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Online now: 4 members: OnTheOutz, TABLE SETTER 11, dillydilly, me2ri2t; 96 anonymous| Posted | Discussion |
| June 22, 2012 HJ Men's 70 481 posts | r Thank you. Is there any way to identify this small batch from the outside? Can we assume that bats labelled 1.20 are ok and this small batch only applies to some 1.21 U2's? |
| June 22, 2012 17Black Men's 60 414 posts | I'll tell you what I go through a couple U2 per year and just bought a new one last week. Was hoping to break it in this week and use in tournament this coming weekend. Took it out of wrapper, usually can break in pretty good in 25-35 swings, sometimes it hits long balls right out of the wrapper. Last night, myself and two good home run hitter tried to break it in after a League game------we can all hit home runs, and did so during the league game Over 150 swings, the bat sounds "DIFFERENT" and I am not even sure we got a one hopper out to the fences. To say it feels DEAD is an understatement-----and over 150 swings??? I've had Mikens that don't last 150 swings. Sad to say I even buy bats that don't last that long at $200 a pop, but you hate not to use them when your opponents use them. To make sure our balls weren't this issue, I had a NON COMPOSITE ASA Bat and hit a 3 out in about 8 swings, so something is wrong with the U2 I'll be using an old one this weekend!!!!!!!!! |
| June 22, 2012 Gary19 Men's 50 2609 posts | "Sad to say I even buy bats that don't last that long at $200 a pop, but you hate not to use them when your opponents use them." I completely understand what you are saying, but this statement says a lot about the current state of the senior game. And frankly what the players in general have allowed it to become. |
| June 22, 2012 hemi racer Men's 65 237 posts | Seems we have all had $200 bats that didn't last as long as they should have. Several of us on our travel team have found a trick that so far has worked GREAT. I took out the end plug and found that a swim noodle cut to about 8 inches fits tight inside the bat. Doesn't add any weight to speak of,and I have several hundred swings on a U2 including BP and games. Doesn't seem to affect preformance one way or the other. Couple of other guys have similar results. Don't know if this insert gives the bat a little support or not. Also don't know if this would be considered bat doctoring. I do know this is not very scientific, but seems to work for us. Yep!, I know, I need to find my noodle, but better than buying a new bat every few months. |
| June 22, 2012 swing for the fences Men's 50 1224 posts | maybe something the manufactures should experiment with! |
| June 24, 2012 boogpow44 53 posts | ordered 29 oz ultra II month ago. bat feels completely dead, last miken for me and my team unless they replace it. |
| June 24, 2012 armiho211 Men's 70 449 posts | CORKY had a little testing machine at kiest park in dallas 2weeks ago. he stuck the bats into a slot and turned a handle to tighten on the bat, this tested the compression ? on the bat. if the meter showed the bat in the red zone it was hot and ready to go. he tested brand new combats and they all tested in the red zone. some of the new mikens tested out of the red zone, indicating they needed more time to break in. i took 2 yellow combats( i new, 1 used) they tested hot. i had a new U-2, and a new gray miken with the red handle,both of these tested out of the red zone. he also tested for me a brand new 29 oz in the wrapper U-2 with the ASA / ISA stamps, this one also tested hot. |
| June 26, 2012 HJ Men's 70 481 posts | Just back from BP. The best hitter I know who plays tournaments with younger guys was so disgusted with his new black U2 that he stopped using it for BP. He said another buddy just returned to Miken the same model. Bat was labelled 1.21. I believe at this point it might be wise to avoid U2s with the new 1.21. I still would like to hear from someone who has a "dead" U2 and has put 200 to 300 hits on it. It is possible that it comes alive with better durability, but who knows? |
| June 26, 2012 17Black Men's 60 414 posts | I bought one two weeks ago (Black U2) This is about the 8th one I've bought (Yup $1600 buck-a-roos) This is also the WORST one ever, none have ever been hot out of the box, but "pretty good" after 25-50 swings. My new one has close to 200 swings, myself and a few guys from one of my teams have been trying to break it in. We can all hit homers with just about any kind of bat. I'm not even sure we got a one hopper to the fence yet AND it doesn't even sound the same, almost sounds like a 30 year old Bombat or something? I have not used in a game yet. I also have (had)a red max load U2 but broke it in Akron over the weekend. I'm going to use my ASA Easton Salvo which isn't a bad bat until I figure out what to buy next but it WON'T be a MIKEN!!! That being said since I am in intitial stages I see two kinds of Reebok Melee's at different stores on line. Any difference between the red or yellow labels??? |
