What are the flaws in Cheaper Kubb sets?

Question

My Dad built his own set out of spare wood he had laying around a year or two ago, but it drove me crazy to play on his set and so I got him a new one for fathers day.

Since he's not real serious about the sport and I wanted to save a few bucks, I got him the Mad Wood Set that is available at some Menards for about $30:

http://www.madwood.us/Kubb.htm

I read some where on this site that the kubb sizes are a little small with that set, but over all it seemed like a decent set. The batons may have actually been a little heavier. I didn't have my old time games set to do a direct comparison. It did direct people to USAKubb.org on the Box, which I appreciated.

What other cheap commercially available sets have people seen and what are their failures?

I've heard Home Depot has one.

Has any one seen this Triumph Sports set?

http://www.hayneedle.com/sale/kubboriginalgameset.cfm

Answer 1

I use a BEX set and have one guy in particular (*cough* Jamie *cough*) chastise me about the smaller kubb sizes. It wasn't as cheap as the Mad Wood set and it only comes with four corner stakes, but beyond that we've had a lot of fun with it.

As a bonus, I seem to have an easier time with the Old Time Games sets when we've use his.

Smaller targets in practice seem to be a good thing -- and that $20 I saved bought some good beer.

Answer 2

I think the biggest difference in a set is the wood species. Old Time Games uses a kiln-dried poplar that (for a recreational player) will last a very long time.

The Madwood sets appear to be Southern Yellow Pine, which is a bit softer, and takes damage over time. I have also seen kubbs made from pine split from impact; I have yet seen a poplar kubb split. Remember, a kubb set is a consumable.

Sets made of cedar or hem fir are even softer and lighter, and end up splitting and cracking under even light usage.

Secondly, with me being a driller, I look at the weight, size, and the routing of the kubbs as very important. Light kubbs bounce more, larger sized kubbs are easier to control, and the routing edge can make a difference in the angle at which you drill.

I am also big on keeping work local in the United States, so for me, I would rather buy American. Some (most) retail sets are not made in the US, which is important to me.

I am glad it's usakubb.org on the back of the boxes. If it wasn't usakubb.org, it would of been some other website...

But I do not see a flaw necessarily with any kubb sets. Regardless of the wood used, the company, or the routing technique, kubb sets being played on should be looked at as "viral" marketing. A game played on ANY set will become a game loved.