Tauten Fishing Line Welder Independent Review [Strength Test vs. Fishing Knots]
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- čas přidán 16. 02. 2017
- Wondering how well the Tauten line welder system works compared to tying knots by hand?
Well we put this review together by popular demand from the Salt Strong members who have asks how this product works.
In this Tauten line welder review, you'll see the following:
1. How the line welder works
2. How long it takes to weld lines together
3. How strong the welded lines are compared to knots
4. How much the line welder system costs (up-front & usage costs)
Best of all, you'll see close up views showing exactly how Tauten's Line Welder system operates so that you don't have to go to a store or buy it first to make an educated decision if it's a fit for you or not.
And regardless if you use mono, fluoro, or braid, we included examples of each so that you can see how it works with your line(s) of choice.
To see the write-up with relevant links to knots and products mentioned in this video review, go to the full article review linked below:
www.saltstrong.com/articles/t...
Tight Lines!
Conclusion:
The Tauten LineWelder only beat the Orvis Knot in one head to head knot contest. In all other cases, the Orvis Knot was stronger than the knot tied by the welder.
Not to mention, the weld connection is HUGE compared to a normal knot.
Finally, the Tauten Line Welder took around 45-50 seconds to form a knot, which is way longer than it takes most anglers to tie a good fishing knot.
When you throw all of those negatives on top of the fact you have to pay $199 plus more money down the road for more cartridges, I don't think it is a smart purchase for most anglers.
The only fit I can see for this Tauten line welder is someone that is disabled or can't tie knots with their hands for some reason (like bad arthritis).
For more reviews and saltwater fishing tips, check out:
www.saltstrong.com - Zábava
![The Clinch Knot vs. Improved Clinch Knot vs. Trilene Knot [Strength Test Results]](/img/n.gif)
I believe this would be very good for elderly people who have the shakes or bad eyesight or anybody who has same damaged hands and can't tie a knot
When you have a cut or burn on your hand or fingers, this is life saver.
@Angler Adams
That knot welder sure would help those people with eyesight, or shaking finger/hands, especially if they are out fishing alone 👍✌️
I just want to thank you guys on these videos and how much effort you guys put in testing and making it simple for all of us Anglers to reduce our mistakes, a big thanks and keep up you great content!
What a great test and thanks for being so informative and transparent.
I don't have a dog in this fight, but I saw a demo of this thing recently and the guy that did it said/did a couple of things differently that I wonder, had you done, how it might have affected the outcome of your tests.
For starters, instead of connecting the line directly to the hook and welding, he used the welder to make a fair sized loop in the line and connected the hook after-the-fact with a cow hitch-similar to the way you would connect an eyed hook to a dropper loop or snell a hook with wire leader and a crimp.
Later, when he demoed it with braid, someone asked about slippage (maybe they saw your video?). He said it *can* happen if the braid has a coating on it like Teflon. Someone in the audience suggested tying a small double overhand knot in the tag end before trimming it but he didn't really acknowledge them. His suggestion was to experiment with different braids and/or try crossing the tag end of braid over the main line when looping it around one of the posts.
The very last thing he showed was a braid-to-mono connection. However, rather than placing them side-by-side like you had, he did it by looping the lines together and pulling them taught. Adding that, they sell some accessory to make it even easier to do.
Also, regardless of the line type, he was pretty adamant that the optimal line diameter was no more than .014". Which made me think that was why the 10lb line you tested did the best.
I agree this is a lot of money to spend on a "gadget" but I'm curious if any of these differences would give you better results.
well...i guess the positive side of this video is the fact that he saved a bunch of people quite a but of money, lol.
Great job testing this equipment.
Pretty cool. Great if you're missing a few fingers.
Was just about to say that. I’m missing a few fingers on my right hand and suffer from carpal tunnel on both hands, sometimes I have a hard time.
If you search knot wars on CZcams they have very detailed instruction on how to tie dozens of knots and test the break strength of each knot on some fancy knot breaking machine but the highly detailed animations of the knot ties makes it easy for anyone to see how they are tied ....love your channel keep up the good work ....tight lines
Glad you made this saved me a lot of money from being wasted 😁👍🏻
Back to the drawing board for version 2. I was hoping that it would have worked.
Great to see you using the Orvis knot - my go-to knot for most terminal tackle.
Yes, the Orvis knot is a solid choice.
nice thanks for the review, you guys are the best!
Glad to see that you enjoyed the review of Tauten's line welder system. Tight Lines!
