Limb Driven vs Cable Driven rests

Marble

WKR
Joined
May 29, 2019
Messages
3,251
I don’t understand this line? QAD/cable driven is easily serviceable by either tying a d-loop knot or carrying the little grabber they come with in your repair kit. I don’t think that is more difficult than repairing a limb driven unless I’m missing something?
I have and shoot both
I was thinking the same thing. I have adjusted and fixed my cable driven rest in the field. All I have needed was some serving material.

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OP
B
Joined
Feb 3, 2017
Messages
10
Location
Chubbuck, ID
I have both and would never buy a limb driven rest for hunting. The ability to lock your arrow into a QAD is priceless IMO for those last seconds if you have to move quick or make an adjustment. With a limb driver your arrows flopping all over the place, even with the little rubber saddles the arrow just bounces out unless you’re super careful. I have a limb driven rest in my target bow but honestly so for I see no advantage there either over a QAD.

Either can be easily repaired in the field and both are super easy to set up and tune if you are packing extra d-loop material and an Allen, in fact you could fix either with a shoe lace depending on where the cord breaks. Besides that is a stupid argument you hear from all these guys praising the limb drivers. “If your cord breaks or gets cut a limb driver can be repaired easier in the field” well a limb drive has, 2+ feet of cord expose which is also stretched as tight as a piano wire, a cable driven rest had 6” of loose cord, which do you think is more likely to get cut or break in the field? I’ve ran a QAD since 2009 and I’ve dragged my bow through the brush, dirt and rain for 40-50 days each fall. My last QAD was used in two bows for over 10 years without a single issue. Have them on both on my boys bows and my wife’s. We’ve shot 10’s of thousands of arrows and have hunted hundreds of days dragging them around in every condition you can imagine and have had zero failures or broken or cut cables. It’s literally a non issue, your more likely to cut your bow string than a rest cable.

Both cable and limb driven rests work, right now it’s a fad to have a limb driven rest and that is the only reason most people have them.

The football clamps also work fine or else they wouldn’t sell them with the rests. They are just ugly so people don’t like them and on certain bows you have to install them lower for cable clearance, when splitting the cable and serving them in it looks cleaner. As far as tuning goes your can tune with the football clamp and once you’re happy with the tune serve it in. Timing a QAD literally takes 30 seconds.

Both are equally accurate and it really just come down to what a person likes. Both will be equally reliable.
NPHunter I appreciate your detailed response. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I have a brother who shoots a cable driven rest and he hasn't had any issues. I guess hearing people talk about the limb driven rests and the concern about the cut cable and ease of fix had me worried. From reading all the comments it sounds like a cut or damaged cable with either limb driven or cable driven has a small chance of happening. Thank you for the feedback.
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2023
Messages
377
I have used the QAD and I never attached it with a D loop knot or the grabber. I guess you could in a quick repair in the field in that fashion, but most of the time I have secured it by pressing the bow and threading the rest cord through the cable for a more secure attachment. My pro shop never used the grabber or d-loop knot for this reason and always pressed the bow. I guess that's where the confusion is regarding the ease or repair.

I use a limb driven now, not for a fad, nor for the ease of repair. I have used it for years and never had a limb cord break or tear or stretch. I have had a friends cable rest cord tear, not at the cable end but the rest end. It was a simple fix, but required a re-sight in. I chose the limb driven because it is more tunable. By changing the limb attachment point I can adjust the speed and timing of the rest rise and fall. This is not accomplished by a cable driven rest. Is that a reason for everyone to switch from a cable driven rest? No. It was just the reason that helped me choose between the two styles. Cable driven is a great rest. I don't think it is better or worse, just different.
 
Joined
Jul 20, 2020
Messages
85
Ability to fix my limb driven in the field vs the latter in the event I ever needed to is a good enough reason for me.
This is where I am at. Reality is either are fine. I do my own bow work and a limb driven is very easy to ensure it works properly, and field repairs should they be needed are possible without pressing the bow.
 
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