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BD Magnetron Rocklock

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in shallah · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 75

Picked one up over the weekend. 

Tony T · · Denver, CO · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 45

Yeah, we got one to fail about 15 minutes after getting them in the shop.

Basically, jam simulated rocks and dirt into the underside of the hinges and you'll find yourself unable to open them. We think a paper-clip should come standard with them to clean out the underside of the hinges. Not sure that's going to happen? Just don't use them ice climbing, mountaineering, or any sort of application where you'll be offwidth/chimney climbing. Otherwise, they're great for gym use!

Finn The Human · · The Land of Ooo · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 106

Can you say, "Most expensive carabiner ever?" I dig the tech, but there's no way I'm gonna drop $25+ for a single biner.

J. Albers · · Colorado · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 1,926
Tony T. wrote:Yeah, we got one to fail about 15 minutes after getting them in the shop. Basically, jam simulated rocks and dirt into the underside of the hinges and you'll find yourself unable to open them. We think a paper-clip should come standard with them to clean out the underside of the hinges. Not sure that's going to happen? Just don't use them ice climbing, mountaineering, or any sort of application where you'll be offwidth/chimney climbing. Otherwise, they're great for gym use!
Hmmmm. Perhaps if someone were to "jam rocks and dirt" into a screwgate biner it might not work well either.
Colin Kenneth · · Fort Collins, co · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 280

The issue for me, is that it relies on there being very minimal space between parts in order to lock using the magnet. A lot of soil contains mildly magnetic material, that is really easy to pick up and get stuck in there.

It's nice that they are branching out and looking beyond the paradigm of current carabiner tech...but this may not be the next step for most people.

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

a regular rocklock which people have been using safely and just fine for a very long time costs anywhere from 8-10$ .... is this fancy tech worth a 150%+ markup?

hmmmmm ;)

Allen Corneau · · Houston, TX · Joined May 2008 · Points: 80

There's something to be said for biners that will stay unlocked until you want it locked.

Rock Exotica's ORAC locker is a good idea but it still locks the first time you snap the gate shut.

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

the revolver is a specialty piece ... even the non locking version is expensive ... i have 2 of em ...

heres an example the DMM zodiac screwgate is 16$ at mec, and the locksafe version is 19$ ... thats less than a 20% increase in price ...

screwgate

mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Climbing…

locksafe

mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Climbing…

the rocklock, remember, is a very basic 8-10$ biner, the BD base model as you will ... suddenly its jumped 150%+ to 25$ ...

i mean really ... if a top quality producer like DMM can sell a 3 stage locker for a 20% increase in price ... what justifies BD selling their most basic large locker for a 150% increase in price?

other than gym yuppies =P

Chris Massey · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 5

Gym gear. Will look nice next to the shiny new gri gri 2 and those new petzl draws with the single wire gate.

Allen Corneau · · Houston, TX · Joined May 2008 · Points: 80
OldManRiver wrote: I believe that goes to
This one's about the same, ~$48.00

Cor · · Sandbagging since 1989 · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 1,445

Colin is right about the small bits of magnetic dirt getting sucked in.

I have been testing some gear for a review in Climbing. One of the items I have is the new Petzl all foam helmet(Sirocco). It has a magnetic chin strap/plastic latch combo. Same thing happening there, and I would imagine that staying much cleaner than a locker. Two days out in the field, and there is junk on both sides of the chin connection point.

In thinking about this issue with the Magnetron... I could see rapping down a dirty rope, wet rope, whatever, and getting to the next rap station only to have it not open. Not that it has happened to me, but I can see this scenario, having rapped wet ropes only to find a bunch of
junk on my belay device.

Cocoapuffs 1000 · · Columbus, OH · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 50

Well, I screwed mine up. I dropped it in the basket of iron filings I keep next to my climbing gear. Crap!

slk · · Reno, NV · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 130
Cocoapuffs 1000 wrote:Well, I screwed mine up. I dropped it in the basket of iron filings I keep next to my climbing gear. Crap!
Up here in Tahoe there are tiny bits of magnetic rock everywhere!!!

My water bladder has a magnet that holds the tube to your backpack to keep it out of the way but it is always rendered useless by these tiny bits of earth.