| June 26, 2012 BruceinGa Men's 70 3233 posts | 17Black, Red is balanced and yellow is endloaded |
| June 26, 2012 17Black Men's 60 414 posts | Tri18 thanks, I may wait a few days to contact you. We have a local store about two miles from my home that stocks and ships nationwide a zillion bats. I'm going to get over there at lunch tomorrow to see if any are in stock, I need to get the feel in my hands. For me it is hard to buy a bat on-line. Am I one of the only guys that thinks two of the "same bat" in my hands, same model, same weight, just "feel different"????? I think there is another thread out there about the Reebok Melee------I like the pop in the end loaded Miken as opposed to the black but that is just me. Anybody have personal preference on the Reebok's (end load vs balanced?) |
| June 27, 2012 bogie Men's 65 448 posts | I too had become disgusted with how fast the Miken Ultra Maxload were breaking the past year. Some in less than 30 swings and most under 75. Also I had 2 new ones that swung as stiff as a new freak 98 and were still stiff after 200 swings. I had the opportunity to swing the new 2013 Demarini Senior One 30oz and Kevins White Centenarian 28oz vs my 3 broken in Ultra maxload gamers. Both the Demarini and Cent out hit the Ultras by 20-25 feet in 3 tests my son and I did. In the testing I broke all 3 of my Ultra gamers and never broke either the Senior One or Cent. While I loved the feel of the ball hitting the Ultra, the other two bats outperform the Miken for us. My new gamer is the Demarini..done with the Ultra. The Reeboks are good too to be sure..Miken missed the boat with the quality control and changes made on that product. |
| June 27, 2012 taits Men's 65 4548 posts | Regarding the Ultra bats that are balanced, do you feel are lasting reasonably long before they break. Please mention if you are a power hitter of base hitter. |
| June 27, 2012 taits Men's 65 4548 posts | Regarding the Grey Ultra with the white grip, Miken SPU2P Ultra II as seen on the home page here, does any one have opinions about its pop or durability? Thanks again. |
| June 27, 2012 crusher Men's 75 524 posts | Used a 27oz for 1 tournament, did not like the bat. The problem may be the weight. Seemed like a feather. Did not get any out of park in tour. The model from 2 years ago in 29oz would launch balls. The red enloaded will also launch balls. Would like to swing a 30oz of the Grey Ultra White Grip to see if it is better than the 27oz. |
| June 27, 2012 dooker 30 posts | Received a "new" Ultra II (1.21) from Miken several weeks ago to replace a "grey" that broke with less than 200 swings. Have at least 300 swings on it already. Believe at this point I would have better luck swinging a wooden fence post. Guess I'll contact Miken to see if they'll man up on this one. If not, guess my Miken days are over. |
| June 28, 2012 taits Men's 65 4548 posts | Dooker, Don't count on it. Thought that's what you swung in reno, wooden slat...lol. Great seeing you again. Missed Kenny and didn't know\remember Capt K. was there on the team...so i missed meeting him. |
| June 28, 2012 Gary33 149 posts | Thank you Miken! I started a thread about dead Miken Ultra II's and Miken has replaced the bats in question. Good companies step up and do the right thing. Thanks Miken! |
| June 28, 2012 taits Men's 65 4548 posts | Your correct on that, but .... to be continued. |
| July 1, 2012 Ernies 53 Men's 50 22 posts | I bought one of the grey mikens with the red knob,SPU2P,27 balanced, not very impressed, 250 practice swings and nothing, and yes I keep close count, still waiting for something to happen,two other team mates have the same bat and they opened right up so I dunno, mines a log. |
| July 2, 2012 HJ Men's 70 481 posts | Ernie 53, is your bat a 1.21 or 1.20? Same question as to your team mates? I am trying to determine if anyone has had success opening up the Mikens which met the 1.21 standard. If your team mates or one of them has a 1.21 then it might just be a bad batch. |
| July 2, 2012 Ernies 53 Men's 50 22 posts | HJ they are both 1.21, Ordered them at the same time. Don't know to keep hitting this thing in practice to see if it will come in or make a call and see what they have to say. The other bat came right in after 30 or so swings. |
| July 3, 2012 JamesLG 420 posts | I have 4 ballanced U2's that are all great bats. two of them are at least a year old with the 1.21. I also have a 28oz 1.20 that is a few years old that is very hot but it has at least 200 swings on it. The forth bat has no markings on it and was produced right after the ASA tagged U2. It is a 28oz also and in very good shape. It is also a hot bat but I rarely use it anymore and would trade it for a ballanced Reebok senior Melee in 28oz. I can be reached at jgroh@jcichem.com if anybody is interested. Thank You: James |
