No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

Hey guys,

As some of you may remember, I had a bit of a scare awhile back with my Liberty. I thought that I had a cracked limb but it turned out to be a split in the camo. Well, last night that all changed. I was on shot 27 of 28 in my screen shoot and I heard a slight cracking noise when I drew back! I immediately let-down and started looking at my bow. I timed out on that screen and didn't get to shoot. Well, I looked over my limbs and didn't see anything. I decided to draw it back again on my last shot and there was no noise so I shot my last screen! I didn't think anything of it as I didn't notice any crack!

Well, a little bit ago I decided to put some wax on my string and I decided to just check the limbs again! To my suprise, I found a crack on the bottom limb! I have no idea how I missed it as this crack is exactly 5-1/4" long and runs right through the words "Liberty VFT".

Thankfully that limb didn't go last-night as I would have probablly been in some serious pain! I am taking the bow to my pro-shop tommorow to get my limbs changed! Thankfully last night was my last shoot so I really don't need my bow until May when turkey season kicks in!

Here is a pic I took of the limb...

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

ooooh, i remember that noise. i remember when you first were talking about this and your buddy checked it out and decided it wasn't cracked. that was 6 months or so ago wasn't it. it won't blow up on you. they are solid, not laminated. i always wondered if the limb really was cracked. that's where mine went also.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

Gibblett,
Just curious about that comment. Are you saying a laminated limb is more likely to have a catatrosphic failure than a solid one? I have been looking at Hoyt recently and that seems to be the limb of choice in the higher end bows they make. I have always wondered how reliable a laminated limb was compared to a solid one.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

gibblet,

The first thing I thought last night when I heard that slight crack was to check out where the camo had cracked! That was fine. That is on my top limb, where as this actual crack is on my bottom limb.

I got ahold of my pro-shop and he said BowTech is running a little slow on getting parts to him simply because they are selling so many bows, but he said that I will probablly have my bow back and ready to go in about a week!

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

TerryM

Laminated limbs are by far better than solid glass limbs.What you see in the above picture is more common than one might think with glass limbs and the laminated limbs from Hoyt have one of if not the LOWEST fail rate in the buisness.Thats not saying they don't have some fail from time to time.


NOT bashing any one manufactuer but it does surprise me that top end bow manufactuers have not brought the limb technology up to where it should be.Lets face it,with the prices of bows today you would think they would be using the best technology available.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

See, this is the soft of thing that concerns me. I just bought an Allegiance and love the bow. But, there was a rash of limb failures on Bowtechs last year. Now, I know all of the Bowtech faithful is going to come to the rescue and make a lot of excuses for why they had this issue arise last year, but it makes me wonder.

I can't recall seeing pics of any of the failed limbs, but I seem to remember seeing something about most of them being where the limb is the most flexed, as is where Buck Magnets is. I have already noticed an enormous different between my Allegiance and my previous Hoyts as to limb pre load. The Bowtech seems to have much, much more preload in it. It makes sense to me that if that limb were to fail, it would fail where the most extreme bend is in the limb.

Now, I"m not going to make a mountain out this. I really like my Allegiance and its probably the nicest shooting bow I've ever owned. I don't know much about whether Bowtechs limbs are laminated or solid. I just hope I don't ever go through that. Honestly, if the limb were to fail on my Allegiance, its back to Hoyt for me.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

Too bad about your limb, but (like Dave C's limb) it seemed to "go" at a pretty convenient time for you. Hope you can get yours fixed a little quicker than he did.;)

I still don't really see this as a "rash" of limb failures. Compared to the # of bows out there, the reported problems are not all that many. It seems like the reported problems are with the Liberty, Patriot, and Mighty Mite. I don't recall hearing about problems with the Justice, though you would think they wouldn't be exempt. (same riser + limbs as the MM). Does anyone remember any problems with the Pro 40? I don't recall hearing anything about problems with P40 limbs at all on any message board. Still, if it happens to you, you aren't going to be happy about it.[:'(]

That type of crack gives you pretty good warning before anything dramatic happens. There are a few daredevil speed freaks around here that shot bows (with very underweight arrows) for thousands of shots with longitudinal cracks in them like Buck Magnet's limb. It's not the kind of crack that is going to cause your limb to "explode." Still needs to be replaced, though.[&:]

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

I have seen laminated wood core limbs blow with no prior notice.
But the new laminated carbon fiberglass limbs hold together well.
Solid limbs ,such as the picture indicates usually start with a visible crack so you can
be forewarned not to shoot it until you get new limbs.
And they usually crack right down the middle.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

after speaking with one of the reps last year, if i was on a hunting trip and it happened, i'd keep hunting and get it fixed when the trip was over. that's just what i would do.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

I have seen that crack before. It needs to be replaced obviously, but it isn't super urgent. My buddy shot for a while with a crack like that.