It's kind of like keeping iron fillings next to my gear... :)
Matt N · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 415

bearbreeder - you're giving BD a break - its 250% more!

OP - thanks to you BD will be reinforced in their marketing and continue to bring more non-revolutionary products to market. At least between the gridlock and magnetron (WTF transformers = sales?) the bodies will stop piling up at the bottom of the routes.

Noah Haber · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 78
Matt N wrote:bearbreeder - you're giving BD a break - its 250% more!
No. It is 250% of the price, or 150% more.
Steve86 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 10

To be fair, this should be compared in price to the Rocklock twistlock and not the screwgate. The magnetron is $25 and the twistlock is $18. That's a less egregious comparison (~$7) than the mangetron to screwgate comparison (~$15).

Danger-Russ Gordon · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Nov 2011 · Points: 590

I work at Mountain Gear, and a BD rep came in to do a clinic, he talked about the new magnatrons, and claimed that in there testing at BD, they found it easier to lock up a twist gate than there new magnets, take it with a grain of salt from he BD rep, but that's what he said... I've used them, and like them, but would only own one if it was given to me, the value just is not there for me / I'm poor

Noah Haber · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 78
Steve86 wrote:To be fair, this should be compared in price to the Rocklock twistlock and not the screwgate. The magnetron is $25 and the twistlock is $18. That's a less egregious comparison (~$7) than the mangetron to screwgate comparison (~$15).
Here is fair: this (and basically any other autolocker) is an expensive, clunky, and fidgety solution to a minor problem. It is more annoying to use, negligibly safer, and more expense than standard screwgates. In the rare situation in which I would prefer and autolocker (specifically situation in which things are likely to have materials rubbing against the gate and be out of reach/sight), I would prefer a standard autolocker, which is basically never anyway.

They serve two purposes: keeping BD in business and helping to mark people who I don't want to climb with/around.

If Petzl ever discontinues or makes substantial changes to the attache, I swear I will drown a baby. The attache 3d, like the new star wars films, doesn't exist and don't tell me otherwise.
Ben Brotelho · · Albany, NY · Joined May 2011 · Points: 520

hailed as a revolution to carabiner design by BD...I think it is a big floppy old gimmick. I'll take my twist-lock rocklock anyday over this.

Steve86 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 10
shoo wrote: Here is fair: this (and basically any other autolocker) is an expensive, clunky, and fidgety solution to a minor problem. It is more annoying to use, negligibly safer, and more expense than standard screwgates. In the rare situation in which I would prefer and autolocker (specifically situation in which things are likely to have materials rubbing against the gate and be out of reach/sight), I would prefer a standard autolocker, which is basically never anyway. They serve two purposes: keeping BD in business and helping to mark people who I don't want to climb with/around. If Petzl ever discontinues or makes substantial changes to the attache, I swear I will drown a baby. The attache 3d, like the new star wars films, doesn't exist and don't tell me otherwise.
I'm not speaking to the merits of autolockers vs screwgates. I personally don't own a single autolocker. I'm just saying that a more useful price comparison is new autolocking technology (magnetron) vs old autolocking technology (twistlock). Personally I would rather buy two screwgates than a single autolocking biner, twist or otherwise.
Ian Stewart · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2010 · Points: 155

I'm with Colin on this one in that I would worry about the magnets attracting dirt. I own an Osprey hydration pack for mountain biking that has a magnet to hold the mouthpiece on the chest strap when not in use. It seemed like an awesome idea when I bought it, but after a bit of riding an a couple falls into the dirt, it ended up having a thin layer of sand attached to it that prevented the magnet from making a good 'connection' and staying in place in the future. I'm not saying that a screw-gate would work any better if sand got in it, but it's not like my screw-gates have magnets that attract the dirt.

That being said, I'm sure BD tested the product a whole lot and probably wouldn't release something that was prone to failure. Even so, $25 is a ton of money for a single biner, and I'll stick to the pile of screw-gate pearbiners that I picked up for $5 each a few years back. (Also, for those discussing 'expensive biners', don't forget that the magnetron also comes in the gridlock variant at $30).

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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