I've had other braids be brittle, but this has never let me down
Great!
Great video, keep them coming nice informative in home technical evaluation.
Thanks Allen. We post new product reviews on a weekly basis. Here's a link to see a listing of them in case you're interested: www.saltstrong.com/article_categories/product-reviews/
Luke I just looked at there website and for tying braid to leader or any knot for that matter it says to tie the 2 lines together first by a simple over hand knot then put it in the welder if you just lay them side by side the weld will not fully hold but with a simple over hand knot it gives the weld a little more strength and yes it says to always clean the lines first before insertion into the welder but yes it does seem to be a little time consuming anyways I always say whatever works if your good at knot tying then don't bother but if your knot it is an option thanks for the reciew
This is an awesome product for some people think about it, older people having trouble with knots, maybe missing some fingers, maybe they cant see the line cause of bad eyesight, ive seen some people cant tie knots because their hand shaking, maybe if you have a guide service you can try this, but for most of us doing a 10 sec knot is better
Thanks for the video you saved me some money 👍
Our pleasure Guy. Glad to see that you enjoyed this line welder review.
Thank you for the tests. At the start of the video, I have to admit I had high hopes on the welder, but based on your test results, they basically say it sucks. I see a lot of issues with it, can't handle 60 lbs mono, the knot is bulky and yet lacks strength, so what's the point?
I got so excited at the premise for this product at the beginning of the video. I was always such a fish/tech sucker for new gadgets/gear as well as a recovering knot junkie. lol.
Overall, it's great in theory in my opinion, but I'd wait a few dozen generations before buying using one myself... and I only have one usable hand lol.
Speaking of which, I hope someone comes out with an effective, durable, and decent electric system for motorizing reels. I've got a few ideas, but that's about it, and everything on the market I've seen just seems like it's overpriced and very poorly made considering the tech available today. And I desperately miss fishing.... I miss it more than my arm and leg many days.
All in all, great video. I'd love to see more like this. Thanks for the effort!
AFTER WATCHING YOU TEST THE LINE AND CREATING THE KNOTS WITH THE APPARATUS, I'LL STICK WITH TIEING MY OWN.
Great review, thanks. I will stick with the FG!
Yea, doesn't seem very applicable for inshore fishing, or other fishing for that matter. Cost, performance, time and aesthetics seem prohibitive. BUT, it is good to see people thinking and trying to apply ideas. And independent reviews of such ideas. Thanks to both.
as always top notch video, thanks. I agree with the other comment,I wouldnt pay $19.99 for it either.. can you imagine the horrible sound that would make going through the guides what were they thinking.
Would love to see a test between the FG knot and a PR Bobbin knot
The weld looks like it messes up the presentation. I'd go with a standard, hand-tied knot any day over this.
I didn't know such a device existed. Glad to see your results, I know now that I would not waste any money on the line welder. From my perspective, the "weld" is way too big. It may be OK if you were using 60# or 80# line with the huge hooks for large fish/baits. The one line that beat the Orvis knot was 10# line and that size "weld" would scare away any fish in a 3 county radius where I fished up north for Salmon, Trout and Steelhead. Incidentally it may actually work pretty well for a line to line connection for braid to mono or flouro. Try tying a small half hitch or two on the braid before welding and place the knots within the weld (close to the tag end of the braid). In theory the knot/s may help keep the braid from being pulled through.
Of course knot strength is important but more important than the strength of a knot is the size of the knot when fishing for line-shy fish. More important than the size of the knot is knowing how to use your drag to accommodate your equipment to include the strength (or weakness) of your knots. For those who can't master the tricky, fancy or best-of-the-best knots, learn one or two simple knots and learn them well. Plenty of easy ones out there like the surgeons knot, the Orvis knot and the uni knot. Good enough.
So, to conclude, thanks for taking the hit and sacrificing $190 so the rest of us could see what it is all about. I think your video was a success. I think the device was a fail on multiple fronts such as; cost (initial and recurring), time it took to "weld" lines, strength of the welds, practicality (it is a bit bulky for the pocket and it is one more electronic device to have to constantly charge up). I will seriously be taking my $190 a spending it on other things that will hopefully put more fish on my stringer.
Rory Dimov h
on the line to line knot what if you wrap the lines together like you would normally or tie a knot on each tag end. would that make it a stronger knot. but then again it'll take more time than just tying then by hand. great job on testing that product.
