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Hurricane 8 review |
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schen
Gold Member Joined: 03/26/2013 Location: San Diego, CA Status: Offline Points: 1244 |
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Posted: 10/18/2014 at 2:45am |
My Hurricane 8 arrived today from Eacheng, here are some photos... I will be testing it tomorrow!
Initial impressions: Hurricane 8 is heavy weighing in at 74g uncut. It comes the h3-50 style packaging but is also vacuum sealed inside the cardboard package unlike h3-50. There is no glue layer on the sponge out of the package, and there is a paper (not plastic) protection sheet covering the sponge. The sponge is very dense and not porous, much more dense than the NEO series and has small ridges similar to the pre-NEO sheets of hurricane/skyline. It has a rubbery feel and I anticipate it is more elastic than the NEO sponge. It feels noticeably harder than any other DHS rubber I've tried. The topsheet is mildly tacky like the average NEO version topsheet and high quality - no smudges or defects I could see. I will be putting it on a Ma Lin Carbon and testing it tomorrow with the plastic ball and the old celluloid and will be posting my impressions/video!
Edited by schen - 10/19/2014 at 12:24am |
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Giangt
Super Member Joined: 03/30/2012 Location: Denmark Status: Offline Points: 434 |
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Nice buddy! Keep US posted pls. :)
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AndySmith
Premier Member Joined: 11/12/2008 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 4378 |
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Boom! Can't wait. Bring the info!
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This was a great signature until I realised it was overrated.
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yogi_bear
Forum Moderator Joined: 11/25/2004 Location: Philippines Status: Offline Points: 7219 |
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i hope this is better than a provincial h3 or globe 999 national. if it's not i'd rather stick to the ones i have mentioned.
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Independent online TT Product reviewer of XIOM, STIGA, JOOLA, SANWEI, GEWO, AIR, ITC, APEX, YASAKA and ABROS
ITTF Level 1 Coaching Course Conductor, ITTF Level 1 Coach |
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haggisv
Forum Moderator Dark Knight Joined: 06/28/2005 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 5110 |
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"Designed for 40+ balls"! Wow, it must be faster and spinnier.
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schen
Gold Member Joined: 03/26/2013 Location: San Diego, CA Status: Offline Points: 1244 |
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I've glued up the Hurricane 8 to my MLC with 5 layers of Kailin oil (H8 was a little insensitive to tuning, but I was able to get a decent dome comparable to my tuning process with the NEO rubbers by applying an additional initial layer). The rubber weighs about 52g cut with a 1 inch gap on my FH side. The topsheet has a semi-reflective look which I imagine will be even more pronounced in my club's lighting.
On bounce tests H8 feels similar to the H3NEO, although a little firmer. I would estimate it feels about 40-41deg on the DHS scale. It does not feel particularly bouncy which is promising because I wanted Hurricane 8 to be a development on the hurricane/skyline series and not something completely different like h3-50 turned out to be. It has enough tack to pick up a ball for about half a second. Another thing to note is the sponge color is a more vivid orange than the NEO series, the rubber trim in my hand is from H8 and the background is a TG2 NEO. Heading off to NYISC now, will report back with my review!
Edited by schen - 10/18/2014 at 2:27pm |
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DreiZ
Platinum Member Joined: 06/01/2009 Location: New York, US Status: Offline Points: 2576 |
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Hurry! We are all waiting!
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Main:
Ovtcharov Innerforce ALC 85g FH/BH: Glayzer 09C 2.1mm Chopper: Stratus Power Defense 85g FH: Hybrid K3 max BH: Grass D.TecS 0.9mm USATT: 1725 |
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kurokami
Gold Member Joined: 11/08/2012 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1277 |
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chronos fail! schen is reviewing first
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Viscaria
H3N/T05 http://mytabletennis.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=65345&KW=&title=feedback-kurokami |
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schen
Gold Member Joined: 03/26/2013 Location: San Diego, CA Status: Offline Points: 1244 |
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Okay so no video yet... didn't get enough usable footage, but here are my thoughts after day 1!
