10 yr old swaro vs new vortex kaibab

[KaibabHunter]

Both 15x56, swaros in perfect condition but 10 years old, close to same price - which would you buy?

[shurtzgarret]

i personally love my kaibabs. my cousin has even mentioned selling his swaros and buying the vortex just to have a little extra money left over. besides man it says it all in your name (Kaibab)hunter lol. and the warranty is awesome

[123456]

Swarros any day. IMO, the only people who will tell you otherwise have never owned Swarovski. Vortex are great optics, but they are not Swarovski. If you wanted the new lenses put in the swarros, they can do that as well. But I would say that even @ 10 years old, they are still better than Vortex.

[Antmo23]

I'd go with the vortex,the swaros are as is. If anything is or goes wrong with them, you're footing the bill. With the vortex, you're covered for life. No questions asked. And I've never been sold on the swaros, they cost too much when you can find something just as good for half the price. That's just my opinion, don't blast me for it, lol.

[reganranch]

Comparison between a station wagon and a corvette. The kaibabs are not the corvette.

[twigsnapper]

I have owned both, at the same time. Sat side by side and compared for hours. I use the kaibabs now and sold my swaros, only because my eyes are soooo bad the many binoculars won't focus with my naked eye, so I have to wear my eye glasses when glassing. I do not get a full field of view with the swaros while wearing my eye glasses but I do with the Kaibabs. If you don't where eye glasses when glassing go with the swaros even if they are older. Also, swaro will warranty manufacturer malfunctions even if you're not the original owner. I have emailed back and forth with Pam @ swaro and she confirmed that for me before I ever bought my Swaros. Also the Swaro diapter is way better then the Kaibabs since you can lock it. My 4 cents.

[cramerhunts]

There is no question since in this case the price is close to the same......the swarvos hands down, done deal, don't look back. I am a big fan of vortex glass and own several scopes and binos but they are not swavorskis! When price becomes a non factor the reality is the best glass is the swarvos, shaper image, better light transmission, and they will still honor the warranty against malfunctions and defects if you are not the original owner.

[prowlerMan]

You have to go with what works Best for your eyes. Everyone's eyes are different. I was in the same debate a couple years ago. Should I go with the kiababs and save a little bit of money or go with the Swaros. After comparing them side by side I chose the Swaros hands down. My eyes just liked them better. If u don't have access to the two to compare side by side you can go to outdoorsmans in cave creek and they will take you outside to compare the two looking at objects from a distance. That is where my eyes could tell the difference between the two. The Swaros presented a sharper image of things from a distance and that could be what makes or breaks you in the field from seeing the antlers of a bedded down buck or mistaking them for branches and twigs. Hope this helps!

[AxisWorks LLC]

All right I'll bite...If money wasnt a factor and both fit your face. You would be crazy to not choose the Swaro's If money is a factor youd be crazy to not buy the Kiababs. 3 of my hunting partners have Kiababs and 2 of us have Swaros. I honestly believe the Swaros are better for myself. Here is the MAJOR differance in the two. Eyecups, size and width of travel between them.I personally cannot stand the eyecups on the Kiababs especially since they dont make winged attachments for them. They are also to big in dia. for my eye sockets making them uncomfortable in no time. To me this alone was worth the extra money for the Swaros. On the other hand two of my hunting partners eyes are so close together and the Swaros simply will not "fold" close enought for them to focus. Try spreading yours some time just wide enough where the two circles dont become one and glass for awile. One of them could drop the money for brand new Swaros on the spot with no worries. He owns Kiababs. I dont care which one has a slight clarity or light advantage this renders the Swaros usless to them. I encourage if your dropping the coin on quality optics spend some time with them clarity isn't everything. My buddies find just as much game as I do in their Kiababs. (Accept for stink pigs. For some reason I can spot those little suckers first everytime!)

[rclouse79]

Dang, I am wrestling with this same question right now. I got a little side job putting in flooring that will give me enough play money to be in the market for one or the other. It seems like a good used price on a pair of SLC's is abou $400 more than used Kaibabs. Part of me feels like if I am dropping a grand I might as well spend a few hundred bucks more and get the swaro's. I don't know why but there are only 2 reviews on Cabelas for the Kaibabs, which seems strange considering how popular they are. There are about 130 for the swaros. 99% of the swaro reviews said they were pricy, but worth every penny. My only problem with dropping all of my money on swaros is i know there are tripods, tripod heads, adapters, cases, covers, ect. still to buy. I guess the good thing is in either case is they seem to hold their value pretty well. Good luck with your chioce.

[KaibabHunter]

Thx for the input. I ended up goin with the kaibabs and think I'll be happy with em.

[Apatkelley]

I've always been a huge fan of Leica, Swarovski and Zeiss optics. I have to admit though that the price and warranty are excellent. One slight reservation I've got with them is they are still a rather new company and who knows what the future holds for them. I would guess that if they continue to build and back quality products buisness will grow, but if for some reason they fold, you're left with a lifetime warranty that's not much good. The others are very well established and you will at least have someone around to service your glass if needed.

[reganranch]

I've always been a huge fan of Leica, Swarovski and Zeiss optics. I have to admit though that the price and warranty are excellent. One slight reservation I've got with them is they are still a rather new company and who knows what the future holds for them. I would guess that if they continue to build and back quality products buisness will grow, but if for some reason they fold, you're left with a lifetime warranty that's not much good. The others are very well established and you will at least have someone around to service your glass if needed.

 

Well Said no gamble with the big 3.