I thought I would pass on some of the experiences with a few relatively new (at least to me) bow maintenance tools that are currently on the market. I have only started using these within the last month so take my experiences "with a grain of salt".

The first two devices I have not really seen in any of the pro shops I frequent. I first saw both of them, or something similar, when I stopped down at Len's this past summer. They are a bow vice and the R.S. level combo.





The bow vice pictured above is the one that was most readily available to me and which I purchased. It makes setting up and working on a bow quite easy. It also saves alot of counter space which can be utilized for other equipment/items.

The R.S. levels work in tandem with the bow vice to allow you to setup your arrow in a perfectly perpendicular position to the bowstring. One level clips on the bowstring itself while the other clips onto the arrow. There is a third level which is part of the string unit and it can be utilized to check the balance of a sight level.

Last but not least we have the EZE laser center shot tool.



I read an article about it in Petersens a few months back and decided to give it a try. It is extremely easy to use. You have to remove your sight from your bow and then mount the laser tool in the sight mounting holes via some thumb screws. Then simply adjust the laser so it intersects the string right where the arrow is nocked. You then rotate the laser beam forward to make sure your arrow is in a straight line with the bowstring.

Some great tools and not really that expensive when you consider some of the time and frustration they can save.

Please feel free to add any further tools or suggestions that you have also found to be worthwhile.

The bow shop where I go has one of these and they work great and are easy to use. They have the mount turned 180 degrees so the thumb screw where you tighten down the bow is closer to the grip or top. Guess it doesn't make a difference. How much did you paid and where did you get it from?

The vice that is pictured is from Apple Archery. Built like a tank.

RS has a bow vice that is a little more versatile in use, but is uses some pot metal and plastic in construction. I've bought both vices, and ended up keeping the RS system and selling the Apple. The Apple win hands down in construction, but the useful features and flexibility of the RS outweighed the negatives.

My only complaints of the RS leveling system is that it is made of cheap plastic, and the levels are simply glued on. Of course with any molded piece there will be tolerances- usually plastic molding has greater tolerances than metal. So after a rather inexpensive level is glued to the plastic piece, how true is it? Is the layer of glue uniform? You may want to check them against a known good level to verify.

Here's some issues I have with the leveling system from RS. The tool that clips on the string has two axis levels as you can see in the pic. The top level is for leveling the bow straight up and down from the shooter's position. On some bows (like single cams) the string does not go down the middle of the limbs. The top idler wheel may be centered in the forks, and the entire bottom CAM may be centered, but the string track of the bottom cam is to one side of that cam. The cable track is on the other side. So you may be getting the STRING straight up and down, but the riser/limbs may be off a tad. And if you are trying to level a sight or scope for 3rd axis, you need to know this.

And if you clip the device on the string (like the picture with the arrow), the top clip may be on your center serving area, but the bottom clip may be on the bare string. Depending on how thick your center serving is, it can make a difference in where your level reading reads "level".

Just some things to keep in mind....

Very well put BF. I came to many of the same conclusions. It has its drawbacks with certain applications, like the string angle you mentioned on a single cam, but I found them to work pretty well in getting you closer than the just a bow square, etc... Used in conjunction with a bow square I have found the results to be pretty accurate. As for the secondary level.....I have not really used it to adjust the sight level but rather prefer my older method for that.

Iak,

They are available at a variety of archery supply places. I found several by just using a search engine on the web. Probably the most well known is Cabelas. I have seen the bow vices advertised anywhere from $40 to $80 depending on make/model. The level kit is usually between $10 and $20 and the laser center shot tool goes anywhere from $65 to $85 most places. The one in the picture is the "hunter" model. There is also a "pro" model that has microadjustment features.

The RS bow vice AND leveling kit package can be bought on the internet for $90. I don't think we're allowed to post links here, so PM me if you'd like to know where that is.

As always, it's better to beg forgiveness than ask permission...

As long as they are not personal commercial links then there is not a problem.

Aka.... www.dartonarchery.com www.edersbow.com ....etc.....

On a note related to the original topic, I have seen a "pro shop package" advertised a few places. It looks like a bow press, arrow saw, bow vice, various tools and quite a few odds and ends...e clips, screws, etc... It would be somewhat redundant for me to get that at this point since I have most of it already but I would be curious as to whether any of you have taken the plunge yet.

RS Bow Vice and leveling kit for $90:

http://shop.eaglearchery.com/browse.cfm/4,1441.htm

The Apple vice can be found at Cabela's and a few other places.

Funny you posted that......Mike Sterner leveled the Copper John 2 nights ago with the bow vice. I had never seen it before that.

Fritz