Differences in Renzetti Traveler Series

[md61 0]

Been tying for about a year and am about to upgrade my Renzetti Apprentice to a rotary vise & will probably go with the Traveller series.  Obviously there is the 2304 model with the larger platform, and there is a finish difference between 2200 and 2300.  But are there any real differences between the 2000 series ($179) and 2200/2300 series ($209)?   FWIW, I use this for trout flies.

Any thoughts?

[steve sparkie 0]

hi rotary vices are good for production tying if you don't tie a lot of flies there a waist of money you would be better of with a lever Jawed vice the professionals vice and easey to use the jaws are self adjusting and is a more durable vice hope this helps

kind regards Steve

[primeflycompany 0]

I tie as a full time job, there are very few patterns I tie that I actually utilize a full rotary function. Wooly Buggers are one. Most of the time, it is not needed. As long as the vise rotates and you can see all sides, that is more than enough. 

I do have the Renzetti 2304, black larger base. It's a nice vise, comfortable to tie on but it has one annoying feature, that is the set screw needs CONSTANT re-tensioning. If I didn't think it would void a warranty I would replace it with a self locking screw, or use some Loctite. 

As for the difference, I would guess just fit and finish specifically the 2000 being raw aluminum and the 2200 being annondized. 

For the same price, you get a slightly better hook range with the Wolff Industries Atlas Rotary Vise (32-7/0) compared to 24-4/0 for Renzetti. That said, Renzetti has a lifetime warranty (not restricted to the original owner), and the Atlas has a "lifetime warranty" but with a lot of limitations. 

Can't go wrong either way. 
 

[primeflycompany 0]

Oh, and the Atlas comes with a pedstal AND a cclamp. For the same price. Not bad. 

[chugbug27 0]

1 hour ago, md61 said:

any real differences

Anodized aluminum, coated base. 

Don't bother with blackout anodized aluminum. I had it and the black wore off where the bobbin rest and back plate arms swiveled, ruined the clean blackout look imo.

1 hour ago, md61 said:

trout flies

Great vise for trout flies.

1 hour ago, steve sparkie said:

rotary vices are good for production tying if you don't tie a lot of flies there a waist of money

I use it to carefully place materials around the hook. I really like that feature, a lot. Well worth the price of admission, for me. I am not a speed tyer and not efficient.

1 hour ago, primeflycompany said:

I tie as a full time job, there are very few patterns I tie that I actually utilize a full rotary function.

Again, not a speed or efficiency issue for me. I like to watch what I'm wrapping hit the hook where I want it placed. Also eliminates twist as you wrap.

 

1 hour ago, primeflycompany said:

lifetime warranty (not restricted to the original owner)

It does not apply against ordinary wear and tear. The jaws do wear out with extended use, per Lilly Renzetti, and that's excluded from lifetime warranty. Also, must register timely after purchase, per Lilly, or too bad.

[primeflycompany 0]

I had a set of jaws crack and they replaced them under the warranty. I've had nothing but good experiences with Renzetti or Dynaking as companies. 

[johnnyquahog 0]

By all means get a true rotary vise. Kelly Galloup has a couple of good videos on selecting a vise that are worth watching.  If you ever get into epoxy or LCA you will appreciate the true rotary features beyond just checking out the far side of the fly.  I like renzetti because that was the only true rotary I knew about in the early 80’s and after I spent a session watching Dave Whitlock work his magic with deer hair got what later evolved into the 3000.  Several years after I got a top end renzetti to do saltwater, mostly 1/0 to 6/0 stuff.  There are more fine choices today than ever but do a little research and by all means get the vise that you want since you are the only one that may be spending countless enjoyable hours in front of (or is it behind?) it.  Tight wraps!

[caddis16 0]

3 hours ago, steve sparkie said:

hi rotary vices are good for production tying if you don't tie a lot of flies there a waist of money you would be better of with a lever Jawed vice the professionals vice and easey to use the jaws are self adjusting and is a more durable vice hope this helps

kind regards Steve

Gotta disagree. Get a rotary, learn to use it, and you will never go back to fixed. Makes many tasks much easier. JMHO UMMV

[chugbug27 0]

1 hour ago, primeflycompany said:

I had a set of jaws crack and they replaced them under the warranty.

How many years of use? Mine was over ten (cam lever), they said that's long enough. I said ten years is not a lifetime. They said go pound sand. I still really like the vise. But don't count on it lasting a lifetime. 

(10+ years by original owner, I bought it from him last year)

[johnnyquahog 0]

Kelly Galloup cautions in one of his videos to never leave a hook in the vise over night as bad things can happen. Never really thought about it but I’m sure that in the last forty or so years I probably did just that a few times.

[primeflycompany 0]

I'll often forget after doing a fly photoshoot and leave a hook in my Dynaking Excalibur.  Those jaws aren't going to break with a baseball bat. 

[mikechell 0]

I can't speak of the vises you're asking about, md61.  Welcome to the site, by the way.

I can speak of the rotary function.  For decades, I tied on a simple "Supreme" vise.  Fixed, except you could back out the screw and rotate the spindle to rotate the fly and look at all sides.  The fly isn't centered on rotation without messing with the whole set-up of the vise, so the feature of "rotation" ... isn't.

Then I bought a Griffin Odyssey Spider vise with the cam jaws.  I bought rotary, just because it was available at $100.00.  But I am very glad I did.  As mentioned above, Wooly Buggers are a breeze ... wrapping hackle front to back and then trapping it and wrapping the wire back to front!  I tried buggers before buying this vise ... and gave up on them because I hated that process.  Now, they're one of the easiest flies to tie.

Also, wrapping biots bodies on small flies.  Perfect wraps with the rotary, and no fear of getting mostly wrapped and the hackle pliers slipping off.

Get the rotary.  Whether you spend a lot or a little is pointless.  When you're going to be using that vise for a long time, what's the difference come to ... a dollar a month?  Get what you can afford, and what looks good to you.  I go cheap, because THAT'S what looks good to me.

[McFlyLures 0]

So I disagree with much of what people are saying here.  Rotary are not just for “wrapping” with rotary feature.  Yes that helps.  But the main reason I love a rotary is to see all angles of the flies without them angled differently when rotated.   Many times I find tying a material on the side of the fly is easier if I turn the vice and can tie on the top.  But it would be more difficult if the fly was angled funky.  
 

as for your original question, I really honestly don’t know what the differences are except the different finishes to them.  I have the 2200, and like it.  It was what my fly shop had when I bought it.  But I’ve used the 2000 series, as the fly shop I worked for had one that was around 20 years old.  Still going strong.  As long as you take care of it and won’t let it rust, I think the original would work great for you.  I personally don’t see much difference Other than the finishes, but I could be wrong about that.  

[skeet3t 0]

Lots of opinions and suggestions here. I bought a kit about 25 years ago with a basic vise. I don't tie a lot of patterns, 6-8, for fishing here in SE TN and never felt it was necessary to spend the $$$ for a rotary vise.

[flytire 0]

i have to disagree with the black anodized finish wearing off

a little discoloring after a few years of using my black renzetti traveler

and so what if it wears off? it certainly wont affect the functionality of the vise. its complete covered by the bobbin rest fitting and out of site. non issue imo

completely hidden by the fitting plus its the  least important part of the vise. jaws are #1. bobbin rest it really not required to tie flies