks and I have never had a problem with delamination and I generally have been pleased with the quality of the decks. Some of the shapes that I have ran across have been a little bit of a challenge for me but that's my own problem not woodshops. I have however had a problem with a certain plan b deck that I ordered from skate warehouse, I ordered it a few years ago and I am not sure what woodshop that it's from. It's a Tory Pudwill model so that should give you a general idea of how long ago it was, but anyways the problem with the deck is that the back truck holes are not centered on the deck. Therefore I will never order anything from skate warehouse again or plan b.
Great video. Wish i could hit the thumbs up twice. Seemed like it was off the cuff but the Bronson bearing review was spot on. I really wanted to like the Raw bearing but had the same issues.
I found your bearing video! I knew it would be in here somewhere. Seriously though, your reviews are great, even when you talk about stuff I’m not shopping, I still learn stuff. I think people need to just try stuff in order to know what’ll work for them, but it really helps to understand what to pay attention to. So I appreciate how you not only state your preference, but explain why and relate it back to what you’re trying to do with the products you’re comparing. This greatly increases the value of your back catalog. Quality stuff!
Hi Ben:) I was about to rush for something then I had this recommandation from utube. So I have to rush twice now... Thank you for this video, your reviews, and your faithfulness to f4 and bones .....
Try a shuvit! You can get them at skate warehouse, and you can also order them factory direct I believe. Our local skate shop carried them and they were awesome
are the elites worse? i skated a pair of original formula wheels for months and they had the sickest slide and never flatspotted. they also said they were "usa made" on the packaging, and felt similar to my old spitfire classics, but lasted way longer. they were also about as smooth as my 99a f4's were in the street.
lol one last comment... I saw this Habitat deck that's an 8.25" with a 7.5" nose and 7" tail. 31.75" length with 14.25" wheelbase. It's the Neon Cheetah design, would be super interested to see how a deck like that performs, I haven't seen anything else with a giant nose and tail like that before. And it's on sale!
@@bendegros hmmm you're right. One of the sites must have had some info wrong :/ I originally saw it on Tactics listed with the huge nose and tail, but its gone from there and Zumiez is showing the length and wheelbase I just mentioned. Dang!
Quick note: Poetic had the best high concave 8.2 board last year, absolutely amazing. Then they changed woodshop and claim to have better wood now, but the shapes changed completely. Wheelbase was ridiculously long and the shape was strange, really short and pointy kicks with super long WB. Sour boards look like they have more concave than they actually do because of the shape. Good boards, they tell what shape each board is and the measurements on them. Tail and nose relatively middle of the way, a bit more curve than usual boards. I enjoy more concave but nothing bad to say about them. A lot like Polars shapes
Most European companies press their boards at HLC, which is Jart's woodshop. The wood had a bad reputation a few years ago but now it's really solid. I like it as much if not a bit more than BBS
I've definitely had good and bad boards from PS. when I first started riding them a few years back I'd have a few of their boards delaminate and just get flat and mushy on me pretty quickly, so I called the shop that I bought it from about it and they said they've had a few people call them about the same issues. I feel like their boards aren't super consistent but I did love ones without the manufacturer defects
Last 3 PS boards (all toy machine) I rode didn't delaminate. But did get soggy feeling after a total of 6-8 sessions on em. When new, they have a great broken in feel on them, but after a while will flatten out. Still rideable sure, but the tricks don't feel as good. Quite possibly the boards I purchase most often. 😊
So far I’m not noticing any major differences between the Super Reds, Bones Reds, Race Reds, Bronson G3s or Raws that I have. Even my Penny Board’s bearings are rolling nicely one year later having ridden through water many times to and from work. But then again I like doing maintenence work on my bearings. The major difference is that the Raws on a spin test turn for a lot longer than any of the others. I love Spitfire Formula Fours. It’s getting hard to get hold of the shapes and sizes I want though here in Sweden. I wonder if it is Corona impacting the import because there used to be a big selection in the online skate shops.
Good to know about the Bronson's too. I was somewhat disappointed with my last two packs of China Red's. Felt like the QC wasn't great. About 6/8 bearings were awesome and the last two were poopy out of the box. I did grab a pack of Swiss recently and those are incredible :)
Dude I totally agree with the Bronson lateral movement thing. You can grab your wheel while it's mounted and give it a jiggle and it will move side to side way too easy. Also after you clean them they felt like they got worse. These were the G3 I had. But yeah, I'll just stick to bones big balls.
That Plan B deck is just like the old Shorty’s 8.25 XL board shape from back in 2001 (taper and all) . Having that tiny mellow tail does make it super poppy without the difficulty or effort it takes to skate steep kicks.
bones big balls are the best. they are just reds that last longer. a few more dollars than the reds. if you get dirt in them or if they start slowing down, you just keeping riding them and they feel as good as new. mine lasted for 7 months and not once did i clean them. im still using them on a cruiser board.
