Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

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Arude23
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Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by Arude23 »

Just bought a Radical Katana Slash, then heard from other radical ball owners that the balls "died" after about 6 months of use. Is this a real issue, or more to do with them not taking care of the ball properly?
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by bowl1820 »

Arude23 wrote:Just bought a Radical Katana Slash, then heard from other radical ball owners that the balls "died" after about 6 months of use. Is this a real issue, or more to do with them not taking care of the ball properly?
Most likely not taking care of the ball properly. Such as Cleaning and refreshing the surface.
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by MegaMav »

bowl1820 wrote:
Most likely not taking care of the ball properly. Such as Cleaning and refreshing the surface.
Agreed.
On these high tech balls its important to clean them and maintain the surface on the ball you best match up with. Letting balls freeze in the car in the winter and letting them glaze over with oil isnt the best way to get the most out of your ball.

I've never had a Radical ball die on me, personally and I've owned many.
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by kajmk »

MegaMav wrote:
Agreed.
On these high tech balls its important to clean them and maintain the surface on the ball you best match up with. Letting balls freeze in the car in the winter and letting them glaze over with oil isnt the best way to get the most out of your ball.

I've never had a Radical ball die on me, personally and I've owned many.

Totally agree. When I bowled, I was religious about ball maintenance, owned various brands from the inception of the technology Nulines Xcaliber. Never had any such problem with any brand.
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by Arude23 »

Thanks for the insight, kind of figured ball maintenance was the issue but figured I'd ask.

My pro shop guy mentioned that instead of the more expensive ball cleaners on the market, I could use "Simple Green" degreasing cleaner. Said he uses it exclusively, mainly for cost savings. He seems legit, but have any of you heard of this? He did say it was on the USBC approved cleaners list.
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by MegaMav »

Use cleaners designed for bowling balls.
They have oil emulsifiers.
Best one I've come across is Hook IT.
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by kajmk »

MegaMav wrote:Use cleaners designed for bowling balls.
They have oil emulsifiers.
Best one I've come across is Hook IT.
Good product, good advice ...
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by boomer »

MegaMav wrote:Use cleaners designed for bowling balls.
They have oil emulsifiers.
Best one I've come across is Hook IT.
Well . . . all degreasers have oil emulsifiers. That's pretty much what a degreaser is, and Simple Green is a degreaser (in general). A soap is an emulsion that breaks down oil into another emulsion, which is what an emulsifier is. :)
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by jazlar »

boomer wrote:
Well . . . all degreasers have oil emulsifiers. That's pretty much what a degreaser is, and Simple Green is a degreaser (in general). A soap is an emulsion that breaks down oil into another emulsion, which is what an emulsifier is. :)
Agreed. I use a mix of simple green and isopropyl alcohol (and sometimes a little water) and it works as good as any bowling ball cleaners I've tried - and I've tried quite a few. The alcohol helps with evaporation and keeps the simple green from leaving a film/residue. This is a commonly used mix found online, which is why I tried it. Far cheaper than bowling ball cleaners. I only buy the cleaners when I need a new spray bottle.
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by georgeh »

jazlar wrote:
Agreed. I use a mix of simple green and isopropyl alcohol (and sometimes a little water) and it works as good as any bowling ball cleaners I've tried - and I've tried quite a few. The alcohol helps with evaporation and keeps the simple green from leaving a film/residue. This is a commonly used mix found online, which is why I tried it. Far cheaper than bowling ball cleaners. I only buy the cleaners when I need a new spray bottle.
Just out of curiosity, Have you ever added a small amount of clear ammonia to the simple green, alcohol mixture? Hint, works a ton better. It's just not "USBC" approved.
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by JohnP »

I only buy the cleaners when I need a new spray bottle.
No need to do that, you can buy a new spray bottle, empty, at any hardware store. It might not be as nice or as small as a cleaner spray bottle, but a lot cheaper. -- JohnP
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by seventen7ten »

I usually use 91% Isopropyl Alcohol. It appears to dissolve lane conditioner well, but some of the USBC approved bowling ball cleaners seem to leave the surface tackier than alcohol alone. Not sure if this is a residue left on the ball or if the cleaners react with the chemical makeup of the outer shell of the ball.

Anyone have any verified knowledge about this? Any chemists or manufacturers of ball cleaners out there?
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by jazlar »

JohnP wrote:
No need to do that, you can buy a new spray bottle, empty, at any hardware store. It might not be as nice or as small as a cleaner spray bottle, but a lot cheaper. -- JohnP
Possibly, but I would need it to fit in my bag. I haven't found one suitable to this point. Not saying they don't exist though.
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by seventen7ten »

jazlar wrote:
Possibly, but I would need it to fit in my bag. I haven't found one suitable to this point. Not saying they don't exist though.
I use a spray bottle from a vision center at one of the big box stores. It used to contain eyeglass cleaning solution. It's small enough to fit into your bowling bag and sprays a very fine mist.
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by JohnP »

Possibly, but I would need it to fit in my bag. I haven't found one suitable to this point. Not saying they don't exist though.
The type bottle I was talking about would be suited for home or shop use, not for travel. -- JohnP
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by 56bird »

MegaMav wrote:Use cleaners designed for bowling balls.
They have oil emulsifiers.
Best one I've come across is Hook IT.
Another vote for Hook It. The stuff is so good... I know it seems pricey but even if you spend $40 or so for a quart this will last most bowlers at least two or three seasons.

It just so easily removes gunk that other cleaners (especially the now-endangered "legal during competition" cleaners) leave behind. You don't need to soak the ball down, a few squirts on a micro-fiber and you're good to go. I actually feel that I do less surface work because Hook-It leaves the ball almost as fresh as after the last time I spun it up with pads.

Eric was the first to mention this cleaner to me, credit where it's due- the stuff is great.
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by vicsmyth »

I mostly use polished pearl balls. Will Hook-it take the polish off the ball? I use Clean n Dull on a solid, but would never use that on a polished pearl. How does Hook-it compare to Clean n Dull?
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by MegaMav »

Neither product affects ball surface, you can use Clean n Dull on polished balls.
I think Hook IT does a better job deep cleaning than Clean n Dull. I used to own both.
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by fufu »

I’m a big fan of the Storm ReactaWipes. We have a belt mark problem in my center. These wipes take the belt marks right off.
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Re: Do Radical balls have tendency to "die"

Post by clatara »

MegaMav wrote:Use cleaners designed for bowling balls.
They have oil emulsifiers.
Best one I've come across is Hook IT.
Yes.... but I still remember what you did say about your hands!
better use gloves if you clean with Hook IT ! :lol: :lol: :lol:
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