Drop away - limb or cable driven?
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: YZF-88
11-Feb-18
I've been running a cable driven drop away for 7+ years. Thinking about finally shopping for a new bow. I will be keeping the one I have as a back-up. I'd like to hear some pros and cons from each? My biggest concern with a limb driven rest is the cord. I do some serious brush busting through nasty oakbrush while chasing mule deer and elk.
Please advise if you have any feedback. I'll be trying out bows in a couple weeks. It's been hard since the shops never have them in stock to try. I'm not spending money on something I can't put through paces so in the meantime, I can research rests at least.
From: Tilzbow
11-Feb-18
I’ve used a Hamskea rest for the past 5 years and have never had an issue with the cord. A few suggestions.
1) Change the stock cord out with much tougher string loop cord. I use Pine Ridge Nitro string loop cord on my Hamskea Hybrid Hunter and had custom 12 strand strings made to replace the stock cord on two Hamskea Versa rests.
2) If you use a bow mounted quiver it and the arrows will help protect the cord. I use a Tight Spot and the cord runs tight to the front arrow and quiver.
From: TFTS
11-Feb-18
TFTS's Link
I've used both, and am switching back to limb driven Trophy Taker this year. Actually changing my entire set up–bow, rest, and release.
From: Ken
11-Feb-18
I use a limb driven Trophy Taker. I don't like the long cord either but have had no problems since I started using Kevlar spearfishing line for the cord. The Kevlar line won't burn so you will have to use superglue on the ends.
From: Pigsticker
11-Feb-18
Have you had a problem with your current setup? If not why change.
I have ran a cable driven rest and never had a reason to change. Once a limb driven rest like the Pro-V proves itself absolutely superior for hunting then I may look into it but until then I have no reason to change.
From: YZF-88
11-Feb-18
I haven't had too many problems with my QAD. It occasionally wont stay up. My issue is I frequently mess with my draw weights and draw length due to my shoulders constantly degrading. Every time I change things, the rest needs to be re timed. Not a big deal, just exploring other options.
From: Bou'bound
11-Feb-18
Arrest that occasionally won’t stay up is a significant problem and send it back to quad and they’ll take care of you it’s a great rest
From: krieger
11-Feb-18
I tried to like the limb driven rests, but I seem to hang that dang cord up on everything...good news is, it's easy to fix if you break it, but it's a pain. I'm running mostly cable driven.
From: GLP
11-Feb-18
I made the switch to the trophy taker smackdown pro last year. It uses the bottom limb which is what I think you would want so that a quiver will protect the cord. I to worried about the cord , but after helping a guy track a deer for a day through multaflora rose and brush I don't worry any more. I would rather use this in oakbrush than the cable driven. I have the pro v one one bow and it is great but in oakbrush I would defiantly use the smackdown. Just my opinion. Greg
From: Brotsky
11-Feb-18
I was a long time QAD user but my current bow would not hold a consistent tune run off the cable. I switched to a TT Smackdown Pro and have never looked back. All of our bows will have the same rest by turkey season. Simple, tunes easy, and absolutely bullet proof. Great rest.
From: WV Mountaineer
11-Feb-18
Cable driven and see zero reason to use a limb driven one. I've had oak brush destroy sights and peep sights, I've never had one instance where the cable driven QAD has failed. (Yet with fingers crossed) God Bless
From: Copey
11-Feb-18
Limb driven is much more consistent and provides much more arrow support
From: Willieboat
11-Feb-18
The cord on a limb driven rest in the brush is a non issue.....take it from somebody that spends a bunch of time hunting blacktails in western Oregon ;)
From: Olink
11-Feb-18
I would go back to an old style prong rest before using a cable driven rest. Limb driven all the way for me.
From: bow_dude
11-Feb-18
Upper Limb Driven... I use a hip quiver so there is no "protection" for the cord. Never had a problem with brush.
From: walks with a gimp
11-Feb-18
Limb driven, much longer duration of arrow support and complete arrow clearance at the shot.
From: Ermine
11-Feb-18
Limb driven is my preference. I use a Hamskea Versa rest. In all the years running this rest I have never had an issue with the cord or the rest
From: carcus
12-Feb-18
Love my QAD hdx, I've used the limbdrivers and the TT smackdowns which were ok, wouldn't go back tho
From: x-man
12-Feb-18
Your bow string is way more exposed than your limb driven rest cord will ever be. It's a non-issue.
From: Matt Palmquist
12-Feb-18
I use the Limbdriver ProV from Vaportrail and like you had concerns about the cord before using one. I haven't had any issues with the cord or rest period and have been using them for years now. Even if you would have an issue with the cord the beauty of the ProV and I assume other limbdriven rests is that they are very easy to set up and tune. Lets say you cut the cord while on a hunt. Just have some extra cord in your pack and you will be back in business in less than 5 minutes. Try that with a cable driven rest.