I got two 8.25s and they were great. Good shape, not too flat of concave or steep. Kicks were good too, fairly steep feeling after coming from a flat concave and flat kicks board. Only issue is they seem to crack on the bottom colored ply really easy. The local skatepark flatbar is one of those bars where the board actually only slides on the ends of the bar(almost a “u-shape” to the bar). What I found is those edges would eat away at the ply. That, coupled with some mild 5 stair skating, was leading to noticeable cracks in about 2-3 weeks. Granted, it’s summer so I’ve been skating hard and long, but still a little disappointed they couldn’t last me longer bc once they crack the board feels really off. Overall really good and I may just be a skinny guy who breaks boards, but my past boards(Hockey and Chocolate) held up great especially because I was in a hucking phase of stairsets. Interesting to compare those boards to the generators bc Hockey is PS deck and chocolate is a crailtap.
I'm 80% happy with the blanks. I love the shapes but want them to stay stiffer a bit longer. We are going to keep them in stock (eventually😂) but will also be getting decks from other woodshops very soon.
That Sheffey deck is awesome for older skaters, beautiful shape and skates super light. I have it set up with ATG mag lights for my weak leg days and its almost too light, my first few flicks are usually over rotated but as I tire it becomes perfect. Great little deck and yes the tail seems super short which was a bit of a mental hurdle at first but once I started skating I couldn't even really tell the difference. PS: I've had the same experience with Bronson raws - first day I thought they were going to be a game changer but within a week they slowed down and even stripping them all the way down and cleaning the races, balls, and shield thoroughly with alcohol they never even got close to the out of the box performance. I do think there's plenty of other good bearings besides bones out there, but they sure as hell ain't Bronsons.
I just ordered me a set of ricta clouds 92a, haven't even got them yet and I regret purchasing them. I hope they're a good wheel that I can still get some tech tricks out of. I've also bought me a set of Bronson g2 bearings, I wish I would of bought bones reds.
I just got back into skating after a nearly 15 year lul... absolutely fell in love with my madness Head Peel 8.375 deck and would be very interested to get your opinion on some of their shapes. :D
Have you ever tried Sweet Sktbs decks? I'm not the best skater in the world, but something just clicks when I skate them. Tried different decks in the way, but I always come back to them.
Also finally somebody agrees with me on the bronson raws. I’m still skating them just cause I want to get my moneys worth. But planning on going back to bones
I would absolutely recommend you SKF bearings (608RS). They're really well-made. SKF is a huge company with lots of experience in bearings. The price is very good too.
Some time ago with few friends buy a BSS Blank skate decks, there´s a better than unexpected and I recomended that, and the wheels, frequently used blank wheels to skate in a little flat park and they don´t have a bad for the price, and one recomendation, you should to lubricate your bearings with graphite, I´m industrial designer and with don´t have bearing lube use one pencil to lubricate the bearings and work perfectly! Regards Bud!
Are you a fan of Paul Schmitt? I just discovered him and listened to his Nine Club interview/podcast. He's very methodical and takes an engineering perspective to his design of decks when it comes to all the technical wheelbase/fingers of flat stuff and such. Didn't realize he was the man behind PS Stix and now I sort of wanna try me one. I do have an Element which I believe is pre 2018 but can't confirm, it creaks and cracks and I've barely skated it, and have two newer Elements from this year that feel similar without all the noise.
@thelonelynow I know I'm way late to the game lol I can't believe I've never heard of him before. That's too bad about the quality control though. Do you know if Bareback has the same kind of design behind them, or just better production or both?
Feel the same about the Bronson's got the g3s and thought the same thing oh the raws have to be so much better, after about 2-3 weeks on each they slow down soo much that whatever bearings they sent on my kids skate warehouse complete will outspin them. The g3s were actually best after about a week then did great for about a week, but they aren't charging 3week bearing prices.
Happy Father's Day! Guessing Vancouveren's celebrate Father's Day, aye? Hope your's was awesome. I recently discovered Vancouver Carpenter and found your skate channel today, subscribed. Drywall brought me here, wtf right? Thx for the content and your professionalism. "3 broken wrists, 4 broken arms, and I still skate." I've been skating since 82, and sheetrocking and rolling (and framing) since 92. A fellow mud-slinging skateboarding carpenter, what are the chances? I just set up a brandspankingnew David Gravette "Captain Dislocate"(Creature ...duh), with some killer Steve Cabalerro Indys, shoutout Skate Ratz, Colorado! (Happy Father's Day to me!) Putting the internet down now and going skating on some beautiful Utah trails with my daughter, thx again! 🔨
I'm glad you had a similar experience with bronson raws I thought I just sucked at cleaning bearings but turns out raws are just garbage if you do anything except skate at a skatepark. I liked the G6s for a while but they're not noticeably better than bones reds
I have the Tablets set up on a board. I like them but, I can hear them squeak against the coping on grinds. It is the only wheel I hear on grinds. I like Bones bearings, FKD Swiss have also been good to me but, the Jason Park JuJu ceramic and steel hybrids are the best I have ever had. They don't make them any more but I have been in one set for 2 years. Still amazing. I have Olympia bearings set up on 3 boards right now. I do like them a lot.
