flapjack

The Five: $179
4 ratchets
moveable highback for boot centering

Five SE: $209
2 ratchets, 2 tool-less adjusters (for claimed weight savings)
moveable highback for boot centering

M9:$214
4 ratchets
moveable highback for boot centering
highback rotates
stiffer baseframe than the five

M9 SE $234
very orange
2 ratchets, 2 tool-less adjusters (for claimed weight savings)
stiffer baseframe than the five
Highback:
-softer than above, Urethane tip aluminum bottom
-moveable for boot centering
-rotateable
-top of highback can be moved left or right


I have never used flows. Trying to decide if I want to get them for my Blacklist.
Did I miss anything?

Judging from pictures and Flow website info: Aside from the rotateable highback the M9 looks exactly like the Five. For butter/freestyle, I don't see any advantage to getting the M9 over the Five. So I feel like I'm debating between the Five and M9-SE

Searching the posts on this forum, I get the feeling the M9 is significantly better than the Fives, but couldn't find any real reasons aside from a weird problem with the Fives getting snow packed into the ratchets and causing them to tighten on their own.
Anything else? Are they built better? Better ratchets? Lighter?
Thanks

Nivek

Big difference in baseframe. The H-frame on the Five is going to be inherently a little softer. If it were me I would be putting M9se's on the Blacklist. I'm riding mine tomorrow on my Park Flat. Good bindings. I like the Urethane tip aluminum bottom highback. Good forward back performance with a more skate feel side to side.

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flapjack

I figured that, They're the ones with the most features, most comfortable, cream of the crop, but if you didn't have the cash: would you be ok on the Fives? Or would you regret not waiting/saving a few extra bucks for the M9's?

C.B.

If I were you I would wait for next years flows.

flapjack

I was thnking about that, its a neat design, but I'm afraid they will be expensive.
I can probably get this years on sale soon.

eek5

None of the bindings you're looking at will be NX2 (raised strap when lowering the back) next season. It looks like the M9SE's will get the hybrid toe-strap, urethane highback, and full sized ratchets though. I think it'll worth the wait

hpin

M9 and M9SE have the rockered baseplate.

flapjack

Nice, thanks, missed that.

Really what I'm asking is which of these flow binding has the best bang for the buck?
I know the most expensive one is good, and next years will have more neat features.

Assuming I can figure out how to set up a flow binding properly: Is the Five a solid binding without the bells and whistles? OR is it a cheap piece that will annoy the hell out of me?

Argo

My wife got me a pair of fives, used them 10 days this season and they worked great. I didn't notice excess flex from them and the mini ratchets are easy to use on the strap. I will upgrade next year to to nx2 design though

hpin

Best bang for the buck, get a deeply discounted Five.

Basically you are comparing H baseplate vs M baseplate, I have no personal experience with the H baseplate, I've only seen them used by my friends. I can tell you though that the M9-SE is snug and stiffer side to side than my NXT-AT