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Rogue cyclone sandbag vs slater stone mold

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Sep 19, 2020 4:00:00 PM

Rogue cyclone sandbag vs slater stone mold

This is a comparison between the Rogue cyclone sandbag and the slater stone mold including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which rogue sandbag to get. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Slater stone mold

This is an overview of the Slater stone mold including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which rogue sandbag to get. Follow the links for more details.

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Overview of the slater stone mold 

Price: $50 - $220 
 
The Slater stone molds are one of the products that Steve Slater promotes together with Rogue. The strongman bags are other products aimed at Strongman that he also showcases on Rogue’s website. The Slater molds range from 23lb to 536lb in various sizes and start at $50. The full specifications are: 
 
  • Made in the USA
  • Designed and Produced by Steve Slater at Slater Hardware in Lancaster, OH (founded 1946)
  • Durable plastic construction, lightweight and portable
  • Build up to 50 or more Atlas Stones off one mold
  • 10 different size options (8" to 24" diameter, resulting in stone weight of 23LB to 586LB)
  • Consistently clean, seam-free stones when preparation directions are followed
  • Molds have produced stones for many record-breaking performances at the highest levels of strongman competition
These are good, easy to transport molds to make your atlas stones wherever you need them, rather than transporting them. 
 

Pros of the slater stone mold 

 
The pros of the slater stone mold are 
 
  • Price 
  • See-through 
  • Durable 
 
The slater stone molds produce up to 50 stones from each mold, if treated with care. Compared to their main competitors from hybrid they are also cheaper. Also, you can see inside them while you are making the atlas stone, which makes the process a little easier. 
 

Cons of the slater stone mold 

 
The cons of the slater stone mold are: 
 
  • Fiddly 
  • No matching funnel 
  • Not sold in sets 
 
Apart from that, you will feel more comfortable with making atlas stones when you already know how to handle cement the slater stone molds are a little more tricks to handle than their hybrid competitors. They come with a little wooden peg to get them apart and with no funnel. The takes a little more finesse to make a stone than with the hybrid molds. Another bummer is that you can not just get a whole set of them in one purchase. You will have to get all of the different molds into your cart with no inbuilt discount. 
 

Alternatives to the slater stone mold 

 
Alternatives to the slater stone mold are: 
 
 
The hybrid mold is the direct competitor of the slater mold to make atlas stones from Cement. While the hybrid mold is not see-through and a little more expensive, it is more user friendly for beginners. You can buy an extra funnel for the cement and when the stone is hardened you can pry the mold apart on the rim that goes around the mold. With the latter, you can not pry apart, but have to go around with the tapping stick. 
 
The rogue strongman sandbags are the option if you do not want to work with cement at all. They come in sizes from 100lb to 400lb when filled with play sand. Other options are crumb rubber or lead shot. The strongman sandbags leave you with more weight options and can be stored and transported easily when emptied. The only downside of them is that they are a lot more forgiving on the user for grip strength as they do tend to give in more. Therefore they are not a true representation of what awaits you in a strongman contest. 
 
The MK d balls are a heavy version of slam balls that go up to 150lb. This is a good option if you want the diameter of the ball you are working with to stay the same, but the weight to get heavier. These can also be used for slams without destroying the floor. The downside is that you will only get one for your purchase while the slater molds can be reused many times over. 
 

Conclusion for the slater stone mold 

 
The slater stone mold is a great option to make stones of all sizes. The instructional videos are also easy to follow and get yuh there. The only downsides of these molds are that they are a little messier than the hybrid molds as they do not provide a funnel and can not be compressed as much. 

Overview and review of the Rogue cyclone sandbag

This is an overview of the Rogue cyclone sandbag including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which rogue sandbag to get. Follow the links for more details.


 

Overview of the cyclone bag

Price: $95 - $145
 
The rogue cyclone sandbag is an adaption of the strongman sandbag. Rather than having the same diameter on both ends, Rogue decided to make one end bigger than the other. This makes the cyclone sandbag easier to handle and especially interesting for long, heavy front carries. The cyclone reaches from 100lb to 250lb. The full specifications are: 
 
  • Made in the USA
  • Patent Pending Design
  • Cyclone / Tapered style bags, larger at the top and smaller at the bottom
  • 1000D MIL Spec US Cordura construction
  • Filler Capacity (4 Sizes): 100LB, 150LB, 200LB, 250LB
  • Built-In Filler Bag
  • Zipper and Hook-and-Loop Closure
  • (Filler Material Not Included)
  • Color: Black with White Rogue logo
This is a great sandbag for beginners without being cheap.
 

Pros of the cyclone bag

 
Pros of the cyclone bag are: 
 
  • Portable 
  • Cone shape 
  • Robust design 
 
Compared to slam balls and kettlebells these sandbags can be emptied after use and stored easier. Especially if you want to have group workouts at the beach this comes in handy. You can fill the bags with sand, get it done, empty them and leave. The cone shape also allows easier handling of this bag than of the original rogue strongman sandbags. 
 

Cons of the  cyclone bag

 
The cons of the cyclone sandbag are:
 
  • Shape for certain exercises 
  • Limited weight range 
  • Price 
 
The cone shape is great for carries. Not so much for putting the sandbag to your shoulder. If your main intention is to do ground to shoulder movements than get one of the smaller strongman sandbags instead. Compared to the strongman sandbags the cyclone has a limited size. While the strongman sandbags fill up to 400lbs with sand, you can get only to 250lb with the cyclone bags. Last but not least some might be put off by the price. You could make an argument that a cement bag reinforced with Duct or gorilla tape will do the same trick for a fraction of the cost. I won’t argue with you if you only use them yourself and do not intend to empty/refill regularly. 
 

Alternatives to the cyclone bag 

 
Alternatives to the cyclone bags are: 
 
 
The original strongman sandbag will give you a true cylinder shape and range from 100lb to 400lb when filmed with sand. The smaller options are very close to round-shaped and therefore a good alternative to atlas stones. 
 
The rubber atlas stones from Rogue are an adaptation of the classic cement mold stones. These stones have an iron core surrounded by rubber and cone in 50lb to 200lb weight denominations. This is a great tool for home gyms or commercial gyms that want to train with a perfect heavy sphere. The only downsides are that they are harder to store and adjust than sandbags and that the black rubber can get very hot in the sun. 
 
The MK d balls are heavy slam ball variations from Rogue. These balls are available up to 150 lb. while the bigger ones can get quite pricey, they will have a good grip and can be slammed better than the Rogue sandbags. I would only consider the mid-range of the MK d balls for heavy slams. If maximum weight is what you are after, the sandbags are cheaper. 
 

Conclusion for the  cyclone bag

 
The cyclone sandbags are great for beginners in heavy sandbag training as they are generally lighter than the regular Rogue sandbags and easier to handle. If you want to save yourself the hassle of bags and dirt the Rubber atlas stones or MK d balls can be an alternative based on your training preferences. 
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