Lol I just built my wife a skateboard, with OJ wheels and Bronson bearings. Not super worried about it, she wanted the OJs because they were by and pink and matched her deck and the Bronsons just for shits, giggles and to try a non-Bones bearing for once.
Has anyone tried out a "Drawing Boards" deck? Just ordered one, 8.25", Great art work. Looks like Demons from the Egyptian book of the dead. Thought I'd try a UK company since Flip were so great. Hope it rides tidy.
My OJs u felt needed to be worn it alot they feel like they get better with time I skate the milton Martinez branded 53mm 101A Oj elite I agree they can be really hard to revert at first but I've done alright for them they feel secure on the ground and I've not had much problem with them on street I can still revert my tricks it's just probably harder but they have other benefits especially for something like bowl. I've also boardslid very crusty ledges with them without wax and now that I think about it I feel like I've never had a bad flat spot on them.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
I love it. The guy that taught me drywall mudding showing my kids how to skateboard. Haha
That’s a good friend to have
A review of ricta wheels would be pretty interesting
same i love my Ricta David Loy pro model whirlwinds
I hate to break it to you, but Ricta and OJ’s are the same thing.
Geoff Bordeaux haven’t skated either im just intrested in what he thinks of them
I have some 54mm 78d clouds and there perfect for cruising
@thelonelynow that sounds like a pretty bad experience! I love my Clouds for rough terrain, haven't tried the chrome cores though. I have Elites and found them super sticky too. I also have Rapidos but found them different - less sticky, different colour (Elites are more 'natural', Rapidos more 'bleached'), different smell, different feel - maybe the differences are all in the colouring??? I get they're made in the same factory by the same company, but is it possible they're different formulas?
Ben, the Krooked and Anti hero price points are made from recycled wood, like real renewal editions, that’s why it felt soggy, mine did too.
That was my understanding as well.
My renewal deck feels soggy too. The pop was great for about 1 1/2.
I skated an antihero lost pop so fast felt soggy after a few weeks
I had the same exact experience with a price point anti-hero- this makes so much sense now
They are China made decks made with Chinese maple not Noth American or Canadian maple and they are not the same decks as the pro models made in Mexico. It’s cheaper and easier to use china maple decks than to recycle old wood (decks) they just market it like that
Hey Ben - I just gotta say you are a true inspiration. I'm 37 and my son is 7. I recently just took up skating again after a long hiatus. It's been the perfect excuse to get out more and teach my son how to skate. We both really enjoy watching your videos and my son asks all the time if you've posted something new. Keep up the great content and we'd love to see more father and son skate sessions!
Happy Father's day from one skater dad to another!
ben would probably hate Nora V's setup. OJs, Bronsons, Krux, and a 8.6 mellow concave shaped deck
does she really like them? ya know NHS factory sponsors her, and NHS owns all those brands too
@@sungwoothao1242 probably. they're good to her. they give her creative freedom.
@@_Maxten thats dope to hear
@@sungwoothao1242 i have her first griptape from krux x mob. so fkn dope
Krux are good tho! Slide on baseplate and high solid trucks. They just too heavy for Ben ;)
he roasted the bronsons hard
damn
Bronson raw’s are the worst bearings I’ve ever skated, most expensive too.(lasted 3 weeks) Haven’t made the mistake of paying more then $20 for bearings since.
@@ryansmith1777 Cant go wrong with bones reds
Mine have lasted me for 3 years of harsh abuse with no maintenance. Interesting🤔
@@TOASTIBOI2001 why are you not maintaining your bearings, is it because you don't go out and skate so you never have to clean them?
@@candle_eatist I ride anywhere from 5 hours to 10 hours a day in dirt and water. I hope that answers your question 😁
Ben and Paul Schmidt should sit down and have a convo. It would be fascinating
Your wish was granted aha
@@pressureflipwillygrind took a hot minute lol
@@osianrees8120skating is just now becoming very popular every where.
Thank you Ben, I thought it was just me as I have been trying to find the sweet spot on my deck and went to Bones V3 99a 52mm wheels with Bronson G3 bearings...2weeks later and I have to pump so hard to get to the coping in our mini bowl I thought I was losing my mind. Well my super reds just arrived with my Formula 4 101a 53s and everything just works. Racing around the coping like a kid again. Thanks for not sugar coating these reviews...best!
Don’t leave us ever Ben, please!
Tensor review for the boys?
the new geometry pleaseeeeee
Atg only
mag light pls
I snagged a pair of the new ATG Tensor Mag-Lights a while ago, and they feel like a perfect middle ground between Thunder and Indy in terms of turn response. (Probably a bit closer to an Indy.)
