Power cams worth it? Or stick with c4?

Hey guys I have the chance to buy some power cams 2 yellow, a black, purple and a blue. I’m just building my rack and have some c4 cams which I like two green a red and a blue 3. I’m not sure if it is worth buying the power cams as I can get those, the nuts in the link below and some belay gloves for $200 which seems like a good deal. Being new to trad gear I’m stuck not sure if it is worth it what do you guys think? Hopefully this is the right place to post this. Thanks 

https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/bnc/spo/d/assorted-rock-climbing-gear/6511431054.html

Stick to modern gear if you are building your first rack. $40 a piece for old used cams isn't worth jumping on.

You can get used c4s for $40 go that route.

You can find new powercams on sale sometimes for the same price. I much prefer mastercams if you are keen on Metolius. Powercams are too rigid for anything but desert splitters in my experience.

build it with one type and then branch out, once you are familiar with the ins and outs of whatever your base is built of.  

I'd be looking to fill in the sizes you don't have yet, rather than having duplicate, and triplicate of sizes you do have. 

I love metolius cams, especially the powercams, but the newer models are much lighter. IMO it is worth it to pay extra for the UL powercams if you have the coin. On many occasions double axle (c4) is better than single axle (powercams) in sizes above about bd .75. The two styles compliment each other well, so it makes sense for doubles to have the other kind. 

The old powercams have the advantage of a thicker sling, which won't crimp the cables in a fall. 

Thanks guys! Lots of useful advice. I’m wondering if there is anything else there for sale of use. The nuts are not coloured which seems like it might be harder to identify. I will probably just fill in the sizes of c4 I am missing 

what about passive protection. Is it best just to go with the black diamond set of nuts to start with? 

You should buy all of the BD hexes! Every single one. They're so damn useful you couldn't possibly regret it.

Nico S wrote:

Thanks guys! Lots of useful advice. I’m wondering if there is anything else there for sale of use. The nuts are not coloured which seems like it might be harder to identify. I will probably just fill in the sizes of c4 I am missing 

what about passive protection. Is it best just to go with the black diamond set of nuts to start with? 

Those are fine. I use them but prefer Wild Country Rocks if you can find them used. 

Just don't go off the deep end on offset nuts until you have learned to place the standard type. Standard nuts are better in text book placements and you don't need to be assessing whether your offset placement is good enuff till down the road.

Peter Foster wrote:

You should buy all of the BD hexes! Every single one. They're so damn useful you couldn't possibly regret it.

I was thinking of getting at least one of each. I wanna sound like a heard of cattle 

"Power cams worth it?"

Absolutely!!

I also like Metoius nuts better than BD nuts also.

They're not bad gear, I still climb with the TCU's (3 lobe version of the same cams).  In use, the yellow feels about the same as a .4 C4 - the sweet spot on both is about the same.  You can send them back to metolius and they will clean them and put new slings on them for only a few bucks, they have the best resling service out there.  That said, 40 each is not a great deal on them, i'd consider it at about the $25 each mark, and would get them all reslung.