What is the high cost of hockey equipment for you?

[mdamson 0]

I know everyone has a different view of how much is too much. I hear lots of discussion on this board regarding all of the high end gear, and how much everyone would love to get the latest and the greatest, but at what level do you say that is expensive? I have started with the most expensive for each set of gear and worked my way down.

[althoma1 574]

Skates - I try to cap myself at around $300, but I still get top of the line skates. I just always find them at the price for less and they're often previous model years. For example I use KOR Shift 1's for ice that many people have bought for less than $300 (although I didn't get in on the $199 deal...I bought them a while ago for around $250, but have never regretted the purchase and even picked up a back up pair) and I use a pair of Mission L7's for roller with a Sprung Chassis, Ceramic bearings and Rink Rat Hot Shots and the total setup for that was around $250 including the cost to get the chassis mounted. Even though I have the means to do so and hockey is my favourite sport I do not see myself breaking the $300 barrier anytime soon.

OPS - $99 or less. I buy sale top of the line OPS's that are usually previous model years or Pro Stock sticks. I feel no need to go over the $99 mark for the latest and greatest...hell I play beer league ice and roller hockey so the $99 sticks I've bought are probably overkill for that level.

Gloves - $100 or less. I do like to have comfortable flexible gloves now (as a teen I used to just buy whatever was cheapest and rocked some Rawlings Gloves I picked up at Sears for $15 marked down from $69 or something like that for a while that weren't flexible at all, but since trying some better gloves) The most I ever spent on gloves was last year when I picked up the 9KN Gloves I'm currently using from another member here for around $90 or so (can't remember the exact price, but it was the most I'd ever spent on gloves) and I'm happy with those, but still can't see myself going over $100 for gloves.

Pants - $130 or less.

Shoulder Pads - $100 or less (currently wear One70s I picked up from another member for less than $100 shipped)

Helmet - $100 or less (currently wear a Mission Carbster I paid $30 for including shipping and have another as a backup).

Cage - $Generally $50 or less, but I did pay a little more than that for the Itech Titanium I'm currently using, however; I bought it used from another member for just over that plus shipping (way less than retail).

Elbow pads - $60 or less (use Nike V14's I bought on ebay for $45 when they sold locally for close to $100).

Shin Pads - $90 or less (although I did pay the full retail price of $119 plus tax for my current Nike V14 pads because I felt my old pads were too bulky, wanted new ones ASAP and couldn't find a better local deal on the V14's at the time, but this was an exception)

Undershirt/pants - $40 or less (Currently wear Nike shirts I got on sale locally for $29 and pants I picked up for $40 locally)

Jockshorts -$40 (Currently use Shock Doctor shorts I picked up for $40 locally)

Socks - $5 or less in general (currently wear Adidas clima cool socks I picked up on sale locally for 3 for $6.99 and some Under Armour sport socks I picked up on ebay that I can't remember how much I paid for a pair, but it was less than $5 per pair).

My basic philosopy is to get something I like that was high end at one point in time for a mid or low end price - something I think you can always find if you hunt around and don't care if all your equipment is a current model year or not. I'll try to get as much of that locally as I can, but if I can save 50% or more by going online then I'll do so. If the savings are very small I'll pay a little more and buy locally anyway.

[rubberduckie 0]

The only thing I spend big money on is skates. Always have, and probably always will. I think they are easily the most important piece of equipment, and they need to fit well. Other then that... mid line stuff protects me good enough for the kind of hockey I play (competitive beer league) Don't need top of the line gear. If you can grab some pro stock stuff for a good price, then why not though ;)

[althoma1 574]

rubberduckie Posted Today, 04:08 PM

The only thing I spend big money on is skates. Always have, and probably always will. I think they are easily the most important piece of equipment, and they need to fit well. Other then that... mid line stuff protects me good enough for the kind of hockey I play (competitive beer league) Don't need top of the line gear. If you can grab some pro stock stuff for a good price, then why not though

I agree with you on the mid-line protective. I'm happy with the One70 shoulders that are a step down from the One90s and before that was happy with the Nike V10s. Actually for the protective I'd be fine with one step down as it does tend to be more than adequate and a bit lighter. I wouldn't go bottom of the line though as I've taken some hard falls or hard shots that I know my current equipment helped protect me from and I wouldn't trust low end stuff to do that. I also agree that the skates are where most of the money should be spent and they're the largest expense for me as well, however; I can never see spending $799 plus taxes ($902.87 after tax in Ontario!) on skates (like the One90s were when they were first out and like the One95s likely will be this year).

[ean 0]

My breakdown is like this:

Skates(used)-25

shins (new)-40

shoulders(new)-40

pants(new)-50

elbows(myold ones)-free

helmet(my old one)-free

visor-30 (hockey giant!)

stick-30 (easton woodie)

gloves-25 (used off here)

all of it adds up to 240...Out of everything I'm stoked on the skates, I got a great deal on em and it ended up saving me plenty, but they were pretty well used.

As long as all the protective gear is protective enough (which mine is) I've never felt the need to drop serious coin on anything other than my skates. I'm hoping to throw down for some Grafs soon but it will hurt my wallet.