We've been asking a while. I don't know..seems like Ben may have been traumatized trying some Tensors back in the 90s or 2000s to where he won't even attempt now. I get it though...his style gravitates towards high pop, responsive turning, and heavier trucks. The old Tensors are the opposite of that. But I still think he should give the All Terrain Geometry ones a shot....given they're 55 mm tall (like normal Indy's) so more responsive and supposedly the king pin is quite low now. I think if he tries the Magnesium ATGs he'd like the great slideability....but he may not like the low weight (last video he said that he doesn't like the 149 titanium Indy's....he prefers the Standard heavier ones for the added heft to not rocket kickflips/heelflips. I'd still be interested in his opinion of the ATGs so looking forward to the day when he reviews some. One of us may just have mail him a pair of 8'5 ATGs.
I rode a set of G3s for about 5 years, periodically cleaning them. The cages eventually cracked, but it wasn't a big deal until much later in their life.
The Bronsons have a lot of lateral movement. And for that reason, I'm out.
I’d like to see Andale Swiss bearings. But I am very happy to hear someone say how they feel about Bronson because I’ve been looking into skating again after many years(which I built a set up 2 years ago but wasn’t for me so I’m going to give it some kid at a park). I have some stuff that I like and also others interested in so we’ll see. But again I’m glad to hear someone talk about Bronson since I started with Reds ‘02 until ‘07 and still bought them but wanted to check out other ones for a new setup to relearn everything I guess.
I swear this guy really digs deep into skateboarding he tells every little detail
It could be that the color on the ply's of wood protect the board from getting waterlogged fast. So maybe without that it got soggier quicker?
Good video, I agree about the OJ wheels. My roommates board has them and whenever I ride it, it feels softer and grippy.
Ben I love everything you're doing and also love how lowkey your sales tactics are. But you're killing me without a link to your board shop in the description of your videos! Don't forget! Some ppl won't do the search I am about to do!
😂 I forgot to do that for this one. It's okay. We are out of stock anyway.
@@bendegros sweet, no biggie.
@@bendegros waiting on that re-stock! Any idea when that might be?
@@subieracer005 I really wish I knew.
I feel like there's more to say about bearings even if it's unlikely anything will sway you from Bones. I've heard good things about Pig and Andale and would be interested in your thoughts.
Idk, from my experience as long as they roll and don't get dirty I can ride literally any bearings
I had pigs once.... they sucked
Modus Titaniums are good
@@loma-uu5mg Modus Titaniums are very very good
Pig = 💩💩
same experience with Bronson Raws but I do run chinese reds with the covers popped off and they’re way more solid and last so
much longer than Raws
It would be really interessting to know what your opinion on Breeeze ceramic bearings is cause they seem to be the only cheap way to get ceramic bearings.
I‘m on my Bronson raws for 1.5 years now. They are still going. Honestly best bearings I ever had. Didn’t try the Bones swiss though.
would love to see an Oust bearing review.
PS wood lasts like 80% as long ass BBS/generator BUT it’s a great time while it lasts
Could you review a polar deck? Amazing videos keep it up
@thelonelynow I rode 3 Polar 8.5" boards in a row earlier this year and they all had a fairly full nose similar to a Primitive or AWS nose that Ben reviewed in this video. Most of their models have that full nose shape, but not as much as an FA or WKND.
@thelonelynow they were some of my favorite boards with Indys because it felt stable, poppy, and comfortable under my feet!
I love polars i have one right now 8.38
@@kmrskates and for some reason, they feel really solid under your feet
With my bronson raws I have always put the shields outwards like with all other bearings, this meant that dirt and stuff didn’t come in. I have had them for 2+ years and ridden them in the rain with no issues, however I could definitely understand how dirt could accumulate if you put the exposed side outwards.
What shields
Hi Ben, love watching your videos keep up the good work. I had two sets of Bronson G3's they felt good for a couple of weeks but then slowed down. I bought mini logo bearings about a month ago for £8 (I'm from UK) and there still going strong. Best bearings I've bought in a while and the cheapest.
I loved my OJ's 97a's Orange juice Henesy wheels. Great on the rough streets of my city, and could power slide all day at the park. They are retired now. I just got an Alienworkshop 7.875 Spectrum deck.
I’ve only skated bones reds for most of my life so when I got the Bronson g3 they felt amazing and I loved them over the reds I ended up gets a second pair of the G3’s but it have to say I never tired Swiss bearings and I never heard anything bad about then I never tried the super reds also I might have to get some super reds and see how they are compared to the g3 thanks for the review keep it up 👍🏼
I recently skated a Quasi acid ply PS board that I cracked on the nose doing a front shuv off a curb only a week into skating it.. not sure if I'm just gaining weight in quarantine, but I'm reluctant to try another one. Right now I'm skating my first ever enjoi deck and loving it.
