Just curious guys...
 

...why metal over fiberboard? :confused: (I can't vote because I don't know why one would be better than the other)

From what I've seen, metal just plain vibrates better. Fiberboard just sort of shakes up and down, but to get any speed out of them you need to turn the vibration level up to the point where guys start falling over all the time. I think this is the biggest reason why so many guys are bulking up their figures to 4.0 and more, just to keep them from being knocked down.

Running plays on a fiber board is like playing football on a frozen lake...the players "slide" about 5 yards after the board is turned off! It is fun however to see players slide...it adds a new dimension to the game...when to shut the board off...but after a while it just gets plain irratating. Metal boards do not have this problem...

IN MY PLACE
 

FIBER BOARD!

DONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MY 2 YR OLD SON AND 4 YR OLD DAUGHTER WRECKING IT!

IT WORKS FOR ME IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE.

The "slide" you refer to is more likely to be caused by how the board is powered rather than the material it is made of.

Standard Motor = linear motor: AC power/110v common household wall plug in.These are the Tudor, Coleco type motors. These motors have no spinning shaft. Vibration is achieved by electro magnetism. No "touching parts" This allows instant start up/shut off like on our Tudor boards we are used to.

D/C Motor = Rotary motor: DC power/ 3-12 volts common to battery powered products. This motor has a rotor shaft, commutator, Brushes & magnets that touch and create friction. The vibration is obtained from an offset weight on the rotor shaft that causes it to be out of balance when spinning. Like when the load in your washing machine tub gets all of the clothes to one side. When the switch is turned on there is a lag time or hesitation until the D/C motor revs up to full speed or in this case full vibration. The same thing happens when the power is cut off the rotor shaft continues to free wheel and coast to a stop. Much like your washing machine drum spinning to a stop. This can cause the slide after the power is turned off.


I hope this makes sense. Of course the surface of the field plays a role in this but the effects are much less vs the type of motor being used.


Geno H

I have played on plenty of Hot Rodded metal boards out here and they have the "slide" you mention after the switch is cut off, it's nothing to do with the fiber board over metal though. I enjoy both, but I have fiberboard 308s and those babies cook! I never have complaints about my field from opponents.

One of the best fields I have ever played on PERIOD, belongs to Vince Peatros and it is metal with a field cover, you better be quick on the switch or else your QB is toast, he has that glide after the switch, just about every board has that to some extent. There are some physics that come into play with the glide as well.

Weight
 

I am currently "evaluating" a board for purchase from one of the coaches here in DSEFL land and it is fiber.

When you say you play on 308's and they "cook", what weight are your players?

Just curious, it appears I should experiment w/various weights and note performance differences , if any, as well.

Thx in advance,

Joe Ram

Field Type
 

If you are going to use fiberboard motor positioning is the key but not an easy thing to do,It takes patience and just the right motor or motors.No doubt it's tougher to eliminate dead spots on fiber but if you get it right your game will perform as good as metal.The BIG problem is warping you have to store your field in a dry place at all times.I am old school and still like metal better but I have several fiberboards that run very well,plus I can change fields in and out very quickly so it has some advantages.Our league uses a combination of both,it works well for us and it's fun to play on a different surface during the season.Metal will always be king but fiber has it's place.
Larue

I play with various weights, from stock 3.2 up to 4.0. I never have a problem with 3.2 figures on my 308. When tweaked for speed or strength they perform great.

I like metal too don't get me wrong, but have taken a liking to fiber the last two years or so. The 308 has all the power you need and then some with the speed controler Reg uses, plus it's light, the fields swap out, I go from Clemson Tigers, to San Diego Chargers to my newly beloved New York Jets in a matter of minutes. I have home fields to play in CBSMF with Clemson and also a Jets field for LAEFL play. One board multiple fields.

I will say that out here where I play there is only one other fiber field that I have seen, I go from fiber to metal and my figures are still consistent. I think the biggest difference is not metal vs fiber, but more so how they are actually powered (what motors they use) and the quality of their construction that affects the overall performance.

I have both and have used both. I like fiberboard myself.