Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

Well guys,

Some of you may know that my sisters boyfriend (Brad) bought a Mathews Switchback a couple weeks ago as well as Brads friend Larry! Well, they had problems with both bows right off the start, Brads bow, a 60-70# bow was maxing out around 75#, and when set at 70#'s, this bow had a very very harsh draw cycle (not how the bow should feel). Larry's bow was also maxing out in the 75# range even though it was a 70# bow, and the draw length on his bow was nearly an inch long!

Well, Monday I talked to Larry before I went to shoot my bow, and he is still having problems! His grip fell off the bow, so he had to glue it back on. His string suppressors have wore down and already need replaced (just after a few weeks), and he is getting alot of serving seperation and string wear on the bottom cam! Also, his bow is consistantly getting left tears through paper!

Brad shot with me Monday and he was able to chrono his bow! This is where the thing is amazing...... 29.5" draw length, 70# draw weight. String has 1 brass nock, a string loop, a kisser button, and a peep sight WITH tubbing. He has a pair of limb savers on the bow, and he is shooting a 412 grain arrow at................ 292 f.p.s.

According to my calculations, his bow should be shooting about 272 f.p.s. (20 f.p.s. slower). At this rate, his bow would should be able to pull around 235 f.p.s. at IBO settings!!!!!!!

Even though his bow is screaming fast, both of these guys are already considering getting rid of their bows! The "pro-shop" they bought them at has been little to no help to them in figureing out what is wrong and why these two bows are having so many problems. I am trying to convince them to go to a different shop, but they are so frustrated that they aren't listening to me![:@]

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

I am really sorry to hear that. Your shop should be more help to you. That is the difference between a good bow experience and a bad one. They are suppose to help you get it perfect!! I am in the process of ordering a Switchback as well. And my shop has been a huge help. Are you sure everything is in spects? Something sounds wrong with your setup. You should be getting more speed and deffintly be very smooth not rough like you stated.

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

Have them go to the Mathew's web site and do some searching on the forums. There is alot of info that will help them. It sounds to me like the bows are not tuned correctly. A good pro shop will make them happy they bought a switchback. The problems they are having are easily fixed if they can find a good pro shop to help them.

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

My handle fell off the first day home as well. Other than that I have had perfect "bullet holes" in paper tuning my switchback and no other problems.
Awesome bow

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

It is common to have a handle come loose from a mathews, All you need to do is hot glue it back on.

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

I have a Switchback as well, and the only issue I had was the left tear which is now corrected. I have spent a lot of time over the last 6 weeks tinkering and tuning this bow to get it where I like it. It definetly sounds like those bows are not in spec. If your suppressors are wearing your ATA is not correct. It is too long. The Switchbacks are running high in poundage by around 3 pounds on average. I get 72 lbs bottomed out with all my measurements in spec. Is the cam timed? It sounds like your cable is over twisted causing the poundage to be too high, or your string needs twisting which will bring your poundage down and shorten the draw length. Your timing holes will tell if you are doing the right thing. In summary it sounds as though the bow specs are all out of whack. The problems you are having all relate to your specs being out. I had the suppressor issue on LX, and it was caused by the ATA being too long. I know these are new bows, and it sounds like your dealer didnt do a very good job of setting up guys up properly before you left.

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

That really sucks that they are having all these problems with new bows. I would call Mathews and complain.

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

Hey guys,

I finally talked them into going to a different pro-shop! Friday they are going to head down and hopefully get everything figured out.

It is odd because when these guys bought their bows, I was able to test shoot the Switchback and I was very impressed with the bow! IMHO it is the nicest bow Mathews has made to date! These bows feel nothing like the bow that they/I was able to test shoot! The bow we test shot had a very smooth draw cycle where as Brads bow is very very rough!

I'll keep ya'll updated!

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

From reading the responces, and the the posts on this site and others, it sure seems like these are isolated events. I actually shot the switchback last night for the first time, and loved it! I shot it side by side with the V-Tec. Both awesome bows, but I'm leaning towards the switchback...o.k, I'm more than leaning towards it! I'm actually waiting for my tax returns to come...should be in the bank tomorrow!!!!!!!


It sounds to me like they have a bad pro-shop! They need to take the bows to another shop, and maybe write to Mathews with the porblem. I think Mathews should be involved with the problem as well! I've heard nothing but good things from this bow....except from Bowtech and hoyt shooters of course! Let's look at it...they both got the same bow from the SAME SHOP and are having similar problems!!!!! Let me guess....the same person set up both bows. Time for a new shop!


JUST MY OPINION!

Jay

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

I had a little problem to get my Switchback to fit just right. Now am in the process of tuning the bow. I have no doubts about getting it zero'd in. One thing that should be stated here is...it's more difficult to tune a High Preformance bow than a standard performance one. The Switchback is like the Jaguar of bows, it's extremely efficient and requires things to be a little more in tune than an average bow that has a little sloppier standards. Hope this makes some sense, and doesn't add to the confusion.

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

I concur.......the bows are out of time. They should seek professional help.

Secondly, the chronoed speeds you posted are not unusual at all. I am shooting a 404 grain arrow with a 68lb, 29", switchback and getting 292fps as well.

I hope they will listen to you, fix their problems before they get rid of the bows. They are great bows!

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

Sounds like an unfortunate situation. It's too bad the pro shop isn't more help. I would call Mathews and see what they can do.

