I'm looking for a good mid wind speed kite for buggying. Ozone and Peter Lynn both provide quality products.
Which of these two do you think would provide better performance: Method 4m or the Reactor II 4.4m?

I think both kites are good. I know the reactor II is best at the mid to higher end of it's wind range.

You could throw a pkd century into the mix too. ( there is some guy in Washington that sells pkd ??):o

Ron

Both of these kites are awesome. Personally, if money is not an issue I would lean towards the Ozone Method. Ozone quality is very hard to beat, they are one of the best kite manufacturers on the market and make an ultra fine product. That being said, the Reactor is an awesome kite as well.

Seriously, it would depend on which colors and pattern you like best. Both have awesome performance and are made exceptionally well.

In 13-15 knots, the Reactor will absolutely blitz the Method. As the wind creeps up to 16-18 knots, the Method will be really starting to hum along nicely and the Reactor will be a little overpowered - depending on the buggy and pilot.

Even the 2.8m Century II will be better than the Method 4m under 14 knots or so - particularly downwind, but again, once you have around 18 knots, the Method will pull away from the Century II.

The Method's are all about the top end of their wind range with 14 -15 knots being about the minimum for park 'n ride power with the 4m and starting to get overpowered around 22-23 knots.

I have all but the smallest Method and really like them - they are easier to fly than a Reactor or Century and they are very well behaved kites but I've found that they do need a few more knots per size of kite than other kites....but they do have a pretty large wind range. 12-20 knots for the 5m and 7-14 knots for 6.5m. They go upwind very well - providing you're well powered, not so good downwind - they need bit of extra work to build speed.

Reading what John said about the method... the RII is a better jack of all trades kite. Upwind, downwind or everything between, the RII does it better until the wind really picks up?

I would not call the reactor a hard kite to fly at all.

You have a 6.9 RII all ready. Like how it flys?

Dirtslide bought a Reactor ll and a Method 4m, but got rid of both pretty quickly and still has his Reflexes. Buy a 4m Reflex, you will not only get a superior kite, but if you are paying list price ($550 and $580), enough change in your pocket to buy a few bottles for spring SOBB - (not talking beer).
Sorry for the shameless plug.
S

John, thanks for your analysis!

I just got the 6.9 RII from BigMike. If conditions are right I'm going to fly tomorrow.

I do like the leading edge of the Ozone with some closed cells, it seems to hold it's shape well. I'd like to hear more about the Century Soulfly II. Does anyone have experience with the 4.5m?

Thanks for all your input.

No experience with the 4.5 but I still have bigkid's 5.5 here waiting for a good day to try it out... I flew a larger size and liked it.

I think there are some going to sunset this weekend if you can make it!

I'm leaning toward the Ozone Method. I do like the leading edge design; it seems to provide some good stability for the kite to retain it's shape.

Thought I'd chime in with my $.02.

I've got a Method 5m and Reactor II 10.8. Had a Reactor II 8.6 but traded it for a Blade VIP 8.5...

Anyways....I love the stability of the Method and the minimized bridle. Both kites are very stable but I give the stability edge to the method but it is a very slight edge.

Both kites are very well made...not sure if any kite out there matches the Ozone quality, however...top notch.

Although the Method is a powerful kite, it was not quite as powerful as I was hoping and definitely not as powerful as the Reactor II's. That was a disappointment for me.

....so, if your wind ranges lean towards the low end, I would get the Reactor. if they are more towards the high end and a little more gusty, I would get the method. If you choose the Method, I would give serious consideration to going 1 size up.

HTH.

Since I have a Reactor II 6.9m, maybe I should go for a Reactor II 5.5m since it has better lower wind range. This might be sufficient to fill the mid-range of the quiver.
Is it possible to live with just three kites?? haha

What do you guys think of the 3.9m Viper S that k kites is selling for this category?

The Viper although a great kite, is an older model and has been discontinued. I don't think it matches up to the performance of the Method or Reactor II that you were first inquiring about.

Choosing kites also depends on where you ride and wind conditions...

At our smallish park, my reactor II 5.5 stays in the bag over the cooper 5.6 unless the wind is gusty. The cooper and many others are way more agile than the reactors. (PKD Century II Soulfly comes to mind for a direct comparison to the RII's)

Go to the beach and you have a different story.

Go to NABX and your kite choice changes again.

Viper S is a good kite... Not so old but as Kent said, discontinued

Getting the Viper may leave you with a space in your quiver... Not enough for the Viper but maybe a little too much for the RII 6.9 Not a huge deal... You already have more than 3 kites One or two more won't hurt!

I am mostly buggying in the park and soccer fields. So lots of turns. I sold my 5m Ozone Flow because I would like to find something that turns a little quciker. Does the Century Soulfly II turn quicker than the Reactor II in the 4-5 meter range?

My findings with the method was it turned a bit slow for my likes. This probably is what makes it a bit more stable as others have said. There is a new reactor on the horizon. Might want to hold out for a month or so and see what it brings to the table

Quote:

Originally posted by caleb I am mostly buggying in the park and soccer fields. So lots of turns. I sold my 5m Ozone Flow because I would like to find something that turns a little quciker. Does the Century Soulfly II turn quicker than the Reactor II in the 4-5 meter range?