First of all, Hurricane 8 is for the plastic ball era, and does not play well with the celluloid ball. For some reason when trying to play with the old ball, the rubber seemed to drop many of my loops and I couldn't get a solid contact very easily. It makes the old ball feel light and floaty, so if anyone else ends up purchasing this, I recommend doing so only after you've completely made the switch to plastic. Now with the plastic ball: Feeling: Feels softer than I initially expected, although the sponge seems dense it is very much elastic as claimed by DHS. It almost feels like playing with the celluloid ball using NEO rubbers, which is pretty nice for people who don't like the new ball feeling. Hurricane 8 feels like a buttery 38 degrees NEO on the DHS scale with the old ball when hitting hard, but closer to a firmer 40 degrees on soft touch shots. Flat Hits/Blocks/Drives: The softer feeling of the ball allows me control the ball with flatter shots very well, and H8 didn't seem to be too sensitive to incoming spin. Smashes and flips were easy to execute. Loops against topspin: Not as powerful or as fast as the NEO series, although it may just require a stroke adjustment. There was more catapult than bite (although not as much as Tenergy), and reminds me of BTY Spin Art, but with a much lower throw. My loops were fairly spinny and had a low arc. H8 has a medium to medium-low throw depending on the situation, and I found myself clipping the net very frequently and had to adjust my stroke upward to compensate. I have yet to figure out how to effectively powerloop with H8 coming from NEO as the sponge feels much softer than I am used to when in play and my natural stroke is not compatible. Counterloop: Hurricane 8 was much easier to counter loop at the table compared to the NEO series, I think mostly due to its increased catapult and elasticity and requires a forward motion. The resulting ball borrows the incoming spin well and makes the fast counter that is effectively un-returnable. Away from the table was not bad either, although the stroke motion had to be adjusted upwards to clear the net. The power was not quite as good as any of the NEO rubbers off the table, but was more forgiving and allowed for some entertaining rallies. Looping backspin: I had some serious problems here, as with this shot in particular Hurricane 8 had an incredibly low arc. I struggled to land the ball on the table with any kind of power, and when it landed it was almost always at the white line. When brush looping, proper timing was critical otherwise the topsheet didn't seem to grab the ball. I will need some more time to see if this is something I can adjust to. After the first day, Hurricane 8 reminds me a LOT of Hurricane 2, but with a softer feeling sponge (although in reality the sponge feels harder than the NEO sponges to the touch). Pushes: Behaves similarly to NEO series, no problems here. H8 was not particularly bouncy in the short game. This was a relief because H3-50 was far too bouncy. Chopping: Out of curiosity I tried chopping (I mess around with modern defense when I get bored with penhold) with H8 on my forehand with good effect. I could produce heavy spin and low arcs close to the net, and coming in for a counter topspin was easy as mentioned before. Day 1 Conclusion: I have a feeling Hurricane 8 is modeled after Hurricane 2, and Hurricane 9 will be modeled after Hurricane 3. I was a bit put off by H8's extremely low arc, but that is simply I am used to higher throw rubbers. I'm sure this may suit someone else who likes rubbers with inherently long trajectories. Hurricane 8 was also slower than I expected, but with no sizable gain in terms of spin. It seems to be more of a control-type rubber than a power looper's rubber. I will be giving it some more time to see if my experience with it changes, but until then please feel free to ask any questions and I'll be happy to answer if I missed anything.
Edited by schen - 10/19/2014 at 12:26am |
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rick_ys_ho
Super Member Joined: 08/18/2009 Location: US Status: Offline Points: 344 |
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One of the review on Taobao mentioned that people should go for one degree harder for H8 than the H3 hardness they usually play. One question about 5 layers of Kailin oil: is that too much? Do you usually apply that many layers on H3 rubbers? |
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schen
Gold Member Joined: 03/26/2013 Location: San Diego, CA Status: Offline Points: 1244 |
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Unfortunately I didn't have a choice on hardness for the Hurricane 8 from Eacheng, but if I re-order I will for sure go for a harder degree.
And I normally start with 4 thin layers depending on the quality of the sheet I get and go up to 6 thin layers if needed (commercial DHS sheets tend to vary on how well they react to oil). Some people think it's overkill but in my opinion boosting extra on the initial gluing makes the rubber feel much better through the rest of its lifespan. I also don't use a particularly fast blade so the control hasn't been a problem either.
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haggisv
Forum Moderator Dark Knight Joined: 06/28/2005 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 5110 |
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I can't help but think that some of these effects are cuased by the Kailin oil treatment. The extremly low throw sounds a little odd to me... even though H3 has higher throw than H2, I still find the throw fairly high for a brush loop.
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dabeda
Member Joined: 03/30/2009 Location: Indonesia Status: Offline Points: 39 |
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what is kailin oil ?
