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ACT 2 vest recent impressions?


Deke Keener

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Hi Gang -

 

I'm looking at purchasing a new vest, and a friend mentioned the ACT 2 by Sachtler. I like the looks of it, and most of the comments on this forum have been positive. There have, however, been very few mentions of it in the last few years, so I'm wondering if anyone has any long term impressions they're willing to share. I'm very curious how the plastic buckles might have held up over time.

 

Thanks in advance -

 

Cheers,

- Deke

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Hi Deke,

 

What vest have you been using till now?

 

I've been using it for 2 years full-time, so it's had time to adapt to my bodyshape. I've tried all of the other vests and this one gives the most amount of back support (subjective of course since it differs depending on how you're built) compared to other classic frontmounted vests.

 

It's designed to fit pretty much any body type and it comes with extra large pads if you have a large build. The only people that said this vest wasn't for them are the long skinny types, if you're short, athletic, big (with or without a belly), chances are you'll find it very pleasant.

 

The plastic buckles are very durable, as for the rest of the vest, everything can be taken apart for cleaning and travel. The foam pads have a ribbed structure hidden underneath the mesh, this prevents sweating drastically (my previous vest was a 3A and that was a total sweatfest).

 

Then again, try before you buy.

 

Greetings

 

Nils

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Hiya Nils -

I've used a Pro vest which is great, but Ramon Engle recommended the ACT2 due to its tremendous adjustability and so it's peaked my interest. It's great to hear from someone who's been putting it through it's paces for a couple years. Thanks very much for the information.

 

Happy new year!

- Deke

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Visited a friend of mine 2 weeks ago. We had a long conversation about different vests etc. He showed me his Sachtler vest and how the waist section had deformed. We looked closer and took off the aluminium section of the waist pad to discover it had crackes left of the main bar (he is goofy footed). It was almost falling of. I'm not sure if it was a ACT 1 or 2, but that scared the hell out of us.

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I still have my Sachtler vest ACT1 serial #001 (bought in 2001) and now on my ACT2 bought used in 2013 : I probably have the most miles on Sachtler vests here with more than 120 days working every year for the past 7 years in every conditions . Bottom line : The vest is a tank. Never had a plastic buckle snap or a socket block cracked : just simple maintenance like changing one velcro strap and one set screw that bent once after hitting a wall.

The first vest is now on a shelve and I'm keeping it for spare parts if needed. Service is great from Sachtler. I also operated in Walter Klassen vest for about 4 years and went back to Sachtler: that said, vests are a very personal item and agree with Nils that you have to try them out before buying.

Cheers and fly safe.

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Deke!

So good to see you on here. I have a Sachtler Vest ACT2. I love it. I have a long torso so all of the adjustability is fantastic. It has really good back support. The only drawback is that it's slightly heavier than the PRO vest. The pads are breathable and you can take them off to wash them. You are welcome to try mine anytime. I'll be prepping a commercial in a couple weeks so you are more than welcome to swing by and try it out with my rig.

Happy New Year!

Tim

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