Chinese alternative for ESN Tensor ?

Hi guys,

Now my FH rubber is broken (pimples broken off after 2,5 years of use) I am looking for a good cheap (probably Chinese) alternative for a Tensor !

I was playing with an Andro Revo Fire 1,7 mm and played with a Tibhar Nimbus 2 mm also from time to time (i got this from a friend, and gave it away to somebody of my team).

In the past I have already tried some alternatives :

2,1 mm Yinhe Galaxy Sun (this was supposed to be a Chinese rubber with built in glue effect, marketed as an alternative to Tenergy 25, but i found it to be really lacking in spin, speed was also not at all special for this thickness, no good feeling of control either), conclusion : not even close to an ESN Tensor, no speed glue sound at all

Friendship 729-2 sensor 1,8 mm (this was also marketed as a Chinese rubber with built in glue effect, good spin, medium speed and sponge too hard, i would guess 47, i tried to boost it but the sponge stayed very hard, overall good rubber but not an alternative to a Tensor, no speed glue sound )

Dawei Sprungfeder A2 1,8 mm (good speed and spin, but very hard sponge and no glue effect at all, could be better with booster, but i never tried)

Palio Drunken Dragon (2,1 mm , has a GP sponge, also marketed as having a tensioned sponge, good speed and spin but again , not the Tensor feel at all)

I am thinking of trying one of the following rubbers (that are more recently developed and should have more of the Tensor feel) :

KTL Red Diamond
Giant Dragon Topenergy Soft
Gambler Outlaw
CTT National Hero
Friendship Focus 3 Snipe
Palio Hadou Biotech (or other Palio Biotech rubbers)
Xushaofa LSZ 2

Does anybody know one of these rubbers , and is there a Chinese rubber that comes close to a Tensor (i like the higher than average catapult speed and heavy spin that can be generated with a Tensor, i dont like the price of about 40€ for these ESN products !)

Greetings from Belgium !

Vega said:

Sorry if I cant resist to post even though I cant really help you
But 2,5 years of use and your complaining about 40€, that is 1.3 € per month.. so its nearly nothing, if it's 40€ for 2,5 months i could understand it but if your happy with these rubbers i would not even think about changing it if the fuss is all about 5 or 10 € a year!

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I understand your point, but dont forget that if there seems to be a good alternative for these Tensors , everybody on this forum can save some cash.
I am just against the principle of spending 40€ on a piece of rubber that costs 0,5 to 2€ to make ! Also i know a lot of young players that now play with an expensive rubber for too long , just because they can't afford to give 80€ on a new pair. If a GOOD alternative is found it means a lot to these youngsters.

Anders said:

yes, it might not cost a lot to MAKE the rubbers... But to invent them and all the testing and marketing costs a LOT. That is the reason why it costs a lot.

And also I would like to add that Chinese rubbers doesn't last nearly as long as European rubbers like Tenergy, Calibra, Coppa and Hexer. You will have to change them more often, so in the end you will end up spending just as much money on new rubbers

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Everybody who plays with Chinese rubbers say these last longer than the tensors, i really have not seen or read (on other forums) anybody claiming the opposite (i think Anders has very little experience with Chinese rubbers, i remember my first 729 FX lasting really very long !)

dici said:

I think my TG 2 lost half of the tacky after a month or two. As I can notice a great reduce of spin in my serve. However, if you like me just not so care about it, it probably can last for you for another 3-6 months. But if you plan to play competitive, then you may consider to change the rubber once before the match, and maybe every two month during training.

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Have you tried the trick with WD40 to get most of the spin back in your TG2 rubber ? Just spread a small amount (1 spray of 0,5 second) of WD40 on your top sheet and rub it in with your finger gently. Maybe a second time and then after an hour waiting your spin should be back in the rubber ! Try it and give some feedback please !

So nobody has a suggestion on a good Chinese alternative to ESN Tensors ? I mean a rubber that plays similarly (without using booster). In the first post i mention some possible candidates.