Beast or Kingpin?

F

fluffyclouds

Member
Time to get a tech set up for this season. Here in Europe I can get the beast for 250 euros while the Kingpins are at 400, are they worth almost twice as much?

I can tell a few pros for the Markers. One being that I can get them with a 125mm break, plan is to set up my old magic js (128mm) with quiver killer as well a new pair of Kye 110. Couse the will fit right or be just one mm too of? Dynafits 135 feels way to wide for a ski in the 110 range, almost certain I'll snap one.

Secondly read that you can't change breaks on the Dynafits, are you truly fucked if you break one or is that a common warranty case?

Btw can get a Dynafits mercury boot dirt cheap, something to go?

NS just thought me that with the kingpins you can go with the same boot to a traditional binding, this case my attacks. Then its pretty much sorted, very much in doubt my old alltracks will survive another season and rather getting / travel with one pair of boots....

**This thread was edited on Aug 25th 2017 at 10:35:29pm
 
I'd stay away from the beast, seems like they are likely to explode. There's a reason they don't make them anymore
 
Can't comment from personal experience, but from everyone I know who's used both, they'd all recommend kingpins over beasts.

As for the mercury boot: it's a decent option if it fits your foot. It's got great ROM and is pretty stiff for its weight (I'd put it somewhere between 110-120 flex) , but from what I remember that flex is not progressive at all (I toured in them for ~10 days). So if it's a really good deal, it fits, and you don't mind the hard-stop flex, then go for it.
 
Thanks for your input. Made me go for the Kings and I'm stoked, paid 350 in the end, a lot for a binding but still feels like a robbery.
 
13832447:Sklar said:
I'd stay away from the beast, seems like they are likely to explode. There's a reason they don't make them anymore
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Its not that they explode, its that they weigh a lot, not many people need a din that high, and they don't have a flat touring mode. you're always at 3 degrees.
 
I just witnessed a bad experience with kingpins. My friend was visiting from Colorado and has put 40 days on a pair of On3ps w kingpins, talking proundly about how he has the best setup.

We were skiing low tide pow and he hit a snake and felt a wierd pop. Next turn his foot releases and he looks down and the heel binding part is GONE. He had to ski lower hobacks with one ski. On U P traverse we tried to get his toe in but the pins wouldnt lock cuz a metal piece was bent. His wife was all worried at the base when we got back two hours after leaving for a quick tram lap. Could have been way worse situation
 
13873683:JohnJonsz said:
I just witnessed a bad experience with kingpins. My friend was visiting from Colorado and has put 40 days on a pair of On3ps w kingpins, talking proundly about how he has the best setup.

We were skiing low tide pow and he hit a snake and felt a wierd pop. Next turn his foot releases and he looks down and the heel binding part is GONE. He had to ski lower hobacks with one ski. On U P traverse we tried to get his toe in but the pins wouldnt lock cuz a metal piece was bent. His wife was all worried at the base when we got back two hours after leaving for a quick tram lap. Could have been way worse situation
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Was it a pull-out or did the heelpiece come off the track?
 
13875458:DingoSean said:
Was it a pull-out or did the heelpiece come off the track?
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Pretty sure the heelpiece detached from the track, fell out from under his foot and disappeared into pow. The screws did not pull out if that’s what you’re asking.
 
13875469:JohnJonsz said:
Pretty sure the heelpiece detached from the track, fell out from under his foot and disappeared into pow. The screws did not pull out if that’s what you’re asking.
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Wow. Thats weird. did the wormscrew like totally fail or was the FP not even set?
 
13875661:DingoSean said:
Wow. Thats weird. did the wormscrew like totally fail or was the FP not even set?
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i have heard of this happening with one or two other kingpins. strange stuff.
 
if anyone here wants to buy a new beast 14 for 280 ive got one for sale..... Certainly not as good a binding as kingpin but like you cant beat 280$ for a price
 
13873683:JohnJonsz said:
I just witnessed a bad experience with kingpins. My friend was visiting from Colorado and has put 40 days on a pair of On3ps w kingpins, talking proundly about how he has the best setup.

We were skiing low tide pow and he hit a snake and felt a wierd pop. Next turn his foot releases and he looks down and the heel binding part is GONE. He had to ski lower hobacks with one ski. On U P traverse we tried to get his toe in but the pins wouldnt lock cuz a metal piece was bent. His wife was all worried at the base when we got back two hours after leaving for a quick tram lap. Could have been way worse situation
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This happened to mine. The heel piece is connected to a track that makes them adjustable. The part of the heel piece that connects to that track is just two thin strips of plastic. I couldn't believe it. I love these bindings but that is a major design flaw. Marker sent a new heel and no problems since but the toe was intact so I can still use them. This happened on an in bounds groomer. The lesson for me is just use them for touring and if you're skiing on the resort don't rock on your tips and tails too much.
 
