[69machI]

Hello guys/gals.....First day to this forum and wanted to get some advice. I am in the market to upgrade from my 15 year old High Country bow (hey, it was top notch when I bought it 15 yrs. ago!) to something lighter, quieter, and faster. Most of my buddies shoot Mathews or Parkers and like them; especially the mathews. I am having trouble convincing myself (and especially my wife) to spend $700-$800 on a new Mathews set up. I have looked on ebay, at local bow shops, and the classifeds on here at used bows. They are definitely more in my price range. I have a couple of questions. I will be using the bow strictly for hunting. Are all Mathews bows equal? Are there any I should stay away from? What about the mq32, Q1 or 2? How 'bout the FX? Also, my concern is the warranty issue. Mathews only warranties their bows to the ORIGINAL owner. Should I be concerned about buying a used bow, of any brand, without having a warranty? More than likely I will have the bow for a long time. If the limbs were to crack, how much is it going to cost to have them replaced? Sorry for rambling on...just have a lot of questions and knew you could help. Thanks

 

[ftshooter]

"""""" my concern is the warranty issue. Mathews only warranties their bows to the ORIGINAL owner. Should I be concerned about buying a used bow, of any brand, without having a warranty? More than likely I will have the bow for a long time."""""......


That is wise thinking..and really there are some great bows for less money . Martin ,look at the Bengal ....and the Pearson line ..life time warranty.I have had great service from them .A friend of mine just bought the latest greatest Mathews and he said, It is a little smoother then his old parker hunters mag but, he don't shoot it any better . A lot of that is the shooter not the bow. Of course , buy any bow you want but ,there are more then a few to pick from and some don't charge you for all the advertising they do .

 

[pacman]

I was just in a very similar situation, my previous bow was an 11 yr old High Country Machined Supreme. Back then, it was the heat but I think it became obsolete about 3 yrs after I bought it, relatively speaking. Based on the feedback and advice from folks here I went to Hunter's Friend (www.huntersfriend.com) and bought a Bowtech Allegiance package. Yeah, it was expensive but it included damn near everything I could have wanted. I made a few substitutions and upgraded a couple things but it came to me tuned and ready to shoot. Only minor tweaking involved to get it personalized. They don't offer Matthews bows but they do carry Parker, Kodiak Outdoors, PSE, Browning, CSS, Diamond, and Bear in addition to the Bowtech line. There are some restrictions with regard to shipping Bowtechs but everything else is good to go. In particular, I'm impressed with the Diamond Liberty package. That bow is absolutely awesome and smooth as hell. For less than $800 you get the full outfit. At least give them a look. If you're set on a Matthews, ok but Hunter's Friend is worth consideration.

Hope you find what you're looking for. Regardless I'm sure you'll notice an enormous improvement over your current rig.

 

[Daniel Boone]

BUying used bows

Mathews makes a good bow and there many here that will darn sure testify to that.

Always a risk buying a used bow, just like buying a used car.

I have bought many used bows here and just bought two this week. I have never had any promblems and consider the money saved worth the price of a new set of limbs worht the risk.

Lots of good deals in classifiads and you can check there feedback.
Good Luck.
DB

 

[SwietsRick]

Martin has a great warranty and service program and make a fine bow in the Bengal line. Just remember you have to get what fits you not what your friends shoot no matter what bow it is:wink:

 

[69machI]

I think it would be in my best interest, since i'm planning on keeping bow for many years, to save up and buy a new one with a warranty. The website posted earlier was very interesting and informative. I really learned alot, and will be more informed when I go to buy a new bow.

 

[Daniel Boone]

Diffiantly go to a good pro shop

I think it would be in my best interest, since i'm planning on keeping bow for many years, to save up and buy a new one with a warranty. The website posted earlier was very interesting and informative. I really learned alot, and will be more informed when I go to buy a new bow.

Try several bows and ask if you can shoot them. Just look for what works best for you. :wink: Good pro shop priceless.
DB

 

[dartman]

Another option for you...finding a leftover new 2005. You quite possibly could save around $100 and in most cases you'll have a full warranty.

I bought my 2004 Maverick new in 2005 for $425. The 2005's were going for about $525 at the time. The difference between a 2004 and 2005? Limbsavers and some newly designed locking limbbolts (which the Maverick didn't need). I bought a set of limbsavers and ended up $85 ahead.

If you're going to shoot the bow for ten years, I don't see it starting off one year old as that big of a deal. The full warranty is a nice thing to have for the long haul, though.

 

[CDE]

I would try to shoot different bows to be sure you get one that feels "good" to you. With that in mind, the martin Bengal, the new bears(code,intinct,element), and newberry line all offer a lot of bow for the money.

 

[Aggie94]

As they said above, don't limit yourself to Mathews just because someone else shoots it. Shoot several bows first and pick one that feels right to you. As far as used bows, I've never bought one, so I really can't help there.

I'm really happy with my Martin Phantom that was in the $300 range new.