Max-D Triggers: - General Discussion, and a few questions

[cobralex297]

I am a large fan of Max-D triggers. I've never had a problem with them, and I enjoy the clicking mechanism that allows for less water to be wasted.

That being said, it is the apparent general thought of many here, as I've witnessed it, that Max-D triggers are unreliable and ridden with problems. I am unsure personally, of what these problems are. Owning 10 Max-D guns myself, not including guns that share the trigger mechanism but are of a different line, I'm sure that anything that can happen, will eventually happen to me. Considering this, I'm interested in what exactly the most common problem is. Can anyone educate me?

Also, what are people's general opinions on the Max-D trigger system?

Pros, cons, faults, bonuses, etc. ...

[Crashdummy]

They end up getting worn out, but you can convert them to the traditional style, so I see no major problem with them.

[isoaker]

Max-D triggers are better than traditional ball valve triggers when they work properly since they are designed to toggle between fully open and fully closed states very quickly. This means that streams produced from a Max-D valve exit with the highest-amount of pressure and flow rate available from the PC, thus allowing streams to go just that bit farther. The average speed one pulls on a normal trigger does not open a nozzle as quickly as the springs open a Max-D valve, thus some of the initial stream speed is slowed by the partial opening.

The problem with Max-D triggers is that with two springs and levers needed as opposed to one found in the standard ball-valve-trigger set-up, there are simply more parts liable to break. Moreover, to keep prices lower, manufacturers don't necessarily use the best springs, levers, and ball valves available for putting together the MAx-D trigger valves. As such, springs can weaken over time or ball valves just lose lubricant, needing more force than the small springs can provide to open. Springs and/or levers involved in the Max-D valve set up are the common things that end up failing (the Flood nozzle on my Flash Flood is the first MAx-D trigger to fail for me).

As Crashdummy noted, these triggers can be converted to normal ones if they break. Depending on what broke, they can also be repaired by replacing the spring or using a rubberband or two (that's how I fixed my broken Flash Flood's trigger; silly me forgot to take pics).

[HBWW]

I personally don't like them. Not only have I had some gone weak and/or break, but the clicking noise as well as the increased amount of finger force required are rather annoying. They also don't feel very trigger-like when they click, but at least they usually return fast. (faster than the triggers on the WW's) Really, the pull valves weren't that bad, they just didn't allow direct openings, but they have an authentic feel and return the fastest.

Conversion to basic open/close (like that on the WW's) is usually a bit difficult and at least requires certain parts.

Back to durability, the only triggers that I've had fail were on my Flash Flood. Still, I don't like their design in general, and they usually aren't too comfortable to tap shoot with either.

[isoaker]

I agree with C-A_99 that Max-D triggers do require more energy to pull, not to mention that they do make tap shooting more difficult (due to the added energy to open and close 'em). The click bothers me, not so much from the noise, but the fact that a click suggests pieces are under more stress, thus more likely to give up after repeated use. I, too, end up preferring the simpler trigger set-up, but do think they could make Max-D triggers more comfortable if the ball valve could be made to turn without requiring as much force; less force to turn the valve would mean smaller springs needed to toggle it, thus less force needed to pull the trigger. However, less force to turn the valve may also mean more chance the valve may end up leaky, too. Oh well... we can always dream.

[kaz5948]

I am a fan of the Max-D Series, I like the clicking.



Edited By kaz5948 on 1187287958

[cobralex297]

It's good to see here how everyone feels, it's definitely good to now know that any issues can be dealt with.

Harass me if you will, I actually threw out a Flash Flood two or three months ago, when it's only failing was a less well-working flood nozzle. After all that I've learned since then, I now realize how silly that was... if not to repair it, which I could now do easily, I could have at LEAST saved the screws...
agh.

Well, with all my Max-Ds (the whole series now), it's good to know that they're repairable.

[WaterWolf]

I've seen a few of mine get worn out, but with a simple repair and some good lubricant, their back in the action.

[DX]

I haven't had a gun with a Max-D trigger since...well the actual Max-D line. My 2000, 5000, and 6000 were lost to the mechanism breaking. I threw them out, for that was before a fix was created.