What’s your favourite fin system to install and why? Can be any little gripe or moan. Here’s my thoughts.
Futures: Most robust out of the three I have tried. Probably the most dangerous to install as well. Installation is a bit time consuming as well. NIce selection of fins though.
Speeedfins (standard box): Probably the easiest to install out of the three I’ve tried. Nice selection of fins, can’t accept FCS though.
Speeedfins (mulitfunction box): Accepts FCS but is easier to get resin into the slot as the box seems to sit lower than the standard speedins box. Grub screws kind of bother me as with FCS they can be easy to strip.
Lokboxes: Never tried but look the safest to install and seem to be quite easy to install as well.
FCS: Don’t want to try.
Pro Box: Never tried but looks the easiest installation wise. I very much like the fact that you can tape off the fin box slot and install after lamination/hotcoating. Nice looking fins too from what I’ve seen.
Favourite: So far speeedfins. Just wish you could tape off the slot on the multifunction box. Grub screws I can live with. On a finishing note, I think trim routers (one handed routers) should be banned. Never hurt myself with one but if you’ve tried one you can probably appreciate what I’m on about.
You can get two handled 1/4" routers and routing is a two handed operation as far as I am concerned. 1/4" inch bits are much easier to snap as well. I think Lokbox is the only company that sells 1/2" routers for their systems and I’ve never heard of a 1/2" trim router. So good on you. If you can use a 1/2" router, do it in my experience. Otherwise go two handles. Look forward to your comments.
I find speeed good but have only used standard pots and air pots. Ofishl easy to install but hard to glass around/over. Fintek were easy as but are now similar to austfin systems. real easy.
Have a 1/4" only Rockwell router about 30 yrs. old with 1 missing handle - that was redundant to begin with since it works best single handed. Use it for F.U. boxes - and everyday woodworking - and love it. One handed operation with a router is easier for touchy/feely type intricate work. Just an opinion from having tools of that type in my hands most of every day…
Course there’s always a place for 2 handed, ballsy, big horse-power operations with a router, but, the nature of surfboard construction with the extremely soft elements involved - whether the board is glassed or not - requires much more finesse than power in the machinery used…seen too many screw ups from overpowered tools and “heavy hands” - and rushed jobs…
Slow and steady wins the race…
And, to your question, FCS is a relative snap to install and come out 100% dead on. Looking forward to trying Pro-Box though because they look super versatile for using other fins - which I have alot of…
FINS UNLIMITED. A time tested, and proven, design. An easy install. Many sizes to choose from. Glass, CNC foiled fins, in a multitude of shapes, and sizes. ADJUSTABILITY, vital in dailing in a board to maximum performance levels. I have 38 years of experience with the product. Yes, it’s the ‘‘devil I know’’, BUT it’s a very good devil.
ProBox is soooo easy to install, a trained monkey could do it.
in fact…i’m training the monkey next week (my friend Andy).
but ease of install should be the least concern on a board-builder’s mind. what really matters is what happens AFTER the install – how well the system performs, and how well it holds up!!!
IMHO, ProBox is the leader of the pack on all fronts. big thanks to Robin, Mitch, and Larry…i can honestly say that i make better boards because of ProBox.
I find that FCS is the easiest, but that maybe just because I’ve done so many.
Speedfins were good but no-one wanted them, and every time I ordered new fins they changed the boxes or the setup.
The price of the red-ex install kit turned me off right away.
Futures seems to add a lot of weight to the arse end of the board.
And you could spend a fortune trying out all the other systems with the word box as a suffix.
But I think I’m going back to using fin solutions.
A board that I built about 5 years ago for a family member that I put fin solutions in had an altercation with a rock on the weekend. head on collision between rock and fin. The fin was actually pulled out of the box past the front grub screw leaving a gouge in the fin and pushing the trailing edge of the fin into the surfboard, not one bit of damage to the box.
Fin solutions will take FCS fins, they dont need to be attached to the deck and you can use your FCS install kit.
I work in a really small town and I replace, at the very least two FCS plugs every week.
This is only because they are not set properly, and if they are set to the deck there is not enough glass on either side of the board for a good strong bond.
FCS are going up in price again next year, so I’ll only be using them for repairs or if the customer is adament that he wants FCS.
sick fins - only one screw per fin - installed under the glass so crazy strong and secure
easy to get the cant and toe right on every time (although the cant is not adjustable so its not a good system for boards with pronounced bottom contours - the one thing lacking for this system, but then again a really pronounced bottom usually begs for glass-ons anyways…)
i would like to try loxbox - that looks like a killer system (installed under the glass)
the probox guy looks like he is making some radical fins and is super customer oriented (but i am not a fan of systems that install after glassing)
there are a couple fins sytems that let you change the cant and toe-in of the fins - that seems really cool. 4-way and edge i think?
i would like to try out a pair of surf trux - truly original
fcs - have a lot of advantages - but they are weak - and I hate installing them
speedfins are awful but red-ex takes the cake as being the worst fin system
Fin solutions is what I meant when I said Aus fins. they are a take off of fintek really easy to install and the fins are well ,fcs . I stil like speeed because of the service jodie has me over the years but as I haven’t made a board for 12 months I haven’t ordered any do the stil do air pots they were great.
I liked the Fintek fins and boxes when they got their act together and made them fit properly.I Put them in heaps of boards. I still get a few back in for repair with this system in them. Its just a shame that I cant get replacements anymore when they get damaged.
I havent used speeedfins for a while. Jodie came out this way once and Justin also only came out here once. Todd from FCS drops out here everytime he does a run down the south coast. For such a small account I think thats pretty good form.
FCS, easy install, 27mm hole saw and the foamies included makes it a breeze to do. And everyone has a fin that fits.
Probox, only one board done but I am liking what I see… have some more boxes to play with. This system looks like it has alot of potential. Fits FCS fins.
Lokbox, nightmarish without the 250$ jigkit. Gripit FCS adapter is fidgety.
I’ve found Future and Lokbox about the same in difficulty with the exception of the box over the stringer. Lokbox bucks and jumps without the vacume over the stringer. It helps to install after laminating so you can gently clamp the jig down before cutting. Lokbox has nice fins and I can do business with Rainbow Fin Co. which is a great outfit. Probox is next for me. Looks easy, strong, functional, plus I can use the fins Chipfish sent me even though they are set-up for fcs. Never tried fcs install. Looks easy to install. My experience is they snap off easy. That’s good when they are snapping off from hitting your body. Not so good when they snap off and you didn’t hit anything. Mike
got to agree with silly, futures are crap and damage the board more than any other system that i know of, i worked as a ding repairer for a while fcs proved to be easiest to fit and repair. i fit only fcs plugs, boxes and fins to my boards.
Since we also own a glassing factory we have to be open to whatever (within reason) the customer wants to install on their boards but I will only comment on the fin systems that I have installed hundreds of times.
FCS-
Pros> easy to install, fin variety, board flex, when the system fails (all systems do) they are an easy to fix and don’t usually destroy the board, super customer service (East coast rep. Mike is great)
Cons> don’t like the marks on the deck/ stickers, doesn’t work on boards with really thin tails
Futures-
Pros>works on thin tails, capped fin system, system feels like glass ons, fin variety
Cons> stiffens the tail, system failure usually tears the board up, harder to install
Probox-
Pros> easy to install, variety of fins and fin setups, adjustments, system failure is easily fixed, Larry answers questions online
Cons> less tail flex, expense
Glass on-
Pros> drive and flex, cost
Cons> sucks to sand, not adjustable (unless you knock them off and start over)