If you read the specs on the product it says up to 12 pound mono line. And again it says .013 diameter braid. They are planning on making one for higher test line but for now you need to read the directions before you judge.
this would be awesome for us that put out trotlines and bush hooks all day. tying hundreds of knots at a time gets very tiring. even if it takes a little longer it be worth it.
Hey I would love it if you make a striper strong shirt. Was looking for it on your website.
The only test you need to do is on the brain of those who buy this device
Thanks for this non-biased analysis. I was hopeful because I like gadgets, but this one appears not quite ready for primetime.
Might want to test weld vs perfection loop or rapala knot.
wow, I swear on my life I had an idea like this back in 3rd grade for an invention contest because I hated tying knots. Should have patented my "Not-a-Knot"
I use a uni knot for line to leader or backing to main line but use a knot that I have never been able to identify that my Dad taught me as a kid for attaching hooks, lures and swivels. I have never had a knot fail. Line might break but never the knot. So I search knot videos and websites looking for what I was taught and have found close examples but never the exact knot I was taught.
Good test!
Thanks Sam!
Sam stop being so nice. You make normal nice people look evil lol!
lol , well it was a very fair test .. gotta give credit where it is deserved 👍
*is dead* .... killed by kindness.
Wow those welds are huge
Yeah, they're pretty big compared to a knot
The Tauten Line Welder does not work on 30 lbs. lines (fluoro or mono) the upper limit is 14lb. test. On the braid to mono/fluoro connection requires that you loop the lines. See the back page instructional video on the Tauten website. Nice work on the video.
I tested the 30 lb line later after extensively cleaning it off with the alcohol wipe. And the hold strength increased to 34 lb, which is impressive. It still failed before the Orvis knot, but at 34 lb hold strength, I think it's ok to use on 30 lb line for those who don't like to (or can't) tie their own knots.
Ah... I did not see the braid-specific directions. I bet tying a few overhand knots on the line that goes inside the welder would help too.
Great video. Now folks can make a better decision whether to buy or not.
As the saying goes, if you can't tie a knot, tie a lot!
I wonder with the braid, if you can weld it and throw in a half-hitch or two to keep it from slipping
I havent had much luck with the Seguar 100% fluoro. been breaking at 9 pounds on 12 pound line. I had to toss it. seguar red label and p line break over 100% with an improved clinch.
Question? Would it be different scenario if you used their line?
I believe if you would have took the leader and looped it and run the braid through the loop, the two lines not being parallel but looped would have given you the strength to withstand the rating of the line. If that makes any sense.
Would have been interesting if you had twisted the lines within the weld area and see if that strengthened the join?
Nice ,but would it matter if u use the liine that came in the box.
the other issue i see is the connection or weld is way to long and bulky....
Yes, hopefully they'll be able to find a way to make a smaller line weld.
I wouldn't even need to do the strength test after seeing the size of that weld. Cool video
Looks like the weld is just hot melt glue.
i can tie knots that give the illusion of being fused not only much faster and cheaper than this, but they also look much sleeker than what this gizmo can do
david hendry see a properly tied clinch knot or uni knot. they look fused, but in reality, they aren't
im wondering if weld line to line will mess up casts since it might get mest up in rings of rod
In theory this is a cool idea. Especislly for line to line connections. I HATE getting snagged and i HATE retying in the middle of fishing.
Actually with a bit of thought twisting or tying an fg knot with out tying it of then using the line welder to secure it I'd say for professional longliners net fishermen and lure heads it's not a bad piece as a wall hanger could put it up there with my Pollock
👍
I would rather save my $200 and buy a another rod, and probably some more gear.
me too
Why would you opt for smaller size line when the "knot" looks like well rope? Looks as though the "heating of the line helps cause failure in several cases. Maybe curing the weld longer would reduce slippage. But I've tied the knots for 65+ years...not interested in changing.
Thank you Nicholas Cage for enriching my life with this information.
Ha ha thanks for watching!
If you after tying knot, put super glue on the knot then spray it with super glue excellerator. Would that make the knot stronger or weaker??
Check out the full blog on our website and post your comment there. That way, Luke can provide a direct response and let you know his thoughts. You can find it here: www.saltstrong.com/articles/tauten-line-welder-review/
Interesting I’d be using it more for finishing the knot not so much for the knot itself
💪💪💪
Requires you to purchase cartridges endlessly, slow to heat up & overpriced. So it's a Keurig for fishing knots? :) Really well done, thorough review tho.
Maybe good for making tapered leaders?