| July 4, 2012 JamesLG 420 posts | Thanks Alan: I have too many Miken and just thought somebody may want to swap for a very nice older one. It has Miken pop and more durable than the newer ones. Thank You: james |
| July 7, 2012 17Black Men's 60 414 posts | Tri18---THANK YOU I was a little aprehensive giving you my credit card info from reading your posts on this web-site. The two (2) Reebok MeLee's I ordered from you Thursday were on my front porch today (Saturday) in excellent condition. I bought both 30 ounce bats (balanced and end loaded) Was hoping to get a few swings in but it's about 101 degrees this afternoon here in Northeast Ohio with 95% humidity LOL. My air conditioner never felt so good! I'll try to get 20/30 swings before my game Thursday in the composite league. No tournaments for three weeks. Thanks for the chat on the phone and EXCELLENT SERVICE!!!!! |
| July 7, 2012 HJ Men's 70 481 posts | This is like deja vue all over again, but thank you Alan for your info and service. My 2 balanced Reebok MeLee's also arrived today in NE OH. I'm sure my teammate will enjoy his 30 as I will enjoy my 28. Priority mail was really quick! |
| July 7, 2012 17Black Men's 60 414 posts | HJ? We are team-mates??? I know not from Tuesday/Thursday because only two guys buy bats, the others say they are color blind, can't read the brand name (or) the name tag, or think my bat bag is their bat bag, although not many guys have bat bags either??? :-( Monday/Wednesday Mayfield? Maple? Tournament Team??? |
| July 8, 2012 HJ Men's 70 481 posts | Black 17- I am an over-analytic recreational player who now at 68 started playing SB 4 years ago after a 40 or so year hiatus. I find this site very helpful to learn and realize to get better I must work harder. Weightlifting over the winter helped a lot. I play Mon/Thurs in the PnH league at the old Nike site in Parma. I too find a # of players who won't buy bats and think if they see it or can find it, they should be able to use it. I too have a bat bag and they don't. I bring my USSSA virus because one guy on the team (nice guy)uses it exclusively. Do you find that sometimes you have to "suggest" to guys that they might stop dropping balls if they bought a SB glove instead of using their 40 year old baseball glove? My hope is to be tournament grade for 70. |
| July 9, 2012 Webbie25 Men's 70 2414 posts | I have had a couple hot 1.21 U2's, but they haven't lasted at all-maybe 40 or 50 swings on one. However, I have a brand new one with around 30 cuts that seems very dead and it even sounds differently. I will continue to try to get it to open up, but having owned way too many of them, this is very unusual. Thanks for the thread on the dead bats. By the way, my old 1.20 U2 that Danoski got me is still going strong after FIVE tournaments and is performing extremely well. Makes you wonder............. Really like my new white Centenarian this weekend, too. |
| July 12, 2012 boogpow44 53 posts | have hit miken ultra ii for 3 weeks have hit at least 200-300 hits now bat is dead out team hit 27 oz endload melee great bat that melee. this miken 29 oz balanced was never hot 1.21. those endloaded melees are hard to beat, might try 26 oz endload power hitter any suggestions |
| July 12, 2012 BJ_30yearCG 20 posts | Miken was extremely willing and prompt reviewing the "dead" U2 bat I purchased, I received a new U2 bat in less than 3 weeks of mailing the dead bat. The new bat has great pop, (thanks Miken!). V/r BJ |
| July 16, 2012 surf88 Men's 65 1000 posts | Guys: In the event you need Reebok bats and are not already working with someone else, I have been assisting players with their Reebok bat needs for nearly 3 years. I've been playing senior ball since 1999. I am very customer service oriented and will take great care of your needs. Good luck in the year ahead. Ed Andrews www.reebokmeleelegend.com |
| July 18, 2012 ArMando 8 posts | I turned in my "dead" Ultra II bat and sent it in to Miken; gave them everything they asked for and it took them approximately 2 weeks to test it and ship me a new Ultra II. |
| July 18, 2012 BruceAZ Men's 70 155 posts | Thanks Armando, I just received a Return Authorization(RA) Email from Miken. I'm going to send in my Gray USA Ultra II with the Red Knob, it has 100 swings on it and it's dead. Hopefully they'll send me a new one. I've been using my Blue Combat MM that I bought last year at the worlds and it's been a great bat for me. Bruce |