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hookumsnivy
Gold Member Joined: 11/04/2010 Location: Syracuse, NY Status: Offline Points: 1599 |
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Thanks for the review. I am curious how much of an impact the boosting had on the various aspects though.
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Soundoff88
Super Member Joined: 06/26/2014 Location: NJ USA Status: Offline Points: 174 |
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+1. Thanks for the review. We are missing the merits of the rubber unboosted. |
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schen
Gold Member Joined: 03/26/2013 Location: San Diego, CA Status: Offline Points: 1244 |
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The rubber would be incredibly slow unboosted and essentially unusable for offense like the rest of the hurricane line without boosting. It is still very much a Chinese rubber that needs treatment before playing unlike tenergy/ESN's.
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schen
Gold Member Joined: 03/26/2013 Location: San Diego, CA Status: Offline Points: 1244 |
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I was very surprised by the low throw as well although I don't believe the boosting had a dramatic effect on H8. I believe H8's topsheet is not as spinny - despite being tacky - as H3 or even H2's by comparison which leads to a less pronounced arc (especially with the plastic ball) even when brush looping.
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aroonkl
Silver Member Joined: 07/08/2011 Status: Offline Points: 748 |
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Might need more experiment. Over boost, may be? Any another sheet to do only 2-3 coating?
Edited by aroonkl - 10/19/2014 at 1:44pm |
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hookumsnivy
Gold Member Joined: 11/04/2010 Location: Syracuse, NY Status: Offline Points: 1599 |
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Based on the throw, this is not the rubber for me. Do you find h3 neo prov to be unusable without boosting? I just need a baseline to I can relate to your reviews.
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schen
Gold Member Joined: 03/26/2013 Location: San Diego, CA Status: Offline Points: 1244 |
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H3 NEO provincial would be better with boosting, but it is usable without it. H8 boosted is about the same speed as h3 prov unboosted. It is relatively slow, much slower than any of the NEO's boosted, but it could be that I need to give it some more time and adjust my strokes. I also let my coach who is 2500 try it and he feels the same way about H8's speed. His shots with H8 did not have nearly as much kick as his shots with H3 neo provincial, and he hasn't re-boosted his in months. I will be giving it a try again either tomorrow or the day after to see if anything changes
Edited by schen - 10/19/2014 at 8:09pm |
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DreiZ
Platinum Member Joined: 06/01/2009 Location: New York, US Status: Offline Points: 2576 |
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@schen
Are there any players in your club above 1800 that use any form of Hurricane 3 (NEO, prov, original, etc) without boosting it? I'm curious. |
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Main:
Ovtcharov Innerforce ALC 85g FH/BH: Glayzer 09C 2.1mm Chopper: Stratus Power Defense 85g FH: Hybrid K3 max BH: Grass D.TecS 0.9mm USATT: 1725 |
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slevin
Premier Member Joined: 03/15/2012 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 3602 |
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This costs $56?
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Trade feedback:
http://mytabletennis.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=50787 |
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schen
Gold Member Joined: 03/26/2013 Location: San Diego, CA Status: Offline Points: 1244 |
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The only hurricane 3 neo my club sells is the provincial straight from the coach's supply, and all but one person boost it without question.
The only person that doesn't is Kazuyuki Yokoyama, a long pips modern defender (formerly 2500, currently 2300)
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schen
Gold Member Joined: 03/26/2013 Location: San Diego, CA Status: Offline Points: 1244 |
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Yeah... although I got mine for $46 before eacheng bumped up the price
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schen
Gold Member Joined: 03/26/2013 Location: San Diego, CA Status: Offline Points: 1244 |
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Had another brief hit with H8 today, and it seems that the low throw is most pronounced when trying to add power. When borrowing power instead of generating power, H8 seemed much more usable to me with a more medium throw. The speed however was still lacking compared to NEO rubbers, and I stand by my statement that this seems to be a control rubber rather than a powerlooping-type rubber like the NEO series of hurricanes. With these characteristics in mind, I am not surprised to see CNT women like Ding Ning using it because their games rely much more on control at the table than power away from the table. I'm going to give it one more try tomorrow.