13889638:blazeonyia said:
This happened to mine. The heel piece is connected to a track that makes them adjustable. The part of the heel piece that connects to that track is just two thin strips of plastic. I couldn't believe it. I love these bindings but that is a major design flaw. Marker sent a new heel and no problems since but the toe was intact so I can still use them. This happened on an in bounds groomer. The lesson for me is just use them for touring and if you're skiing on the resort don't rock on your tips and tails too much.
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Ohh so it's the ridges on the outside of the heelpiece that cracked off or something? or one just failed? I can believe that. Sounds about right. Especially with the torque of really wide skis in heavier snow..

Welcome to Pin bindings, I guess? They are never going to take the punishment you're used to putting on bindings.

That said, I haven't had that issue with mine or any of the demo models here at the shop I'm at.. and we throw demo kingpins on almost all our skis.. and none have blown up yet (mostly just dingdongs who don't know how to ski right slicing the inside of the binding up with their edges because they try to ski with their knees touching or something actually retarded, or fucking up the brake - which is the one weak point of the binding- because they're generally idiots who shouldn't be backcountry skiing in the first place...)
 
Frankly the kingpin is just a better binding. After working at Neptune Mountaineering for 3 years now we stopped carrying the beast after last season. While you might save money with the beast you will have a lot more fun and be able to use the kingpin for a lot longer than the beast.

Cheers!

Mike McMahon
 
13890490:DingoSean said:
Ohh so it's the ridges on the outside of the heelpiece that cracked off or something? or one just failed? I can believe that. Sounds about right. Especially with the torque of really wide skis in heavier snow..

Welcome to Pin bindings, I guess? They are never going to take the punishment you're used to putting on bindings.

That said, I haven't had that issue with mine or any of the demo models here at the shop I'm at.. and we throw demo kingpins on almost all our skis.. and none have blown up yet (mostly just dingdongs who don't know how to ski right slicing the inside of the binding up with their edges because they try to ski with their knees touching or something actually retarded, or fucking up the brake - which is the one weak point of the binding- because they're generally idiots who shouldn't be backcountry skiing in the first place...)
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It's the ridges on the underside of the heel piece. Take a look at the metal track that connects the heel piece to the ski. Then look at the part on the bottom of the heel piece that connects it to the track--it's just two flimsy pieces of plastic.

I agree though, still love these bindings. Had a lot of touring days on them since with no issue so hoping that was just a one-off incident. Christy sports shipped them to marker no questions asked and marker overnighted it back. Great customer service experience.

Question: Do you lock them out when you're skiing? I never did then had them pop out a few times and now I do. A lot of people say that's real unsafe but it gets the job done. Thoughts?
 
13891450:blazeonyia said:
It's the ridges on the underside of the heel piece. Take a look at the metal track that connects the heel piece to the ski. Then look at the part on the bottom of the heel piece that connects it to the track--it's just two flimsy pieces of plastic.

I agree though, still love these bindings. Had a lot of touring days on them since with no issue so hoping that was just a one-off incident. Christy sports shipped them to marker no questions asked and marker overnighted it back. Great customer service experience.

Question: Do you lock them out when you're skiing? I never did then had them pop out a few times and now I do. A lot of people say that's real unsafe but it gets the job done. Thoughts?
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I mean you are risking your heel releasing and not your toe....which could cause some gnarly injury. Me and a couple dudes I ride with don't lock them out with no pre-releases....but that's just us
 
13891450:blazeonyia said:
It's the ridges on the underside of the heel piece. Take a look at the metal track that connects the heel piece to the ski. Then look at the part on the bottom of the heel piece that connects it to the track--it's just two flimsy pieces of plastic.

I agree though, still love these bindings. Had a lot of touring days on them since with no issue so hoping that was just a one-off incident. Christy sports shipped them to marker no questions asked and marker overnighted it back. Great customer service experience.

Question: Do you lock them out when you're skiing? I never did then had them pop out a few times and now I do. A lot of people say that's real unsafe but it gets the job done. Thoughts?
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Yeah it's still substantial enough for the grand majority of users though.. including rental abuse and that of myself..

I wouldn't lock them out though... I don't have good enough health insurance for that. Besides, the heel will still release on you in such a situation, turning them into an inactive tele binding... until either your boot goes foreward enough on the binding to unlock the toe, or the toepiece tears itself out of the ski...
 
Yeah you guys are right. I'm overreacting with locking them out. Question: What are the slight ticks up before you are in lock out walk mode?
 
13895475:blazeonyia said:
Yeah you guys are right. I'm overreacting with locking them out. Question: What are the slight ticks up before you are in lock out walk mode?
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Don't worry about it.
 
13895475:blazeonyia said:
Yeah you guys are right. I'm overreacting with locking them out. Question: What are the slight ticks up before you are in lock out walk mode?
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Those ticks are just making sure that the binding is completely locked out when you are in walk mode.
 
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