The light line was also the only one you cleaned. I would clean some 30# mono and give it another quick test, just to see if the cleaning makes that much of a difference!
I did exactly that after this first round was filmed to make sure the results weren't different... the weld broke at a higher tension (34 lbs on the 30 lb test), but still was weaker than the very small and easy to tie Orvis knot.
Thanks for taking the extra step and letting us know what you found! I like that you guys follow through on the "techy" side of fishing so well! sorry it took me so long to see your response, not sure why I got no notification! Double checked and definitely have them enabled!
Best invention in years. Have to get price down
I could see that knot from the space station
So the braid to floro weld would of never been stronger that a Fg knot but as far as the machine goes they need to change the design to where the weld molds the hook to the line not just line to line that will take the loop out and make it nice and tight it would probably be a real contender for a comparison also they probably need to re adjust the melt times and heat used for better results that way the Don't weaken the tag ends
id hate to try and cast a leader with one of those welds ist massive
Definitely adds some mass to the line
Great video and I’m not a fan of the welder.......however, the test wasn’t really fair. You were comparing a loop knot to a cinch knot. Be curious to see how it does against a hand tied loop knot. Also, they posted a video on braid to fluorocarbon lines and they tie a simple knot in the middle and double the ends back which I’m sure makes it much stronger. Still too bulky and WAY too expensive. Good for people with hand and sight issues for sure but very costly.
I agree that loop knots are stronger than cinch knots, but the tauten line welder claim is that it provides "the strongest line connection" (without specifying the strongest loop knot), so I tested it against a quick cinch knot.
Note: I did test it against a non-slip loop knot after filming this video, and it lost to that too.
This product is very good for people who have can't physically tie knots. But I do not recommend it for anglers who are capable of tying their own knots given the testing done so far.
They are apparently making some updates to it for being better at connecting thicker lines, so perhaps the recommendation will change once that's on the market.
My husband has Parkinson's and can no longer tie knots. This allows him to continue fishing on his own.
how many tests involved clean line.. with the swabs that you were instructed to do.
I did one strength test of the line welder after cleaning the line in the video using the 10 lb line and it beat the Orvis knot. After the video, I did some tests with the 30 lb line after cleaning it and the Orvis knot won all of them (with and without cleaning).
Overall, I can't imagine many fishermen carrying around alcohol wipes with them to clean lines in order to tie knots.
But if we do assume the cleaning takes place, the time to complete the knot will be well past the minute mark.
Alcohol wipes aren't expensive and can easily be picked up.. so that's not an issue. What is the issue is that you didn't have an 100% organized experiment.If you planned it, you should have used the wiped in the video for each test, because of the manufacturers instructions to do so.
I'll be sure to use the wipes on future tests of the line welder system. They are in the process of making a new top that'll enable stronger connections with lines above 14 lbs, so I'll test that out once it's available. If you do a test in the meantime with the wipes, please link it to this video so others can see how it performs. Tight Lines!
Thanks for the video. For $199.00 The final product is definitely not worth that kind of money.
the best idiea for that is probibly ganna be anything like a drop shot rig in my opinion
Double up the loop, try it
What part of Florida do u fish in?
So what is your suggestion. I would like to know your personal opinion. Would you spend the $199 on it? Do you think it's good enough?? Yes I did see the review but I didn't get a feeling wether or not you would actually tell your members to buy it or not. Just curious.
Our conclusion was that it did not seem to be a good fit for most saltwater anglers since its strength performance did not seem to hold up on 20 lb and higher lines.
And given the high costs associated with it ($199 up front plus a 25 cent per weld fee for cartridges), I recommend making time to learn how to tie good knots.
But for anyone who cannot physically tie knots (or doesn't want to learn how), then this fishing line welding product can be used to solve their need.
Salt Strong thanks coach!
You are lucky that Salt Strong responded politely and fully to your question, since the answer was obvious from the review, plus he included his recommendation in the text conclusion under the video itself. You deserved to be ignored for wanting to be personally spoonfed the answer to your question that was readily apparent for you to see for yourself with minimal effort.
WisGuy4 are you One of those kids who got picked on and now talk tough behind a keyboard? Please shut your trap computer boy or girl or boygirl!!
Wow, the irony (look it up in a dictionary, I'm sure you don't understand the concept).
No, I'm simply someone who does not have much patience for fools and the lazy, hence my rather restrained comment criticizing a dumb post.
Be a man and admit that you made a mistake by not paying closer attention and getting the information that was already there for you if you had bothered to notice it.
