What's better, Teflon or Stainless Steel?
Note: Balance Plus says their 1/4" Teflon is a lot faster than Stainless... and Asham says their Stainless is faster than 1/4" Teflon.
Only looking for comments from players who have tried both a 1/4" and stainless steel. and what they think about the speed/stability/lifespan...
Not looking for comments about cost or effects of a warm slider on the ice. Cost is solved by making more money... Warm slider is solved by chilling slider before using...
Ive played with both for extended periods of time and the stainless is a little quicker then quarter inch teflon. Stability goes to the teflon, the stainless want to get out from under you quicker if you get out of the hack not perfectly balanced. And as for longevity, the stainless steel takes that by far, ive had my stainless steel discs for 2 seasons now.. and they still look like theyve come right out of the package. (and you could track more dirt off the ice i play on then the road outside)
If you already have or are willing to put the time into the balance of your slide then the stainless steel are overall the best choice.
I have to agree with allen5. I myself have used balance plus 1/4 inch shoes and they were pretty fast however if you go spieling at a different club with rougher ice, your teflon will sure get scratched up fast and slow down the quickness. So 2 seasons ago I bought a pair of Asham Slams with double stainless and it was almost like night and day. There are little to no scratches on them and personally I found that no matter what the ice conditions are, if you kick out with a certain speed the speed is consistant on all ice conditions, but I noticed with my 1/4 inch, if the ice was heavy, I could feel it slow my slider down. All around I think steel is the best choice for your game, again as allen5 pointed out, aslong as you have a balanced delivery and your looking to advance your game that much more.