ANd yes, it happens to all companies. I have seen it on just about all bows.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

This is the exact reason I will not buy a BowTech. I am hearing/reading about too many cracked limbs to make me feel confident in there product.
What would you do if this happened the night before archery season opened? I myself would not take a chance & hunt with that bow.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

i have the utmost confidence in Bowtech and really am not all that worried about it. But I have to admit that it is something I keep a close eye on with this bow.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

That's a shame, because you might as well eliminate a bunch of other manufacturers makes and models as well........the limbs are no different in composition and construction than many other top naMe bows.

The limb failure rates on these bows are no different than any other model or make sporting the same type limbs.......what you do wind up with are #1, press issues with Parallel limb bows causing some problems, and #2 just the inevitable % of bad luck. When you combine the 2, you wind up with what looks like a disproportionate amount of limb failures.
The press issue with these style bows is very real and improper pressing can wreck a set of limbs in a hurry, however I would imagine BM's just falls under the bad luck category.
That's what the warranty is for, and the bow will be back to normal ASAP.

This sort of thing can happen to ANY bow, at any time and YES even the day before archery season.

My experience with my personal Bowtech bows which include roughly 10 models with thousands upon thousands of shots is no problems with anything, let alone limb failure. If the % were high, I would expect that I would have seen something to that effect and haven't. I shoot Bowtech, all my friends shoot Bowtech and none of us have had limb issues of any kind. The amount of shots on all of our bows which amounts to dozens combined would boggle the mind.[:-]
My personal Liberty has THOUSANDS of shots on it.
I've also had my bows in and out of presses screwing with this or that so many times it's almost frightening:D but I've never had a press issue because all pressing is done properly on the right press, by myself or properly supervised by myself.

Trust in the fact that you purchased a bow with a great warranty, and that if you DO find yourself in the unfortunate position that BM is in, you're bow will be fine.

By the way I have only had 2 limb problems in all of my years in archery, and I won't tell you what manufacturer that was.;)

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

Well guys, the bow is at the shop right now! Still have no idea what happened to cause this break! The bow was never dry fired and never took any beating at all. The only thing that I can think of is a 1 in 1,000,000 bad limb or the bow was no pressed properly at the shop where I purchased the bow (the same shop that screwed up my factory string)!

This is the first time the guy at the shop has seen a cracked limb on a BowTech with the exception of a bow that he had ordered that was smashed in transport to his shop!

On a side note, I was at a different shop today that sells Hoyts and a guy was in there with his V-Tec and to say that he was in a rage is an understatement! His RISER had cracked in half about an inch below the top limb pocket and he was having a roung time getting it fixed! [:-]

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

For those of you that think shooting a bow with a cracked limb is ok. [:'(] I have marks on my back to prove that it is not ok. I had a bow that cracked the upper limb with one shot left on the course. I was shooting for my first 400 score, all I needed was an 8(This was back in the day when 400 was something to really brag about.) So I thought hey it will last one more shot... WRONG that sucker cracked and man it hit me in the shoulder blade. Don't ever shot a bow with a cracked limb.

This is why laminante split limbs are simply better. Show me the threads on here that talk of one of these limbs breaking. It has to be more than bad luck, tell me how many times someone has talked of their limbs breaking/cracking, and how many of those have been bowtechs?

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

ewolf,

Actually, the number of crack limb posts about BowTechs has been very few! Some were flukes while others were not pressed right, I am not happy about having a cracked limb right now, but I am 100% confident that BowTech will take care of me as best they can and I know that this is just a fluke incident that could have easily happened no matter what brand is on the limb! My father had a Browning limb blow-up on him, and he replaced that bow with another Browning which currently has a cracked limb. My best-friend had a PSE which had a cracked limb while he had a Browning that never gave him a problem. I saw this Hoyt today with a cracked riser where as I owned a Hoyt and never had a problem, I have also owned a different BowTech and it never had a single problem! Mathews, well, my sisters boy-friend and his friend have just bought Mathews and they have been dealing with several problems, draw lengths comming too long, string breaking, serving seperation, grip falling off, consistant left tears ect.. while as others that I know who have owned Mathews have never had a problem.

