Tesoro pole finish ?

[pinenut]

Hey folks, anyone know when Tesoro changed from the polished and gold anodized, to satin gold painted(?) finish on their µMax models?
I just bought a µMax Eldorado with the later (satin gold) poles, and wondering if they're correct for a late Eldorado, or if all Eldorados used the polished & anodized poles...

 

[amberjack]

I thought the were the polished & anodized poles, but people change them I was thinking stick mine on a black pole I got from the UK.

but someone will be along that knows more than me.

AJ

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

Not sure.
My Bandido II Ųmax came with very old shiny gold poles. Didn't even have the cam locks.
I've seen the shiny gold ones with the cam locks too, so I guess there are 3 versions of gold pole sets.
I bought a new set and put it on them. Too wobbly.
You got the one that just sold yesterday on ebay with no coil?

 

[pinenut]

Not sure.
My Bandido II Ųmax came with very old shiny gold poles. Didn't even have the cam locks.
I've seen the shiny gold ones with the cam locks too, so I guess there are 3 versions of gold pole sets.
I bought a new set and put it on them. Too wobbly.
You got the one that just sold yesterday on ebay with no coil?

Yep; that's the one. Looks a little scruffy and needs a coil, but as long as it works well... I noticed that he'd sold a 5.75 Epsilon coil recently; possibly from that Eldorado. Seller says "works perfect", but they all say that. Pictures of Eldorados I've seen, sometimes show the polished poles, and sometimes the unpolished. Just wanted to stick the correct ones on it though it shouldn't matter.

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

Not sure.
My Bandido II Ųmax came with very old shiny gold poles. Didn't even have the cam locks.
I've seen the shiny gold ones with the cam locks too, so I guess there are 3 versions of gold pole sets.
I bought a new set and put it on them. Too wobbly.
You got the one that just sold yesterday on ebay with no coil?

Yep; that's the one. Looks a little scruffy and needs a coil, but as long as it works well... I noticed that he'd sold a 5.75 Epsilon coil recently; possibly from that Eldorado. Seller says "works perfect", but they all say that. Pictures of Eldorados I've seen, sometimes show the polished poles, and sometimes the unpolished. Just wanted to stick the correct ones on it though it shouldn't matter.

Th ey all work. Even my gold set I just bought for my bandido has the large hole on top where the wire for the switch is fed for the tejon. I'm thinking the poles themselves are all the same, but different finishes and for the tejon and cores and deleon, they use that big hole for the battery wires and the switch (tejon)
You can get a whole new set for like 42. I paid 50 straight from tesoro. But still worth it.
If they have cam locks I wouldn't worry. Might need a new lower pole if it has the old style with the white hardware but if I remember correctly, it had the abs lower.
You're the one that sniped it in the last 10 seconds!!
It's all good, I don't really need it.
Hope you enjoy it!! Love my bandido.
You can always send it in to tesoro with 50 and they'll get it running like brand new!! But it's probably fine. You have a gb adjust so that's the number 1 reason I sent my deleon in for a tune, it's gb is internal.

 

[pinenut]

..You can always send it in to tesoro with 50 and they'll get it running like brand new!! But it's probably fine. You have a gb adjust so that's the number 1 reason I sent my deleon in for a tune, it's gb is internal.

Out of curiosity, I just emailed Tesoro, asking the mfg. date and whether it came with anodized, or the painted poles. Also asked if they still stock cosmetic repair parts for it, if needed.
If I have any issues, I'll send it in with my check and ask that they make it fresh again. I know they're a great bunch of people at Tesoro, which is a good part of why I buy their products. ^_^

 

[Bleaver]

I might be wrong on this but I believe if the speaker holes are small and round then the poles should be shiny. I think these face plates are metal too.
If the speaker holes are slits then the poles are powdery or painted. These face plates are plastic.

 

[V3i/MXT Pro]

I'll bet Monte knows the definitive answer. In the meantime, I always thought the early production Eldorado (µMax type) were on the polished gold rod... I believe Tesoro switched to the satin gold powder coated rod toward the end of the model run. Also, I believe the same change in rod finish happened on the Golden µMax.

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

I might be wrong on this but I believe if the speaker holes are small and round then the poles should be shiny. I think these face plates are metal too.
If the speaker holes are slits then the poles are powdery or painted. These face plates are plastic.

Seems to hold Tru for my bandido. It now has a new set of powdery gold poles and I'm as happy as a pig in mud lol.

 

[V3i/MXT Pro]

Did we ever get a definitive answer on if or when Tesoro changed the pole finish on the Eldorado µMax?

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

Not sure but there are 3 types I've counted so far.
1. Very early shiny poles with no cam lock's at all (my bandido II micromax)
2. Shine poles with cam locks.
3. Powdery looking modern poles offered now on models like the compadre.

#1 are horrible and it's night and day now that I have the new ones.
Mig ht be easier to nail down year of purchase on the Eldorado then compare other models of that time period.
I called Tesoro and my bandido was purchased early 2001 but they said most likely older date of manufacture. But they only keep track of date of sale through their warranty system. I just bought a 25th anniversary valuers but they have no record of it. Luckily the guy I got it from is analysis like me and had records of the purchase. It's from 05.

Here's a pic of the poles from my bandido, one of the very early sets offered on the micromax models and before...
Notice the connection between the middle and lower pole. No cam lock. Extremely wobbly. Same with mid to lower pole, nothing but the splot sing pin things.
Also the lower pole is only half plastic and the tip needed to white thinner hardware and is thinner indicative of the old coil ear design that was thinner or they weren't and had to flex more which caused ear breakage leading to the eventual redesign of the lower pole.

Hope this in some way helps!

 

[pinenut]

Did we ever get a definitive answer on if or when Tesoro changed the pole finish on the Eldorado µMax?

Well...sort of, but not really. Allan Cannon wrote me that the one I asked about was made last quarter of '03, and that Eldorados came with shiney poles, which they no longer use.
I suspect that this Eldo in question had originally come with the painted poles though, if it's a very late one. It also has the matte decals on the faceplate and sides, where I think most Eldos used the glossy decals (?).

Since I'd posted asking about the poles, I had bought another very nice example of an earlier Eldo, and it has glossy decals and the polished pole set; even the metal lower pole and metal coil bolt. SO, I believe that my "late" Eldo probably did come with painted poles... If your Eldo has matte decals, then maybe painted poles are correct, and if glossy decals, I'm going to say it should have had polished ones... Not that it really matters.. Both of mine seem to work the same.
I should be able to get some time on them over the next few weeks.