That's weird, I've been skating a Quasi Acid Ply for about a month now and just now is getting chips and wood splits in the nose and tail. I feel like PS boards are harder to chip.
could've just been a total fluke, who knows
Never had a problem with my bronson raws after a year
I bought the hype, and have been skating Bronson Raws for a good few months now, and they're easily outlasting any other bearing I've skated in the past 20 years or so. Every other bearing I skate usually gets kinda fucked, the shields get dented and I have to remove them, I have to grease and clean them more often than I care for etc... Usually they'll just fucking explode and leave the outer race stuck in the wheel, which is always fun.
Raws just kinda keep going through anything. They seem to be near indestructible.
The one thing I've made sure of though, is to NEVER clean them or grease them. I suspect that doing that would affect the tungsten coating in their races, and make them less durable and/or slow them down. I'm not exactly sure how right I am about that, but it's been working well so far.
For what it's worth, I greatly value durability over speed when it comes to bearings. (Not saying they're slow, although I probably wouldn't be the best authority on that.)
You should check out some Welcome decks. I've been having so much fun trying all their different shapes. The Ryan Townley shape has been my hands down favorite of the 7 I've tried but they've all been great.
i had ordered a setup that i had chosen OJs Concentrate Hardline 52mm for wheels. Doesn't slide as well as the Spitfires I have.
Completely agree about the "human touch" on PS Stix, I love me a BBS/Gen board and they last me longer than PS but man sometimes they just feel lifeless. PS feels heftier, more oomph to my pop and they have some very nice shapes. But like I said they usually start feeling pretty dead about a week sooner than my dlx boards. I usually pick up whats available at my local so mostly dlx but when a PS board pops up I usually snag it.
I was so close to getting a pair of OJ's cause I really like the purple Nora wheels but then cancelled my order and F4's instead, really glad I did.
Good review! If this video shows one thing, it is that we all need to transition to the metric system. These imperial measurements are making my head spin LOL
I’ve never tried OJs hard wheels, but I do like the mini Super Juice for cruising crusty streets (which are all the streets in the rural area I live in lol) and Formula 4s are just the best for everything else.
Mini Super Juices are INCREDIBLE cruising wheels, TBH they might be my favorite wheels ever (assuming we aren't trying to do crazy tricks) in general because they are fast, grippy, and super comfy and well dampened.
I've had the bronson g3's and im currently riding g2's. Apart from the packaging they feel identical. Still a good bearing in my opinion.just as good as standard reds.
Bones Swiss BigBalls are awesome, btw. Try those out.
@thelonelynow Pretty sure he was joking ;) but man now i'm sad I just installed a set of china big balls - found em on sale a few weeks ago so decided to try em out. We'll have to see how long they last...
@thelonelynow yeah i'll keep an open mind and see what happens. i can afford more but it would be sad if they're charging more for inferior bearings.
The big ball bearings for me it recently broke on the retainer/cage 😭
Very informative review about bearings base on your experience , i try it also cleaning bearing it is not same as it before
Personally I think oj does best in its lower durometer categories, would love to see you try to flat spot their 95a nomads or their 87a. I have been riding their 99a hardline and think they are much more suitable for street than their 101 ez edges
You'd think the softer wheel would shred easier 🤔
@@GilletteSkater true but look at their skaters and the trend of their wheel formulas. Their are really doing well in the mid to hard range of duro (87-99a)
+ their 78s are reliable and I can comfortably do all my tricks (though I’m a basic skater) using the 55mm mini super juice which I was surprised by
@@wanton_chips3638 interesting. You make me wanna try the nomads. I have a 99a set of elites sitting in my closet til I'm healed up. You really think the 99a and 101a have that big of a difference?
Skinny wheels are just easy to power slide while 95a feels wildly smooth and quiet. I was genuinely surprised how true to the hype the wheels were. Also I haven’t owned my own 101a OJ wheels but I’ve only ever owned 99a and every time I step on my buddies board who rides 101a, feels like he is riding plastic. If you want harder than 99a OJ wheels for the benefits of high durometer, I’d just go with spitfire. Spitfire 99a feel like OJ 101a rolling but they actually slide like a good *hard* wheel should slide
The speed you keep with Oj’s kinda softer feeling ride is noticeable as a beginner skater or after a long session
@@GilletteSkateryou’ll probably notice a slight difference when skating street. Probably won’t slide as easily the 101 until they break in.
Ben! Thanks for staying consistent and releasing these videos every week! Much appreciated.
I would love to love PS Stix decks. I have had bad luck with them lasting as well. Love the feel too, but don’t last. I live at 8,500 altitude, that could be it.
I had a welcome (ps wood) and honestly liked it for a few weeks. The nose and tail at the beginning felt great. Popped well and felt comfy. Gave it away recently but hated it by then. The nose became super flat. The tail felt flat but big so I liked that. Cracked it by my front truck from a 50-50 that went wrong.
If you’re going to get a ps board, I would make sure you have enough money for a new board a few weeks later. They go soft fairly fast.
