Fintec verses Intec?

[snowburn]

I'm looking for opinions on which heel kits are better. Does anyone have experience with both? Fintec's look well made with all parts available to repair verses the F2 plastic ones. I currently have the Intec's and use them on both Bombers and F2 bindings. I notice I have to wiggle my heels to fully engage when I step in my TD'3 with Intec's.(bindings are adjusted correctly) How about walking with Fintec's? Intec's are definitely slick on ice.  Does the rubber heels need to be replace often? Do they stay in place? What about changing out the bushings to metallic ones in Fintecs? Has Bomber upgrade them or is that a DIY modification? Thanks for your help

[Mr.E]

Fintec is a nice unit. Well made, replacment parts, etc. I'd say they feel stiffer than the Intec ones, but it's not night and day. 

[Corey]

Fintechs are really slippery on ice/tile/polished concrete.  I add Shoe Goo, but it wears off quickly. 

On snow? I love them and won't ride anything else. 

[big mario]

37 minutes ago, Corey said:

Fintechs are really slippery on ice/tile/polished concrete.  I add Shoe Goo, but it wears off quickly. 

On snow? I love them and won't ride anything else. 

And you don't have to worry about the wings breaking off

Mario

[snowburn]

Would a guy at 180 lbs be prone to shearing those off? Or maybe heavier rider?

[big mario]

lighter riders are prolly fine, 1/8th of a ton, not so much

Mario

[Allee]

Fintecs are definitely a step up. I had constant issues with the cables fraying on my Intecs, but I've run my Fintecs for five seasons now and they're perfect. Yes, they're awful to walk on (so I avoid doing it as much as possible) but they're solid and well made.

[lowrider]

Fintec +++ order spare cable and sole pads as long as you have spare parts you will probably not need them. Learn to walk on your toes.

[Jack M]

Fin created the Fintec for the specific reason that Intecs were failing under larger riders.

[Carvin' Marvin]

Been beating on the same pair on intecs for three-ish seasons now.  Got them on clearance so price is what got me.  205 lbs.  One frayed cable replaced.  That said I would never turn down a sparkly pair of Fintecs.

[Corey]

Random Sunday morning comparisons/thoughts:

Fintec moves the pins forward, so you need to slide the heel block of the binding a little forward. Nice for big feet, annoying for small feet in UPZ boots. 

Ears that support vertical loads are plastic on F2, steel pins on Bomber. I've seen a few F2s with broken plastic ears. If the ears break the big pin takes fully-reversing loads, which scare me. 

You can get individual parts from Bomber. You just replace the whole F2 unit if ever needed. 

Over time the Bomber stationary steel pins wear down into a D-shape from the binding rubbing it, causing you to need to tighten up the binding to remove slop. Eventually you run out of room in the big pin pocket and you have to chose between slop or not engaging the big pin. I've rotated the little pin 90-degrees before (very carefully with a vise) to give more life. I got new pins from Bomber, but getting the old ones out is a challenge I haven't tackled yet. 

The Bomber handles are lower profile. They're actually made from the Burton molds, which was a pretty cool score for Bomber! 

The F2 handles are bigger, which I much prefer as I leave mine tucked inside my pants. Way easier to grab with thick mittens through pants.

Related: I hate the look of Intec (or Fintec) handles flopping outside lifted cuffs. Reminds me of pants tucked into socks. To each their own! 

I gave up on replacing the Bomber heel pads. They wear fast if you walk on rough cement.  Shoe Goo works well and lasts about as long.

I didn't walk on cement as much when I used F2s, so no idea how they fare. Shoe Goo is the only option for them though. 

Any of the ski boot protectors are smart, if not dorky, if you walk much in your boots. 

[billyt.]

Sounds about right.  Busted one wing on the intec last season and did not replace.  Pins have been holding the load of my “big bone” frame, and they are starting to stick and difficult to engage.  Will look into the Fintecs for next season.

[lonbordin]

I've owned both. Corey's list above ^ is a solid comparison.

If your resort is often icey think twice about either. Slippery!!!

I had failures with both while traveling.  Broken cable to broken plastic lever arm mechanism. Both are plastic inside. 

After I counted time lost on the hill I went back to standards.  I need those hamstring stretches anyway.

 

[dredman]

The best way to prevent cable or plastic arm breakage is to step firmly down on heel then pull handle to release. 

[billyt.]

My rear binding has a little bit of outside can’t, if I engage the heel without orienting the boot to allow for it is probably what caused it to break.

[Wolf]

I always thought that the purpose of the plastic ears on Intecs was only to guide the heel into the proper front-back position for the pins to engage in the heel receiver.  Here's a photo showing my boot in a TD3 heel receiver, and there's a large vertical gap - those ears won't take a vertical load unless the pin slips and the boot heel drops below the "engaged" position.  Otherwise, the retractable pins take both upward and downward loads.

Is it different on Fintecs?  Do the round metal pins actually rest on the heel receiver when the heel is engaged?  I.e., is the gap I've indicated in white zero for Fintecs?

By the way, I've only used F2 Intec heels and have not had a problem.  And I'm in and out of my bindings every four minutes on a my little hill.  But I'm fairly light and ride like a grandma on Sundays compared with some of you guys.

[big mario]

As I understand, the pins are not designed to support rider weight, nor is heel itself. The ears are meant to carry the load, hence the steel pins on the fintec.

 

Mario

[Corey]

1 hour ago, Wolf said:

Here's a photo showing my boot in a TD3 heel receiver, and there's a large vertical gap - those ears won't take a vertical load unless the pin slips and the boot heel drops below the "engaged" position.

The ears/pins slide down the angled ramp, pushing the toe into the front bail. They don't bottom on the flat past the ramp. You size the binding so the whole system wedges the ears on the ramp, the toe in the bail, and the pins hold the heel down. 

The whole system is pretty tolerant of errors. About the worst thing that can happen in the short term is the pins failing to engage. 

4 hours ago, lonbordin said:

After I counted time lost on the hill I went back to standards.

Can't argue with that! I guess I've been lucky. One broken cable, though I don't ride as often as many here. I do almost 30 in/outs per day though. 

I do carry spare cables and a full set of spare heels, just in case. I also carry spare internal arms on multi-day trips. 

[pokkis]

If you ride lot, specially on smaller slopes, then sure you want Fintecs.

Intec will wear quite rapidly, making holes of moving pins oval which allows more forces to plastic which finally will break.

I used to switch Intec every year or every second year. Now with Fintecs since they come out.

Only mod i did is replaced that silly plastic "bearing" around pins with metal ones few years ago after that all works better than ever.

[Keenan]

I've mentioned this before but since you are considering Fintecs.

The cable can rub on the plastic piece under the insole and eventually fray.  You can take a drinking straw, cut a 1" piece and slide it over the cable BEFORE you put the handle on.  This will create a protective sleeve so the cable doesn't rub.

[snowburn]

1 hour ago, Keenan said:

I've mentioned this before but since you are considering Fintecs.

The cable can rub on the plastic piece under the insole and eventually fray.  You can take a drinking straw, cut a 1" piece and slide it over the cable BEFORE you put the handle on.  This will create a protective sleeve so the cable doesn't rub.

good tip!

[vmartinez]

Has anyone just replaced the back heal piece with the Fintec? That's the one that takes the most abuse.