Page 1 of 2

POLE TIPS- BUNS- BUTT PLUGS WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE?

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2003 8:13 am
by Bruce Caldwell
I am wondering, which is preferred; the hard pole tips or the soft rubber ones.

You have such a variety; I frankly like the new clear ones designed by Pacer if they last? I hear they do. They are lightweight and sleek.

In 1980, I took the old thermo flex pole tip tooling for $200.00 and made hard 90 durometer rubber plugs three to fit all size poles. The small ones had a metal washer in them and they lasted well.

I am looking at a Teflon plug a bit more expensive, lightweight, and very durable.

I think the old Spirit ones were the most lasting but very hard and I saw a few sprint events started prematurely as people heard the tip hit the box and thought it to be a starting gun LOL

I am interested in the vaulting communities opinions.
SO go ahead give me your thoughts on this matter

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2003 9:04 am
by rainbowgirl28
I like the Spirit hard plastic butt plugs the best.

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2003 9:27 am
by vaultdad
I think the clear ones are good, but they are very loud in some instances

Maybe we could install a flashing light in them for safety during the run-up? :P

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2003 6:02 pm
by OAKPV2004
I like those UCS white, hard plastic tips and the new Pacer tips aren't to bad. I didn't like the Red plugs that came with the Essx poles, I punched through them in the first few plants. but the pole made up for it :yes: .

yes we had a problem

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2003 10:52 pm
by Bruce Caldwell
OAKPV2004 wrote:I like those UCS white, hard plastic tips and the new Pacer tips aren't to bad. I didn't like the Red plugs that came with the Essx poles, I punched through them in the first few plants. but the pole made up for it :yes: .


We have boosted them with more hardness.

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2003 12:30 am
by jhesch
how about some glow in the dark ones, haha
or what about resorting to the good old split tennis balls? that was my fav with my old mean green. LOL. before that my plug would smoke whenever it was on the runway.. only because i was so fast lol.

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2003 12:32 am
by jhesch
wish i knew more about materials so i could have some better input. how about using carbon fiber or composite thereof. isn't it strong and lightweight?

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2003 10:54 am
by Oldcoach
For wear resistance and strength- possibilities might be Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethlene (UHMWP), 25% glass filled teflon, or Urethane.

Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2003 10:59 pm
by vaultdad
I'm just curious . . .

Have pole tips ever been made from any kind of ultra dense exotic woods?

They must have had something before "plastic" or rubber :D

pole tips metal

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2003 10:38 am
by Bruce Caldwell
vaultdad wrote:I'm just curious . . .

Have pole tips ever been made from any kind of ultra dense exotic woods?

They must have had something before "plastic" or rubber :D


All the early tips I saw on old wood poles and swedish steal poles where metal.

I saw a bamboo pole once that had gum very soft tip that was difficult to slide in the box. seem like it was a clay substance or some sap from a tree, the out side surface had a dry skin and the inside was soft like gum.

Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2003 1:35 am
by lonestar
The old-school Pacer III tips - kind of a yellowish tint and very firm, but held up better than anything else I've ever used.

Every rubber tip I've ever owned blew through too easily and didn't last long.

Spirit tips are good, but I like the new Gill tips better b/c they're a little softer impact against the box and wear longer I think.

Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2004 11:14 pm
by saraf
personaly i like pacer plugs :D i like the red of the essx plug but the soft rubber just breaks down WAY too fast. I can't count how many times i blasted through an essx plug- the color is great but its just to soft