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Slater stone mold vs MK D ball

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Sep 21, 2020 4:00:00 PM

Slater stone mold vs MK D ball

This is a comparison between the Slater stone mold and the MK D ball 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 Rogue Mk D medicine balls

This is an overview of the Rogue MK D medicine balls including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

 

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Overview of the Rogue MK D balls

Price $79.95 - $399.95
 
The MK D ball series is the D ball from Rogue on steroids. These slam balls can go up to the Rubber Atlas stones ranges and are especially good for their dead bounce. This is the right tool in your arsenal when you want to bring a heavy load to the shoulder and drop it from there to the ground. This is a great option to train similar muscle groups than with Olympic weightlifting, but with fewer requirements for proper technique. The Rogie MK Dballs come in black and can be purchased in the following sizes:
 
  • 14lb
  • 20lb
  • 30lb
  • 40lb
  • 50lb
  • 60lb
  • 70lb
  • 80lb
  • 90lb
  • 100lb
  • 150lb
This is a great tool for overall body fitness, if Atlas stones are too much hassle and Olympic lifts to challenging to learn.
 
 

Pros of the MK D balls

 
The pros of the MK DBalls are:
 
  • Dead bounce
  • Good grip
  • Wide variety of weights
The MK D balls are great as they will not bounce off the floor when dropped from the shoulder. They will also not deform as much as a slam ball will do during your training. In addition, Rogue also offers a wide range of different sizes for these tools for all purposes. If you want to combine heavy lifting with agility, this is a good address.
 
 

Cons of the MK Dballs

 
The cons of the MK Dballs are:
 
  • Same diameter
  • Dead bounce 
  • Plastic 
What are the great strengths of this product are also its greatest weaknesses. Compared to medicine balls you might want some or even a lot of bounce depending on the type of exercise you want to perform. Wall balls are impossible with the D balls. It is more likely you will make a hole than for them to bounce back. If you wanted to simulate strong man training, you also want the diameter of the higher weights to increase. Strongman training is not just about how much you lift, but also that the weight you lift can be hard to find a grip on. Apart from this, these are made from plastic, which also not always simulates conditions in competition well. This is especially the case when compared with Atlas stones.
 
 

Alternatives to the MK D balls

 
Altanertives to the MK Dballs are:
 
 
The regular d balls range from 8lb to 40lb in weight, have a diameter of 9" to 10.6", and are priced from $55 to $110. This is where you start with your training or end if you only weigh 40kg yourself. 
 
The Atlas rubber stones are an alternative especially to the heavier D-balls. The 150lb Atlas rubber stone is $99 less than the biggest D ball. It comes with a bigger diameter and therefore simulates the conditions in strongman competitions better. 
 
If you are looking for something heavy that behaves more like a ball than a stone that is easy to grip, than the regular medicine balls from Rogue will do the trick for you. They are available up to 30lb in weight. 

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.


 

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. 
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