My Plan B board has the same shape as yours. I remember i was struggling with the shape of it so far, the 8.25 on the front truck area and 8.125 on the back truck. I enjoyed riding them on Indy 144 for a while but I change to venture 5.25 ones. It’s also still nice on 8” trucks and you said but Im used to a bigger or fit truck to a board so the 8” trucks get me feel uncomfortable while riding or grinding sometimes
I have one too same shape and little tail but mine's a 8.0 , it took me ages to get used to but now im really digging it (it feels really light)
yeah, i've also had very negative experiences with bronsons. people I know swear by them because they're in love with NHS. bones super reds are by far my favorite bearing
Waiting on the CSS to restock to try out one of those 8" blanks
Try a skate warehouse shuvit deck.. they are a great deck
they're actually pretty nice. i got a few different board shapes in my pack
I just got an 8 inch blank black ccs deck. it had a half inch twist in the deck..ccs don't even care ..kinda sad ,what a waste.
@@michaelvenezia9809 damn that sucks. Are they gonna replace it?
Michael Venezia that blows man, I’m sorry to hear that
Hi Ben, you asked for our comments about Ps wood so here's mine. I have had probably about 6 to 10 ps decks and I have never had a problem with delamination and I generally have been pleased with the quality of the decks. Some of the shapes that I have ran across have been a little bit of a challenge for me but that's my own problem not woodshops. I have however had a problem with a certain plan b deck that I ordered from skate warehouse, I ordered it a few years ago and I am not sure what woodshop that it's from. It's a Tory Pudwill model so that should give you a general idea of how long ago it was, but anyways the problem with the deck is that the back truck holes are not centered on the deck. Therefore I will never order anything from skate warehouse again or plan b.
Dear Ben,
Thanks for your honest opinion on bearings. You just saved me a lot of money.
Great video. Wish i could hit the thumbs up twice. Seemed like it was off the cuff but the Bronson bearing review was spot on. I really wanted to like the Raw bearing but had the same issues.
I found your bearing video! I knew it would be in here somewhere. Seriously though, your reviews are great, even when you talk about stuff I’m not shopping, I still learn stuff. I think people need to just try stuff in order to know what’ll work for them, but it really helps to understand what to pay attention to. So I appreciate how you not only state your preference, but explain why and relate it back to what you’re trying to do with the products you’re comparing. This greatly increases the value of your back catalog. Quality stuff!
For bearing, i try the big ball from Bones and i am actually impress! Roll fast, faster than super red. Plus the light blues shield look cool!😂👌🏻
Ive been riding my Bronsons for about 4 months and 3 decks and only cleaned them once.Riding an average 2-4 miles per day.
I like a 5.68 board, with alternating plys of teak and monkey puzzle, with a good convex.
Hi Ben:) I was about to rush for something then I had this recommandation from utube. So I have to rush twice now...
Thank you for this video, your reviews, and your faithfulness to f4 and bones .....
:)
Try a shuvit! You can get them at skate warehouse, and you can also order them factory direct I believe. Our local skate shop carried them and they were awesome
I've had a good experiences with independent bearings. all I have bought for the last about 12 years.
are the elites worse? i skated a pair of original formula wheels for months and they had the sickest slide and never flatspotted. they also said they were "usa made" on the packaging, and felt similar to my old spitfire classics, but lasted way longer. they were also about as smooth as my 99a f4's were in the street.
lol one last comment... I saw this Habitat deck that's an 8.25" with a 7.5" nose and 7" tail. 31.75" length with 14.25" wheelbase. It's the Neon Cheetah design, would be super interested to see how a deck like that performs, I haven't seen anything else with a giant nose and tail like that before. And it's on sale!
Those dimensions actually don't add up. The wheelbase would have to be 13"
@@bendegros hmmm you're right. One of the sites must have had some info wrong :/ I originally saw it on Tactics listed with the huge nose and tail, but its gone from there and Zumiez is showing the length and wheelbase I just mentioned. Dang!
Hey ben can you review about ace trucks.. Im planning to buy 1..
you should try a SOUR board or some other european companies
Yeah, I would really like to a Review of some european brands.
Yes. Or Jart.
Quick note: Poetic had the best high concave 8.2 board last year, absolutely amazing. Then they changed woodshop and claim to have better wood now, but the shapes changed completely. Wheelbase was ridiculously long and the shape was strange, really short and pointy kicks with super long WB. Sour boards look like they have more concave than they actually do because of the shape. Good boards, they tell what shape each board is and the measurements on them. Tail and nose relatively middle of the way, a bit more curve than usual boards. I enjoy more concave but nothing bad to say about them. A lot like Polars shapes
@Thomas Pynchon no
Most European companies press their boards at HLC, which is Jart's woodshop. The wood had a bad reputation a few years ago but now it's really solid. I like it as much if not a bit more than BBS
I've definitely had good and bad boards from PS. when I first started riding them a few years back I'd have a few of their boards delaminate and just get flat and mushy on me pretty quickly, so I called the shop that I bought it from about it and they said they've had a few people call them about the same issues. I feel like their boards aren't super consistent but I did love ones without the manufacturer defects
Last 3 PS boards (all toy machine) I rode didn't delaminate. But did get soggy feeling after a total of 6-8 sessions on em. When new, they have a great broken in feel on them, but after a while will flatten out. Still rideable sure, but the tricks don't feel as good. Quite possibly the boards I purchase most often. 😊
So far I’m not noticing any major differences between the Super Reds, Bones Reds, Race Reds, Bronson G3s or Raws that I have. Even my Penny Board’s bearings are rolling nicely one year later having ridden through water many times to and from work. But then again I like doing maintenence work on my bearings. The major difference is that the Raws on a spin test turn for a lot longer than any of the others.