My point is that you can't label a bow company by a very few isolated incidents, if this were the case, every single bow company must be on your bad list!

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

Although I have never owned a Bowtech I have had four different cracked limbs (to be fair one was splintered on the side, mostly a cosmetic issue) from three different manufacturers, so it does happen. None of the bows were abused and none had ultra light arrows shot from them. In fact the arrows that were used in these bows were heavier than most people use here (amost 500 grains).

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

Buckmagnet, sorry ot hear of your misfortune. Your new limbs will sport the new logo, so your bow will LOOK newere;) (hey just looking ofr the bright side here!)

My new limbs seem to be much more foregiving tuning wise than my last two, so who knows? t could turn into a good thing 4ya (it has for me so-far).

BUT to say that the 04 bowtech limb issues were FEW would be a huge understatement IMHO. Start a thread on the hunting message board asking about 04 bowtech limb failures and I'm sure more than an isolated few would pop up.

I'm hoping the limb supplier had a bad run in 04 and that my newer 05 limbs are of a better design or material quality. I would like to think my new limbs are to be the ones to last the life of this bow.

This is why I will only buy a bow w/ a lifetime warranty.

Now about that cracked riser and having warranty issues??? WTF???
I'd be Peo'd too.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

Matt,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,, what about that recent cable issue on your Old Glory:D:(:D:);)[:o]:eek::([>:][:-] LOL

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

Russ.

You know some people should never be given a sharp object to play with

As for the cracked limb nothing to worry about it will be put right with no questions asked.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

I find that extremely hard to believe.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

Well I always like to hear good things about companies. One question that should be asked is where is the pressure coming from to cause a crack there? It's not like a wedge is in between the cam pocket. I wonder if the cable guard is twisting the limbs causing force on one side of the limb. I don't know how they make the limb but if it's injection, that can be the problem. I don't know why they would though.
With the money that is charged for high end bows fixing the problem quick would be a good idea, maybe a recall. It's seems only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt and if it is a problem as some have stated here they better start doing more than sending out a new limb to someone or they're going to need some good lawyers.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

I have wondered about the tec risers. They do everything they say they will but I know, or think I know, something about bridges. They use an example of a bridge in their promo. They make a point of their risers being inflexible like a bridge. Only things is, If a bridge doesn't flex it will break. At least that's what I've been taught. I used to work on large freighters. In a storm they would twist and bend. I was told this was a good thing. That if it didn't it would bust in half.

I think anyone who has a tec riser (myself) should keep that in mind.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

Oh see.........that's not funny.:(
I don't even go near that bow anymore with anything sharper than a bowl of Jello.;)
Thanks to Todd at Bowtech for getting me up and shooting again in no time.

FYI for those of you who might try it yourself........razor blades and TS1 cables don't mix.:eek:

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

Sorry Mat,, I just HAD to throw that in there:D

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

nodog, sorry but I wasn't very clear. I find it hard to believe that Hoyt isn't doing anything about it, not that their riser design can't fail. There was a guy who was on here a few years back that had a Hoyt Cybertec. A peice of the riser, right were the arrow shelf met the handle just broke off. Hoyt sent him a brand new bow without hesistation.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

man that sucks bm thats the same thing that happend to my mighty mite but mine cracked about the 10th time i shot it.. all the shots you put on it and it just did it wow....better now then just before the season then again rather of not had it happen at all. good luck

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

muzzy,

I am not sure if it was Hoyt or if it was this shop giving this guy a hard time. From the way he was talking, he sounded as though he wanted a new bow but Hoyt was only willing to send him a new riser and he was worried about it matching the limbs/cams.

On a side note.... while I was at the shop I was talking to the owner about cracked limbs/broken bows that he has seen over the years. His son and two of his friends were in the range shootings, and then there is a loud THUD! The shop owner said "speaking of breaking a bow" and he asked his sons friend what happened. Here, his arrow fell off the string right before he shot. Apparently, he decided to try shooting his bow without a release and it didn't work

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

What in the world is your sister's boyfiend doing to break strings........

