TCU's VS small C4's

Hi,after receiving more info on what I should add to my rack (see Now What) I have decided to get a few smaller cams, I have BD 1 and 2 and WC 2.5 but am looking at either .75-.3 C4's or Metolius TCU's,which one should I go with? thanks, Brooks

BDs will have a slightly better range.

TCUs will have better holding power.

Looks like head width is about the same on the smaller sizes.

I'd go with what you can get on sale. :)

The head width difference is considerable between a .75 C4 and a red TCU, even though there's considerable range overlap. For an all-around small cam, the TCUs are pretty damn good, a lot better than the C4s.

FWIW - I have both and carry the C4s. Placements always seem much more secure to me. The only TCUs I carry are the C3s (00 0 1) and I like those much more than the metolius TCUs.

I carry both and love my small TCUs :) Esp my yellow one which has a chunk out of one lobe from my first lead fall ever.

I have both and usually only carry my Camalots.

If you can find some old model TCUs they have a smaller head than the BD c4s. The new TCU design is wider and doesn't have the same utility IMHO.

Since I switched to C3s I have 3 of the older style metolius TCUs that I am trying to sell. I have pictures of them on my profile. If you are interested I would sell them real cheap.

What kind of pieces do you look for and never have? That's the piece I would get next. If trying to choose between a .3 C4 and TCU's e.g. blue, purple, grey. I don't think they are a good comparison. The .3 C4 is bigger than TCU ranges. If I had to choose between C3's and TCU's I would have to say C3's. The way BD has consolidated the trigger wire's and the stem so you can fit it into narrow slots. Plus when you fall on a TCU it bends both the stems in a double-helix like form, It held but looked weird. I wish I had C3's instead of TCU's.

Jasmine Kall wrote:I carry both and love my small TCUs :) Esp my yellow one which has a chunk out of one lobe from my first lead fall ever.

+1
Funny my first lead fall was on the yellow TCU also. Held like a champ and since then have removed my similiar sized WC Tech Friends from my rack and roll TCU's.

You want the best and original TCUs.

Wired Bliss

supertopo.com/climbing/thre…

I'm a big fan of TCUs. I have the C4s, but not below 0.5.

in my experience, small camalots are "good enough" as small cams; that is, they are small cams, and will give you the protection you need on small cracks, but there are better alternatives in the .3 to .5 size range.

i find TCUs a less-than-ideal small cam as well. i think they're a little difficult to handle and just not as versatile as single-stem small cams. have a look at the Mastercams; they're about the same price as small C4s. going for .75 Camalot & #1, 2, 3 (maybe a #4, too) Mastercams is a good way to round out a starter rack with small cams.

I would add the .75, .5, and .4 C4s to your rack. The ranges are good, they are very stable, and easy to clean. I carry the .3 C4 but tend to place the #2 C3 and equivalent TCUs more. At .4 and above though, the C4 placements almost always feel more secure. They take less fiddling to place and are less likely to walk.

I use my BD C4 .3 and up all the time and use my aliens more, but those are kind of hard to find.

MichaelClimbs wrote:Wired Bliss

+(as much as possible)

I have a set and they ALWAYS rack. Solid pieces.

Wired Bliss

Welcome Back.

Made in the USA. Can others say that?

You have already seen that there is a lot of personal preference that goes into answering this question. I carry both TCUs and Camelots and I love them both for different reasons. The .5 and .75 Camelots are two of my favorite pieces and I place them on almost every pitch. Smaller than the .5, however, I find TCUs to be more versatile, and I'm more likely to get a good placement with them. I love my purple, blue and yellow TCUs and I place them all the time, and I seldom carry my .3 and .4 Camelots.

The Camelots tend to be more stable because of the four cams. If a TCU is placed in a vertical crack it will sometimes pivot downward, which may cause some consternation if you're not expecting it. The Camelot won't do that. In horizontals I find the TCUs to be just as stable as four cam units, and they are really light.

As an individual who has a gear problem, I carry both BD C3s and C4s and Metolius TCUs.

My C3s double my smaller TCUs and my larger TCUs double my C4s up to around the .75. I just picked up some Wild Country TechFriends to see how they fit in between the .75 1 and 2 C4s. Seems that the 2.5 and 3 Friends can double the ranges of 3 C4s.

The lobe Geometry of the TCU is more round than that of a C3/C4 and will work in pockets/flares that a BD cam won't. I guess Variety IS the spice of Life.

Aaron Martinuzzi wrote:... have a look at the Mastercams; they're about the same price as small C4s. going for .75 Camalot & #1, 2, 3 (maybe a #4, too) Mastercams is a good way to round out a starter rack with small cams.

+1 for MasterCams up to #3

Ya do mastercams if you're going to do metolius, i've found that tcu's walk a lot 4cus are fine too. I have a full set of bd and love them. have used and own a few tcu's and would not buy them but am tempted to get the masters. man that was wordy oh well. good luck.