I have had some great success with this machine, and with knots. So to me it's 50/50. This machine to me for no more than what it does it's not worth the price. If you can just tie your own knots.
Would I go out and buy another one? No, unless I'm giving it to my grandfather who really could use this because of his nerves. He shakes fairly bad.
I think the same as other people on here. If you got hand, eye, and or nerve damaged this would be great for them.
Wonder how much of a difference it would make to loop the line through the hook twice. Either way it's a really silly device.
awesome review...saw this product a few days ago. Glad I did not invest..
Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment on this line welder review video.
Hopefully they are able to fix the main issues that I saw with it (performance on larger line sizes & its costs) because the premise behind it is good.
I wonder if that flourocarbon weld disappears underwater!
There is a material in the cartridges that bounds the lines together, and I do not believe that it would disappear underwater.
199 is absolutely insane price! 19.99 would still be over priced!
Len Dog dont forget to add the welding capsuls so each time it s over u need to buy again
several things wrong with this.. first try using line savers so that the loop isn't the weak point. Use 40lb+ line. Use san diego jam knot. Use at least 6x hooks. and test the weld in the middle of a line to see if the line breaks at the weld or mid stretch point of the line.
Neat
Great review, but I'll stick w/ my own knots. The price is too steep.
Neat but weld is to big... never have had a problem with the good ole palomar knot. Seriously that is the easiest, fastest and strongest knot there is. Only gets tighter the hard the fish pulls
The only place i see this possibly useful is for offshore fishing. Not like im going to be in the yak and pull out my welder. fg, and palomar knots are stong enough. But thanks for the review.
Yes, that's what I was disappointed to see that it didn't seem to work well with heavier line (couldn't even get the top of the line welder to close when I tried it with 60 lb mono). Hopefully they fix that issue soon.
Salt Strong yeah, in theory, this would be a viable substitute for the metal clasps used to "tie" extra thick lines for offshore fishing. for light lines, however, ill keep whst little money i have on something else
I'm sure heating the line is what weakened the loop
Awesome video. Crap product. Thanks for keeping it honest. Us fisherman need all the new toys 😂
To think I've been tying knots this whole time like a god damn animal.
I am so glad I didn't buy one of these. Thanks for the video.
5 minutes in and I knew I wouldn't pay $20.00. Its like one of those As seen on TV items that look cool on commercial but once you get product in hand you realize its cheap and doesn't work as good on TV.
knots all the way
It appears to be a $200.00 fishing weight.
try 200lb mono
It most likely won't work for 200 lb mono given that 60 lb seemed to be more than it could handle.
I mean I can see uses, but... not many.
its not fair cuz the weld give more weight to the line
I could buy myself another salmon fly reel, at that price.
same concept as fiber optic splicing.
Most people clicked off after they saw the ridiculous size of that first knot. I know I did.
Hapyson Line Twister is a better cheaper option
6 reviews
Hey im sorry but they posted a video detailing techniques for line to line connections and you didnt follow their examples. They recommend joining the lines with an overhand knot and melting that. Also making a loop between the 2 lines and melting that. No where did they recommend simply putting the lines side by side and melting. I dont think you did a fair test.
Look up "braid to mono technique" by tauten here on youtube.
You are right, the technique shown in this video was not right for line to line. We tested the correct way after this video was posted, and the "weld" knot still fell short... tested it against the FG knot.
dont know how they can call it a welder when it is just hot melt glue not a weld
Waste money.. I think tying knots to a hook or swivel is easy.. If it was made for braid to fc and was as good as fg knot then maybe i'll buy one but only if it was as thin as the fg knot cause that thickness looks like it will braid the line just going through the guides.
This tool is useless. I was hoping it was a heating element that melts the lines together into the thinnest diameter knot.
I agree. The problem with using heat to perform any weld of mono or flouro line is that heat compromises the integrity of the line itself. That is why people will tell you to lubricate your knots BEFORE you tighten them because the friction of the line rubbing upon itself as it gets tighter heats up the line enough to weaken it. Even though the lines in the weld might be stronger, the line just outside the weld is still weakened by the heat necessary to melt the lines together. The end result is an overall decrease in line strength.
My hands were disabled in nam and now my eyes are getting old .. but 200+ bucks for a light line welder ensures I'll keep using my wife for tying. She's more expensive, but she cooks great, does the laundry and still says she loves me - things this overpriced tool can never do.
polymer knot so easy this thing such a gimmick lol
Unless you can't, learn to the knots. It's free for a lifetime