Maximum composition of cakes vs reloadables

[crayzkirk]

Getting ready to spend my money again this year and hope someone can help with my confusion around maximum for cakes and reloadables. This is what I think I have discovered:

- cakes: maximum lift charge 6 grams, maximum effect charge 40 grams per tube
- reloadables: maximum total lift and effect charge 60 grams

If this is true, then I've going to have to check more closely. This also means that a NOAB can only have 414 grams total.

The last time I bought canisters, the salesperson was saying these new 5" shells are better because they are bigger. I mentioned that the maximum load was 60 grams and they said that most people don't know that.

So, if I buy a 7 shot cake that is labeled as 500g, it's really a 350g cake and called 500g because it's bigger than 200g?

How do you not get taken to the cleaners?

I realize that we are basically burning money here so is it really necessary to rip people off?

[PyroGyro]

You will never know how much pyro is in any firework unless you take it apart and measure. I judge products by how well l they perform, period. That means watching a lot of videos and trying to figure out if they shoot high and break wide, have vivid colors etc...I also judge products by how much I have to pay to get that performance as well, and am always trying to compare similar products, a RWB fan cake for example, to other RWB fan cakes. Go with the one that's cheaper when they are both relatively equal in performance. Btw, you'd be sorely disappointed if you took all the composition out of 500G cakes and weighed it, just like you would be disappointed if you did the same with canister shells. You'll often find that there is a lot less composition in them than there could be. Ignore the hype, watch videos, and get the best prices when you can.

[Icooclast]

You will never know how much pyro is in any firework unless you take it apart and measure. I judge products by how well l they perform, period. That means watching a lot of videos and trying to figure out if they shoot high and break wide, have vivid colors etc...I also judge products by how much I have to pay to get that performance as well, and am always trying to compare similar products, a RWB fan cake for example, to other RWB fan cakes. Go with the one that's cheaper when they are both relatively equal in performance. Btw, you'd be sorely disappointed if you took all the composition out of 500G cakes and weighed it, just like you would be disappointed if you did the same with canister shells. You'll often find that there is a lot less composition in them than there could be. Ignore the hype, watch videos, and get the best prices when you can.

this pretty much hits the nail on the head. i compare price to performance (as well as how many per case) if one is average to slightly better than average and comes 1 in a case for $70, chances are i won't get that one and will get something packed 4/1 and is like 60-70 bucks and pretty good performance. so, case packing, price, performance (in no particular order)

[jamisonlm3]

While I love shells, don't get too caught up in the comp. weight price ratio. Cakes have effects shells just don't. I feel like very few products have the absolute maximium they're allowed to have. I also feel like people get cought up in the marketing. The 350g cake is an example. Ever notice why 200g cakes are almost always made of tubes that are glued together? If a cake doesn't have at least a 1/2" of space between tubes, it can only have 200g. A 350g cake is really just a 500g cake that isn't anywhere close to having the maximum it could. The price should reflect that, but like 5" and 6" shells, if people think it's better, they'll pay more for it. There's alot of smoke and mirrors in the fireworks business. The best way to keep yourself from getting taken is to educate yourself like you're doing already and don't believe the marketing. Buying wholesale is another way too.

[Icooclast]

While I love shells, don't get too caught up in the comp. weight price ratio. Cakes have effects shells just don't. I feel like very few products have the absolute maximium they're allowed to have. I also feel like people get cought up in the marketing. The 350g cake is an example. Ever notice why 200g cakes are almost always made of tubes that are glued together? If a cake doesn't have at least a 1/2" of space between tubes, it can only have 200g. A 350g cake is really just a 500g cake that isn't anywhere close to having the maximum it could. The price should reflect that, but like 5" and 6" shells, if people think it's better, they'll pay more for it. There's alot of smoke and mirrors in the fireworks business. The best way to keep yourself from getting taken is to educate yourself like you're doing already and don't believe the marketing. Buying wholesale is another way too.

this is another great piece of advice. also; 350 grams (as i understand it) used to be the legal max for cakes, somewhere along the lines fireworks got upped a little. not sure if it's true or not, but that's what i read long ago. just look at the vids and buy what you like/can afford - i see a lot of online fireworks viewing in your future, lol.

[psilynt]

There's alot of smoke and mirrors in the fireworks business.

https://i.imgur.com/aPVcOe7.png

[joewad]

Consumer fireworks is one (1) few instances that size really doesn't matter. Pun intended.

[crayzkirk]

Thanks for the info and opinions... I've been spending more on the 200g cakes and just getting a few 500g cakes for the finale.

[ttam23]

The best way to judge the performance of a firework is to shoot it. the gram weight of the firework it's just one aspect of the fireworks performance. It makes a big difference of what chemicals are in the fireworks more energetic chemicals break harder Also if the shells are wrapped tighter the shell will break bigger because there's more pressure build up inside the shell. Actually there are only two categories for consumer fireworks cakes 200g and 500g. 350g is not an official category so if anyone markets of firework as a 350 gram it's really a 500 gram .

[minute_man777]

You'll never know what amount of composition you are buying and the same products that you bought previously may be different. Factories try to pump out product so fast the measurements may not be as precise as they can be. Companies may intentionally water-down products to save money, you'll never know until you shoot it off. This why you pick up the product in the store to feel how much it weighs and you will find out that products vary in weight.

[Birdman]

Speaking of smoke and mirrors...

I saw on a youtube video that if you can dent a ball shell it isn't really a ball shell. So I found a couple of small ball shells I had laying around from when I was testing out my first firing system. I pushed on the ball and it dented it pretty easily. Deiced to take one apart and sure enough....

5093

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Sneaky little rascals....

[PyroKing31]

Speaking of smoke and mirrors...

I saw on a youtube video that if you can dent a ball shell it isn't really a ball shell. So I found a couple of small ball shells I had laying around from when I was testing out my first firing system. I pushed on the ball and it dented it pretty easily. Deiced to take one apart and sure enough....

5093

Yep, pretty much all festival balls and CHEAP 1.75 balls are like this. Mad ox crackling, whistling etc are all like this. The ADVANTAGE being you dont need different size tubes. They still fit in DR11. I bought a case of the mad ox crackle, but i knew what I was buying and the price was right.