| July 21, 2012 Allan55 102 posts | Bruce, I recently purchased a Miken Ultra II (black) bat that lasted 60-65 cuts. I returned it and Miken replaced it. It has been the worst Miken I have ever received. The Miken had a reputation for being hot from the start. However, I have personally experienced the break-in period first hand. I am not the only one. Another player on one of my teams experienced the same situation. It has taken me over 100 cuts to finally see a difference. I have heard other players taking up to 200 cuts to see a difference. I feel some players became impatient with the Mikens and called them dead instead of continuing with the break-in period. This happened with a single's hitter I know. However, before he returned it, he had a power hitter use it for a few days. After the power hitter took 85-100 cuts, it started to break in. I am hoping Miken has made some changes to the bat to make it more durable. Hopefully, once the Ultra is broken in, it will last much longer than previous Mikens I have owned. If the bat you receive is anything like mine, don't be shocked to have your first swings feel and sound like you hit a rock, with the ball traveling a less than desired distance. I hope this information helps. Good luck. |
| July 21, 2012 HJ Men's 70 481 posts | I think Allan 55 is making very valid points. As previously mentioned, bats are now tested after a simulated break-in. My guess is that Miken had to reformulate because their bats were too hot to pass the test after the simulated break-in. Another key point is that many seniors (not you guys) simply don't generate the batspeed to properly break in senior bats quickly. These guys would probably be best served by buying bats already broken in or letting power hitters break them in. It is a nasty choice with the limited life of senior bats. I have noticed some "old" senior bats which "magically" seem to come alive. No magic just enough hits by weaker batters. |
| July 22, 2012 ricky33 52 posts | after reading all of these great post, i need to enter mine. I also bought a DEAD ultra 2 in late may and after 100 bp swings, i sent it back. They sent me another DEAD ultra 2 black balanced bat. It was and still is after 300 or more swings DEAD, DEAD, AND DEAD. I am a singles hitter and thought maybe i would keep it after i have been hitting around 700 for avg. but when they come in on me, it gets really hard as the bat is terrible for distance. I've had ultras before and they were great for pop and distance for me as i am a singles and doubles hitter. i can keep the outfielders honest if i had a good and ALIVE bat. I tend to agree that there was a bad batch in may and june. I dont know what else to think. Miken has always had great bats. I really want another ultra 2 but am afraid it will also be DEAD. I tried the reebok and dont feel comfortable with them. QUESTION FOR TRI, THE BAT SALESMAN, can u list a price of your bats online and i prefer using USPS for shipping. Is any of that obtainable. Thanks and any bat suggestions would be appreciated. One more question, if the 1.21 bpf is supposed to be hotter, why is it not. |
| July 22, 2012 HJ Men's 70 481 posts | Ricky, Tri can't post prices. If you call him or ed both will give your their prices and helpful ideas. Tri sent my bat by USPS priority and got it in 2 days. Note: a 1.21 is not hotter necessarily than a 1.20. Many parameters of the testing changed so the number really just indicates it "passed" the now current test. General question: Besides the Black Balanced, has anyone had a dead ultra and if so please tell the model and experience. |
| July 22, 2012 ricky33 52 posts | thanks HJ, it really frustrates me with miken. what can actually happen to make a bad batch of bats. It seems like they could test them before selling them. My ultra hits worse than a lot of single walls. And the one they sent me back is just as bad. I really want a good ultra but should i try again. Is the worth 454 any good. |
| July 22, 2012 Hacker Men's 75 52 posts | I too had a DEAD Miken Ultra II Maxload 1.21 bpf (Red bat), unfortunately I bought it used about a month ago from eBay and it looked like it was brand new when I received it!. After several days of BP I wondered why it didn't feel like it had much pop...now I know why! I eventually sold it to a friend and he is having the same problem...do you think Miken will still allow a return? I'd like to give him a new bat if I can. |
| July 23, 2012 boogpow44 53 posts | i know a dead bat when i hit with one. other people have also tried my bat, miken, 29 balanced, im a power hitter, used a rebok melee, and a dan smith plague edition and hit it over our 305 fences here in delaware, bat is dead Hopefully miken will return me a new one or i will try something else. |
| July 23, 2012 saddlebrookrick 52 posts | A friend of mine purchased a new black U2 and he hit it approx. 100 hits and said he thought it was dead and he asked me to hit it. I did approx 75 hits and the deepest one I hit was 290 feet. I have owned or hit 50 ultras and this one is the worst hitting one by far. The bat is dead. I told him to send it back to Miken for replacement. My friend said he would keep it for batting practice. My opinion is Miken has some very bad bats out there. I think their quality control must be lacking. |