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

I think it's completely unacceptable that a shop would sell a customer a $700 bow and not go the extra mile to make sure the bow was setup and shooting properly. Hopefully the "stellar" customer service will result in a lack of customers and they will change their ways.

I can understand if a bow comes off the shelf and everythng isn't perfect. What I can't understand is why they were hesitant to take their bow to another shop. If it were me you'd better believe that I'd be on the horn with Mathews to let them know just how good their "pro shop" is.

Kudos to you jason for sending them to another shop. Hopefully the rest of their bussiness will be at another shop, any other shop for that matter. I guess it just goes to show how much we can take for granted an actual "pro shop".

I hope they get things worked out with their bows. If not they could always upgrade to a PSE.;):D

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

Slow down .........wow !! [8D]

The harshness and speed is probably because it's 75# ........it's going to pull a lot harder than a 70# or less obviously !! The roller guard bows tend to pull over !!

If the string suppressors are worn out already, has added vibration, and his draw length is too long..........his bow is obviously out of spec..........he needs to check his ata,bh, and cam timing !! Spec's are much more critical on a string suppressor equipped bows........than a single cam without them !

It's a freakin' bow........Bowtech has had their share of little issues too.......seems like you have had a couple in the past BM !! Your buddy's get their bows back in spec. and the string settles.........they'll be good to go .....unless they got a Lemon and that happens with all companies(Mathews will fix it if that's the case) !! ;)

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

Spot-on. And the SL type cams (whether they are SL,SL2,SL3,HP, OB, OV, etc) are even more critical..supressors or not. JUst goes with the territory. One twist out turned my OB from a super quiet smooth shooter into a twanging suppressor destroying beast.

Also, make sure that

A) the cables are in the correct slots in the roller guard

and

B) that the strings and cables are on the correct attachment posts. I've seen a few dealers who don't know a whole lot putting the cable on the string termination peg or vice versa on an SL type cam since they are so close together. This will make them feel extremely hard to draw and throw things out of whack.

SB is a sweet shooter...could be a lemon, or just a poor setup..but thats not normal for any mathews bow.

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

Did the pro shop where you bought have to change the cams on these bows to get you the right draw length? The Switchback I bought was a 28 inch. I had the dealer put a 27.5 cam on it, and I told them I would tune it myself. It was all out of whack from having the cam changed. Maybe they had to swap cams, and never re-set the specs?

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

Hey archer im having some troubles with my SB and was wondering how you got you bow back into spec. Thanks

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

I would not take them to another shop. I would contact Matthews and arrange to return them for a refund. Then go and get another bow, but make sure that it is what I am asking for before I leave. I can't believe anyone puts up with what I am reading. Handles falling off? High end bows hard to set up? I just can't believe it. Those bows should have gone back the first day. They paid for the best and shouldn't receive less. It's just not right and shouldn't be allowed to happen.

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

that sucks

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

I agree with nodog, take it back

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

deer-hunter18,
The main thing is start with timing your cam. This is done by twisting your cable and both ends of your string. Check your timing holes in your cam and see if they are parallel with your string.Twisting your cable on the cam end will rotate your cam clockwise. Twisting the string equal amounts on each end will rotate the cam counter clockwise. Once your cam is timed checked all your specs with the limb bolts bottomed out. You can then make minor changes in the cable and string to bring the other measurements in spec. Keep in mind. Twisting your cable adds draw weight, and increases draw length. Twisting your string does the opposite, decreses draw weight and draw length., so it is a combination of these that will get your specs back in.

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

My brother-in-law purchased the Switchback at the same time I got my Allegiance and I gave him alot of grief for it but I shot it and it is a really nice bow. He has however had a real problem tuning it with consistent left tears and the pro shop said they have experienced this problem with several of the Switchbacks. I don't know the cause but told him if his bow was grouping well don't worry about it. He has been shooting it for about 2 months now and it shoots great so far. To all Allegiance shooters though your right the Switchback just can't keep up. The Allegiance is my first Bowtech after years of shooting Hoyt and Mathews and this is one of the finest shooters I've shot.

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

I haven't put enough arrows through a Switchback to know if there is a particular issue with that bow/cam, however left tears are EXTREMELY common with Mathews bows due to the grip shape/style.

For those not used to the Mathews grips (regardless whether its the classic/comp/inline, etc) , or the proper way to grip a bow, a left tear that cannot be corrected with normal arrow/rest tuning procedures(for a RH shooter) is unfortunately often the result.

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

Well guys, Brad and Larry went to a pro-shop today, they are there right now, so when they get back I will let ya'll know what happened and what was wrong!

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

As far as the left tear issue is concerned on the SB, it is an easy fix! The idler wheel is leaning slightly, so no matter how far you move your rest the tear stays. Draw the bow and have someone stand behind you. They can tell you which way the idler is leaning. Then press the bow and give the opposite side split cable a couple twists and check it again. Do this until the idler is straight at full draw and try the paper tune again. You will have bullet hole very quick!!

RE: Crazy Switchback!!!!!!!!!!
 

Yes, The cause of most of the left tear issued have been idler lean. Mine was leaning right causing my string to track right. This caused my left tear. I have had bullet holes since the adjustment to the left cable yoke. I do feel the Switchback is a little more sensitive to torque than the other Mathews. This is my 5th Mathews bow, and it is definetly the most sensitive to tune, but it shoots so well that it is worth the extra tuning. Very smooth, quiet, and vibration free bow, and pretty quick too!