Registered: Oct 2012
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Greetings all,

Has anyone tried both the new Goldline Norway Pad and the EQ pad and compared the two? I'm currently using the Norway pad and have been pleased with the performance. I don't know if the pad will last very long though. Does the EQ pad last any longer?

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the Olson OPTI pad is also very comparable!

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I have yet to use the goldline head, tho I plan to very soon
I have used many EQ heads. Two seasons ago when they first came out I found the quality great, the first few brushes you had to be careful not to burn the rock because they bit the ice and would steer your broom and they seemed last great. Since then I have found the quality has really suffered. Last year I used 20ish EQ heads and the quality of the first batch just isnt there. After one game(sometimes one rock) it feel like your doing nothing.
Still Balance Plus is my shoe of choice.

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Registered: Nov 2005
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The Norway pad makes no sense to me. Only some of the pad makes contact with the ice.

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Registered: Oct 2012
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When I saw the "grooved" pad design on the Norway pad I thought that it was an interesting concept. I haven't used an EQ pad, but, the Norway pad compared to a regular Goldline pad is noticeable. The Norway seems much better, but, the wear on the pad is quite drastic (after 3 games). I got another HE pad from Goldline and prefer the HE to a regular pad. I understand they are not going to make the HE anymore with the Norway replacing that brand. In a nutshell, the Norway pad is definitely better than a regular pad and the Goldline HE pad is only marginally better than a regular pad.

I checked out the Opti pad on their website and it stated that the pad will fit Olson brooms. I don't know if it will fit a Goldline broom.

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www.Hardlinecurling.com

The icePad brooms are the next big thing... waterproof heads, last longer, washable, and cheaper to replace.

Don't knock it til you try it.

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Registered: Apr 2005
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I recover my own heads and save a few $$$. The guts of these heads is the reflective layer under the fabric. I use the regular Cordura nylon fabric that go on traditional brush heads, and come is a variety of bright colors. A more waterproof fabric would probably increase sweeping efficiency, but I haven't found any in the popular bright colors.

Cheers.

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Shot Rock Curling Supplies can also recover your old pads. They use a waterproof material that is great to sweep. Very hard to go back to the Cordura Nylon after getting used to this stuff. These feel just like the EQ pads but seem to be more durable. No foil in these but much cheaper than new EQ pads!

I agree that the Norway Pads seem like they would be less effective with the ridges. Maybe the concept is having a higher PSI on these ridges makes up for the loss in effective sweeping area. I think I'll stick to a normal pad for now. We need someone to setup an independent brush pad effectiveness testing laboratory!

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I've tried both

I've tried both the Norway and the EQ pad. I found that the EQ wears out quicker. this may be due to the waterproof material on the Norway. The first batch of Norway pads are different to the ones now being sold though; I haven't tried the new ones (they have deeper ridges and are made of a slightly different fabric).
I prefer the Norway pad. It feels like you are doing more with every stroke and you can feel it heat up quicker if you rub it with your hand. It is also more effective at dealing with frost. After I got over the slippery-ness of it I am full convert. Norway all the way!

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Registered: Oct 2012
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Thanks for your feedback on both the Norway and the EQ pad. It's always good to get real ice tested reviews. On an update for me, the Norway pad is holding up very nicely. Most of the wear appears to be the colour on the fabric as opposed to the actual fabric itself. The Norway doesn't pick up debris as much as a regular pad. I usually had to clean my pad after each end, but, with the Norway, I find the pad remains cleaner for a longer time.

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Registered: Nov 2008
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Tried the Norway head last night switching from my third EQ head. While eight ends is no scientific study, I think I do prefer the Norway head. I agree with the posters above on the need to clean and handling new ice/frost. Both heads are an improvement from the regular heads. Time will tell on how it stands up vs. the EQ.

I will have to say, the cover of the Norway is the toughest piece of lefse I have seen in my life.

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I've tried the original Norway pad, the new Norway pad (with ridges), the EQ pad and the Olson Opti. I find the new Norway pad to be very loud and I have a hard time hearing my skip call line while both myself and the other sweeper are using the new Norway pad. The original Norway pad seemed to last forever, as long as you used your little scrub brush to clean it after almost every rock. The EQ pad is okay, but I prefer the original Norway pad. The Olson Opti is probably the most similar to the original Norway pad.

I have an Asham broom and all of these pads fit on the broom head.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Unregistered
the Olson OPTI pad is also very comparable!

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lolbeans

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