Need AT300 4U/G4 Review plzzzz, bought one & cracked on stringing!!

Discussion in 'Broken Rackets' started by Jenar, Sep 17, 2006.

  1. Jenar

    Jenar Regular Member

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    Dear Friends,
    I'm an all round player who wants to advanced and increased my smash power, currently I'm using Original (Made in Taiwan) MP23 2U/G4 strung with BG66 30lbs (about 23lbs Yonex standard), I am quite satisfied with it even though for smashing I've tried my friend's MP66 3U/G4 was better in speed
    As I want to extend my power, I bought AT300 4UG4 for about US$ 90 (serial no. .....SP/Singapore .. maybe) standard stringing up to 24lbs as it is written on the cap (Yonex standard) but during the stringing process on 29th lbs (22lbs Yonex) less than the MP, the head frame cracked!!! But the store keeper comely said "don't worry, Yonex will replace it with the brand new one as part of their quality warranty". That wonders me, whether the crack was due to the one bad item/product or it is a general weakness of 4U racket.
    Hope y'all wouldn't mind advising me if most of/general 4U racket are subject to crack risk, or it is just one item/casuistic problem, because it was strung on about 22lbs by not exceeding the it's maximum standard tension which is 24lbs.
    Btw, the second question is, is it so far to compare between AT300 and AT500 as I tried my neighbor's AT500, it was too stiff and felt a little bit awkward due to I'm used to MP feels. When I tried to swing AT300 for several times, feels like I might get used to it easily maybe due to its medium flexibility

    Thanks in advance for any reply
    ps: I'm sorry that I'm opening new thread since I found very less intensive/deep review on AT300 in several previous threads, and I'm quite aware that for smash power 4U is less than 3U as written on previous threads, but I like the lightness of 4U
     
  2. __Lam

    __Lam Regular Member

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    ...waahh?? if it was strung at 22 lbs then your alright, but if it was strung higher then recommended then your pretty much screwed. it should'nt have broke @ 22lbs only, anything below reccomended tension is safe, so it could've been manufacturing fault, or stringers fault.
     
  3. Jenar

    Jenar Regular Member

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    Thanks LAM! It's lightning fast reply indeed!
    The store promised to replace it within a week hopefully it'll be ok, but is 4U subject to crack risk due to its lightness?
     
  4. __Lam

    __Lam Regular Member

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    if you string above 25-26lbs then yeah, its safe to string 1 - 2 lbs above reccomended since even if it does break yonex will allow it since the machine may be calibrated slightly off. but yeah 4u is more fragile then racquets that are more dense. also depends if its head heavy or head light.
     
  5. bdmntnbdmntn

    bdmntnbdmntn Regular Member

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    why is the factor of safety so small? are badminton rackets really that fragile?
     
  6. Dreamzz

    Dreamzz Regular Member

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    i don't understand what these bits of your statement means. 30lbs is about 22lbs Yonex standard?
     
  7. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    where did it crack?
     
  8. Jenar

    Jenar Regular Member

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    I was stringing my racket with non-Yonex machine which its tension springs might have deteriorated, so for the same tension (let's say) 30lbs by this machine, on Yonex stringing machine which has more durable condition, the tension might be 23lbs. Just use your math to convert if I used 29lbs by this machine, on Yonex stringing machine it should be around 22lbs
    So that's why I was surprised. On the cap it was written max 24lbs (I assume by Yonex stringing machine), so by machine that my store used it should be 31-32lbs, instead, it cracked on 29lbs

    Hope you get the idea ...
     
  9. Jenar

    Jenar Regular Member

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    It cracked on one of vertical part of the frame about 20cm from the "T"
     

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  10. Jenar

    Jenar Regular Member

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    That's why I was shocked since I thought between MP, AT and NS I guess AT has the most durable frame
    mb it was just like as Lam said ... manufacture fault, since, when the stringer was aware that the frame wouldn't go for 23lbs he lowered/reduce the tension to 22lbs .. still his effort didn't help
     
  11. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    u r lucky u get a warranty replacement from yonex.
    sound like u got an issue with your machine.
    Some stringers are using electronic gauges to 0.1 lb, and 0.5lb for mechanical but u r guessing your like +/- 7 lbs.
     
  12. silentheart

    silentheart Regular Member

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    Lub and calibrate your machine first before you string a racquet if you are not sure. I am sorry to hear your lost and good luck on on getting another racquet.
     
  13. Jenar

    Jenar Regular Member

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    Mind the feels not the trend and price

    I got my racket yesterday AT300 4UG4 slightly head heavy and medium stiff and strung with BG66 at 23lbs, it is extraordinary awesome!!!!!
    At first I was a little bit concern due to the low popularity and less review
    But it's all gone after I played it last night
    If I didn't hit it carefully and push all my power as I used my MP23 the shuttle will bounce here and there out of the court caused by the amazing repulsion!!!
    Although I have to admit the 4U may not have the "full thunder" for smashing, but for clears and lobs it was great and for smash was much faster than my MP23 (maybe bcoz I was using MP23 not higher kkkkkkk)
    Overall great racket ....... I'm so pleased that I didn't buy AT500

    ps: the color is much more beautiful than the picture
     
  14. __Lam

    __Lam Regular Member

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    what tension is the mp23 at? i think the tension is just too low so it's harder to control.
     
  15. Jenar

    Jenar Regular Member

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    MP23 tension is 22.5lbs, with that I need to push much more power to smash and clear
    With AT300 (23lbs/only slightly different with MP) the speed of the shuttle is much faster so if I'm not careful and hit by AT as I hit by MP the shuttle will go further than I think of
     
  16. speedy

    speedy Regular Member

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    My friend cracked his at300 4u while stringing at 25lbs. Actually he bought it from me and had been using it for less than a month. I only used the racquet about two months. This is the first time I saw the stringer cracking any racquet. Before that I never heard he crack any racquet even the low end ones. At300 4u must be a really fragile racquet. Glad I changed to at500.
     
    #16 speedy, Sep 21, 2006
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2006

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