Gear4Rocks Metal Nut Set Review Hello Everyone. Recently there has been a lot of talk about the eastern European company Gear4Rocks. At Indian Creek over spring break I was able to see and use some of their links cams and the plastic nuts. They felt very sturdy and worked well. I was impressed. After reading Phils reviews, I decided to email the company ask if they wanted more reviews. We worked it out, and after a couple weeks I had a brand new set of nuts 1-13, and a nut tool to write a review for.
Appearance and Geometry The nuts feel professionally manufactured, even though they aren't anodized or colored.
Another thing I noticed was that, in the bigger sizes especially, the nuts were very similar in shape to the Dmm Wallnuts.
The wires are thick on all the nuts and they feel good in your hand.
As I said before the actual stopper isnt colored, but there is a colored sleeve over the swages.
Performance As far as performance on the rock, I was thoroughly impressed with how the nuts did. Because they are not anodized, they have a rougher surface. I found that while I was placing they really bit into the rock. However, because of this they are harder for the second to clean, especially after a fall.
They both felt and looked secure and definitely gave me confidence climbing above them.
Probably my favorite sizes are the smallest six. They have a very unique shape which I find really works well in many situations.
The nuts have a thinner shape especially compared to the standard Black Diamond nuts.
While climbing with both Black Diamond and the Gear4Rocks nuts I surprised myself by reaching more often for the Gear4Rocks nuts.
They are really at their best in cracks that dont have a huge taper and in shallow cracks. The larger nuts have a really nice taper and perform as well as any other big name brand nuts. Another really cool aspect of these nuts is the wires are long.
This extra few inches of length can really be helpful and even lower rope drag on zigzag pitches. The nut tool is nice and has a built in clip which is nice. It is relatively long and gets the job done well.
Conclusion I am very impressed with these nuts, and they will stay on my rack for a long time. Like I said before, I really love how they bite into the rock. The performance on the stoppers really amazed me. They work just as well as any other nut, and I actually prefer them to Black Diamond. You really cant go wrong with buying these nuts, and retailing for just over $7 a nut they are cheaper than most. I absolutely recommend them to everyone, no matter skill or experience. They are very solid nuts and perform well. Dont let the fact that nuts arent US made or arent anodized lower your view of them, because they really work well and are well built.
Thanks for reading everyone.
Michael Neuder
Disclaimer~ I did receive a free set of nuts and a nut tool for review but was in no way obligated to write a positive review.