But folks the more any bow get's out on the market the more you will hear about problems with them.......;)

Like BowTech for example...They have probally sold more that last 2 years than all years combined.......So that means more bows are out there and you'll hear more......

You always hear about PSE breaking limbs...Why because they are everywhere....

If the company stands behind thier product that all that matter's.....

BTW BowTech does.........And this is coming from a Mathews shooter..........;)

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

I just wanted to let everyone know that I was NOT trying to bash Bowtech or any other company.


It is true that ALL bow companies have problems from time to time but right now Mathews,Bowtech,PSE,AR are having a few problems with limbs that could be almost completely eliminated with using the technology available today.With the cost of their bows the technology should be the best available.



I had a friend that was shooting an AR and had the limbs split just like in the picture.He got a new set of limbs and the first 3-d shoot he went to with his new limbs,he had the same thing happend and this person was shooting arrows OVER 500 grains.He did have a 31" draw and it was apparent they couldn't handle the stress.


Hoyt had horrible limb problems with their redline limbs several years ago,that were exactly the same style Gordan glass limbs that are used by most companies today.They have developed a much better limb and they now have some of the best limbs available in the market today.



I believe we as consumers when asked to pay these exorborant prices for bows should be demanding the highest quality available.I also feel the Gordan limbs have a place in the market but they don't belong on $700 bows.


JMHO ;)

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

Hey BM.. I feel your pain! I pulled back my Liberty a few days ago and heard that oh so familiar crack. Yep, my 3rd limb crack in a year. Its definitly something wrong with the limb pockets. All 3 of my cracks have been directly over the pocket edge.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

When anyone pays $700 for a bow........you are paying for the lifetime warranty as well. Nobody throws in a warranty for free. I also agree that a bow of that price using solid glass limbs should not cost quite that much but.........over the years its been proven that solid glass limbs on the same models also usually generate more speed. Usually mind you, not always.

A few years ago my nearest pro shop was having a small rash of cracked limb problems on Hoyts that used laminated limbs. Another shop was having problems with customers bringing in Matthews with cracked limbs. It can and has happened to all bow manufacturers at one time or another.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

I used to do a lot of varmint shooting and personally burnt out several barrels on my rifles. The rifle's barrell is what takes most all of the abuse, much like the limbs on your compound bow;) It IS much easier to replace the limbs on a bow as compared to re-$-barreling your 220 Swift and 17 Remington like I did[:@] Plus bow companies warranty the limbs and rifle companies won't replace shot out barrels;)
I know of several shooters that claim to have over 10,000 shots on their bows and are still shooting like new. Archery equipment is really pretty durable even today with the speeds we're getting. The only limb problems I ever had in the last 33 years of compounds were with PSE's of the 80's:(

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

OUR SHOP SELLS HOYT, MATHEWS, BOWTECH, PSE, PARKER, RENEGADE. WE ARE THE BIGGEST HOYT DEALER IN THE STATE. WE SELL 15-1 HOYT. IN THE LAST 2 YRS NO HOYT LIMB PROBLEMS. A FEW CRACKED LIMPS FROM THE OTHERS. ALL THE BOWS WE SELL ARE GREAT, AND IS THERE A LIMB PROBLEM WITH A SPECIFIC MANUFACTURER, NOT THAT I CAN SEE. I JUST THINK AS FAR AS LIMBS GO, HOYT WAS THE EDGE.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

hey jake, no need to YELL.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

Sorry, I'm very lazy when I type, easier to keep the cap locks on. I will try to keep my voice down.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

Thank you:D.

So, if Hoyt has the edge, what limbs do the Reflex line up use?

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

I'm pretty sure that all of the Reflex models use the ZR 200 limbs, which are solid glass instead of the laminated, pre-stressed XT series limbs. One advantage to them is that they are already split.[8D]

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

Actually Joe that is supposed to be the advantage of the split limb technology[:o]

I would actually be interested in seeing some facts on the number of limb failures on the zr200 limbs.I wonder if they compare better or worse than solid glass limbs.


Like I said,glass limbs have their place and on the lower priced bows(such as the reflex line) they are fine and do a good job.

RE: No Fluke this time...... CRACKED LIMB
 

no prob jake. that's exactly the same reason i don't use any caps at all. i frankly don't realize why anyone does. i think its just habit.