Matt
From: 12yards
12-Feb-18
I have a QAD on one bow and a TT Smackdown Pro on another. While I like them both, I still prefer the QAD. I love the containment for hunting on the QAD and I have had issues with the long cord snagging on the TT and loosening the line causing the launcher to raise slightly. I would definitely agree that the limbdriven TT is easier to set up and maintain. Honestly though, they've both been pretty hassle free, but if I were busting through a lot of brush, I think I'd prefer the QAD.
From: Native Okie
12-Feb-18
Matt pretty much said what I was going to. Been very pleased with my Hamskea and no cable issues thus far.
From: Trial153
12-Feb-18
Baked or mashed?
From: Charlie Rehor
12-Feb-18
No one has explained the advantage to limb driven? Many times when a new method comes upon us it’s a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. What does this do better? I’m open to innovation but need to see it. Thx C
From: Tilzbow
12-Feb-18
Limb driven stays up longer giving the arrow longer support after release. Limb driven easier and fool proof to tune as far as timing. Just tighten the cord and it’s good to go. QAD isn’t hard to tune by any means but not as easy as a limb driven and if the cord isn’t adjusted correctly or cones out if adjustment a cable driven can create contact issues.
From: x-man
12-Feb-18
Charlie, you been hiding under a rock for the last six or so years?
Lots of advantages, like Tilzbow stated. They go up faster, stay up longer, and drop faster. They don't tug on your cable, causing cam timing issues. Any 7 year old can set one up properly.
From: HDE
12-Feb-18
Never have had any real issues with a cable driven...
From: KSBOW
12-Feb-18
I originally had the same concern with Limb driven, after eight years and zero issues I can say not problem. If you tear up a limb driven cord more than likely you are going to have concerns with strings as well. They are great, easy to sit up and tune!
From: Mad Trapper
12-Feb-18
I have used a Hamskea and I have had the same concerns about tearing up the cable - particularly when carrying it on horseback through timber. Having said that, I spent 10 days on horseback, endured a crash that broke my carbon frame in my Kuiu pack, but the rest cable came through unscathed. I like the Hamskea because the rest does not slam into or otherwise contact the shelf when it comes all the way down. At least on my set up, it is rearward of the shelf. Some of the cable driven rests (and I have used most of them) contact the shelf and I have always suspected that, in at least some cases, the rest bounces back up. Case in point, I was shooting my RIpcord at minus 15F in preparation for an upcoming cold hunt and one of the rest prongs cracked off. True, everything was brittle from the cold, but it had to hit the shelf with some force to crack it. Going back to the Hamskea with a coated steel rest for the cold hunt. My 2 cents..
From: x-man
12-Feb-18
That's another advantage. Since limbs don't oscillate after the shot like cables do, there is zero chance for bounce-back.
From: HDE
12-Feb-18
Cables oscillate up and down after the shot?
From: sdkhunter
12-Feb-18
I prefer to keep pressure off of my cables - especially with a lot of the dual cam, binary cam, cam and 1/2 bows out there.... Prefer the Smackdown Pro and Limbdriver Pro V but have setup a lot of QAD's too and they are nice rests...
From: smarba
12-Feb-18
Limbdriver Pro V for me. For the cord to get damaged something has to get past my string AND my quiver full of arrows. If something catastrophic like that happens the cord is the least of my worries LOL.
I found it very easy to set up, zero tuning issues, rock solid for 5+ years now.
From: walks with a gimp
12-Feb-18
I made my own drop away driven by the bottom limb in 2001 out of a Bodoodle rest and it worked great. I then machined my own design that is driven by the top limb and still use it today on all my bows. Still using the same spring but went through 2 cords in about 17 years. Limb Driver ProV looks and works a lot like it. http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=277602
From: Wood
12-Feb-18
Hamskea here. For a couple years now, no problems. Like others have said, easier to set up, no additional pressure on cable to cause tuning issues, can adjust to stay up longer for more arrow support or for just an inch or so by where you tie it onto the limb, they have several different launcher options and full containment on or off, much easier to tune rest/bow if you like to tinker like I do, you can adjust the launcher height/angle by using longer/shorter screws and or adding/removing washers with screws under launcher arm. I shoot more than anyone I know and I've had quite a few cable driven rests over the years. I've managed to wear out/break every cable driven rest that I've had, but so far the Hamskea has been bullet proof.
From: midwest
13-Feb-18
The Hamskea is a tank!
From: Julius Koenig
13-Feb-18
I switched to a limb driven this year (trophy taker). I have an E35 and what I noticed was that with a cable driven rest i was increasing the torque. Swapped to the limb driven and drastically reduced my left hand paper tear.
From: ELKMAN
13-Feb-18
For Hunting= Cable. For Target= Blade or limb driven
