Best swivel

[Tim]

Pick your favorite swivel and tell us why...

Swivel 1


Swivel 2



Swivel 3


Swivel 4


Swivel 5

Swivel 6

[dmjudo]

My choices

I've owned swivels 1, 4, 5 and 6. I've used number 3 in a boxing gym before and thought it was very smooth.

My speedbag platform came with #1. Ringside adjustable wall mount unit. The little pin would vibrate out and the speedbag would go flying. Easy to find the speedbag but the little pin took some looking for.

I bought swivel #4 years and years before I ever bought a speedbag and switched it out when I got tired of looking for the little pin. I hated swivel #4. It only operated in one direction smoothly and if it got going in the other plane, it wasn't smooth at all.

Then I ordered swivel 6 from an internet company and received swivel 5 instead. That's when I found out that Everlast discontinued #6 and was only making #5 now. I was initially pissed because it looked like a cheap plastic piece of crap.

I managed to find a few #6's right after that and bought 3 of them. Now that I've tried them both, I feel like the plastic one is not so bad after all. It is MUCH quieter and smoother than any of the other swivels. It operates smoothly in ANY plane and did I mention how QUIET it is? The only problem is that the metal pin kept unscrewing from the platic ball. I may eventually try to superglue the threads and then screw it in to see if that would make it stay.

As it is, I am using #6 because it doesn't come apart. Is almost as smooth as the plastic one, operates well in any direction and the noise is cool anyway.

[Tim]

Now that I've tried them both, I feel like the plastic one is not so bad after all. It is MUCH quieter and smoother than any of the other swivels. It operates smoothly in ANY plane and did I mention how QUIET it is? The only problem is that the metal pin kept unscrewing from the platic ball. I may eventually try to superglue the threads and then screw it in to see if that would make it stay.

Interesting, I pretty much dismissed the all plastic version as cheap junk too. I guess I'll have to give it a try now. Seems like all the local shops around here (Sports Authority etc. still have plenty of all metal ones though).

If the superglue doesn't work you might be able to put thread lock on there. You can get thread locker from any auto parts store. Generally once you use threadlock, it's permanent (Although perhaps it doesn't work for plastic). The "271" or "Red" would be the one you want. I don't remember it being that expensive though, I thought the small tubes can be had for 2 or 3 dollars.

http://www.action-electronics.com/loctite.htm

[Speedbag]

Speed Bag Swivels

#3 and #6 are the only ones I would recommend.

My favorite is the old reliable #6, but alas is discontinued.

I too tried to purchase 5 of them, and received the plastic ones instead, which I have not used yet.

#3 is fast and quiet, but needs to have the bag securely taped to the middle of the bar so it won't slide or float up off the bar, which cause a drastic speed drop (no friction. the bag is "floating", not rebounding). Without taping the bag, you may find yourself "missing" and starting over a lot more than normal.

[Paolo]

I've swivel #4. What dmjudo says is right! It would to have freely operating in all the directions, but this does't happen. Basic movement is principally along the upper horizontal axis. All the other operating modes can generate irregular bounces.

***now I'm thinking that my bag is not so bad (see Speed bag size topic)***

Next step: I'll try swivel #5 or #6

[Fuzzy_donkey]

I use swivel 6 right now. I've only used two different swivels #6 and an older style/variation of #6, but #1 and #3 look like nice swivels too.

This question is for who ever use the chain link style....
If you hit it just right (wrong) does it kink on you and mess up your rhythm?

[Speedbag]

Chain links alters rebound?

...This question is for who ever use the chain link style....If you hit it just right (wrong) does it kink on you and mess up your rhythm?

The answer is YES. The chain link alignment may slightly alter the angle of the bag rebound. This happens to me when hitting from "all around the bag". But for most people who just hit from the front of the bag, or even just front and back (no sideways..) it probably won't be a problem.

[kdiver58]

I have a #6 at the house and #3 on the unit I built for Gold's

[Paolo]

Hi!

I don’t know why but I’ve been attracted to swivel #3, therefore I have bought it.

When I opened the box – I’ve bought Deluxe Pro Swivel from Title online store – I saw immediatly one ugly sign: Made in Pakistan…

Well, I’ve had to replace two ball bearigs, realign the hook and changing the bar. That’s because ball bearings were blocked, the hook was not in axis and the bar was too much small to work with bearings correctly. Now I’m using this swivel: I like it so much, because it’s absolutely quite, fast and smooth. It does not alter the angle of the bag rebound and it is enough fast in changes of direction when hitting from all sides the bag. Yes, I really like it. The only problem is that has been all so much expensive to me…

[Longarm]

I have swivel #5. I am pertty new to the speed bag and I really didn't have any other ideas when I was putting my platform together, so I have the plasitc one. That was the only one I could get at the sporting goods store, and I didn't want to drive all the way into Title or Ringside, so that's what I got. I don't much mind having to screw it back in either, and it is quiet. There are no issues with the links buckling or restricted range of motion with it, and I think that the screw threads actually turn more freely than the swivel actually does, so I don't mind. I am sure I cannot hit it long enough for the screw to fall completely out of the ball anyway. I just give it a spin and start over. I do notice the change in rythm when it starts screwing out though. It's just one more thing. My new speed bag is lop-sided too, and that doesbn't seem to make much difference either. Works fine.

[Tim]

I do notice the change in rythm when it starts screwing out though.

I haven't used the plastic one yet, but I think threadlocker would take care of that, wouldn't it? Or is there some reason it wouldn't work on metal to plastic?

http://www.action-electronics.com/loctite.htm

[LurchJr]

I have #5, and I am surprised at how well it works. I also had a problem with the eye unscrewing out of the plastic ball. I just took the whole swivel off and grabbed the ball so I could really tighten it, and that seems to have solved the problem. I also applied some silicone lube (the paste kind) to the ball.

[GeorgeJ]

Plastic not bad.

The plastic one came with my kit and I thought right away to change it. Went to a couple of sporting goods stores and looked for number 6. No luck up here in NY. So being a newbie I figured I'd upgrade to the chain link. Can't really give to much of an opinion other than the plastic one was smoother and much quieter (not that sound really matters). Being new at the bag, maybe the chain link requires more "skill"? I felt like it was all over the place. What do you guys think? One last thing just changed the plastic bag that came with the kit (an 11 X 8, I think) with a 6X9 4200. Wow I feel like I just got a lot better at it! Great forum, good info.
GeorgeJ

[Chris M]

I also changed my swivel to the chain link one when I first felt like upgrading and I was very disappointed in it. I'm sure there are people out there who like it, but I didn't at all.

I have two speed bag platforms, one has a #3 and one has a #6. While the #3 is fast and easy to hit, I find that it takes less skill to keep going correctly than does the #6. Also, as has been mentioned before, hitting from all sides doesn't work quite as well as it does with the #6.

[riqal]

plastic swivel works very well

swivel 5 (plastic) works well if u screw the metal piece as far possible into the plastic ball. I have the chain-link swivel and #6(metal ball bearing). The plastic one is quieter, smoother, and as fast as the other two.