I love Spitfire Formula Fours. It’s getting hard to get hold of the shapes and sizes I want though here in Sweden. I wonder if it is Corona impacting the import because there used to be a big selection in the online skate shops.
It's the rona
Ben Degros Yes probably. I can’t for the life of me think it’s because they aren’t flying of the shelf so that’s the only reason I could think of.
Good to know about the Bronson's too. I was somewhat disappointed with my last two packs of China Red's. Felt like the QC wasn't great. About 6/8 bearings were awesome and the last two were poopy out of the box. I did grab a pack of Swiss recently and those are incredible :)
I had shake junt bearings for 6 years they were great .. currently riding andale blues which are great too
Loved the bearing review. I share the same philosophy when it comes to bearings.
Dude I totally agree with the Bronson lateral movement thing. You can grab your wheel while it's mounted and give it a jiggle and it will move side to side way too easy. Also after you clean them they felt like they got worse. These were the G3 I had. But yeah, I'll just stick to bones big balls.
That Plan B deck is just like the old Shorty’s 8.25 XL board shape from back in 2001 (taper and all) . Having that tiny mellow tail does make it super poppy without the difficulty or effort it takes to skate steep kicks.
My local skate shop has very little choices for boards and trucks, any suggestions for online stores? Where do people buy skateboards these days?
Had my bronson raws for a year and a half and they’re just as fast as when I got them
Could you do a review of the trucks wheels and bearings from tgm?
I’ve been skating the regular bones big balls for about a month and they are fantastic so far
bones big balls are the best. they are just reds that last longer. a few more dollars than the reds. if you get dirt in them or if they start slowing down, you just keeping riding them and they feel as good as new. mine lasted for 7 months and not once did i clean them. im still using them on a cruiser board.
just got a shin sanbongi polar deck. I'd love to see you review some polar and hear your thoughts.
I got two 8.25s and they were great. Good shape, not too flat of concave or steep. Kicks were good too, fairly steep feeling after coming from a flat concave and flat kicks board. Only issue is they seem to crack on the bottom colored ply really easy. The local skatepark flatbar is one of those bars where the board actually only slides on the ends of the bar(almost a “u-shape” to the bar). What I found is those edges would eat away at the ply. That, coupled with some mild 5 stair skating, was leading to noticeable cracks in about 2-3 weeks. Granted, it’s summer so I’ve been skating hard and long, but still a little disappointed they couldn’t last me longer bc once they crack the board feels really off. Overall really good and I may just be a skinny guy who breaks boards, but my past boards(Hockey and Chocolate) held up great especially because I was in a hucking phase of stairsets. Interesting to compare those boards to the generators bc Hockey is PS deck and chocolate is a crailtap.
I'm 80% happy with the blanks. I love the shapes but want them to stay stiffer a bit longer. We are going to keep them in stock (eventually😂) but will also be getting decks from other woodshops very soon.
That Sheffey deck is awesome for older skaters, beautiful shape and skates super light. I have it set up with ATG mag lights for my weak leg days and its almost too light, my first few flicks are usually over rotated but as I tire it becomes perfect. Great little deck and yes the tail seems super short which was a bit of a mental hurdle at first but once I started skating I couldn't even really tell the difference.
PS: I've had the same experience with Bronson raws - first day I thought they were going to be a game changer but within a week they slowed down and even stripping them all the way down and cleaning the races, balls, and shield thoroughly with alcohol they never even got close to the out of the box performance. I do think there's plenty of other good bearings besides bones out there, but they sure as hell ain't Bronsons.
I know how long a bearing should last before cleaning and one or two weeks is not it:)
@@bendegros Absolutely. It just goes to show that with the right marketing you can sell anything.
I just ordered me a set of ricta clouds 92a, haven't even got them yet and I regret purchasing them. I hope they're a good wheel that I can still get some tech tricks out of. I've also bought me a set of Bronson g2 bearings, I wish I would of bought bones reds.
@thelonelynow yeah them Bronson's...no comment
I got some bronson g3 on sale cheap and the secret is once they are dirty to clean them and use bones speed cream, lol!
