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Recommendations/Reviews/FS/WTB CAP cast iron kettlebells ??

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Dave Johnson

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Normally I do my best to stay out of Walmart but sometimes cheap pricing wins and I give in. Not in the store but online they offer what appears to be too good to be true pricing on CAP cast iron kettlebells (gray in color). Not to be confused with CAP cast iron enamel (shiny black coated) kettlebells. Walmart has both but of concern are the non-coated. Pricing along the lines of a 35lb (near 16kg) at $25, 45lb (near 20kg) at $31 and and 50lb (near 24kg) at $35. In my case about $5 in shipping for a single kettlebell and pick up a local store but order more than one (order greater than $50) and shipping is free They have 60lb, but are out of stock on 70 and 80 lbs.

Appears as if this pricing may be a getting rid of inventory strategy ??

Does anyone have any experience with these CAP cast iron kettlebells.

Comments would be appreciated.
 
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My 16kg one is CAP from Walmart (not this sale price unfortunately...).

I find it's decent. I use it for one-hand swings and most TGUs. My working weight is 24kg, that bell is from Kettlebell Kings.

You can see the seam on mine but I can't feel it.
 
Wow that's cheap, but what about their quality? This decision would depend on your training volume.

IMO a quality kettlebell is a long term investment. I have trained hard with cheap bells and the wear and tear on my hands was not worth it.

If you want a precision machined and balanced bell with free shipping take a look at KettlebellsUSA.com.
 
A cheap chunk of cast iron, wins over an expensive one. It is just a weight. If the finish on the handle is not great, tune it yourself.

My 40kg($112) and 48kg($136) are cheap no name Russian Style bells, picked up locally, no shipping. I did not like the finish on the handle, and the casting line was prominent, but with a little "sweat equity" I cleaned and polished the handles. Now they are perfectly tuned, and well seasoned.
 
A cheap chunk of cast iron, wins over an expensive one. It is just a weight. If the finish on the handle is not great, tune it yourself.

An interesting approach you mention when most group members will tend towards buying the highest quality(or best they can afford) kettlebells.

I have access to a machine/fabrication shop so buying inexpensive and cleaning up/tuning is the approach I will take.
 
I use a wire wheel on an angle grinder(bulk of handle) and die grinder(under side where grinder did not fit) to remove the paint, then a flap disc on a grinder, and flap wheel on a die grinder to remove casting line and smooth. If the casting line is really bad use deburring bits. I finished with fine grit emery cloth to polish.

I you do not have access to grinders, you can mount your tooling in a cordless drill, which most people have, or you could buy a half round bastard file and a roll of 80 and 220-400 grit emery paper, for very cheap, you just have to work harder than with power and pneumatic tools.
 
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You do not need fancy implements and equipment to train hard, and change your life. That should not be a barrier to anyone. My first weights were a crappy set from Sears with a those concrete filled vinyl weights, when I was 12 years old. I bought it from money I made from selling berries, trout, and rabbits to older members of the community who could not get out anymore. I also helped my father cut wood for home heating, and mill logs, he would pay me a small percentage. I long for those simpler times.
 
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I gotta say that I'm totally with Geoff on this one. The simpler, lower tech, more homemade the better. Being hard, fit, healthy, and happy shouldn't cost a pile of money. Sure, I'll spend top dollar on my climbing gear (hopefully for obvious reasons), but my training gear is pretty minimal and grungy. And I like it. :)
 
I have a selection of CAP ones (bought on Amazon Prime). They've lasted me a number of years with only some small chips. No they're not as nice as more expensive ones, but they're plenty durable and they swing just fine. Under $1 per pound is pretty much unheard of, so I definitely recommend people jump on this.

Edit: Also, I just looked at the wal mart website and it looks like all CAP products are on sale. Barbells for $50, Hex Bars for $80. So if anyone is looking into buying some equipment, this looks like the weekend to do so.
 
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I have two of these bells. A 35# and 70#. I had a 50# that I replaced last month with a 24kg Rogue bell. All three of these worked fine for swings and getups.

The enamel coating on the handles was slippery so I sanded it off with some 50 grit paper. This was easy to do and made a big improvement in grip. There were some sharp spots in the handle that I shaved off with a half-round file.

At $1 or less per pound and free shipping they are a decent low-cost option.
 
FWIW: I've had CAP bells since 2011. Swings, snatches, presses, GUs, you name it.

Never had much ability with metal working so I just went with the bells as is.

What I will say is that I have found the space between the bell and the handle is much smaller for CAP bells when compared to other bells, and made GUs and presses less comfortable.

But they have survived a trip halfway around the world, me, my wife, and my two young boys, and while they might b a little chipped, they still get the job done.

Good luck with your choice sir.
 
How do these compare to the perform better ones?

The Walmart weights are displayed in 5 lbs increments rather than the exact weight.
 
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I have no complaints about my CAP bells. I had no issues that would make me want to sand down the handle, but 50# is the heaviest CAP I own.
 
@Miguel
I wanted to like the CAP as my local discount sporting goods store carries a full line of them. The distance between horns and bell is too small and they are not comfortable to me.

This especially pronounced at the heavier weights.
 
@Miguel
I wanted to like the CAP as my local discount sporting goods store carries a full line of them. The distance between horns and bell is too small and they are not comfortable to me.

This especially pronounced at the heavier weights.

Yes, the 70lbs bell makes GUs more painful than necessary, but doable.

@Imran Khan , the differences range from appearance, to symmetry, flaws, and that horn space. I could care less how the bell looks or how lumpy it is, but that horn space is my deciding factor. My heavier bells are CFF and KBKings.
 
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