[shifter 0]

rubberduckie Posted Today, 04:08 PM

The only thing I spend big money on is skates. Always have, and probably always will. I think they are easily the most important piece of equipment, and they need to fit well. Other then that... mid line stuff protects me good enough for the kind of hockey I play (competitive beer league) Don't need top of the line gear. If you can grab some pro stock stuff for a good price, then why not though

I agree with you on the mid-line protective. I'm happy with the One70 shoulders that are a step down from the One90s and before that was happy with the Nike V10s. Actually for the protective I'd be fine with one step down as it does tend to be more than adequate and a bit lighter. I wouldn't go bottom of the line though as I've taken some hard falls or hard shots that I know my current equipment helped protect me from and I wouldn't trust low end stuff to do that. I also agree that the skates are where most of the money should be spent and they're the largest expense for me as well, however; I can never see spending $799 plus taxes ($902.87 after tax in Ontario!) on skates (like the One90s were when they were first out and like the One95s likely will be this year).

agreed with both of you. Skates are the most important piece of equipment. I'm also happy with mid level gear and would be happier using sherwood5030s shoulder pads.

[colt45 0]

as a kid...i usually only pay for sticks and gloves..

sticks - i rarely break them but i still dont feel like going over 199 for a stick...unlesss its a stick i desperately want (which hasn't happened for me yet)

gloves - i play on 2 differnt teams, travel and HS so the colors change slightly...i can understand if you play on only 1 team to get custom gloves, but i think made-to-order patterns from rbk/ccm are good enough for the same amt. of $$ and can even pass as customs sometimes.

[Jarick 5]

Skates - I buy the second-from-top skates since they have most of the features and I don't need the stiffness being only 165 pounds (and a novice skater). So that caps me at about $300 usually.

Sticks - My biggest vice, but I won't spend more than $80 on a shaft. Always looking for clearance/closeout/used stuff. I've spent $70 on a blade, won't again, no need to go over $50, usually try to find closeout stuff for closer to $25. Don't use OPS but wouldn't spend more than $100 on one. $30 for woodies.

Gloves - I bought mine used for $40 (originally $120), so I'd stick with clearance deals on eBay. Hopefully I can repalm my gloves no more than once a year and never need new gloves.

Everything else I've just had to replace as I keep losing weight, and now I'm down to where I have almost everything (except pants) that fits. Usually I buy top end or next model down, trying to find a deal. Except for shoulders, I like the cheap ones.

[Dean_ 0]

Skates - 450-499

Stick -100-125 (Pro Stocks)

Gloves -175-200

[Abubaca 0]

My feeling is that hockey gear is kinda like gas. Now that gear companies know people will spend money, the prices keep going up. $199 for a STICK???? Come on guys, really? That's a joke.

[B-Nads 0]

I've got a mortgage, two car payments, kids, and a high maintenance wife. That has to be achieved on a teacher's salary, and I like to have a beer or two with the boys after the game, so I spend what allows me to accomplish all within reason.

My skates are my most expensive piece of equipment - I got them on here for a good price ($250 less than the LHS). I need to buy higher-end skates because of my size.

I have tried going back to wood sticks, but I hate it. I refuse, however, to pay 2 - 300 dollars for something I am going to beat up on purpose. I look for sale on back-dated stuff, find something I like, and grab it in bulk.

My focus for high protection gear goes as ahigh as my waiste - my skates, shin pads and pants are all gear that can handle a lot of hard shots given the way I play. My gloves are high-end as well - lots of shots off there as well.

Right now, my entire set-up has cost me somewhere around $700 plus two Ballistik 45 cal sticks that I got for $100 each. If I had to pay the entire set up at the original MSRP's it would come in at about $1100 plus $500 for the two sticks - of course, the prices her ein Canada suck to begin with.

[JJ Thompson94 0]

I spend a sick amount of money on equipment. My philosophy is if it shows it must be hot, if it doesn't show it must be comfortable. I know better equipement won't make you better, except maybe skates, but I have expensive taste and I spend alot of money on my clothes too. Hey I have a well paying job, no kids, no wife and very few bills (rent, utilities, cell phone and car insurance) so I have money to waste on the stupid luxuries in life.

[chk hrd 164]

for my stuff I'm a tight wad, all of my gear is old...I mean custom fit by time and use. I don't mind paying alot for skates. For my kid...he usually gets the top of the line gear if it is what he wants. I figure he doesn't ask for much and the hockey he plays is prety rough. If the top of the line means better protection for him and fits him then I'll get it...cheaper than a hospital bill

[lyle.m23 0]

for hockey gear over here in the uk you have to spend alot of money eg vapor xxxx shates are from £900 (thats the cheapest i have found them here in the uk)

[Neal 41]

Gloves - I bought mine used for $40 (originally $120), so I'd stick with clearance deals on eBay. Hopefully I can repalm my gloves no more than once a year and never need new gloves.

Jarick, IMO you'll have to come up with new plan for gloves. You can't repalm them forever. Eventually, the material you stitch the palms to is just too worn and rotten to hold stitches. In my experience, 2 repalmings is all I've ever gotten, but those were separated by 3 years and were on a pair of all leather Eagles. Newer gloves with synthetic materials don't last nearly as long in my experience. I'm lucky to get 2 years out of my gloves.

I spend the big bucks on my gloves and helmet. I work with computers all day and I'm ugly. If my hands are broken, I can't type and therefore can't support my family. If my head is broken, I'm not good looking enough to switch to modeling.

[IrishHockey 0]

high cost here in irelands about 700 euro and all the equipments basic entry level