I just got back into skating after a nearly 15 year lul... absolutely fell in love with my madness Head Peel 8.375 deck and would be very interested to get your opinion on some of their shapes. :D
Have you ever tried Sweet Sktbs decks? I'm not the best skater in the world, but something just clicks when I skate them. Tried different decks in the way, but I always come back to them.
Also finally somebody agrees with me on the bronson raws. I’m still skating them just cause I want to get my moneys worth. But planning on going back to bones
I would absolutely recommend you SKF bearings (608RS). They're really well-made. SKF is a huge company with lots of experience in bearings. The price is very good too.
I would love to see som sour skateboards reviews. Keep up the good work
ben just enjoyed the alien workshop board so much that time went by faster for him
Some time ago with few friends buy a BSS Blank skate decks, there´s a better than unexpected and I recomended that, and the wheels, frequently used blank wheels to skate in a little flat park and they don´t have a bad for the price, and one recomendation, you should to lubricate your bearings with graphite, I´m industrial designer and with don´t have bearing lube use one pencil to lubricate the bearings and work perfectly! Regards Bud!
I love a board with a deep concave and a medium to high kick with a ever so slightly pointy nose and tail
Ben, a review and comparison between bones Swiss, super reds and standard reds would be awesome.
Also they make for horribly boring content with no way to "scientifically" prove anything.
I love your videos keep it up
Are you a fan of Paul Schmitt? I just discovered him and listened to his Nine Club interview/podcast. He's very methodical and takes an engineering perspective to his design of decks when it comes to all the technical wheelbase/fingers of flat stuff and such. Didn't realize he was the man behind PS Stix and now I sort of wanna try me one. I do have an Element which I believe is pre 2018 but can't confirm, it creaks and cracks and I've barely skated it, and have two newer Elements from this year that feel similar without all the noise.
@thelonelynow I know I'm way late to the game lol I can't believe I've never heard of him before. That's too bad about the quality control though. Do you know if Bareback has the same kind of design behind them, or just better production or both?
@thelonelynow that's a good point, would definitely be cool to see a collaboration of some sort, or at least some competition and better QC from PS.
Feel the same about the Bronson's got the g3s and thought the same thing oh the raws have to be so much better, after about 2-3 weeks on each they slow down soo much that whatever bearings they sent on my kids skate warehouse complete will outspin them. The g3s were actually best after about a week then did great for about a week, but they aren't charging 3week bearing prices.
Cortina would be interesting to review. I also buy bones bearings. Back in the day I rode black panthers.
Happy Father's Day! Guessing Vancouveren's celebrate Father's Day, aye? Hope your's was awesome. I recently discovered Vancouver Carpenter and found your skate channel today, subscribed. Drywall brought me here, wtf right? Thx for the content and your professionalism. "3 broken wrists, 4 broken arms, and I still skate." I've been skating since 82, and sheetrocking and rolling (and framing) since 92. A fellow mud-slinging skateboarding carpenter, what are the chances? I just set up a brandspankingnew David Gravette "Captain Dislocate"(Creature ...duh), with some killer Steve Cabalerro Indys, shoutout Skate Ratz, Colorado! (Happy Father's Day to me!) Putting the internet down now and going skating on some beautiful Utah trails with my daughter, thx again! 🔨
I'm glad you had a similar experience with bronson raws I thought I just sucked at cleaning bearings but turns out raws are just garbage if you do anything except skate at a skatepark. I liked the G6s for a while but they're not noticeably better than bones reds
I have the Tablets set up on a board. I like them but, I can hear them squeak against the coping on grinds. It is the only wheel I hear on grinds.
I like Bones bearings, FKD Swiss have also been good to me but, the Jason Park JuJu ceramic and steel hybrids are the best I have ever had. They don't make them any more but I have been in one set for 2 years. Still amazing.
I have Olympia bearings set up on 3 boards right now. I do like them a lot.
Thanks for the info!
@@bendegros I really only skate 3 complies for boards so I don't even know what I don't know.
Lol I just built my wife a skateboard, with OJ wheels and Bronson bearings. Not super worried about it, she wanted the OJs because they were by and pink and matched her deck and the Bronsons just for shits, giggles and to try a non-Bones bearing for once.
Has anyone tried out a "Drawing Boards" deck? Just ordered one, 8.25", Great art work. Looks like Demons from the Egyptian book of the dead. Thought I'd try a UK company since Flip were so great. Hope it rides tidy.
I didn’t notice a difference with the price point deluxe boards.
just got my first ever plan b. and i got to say it is probably the highest quality Board i have ever had. also it has a lovely 4 or 5 coloured plys
My OJs u felt needed to be worn it alot they feel like they get better with time
I skate the milton Martinez branded 53mm 101A Oj elite I agree they can be really hard to revert at first but I've done alright for them they feel secure on the ground and I've not had much problem with them on street I can still revert my tricks it's just probably harder but they have other benefits especially for something like bowl. I've also boardslid very crusty ledges with them without wax and now that I think about it I feel like I've never had a bad flat spot on them.
hey ben do you plan on reviewing some enjoi decks?