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schen
Gold Member Joined: 03/26/2013 Location: San Diego, CA Status: Offline Points: 1244 |
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My final thoughts on Hurricane 8:
I still could not get good results on my Ma Lin Carbon so I moved H8 to a YEO, which is faster and has a harder outer ply. It is better on the YEO for sure, speed is much better and I could loop with better stability and arc. It is still not quite as powerful as the NEO rubbers on the opening loop, but I found I could at least slow loop and brush loop much more consistently on with H8 on the YEO. I would recommend players to use H8 on hardwood blades or at least blades with koto outer plies or harder. Although I would be comfortable using H8 on a harder blade, I think I will stick to my current setup with H3 neo or TG2 and wait for Hurricane 9's release. I still suspect H9 will be the successor of H3 while H8 seems to be more like H2 than any other NEO rubber.
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AndySmith
Premier Member Joined: 11/12/2008 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 4378 |
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Well. That turned out to be a bit of a let down, didn't it?
Thanks for the info schen! After your feedback, I would have tried H8 if it had been around the regular H3N price, but I won't take a punt at $56. You have saved me some cash! |
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This was a great signature until I realised it was overrated.
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rick_ys_ho
Super Member Joined: 08/18/2009 Location: US Status: Offline Points: 344 |
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I got a sheet yesterday : black 2.15 mm 39 degree.
First impression during the gluing process : the rubber was sealed, which told me it was most probably pre-tuned in the factory. The sponge felt a little bit softer and more elastic than the H3 or H3 NEO sponge when being pressed, but not much. The texture of the sponge somehow felt like really hard tensor rubbers, even when I was cutting it, I felt the same way. Since it is pre-tuned, I didn't boost. After the being glued on the blade, it felt pretty hard, actually it is harder than my provincial H3 (non-Neo, 39) which was boosted more than 2 months ago. The topsheet is as tacky as H3 NEO. I hit a few balls with a cowork at work. It is pretty much like how a new sheet of H3 NEO plays. It does lack the kicks to generate power loop, not like my H3 setup, but it does not surprise me, because new H3 rubbers always feels dull without boosting before the sponge kicks in. Overall H8 does feel like H3 series. Although the H8 sponge is a little bouncier, the whole H8 rubber is still typical hard tacky Chinese rubber, which is a good news to me. I will play it as a spare setup for a couple of weeks until the sponge kicks in and tuning wears off. I will see how it behaves after being boosted, however I won't put more than 2 layers of oil if I boost it. |
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chronos
Gold Member Joined: 02/27/2007 Status: Offline Points: 1721 |
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chronos super lame pre-review:
Finally picked up my sheets, and glued one tonight to Stiga Clipper CR Legend. Out of the package the rubber seems a little more wiggly / less stiff compared to regular h3 neo. Topsheet has that not totally black, almost "smokey" h3 neo provincial look to it. Not a lot of tack. Sponge seems a little different for sure. I just glued it on. tuning is too much work for me! I gave my haifu tuner away after a few tests. Bouncing it seems a little less dead but nothing crazy here, feels like h3 neo provincial. Nothing different! Maybe a small difference - there's nice tension and kick in the topsheet (just a bit more). I don't want to bias myself or anyone else, but lets face it - h3 was a winning formula. I was wrong to expect radical changes (the ball is changing material and .5 mm and seems to be not that much different). If I had to make a totally early read based on bouncing it in my Kutchen which yes, is worth exactly as much as it sounds like, it would be: DHS changes the pips structure slightly, adds a slightly faster sponge, and introduces the old provincial grade neo topsheet production process into their commercial line for a higher price which the Chinese market (lets face it, a lot bigger) will now bear due to greater prosperity there over the last ten years. To me this is great because I like neo provincial and can buy commercial and not question the pedigree of the rubber anymore. Or perhaps it just leads to the next rat race of finding "provincial" h8, only time will tell :) I don't think this price will last. eacheng is the only vendor to stock it so they can charge a premium for EJ early adopters like myself. I predict it hits the market at a more reasonable price around h3 #50, maybe a bit higher. And on that topic, I still like h3 #50 a lot! That is the rubber everyone asked for - h3 topsheet, "tenergy" sponge. Ok not quite but something suitable for a chinese topsheet. Throws higher and bites nicely, easier to serve with. Still a dangerous short game. Very good on clipper CR. More when I actually make it to a club to play.
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schen
Gold Member Joined: 03/26/2013 Location: San Diego, CA Status: Offline Points: 1244 |
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If anyone else is interested in trying Hurricane 8, send me a PM. I will send you the sheet I reviewed if you simply pay the shipping. It is in a penhold cut to a MLC, but even if you're a shakehand player you can get a good sense of what H8 is about.
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