I think the century is a little more agile than the RII. Both kites that I have flown are the 5.5 meter size for a direct comparison.

Top end and with a big open space, the RII would be faster... (my opinion)

If you are looking for new, you could wait to see what the new model looks like!

i haven't tried a Method but have a Reactor and Reactor II

Quote:

Originally posted by caleb I am mostly buggying in the park and soccer fields. So lots of turns. I sold my 5m Ozone Flow because I would like to find something that turns a little quciker. Does the Century Soulfly II turn quicker than the Reactor II in the 4-5 meter range?

i'm also mainly in soccer fields(with lot's lot's lot's of obstacles).

you really need to consider upwind performance as well to maximize where you can travel/buggy.
ie. i was 'test' flying a ~7 meter PL Core(advertised as all-a-rounder /ATB kite) and my brother was flying a 7m Flexi Blurr (advertised as a buggy kite). both are not high Aspect ratio.
my brother is heavier but i was in a way heavier buggy so everything was close enough to even steven...

anyhoo...at the end of the day i was buggying back to the vehicle (hard upwind) with the Core and brother had to fold up his kite(Blurr) and walk(of shame) back.

So would you recommend the Core above the RII for upwind performance? 4m or 5m?

I would not be concerned with the difference between upwind performance of similar kites. Unless you're racing and have a specific purpose in mind. Getting upwind took me quite a while to really work out - it's all about building some speed and power into the kite and then turning upwind. On an inland soccer field, the difference between something like your Flow and the Reactor might mean that you have to make one or two more tacks with the Flow to get back to the start. If you're on a narrow beach with no room to move - then it will make a difference. A good pilot with a low aspect kite will beat a lesser pilot with a mid-aspect kite.....at least that's what I tell myself when the guys I buggy with go shooting past me!

Quote:

Originally posted by caleb So would you recommend the Core above the RII for upwind performance? 4m or 5m?

no i would not recommend any similar (spec/quality) sized AR kite over another unless 'i' actually had both and/or there were a lot of consistently favorable opinions relating directly to what aspect u was looking at...
for the record i was "sent" the Core to 'try out/demo' before i received the RII (of similar size). i don't recall 'testing' those two vs. each other.
i simply recall (with the Core) being very impressed with it's upwind performance initially as i was buggying alone in it's(Core) very low end wind range and had no one else around to ride along/compare. i am not saying it out performs a high(er) AR kite. i am saying it was (still is?) advertised as an all-a-arounder/ATB kite so i was expecting upwind performace to match.
it was when i did have someone else around to buggy with and we both had the 7m kites up (as i stated earlier) that it was confirmed to me the Core's upwind performance was a helluva lot better then that of the Blurr (a buggy kite).
-Point being-two similar AR kites but with one them a clear winner in upwind performance.
My point is consider upwind performance as well as grunt if you are in tight quarters and limited to where you need to ride.

BTW... my soccer field(a large area consisting of numerous very tiny to small sized kiddy soccer fields with two large(normal) size rugby fields and one small kiddy sized football field) has rows and rows of trees/bleachers, grandstands, chainlink fences, more trees, football/rugby uprights, garbage barrels, more trees, deep swails(large drainage ditches), and plenty of rough patches/sections in all combinations separating all the fields.
for me there are sooooo many obstacles(check points :singing: ) that need to be navigated to get from A to B and back. simple point A to B runs on a beam reach are not possible most of the time.
sure... with a Nasa or other mid-low AoA ripstop i can tack a million times to get from A to B upwind if necessary but 'i'd' rather travel in a straight line with a better kite (if available) and watch others have to tack and/or walk.
i am in super tight quarters...i have to drive around (up and/or down wind of) goal posts/uprights and pass through gaps in the tree lines. i have to drive around and in between bleachers, garbage barrels and most of the time...people as well. i ahve to pass through gaps in tree lines.
all this 'fun' is always on one way/leg of a run and then back for double fun.
simply building speed up for temporary deviations off ideal trajectory in order to pass these points is not always possible.
there are numerous days when the entire session (if i want to buggy that day) is nothing more than armstrong upwinders followed by downwinder runs (avoiding all obstacles and such) with no beam reaches.
so..again...consider upwind performance of 'your' kite choice(s) and depending on your available space i would say consider more or less heavily.
two similar kites may look close on paper but one may suit your needs more than U think is all.

Don't discount the Century Soulfly ll. I don't have experience between the century's and reactor ll but I do between the century and reactor l . Hands down the century is a better performer. I have flown side by side with the the ll and the (IMO) the century is a better performer both up and downwind. The Soulfly is a race kite that can be flown by advanced, intermediate, and advanced beginners. You grow with the kite, you don't outgrow the kite. I live inland with very variable and gusty conditions, the Century's are very stable and handle the very changing winds that I encounter, because of their wide wind range.

Give them a look, if you have an opportunity.

I ordered a Method 4m. We'll see how it goes.

Hey Caleb. Please let us know what you think of that Method 4m.

I really like the method. The profile is nice and stable, probably because the way Ozone does the intake. Not too bad upwind either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QC8_X-qowg&feature=yout...
Here's some of the fun I've had

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QC8_X-qowg&feature=yout...
Here's some of the fun I've had