Shimano XT Hubs - Opinions?

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Shimano XT Hubs - Opinions?
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flag MonkeyPuzzle
Posted: Sep 7, 2015 at 5:11 Quote
Looking at a replacement wheelset and was contemplating Shimano XT M788 Trails. The rims sound pretty spot on for relatively wide tubeless-ready/UST, the hubs are nice and quiet and the prices I can find for a wheelset are consistently better than Hope hubs with any half decent rim. Buuuuuut...

Shimano hubs seem to get seriously mixed reviews on the tinterwebs, with people seeming either to say they'll last you ages with a bit of care or that they're junk and will fail within months. Is it that people are expecting plug-and-play reliability because they're used to sealed bearings and don't account for the cup and cone Shimanos (I'd have no problem doing a little more maintenance on a quality product), or are they, in actual fact, junk?
flag iffy
Posted: Sep 7, 2015 at 5:39 Quote
Cup and cone are in fact superior to cartrige type bearings for bicycle wheels.

the only problem I have had with XT hubs is the cones tightening, annoying but now I put a drop of blue threadlock it has newver been an issue.

can be tricky to adjust, but once you have got the knack they are easy enough.

better sealed than most 'sealed' bearings as well Wink
flag MonkeyPuzzle
Posted: Sep 7, 2015 at 5:49 Quote
That's kind of what I thought. I couldn't quite believe that, of all companies, Shimano had been making hubs 'wrong' consistently for so long, but I certainly don't notice any bikes with Shimano wheels get posted up on Pinkbike.

I reckon give em a good once over before installing them (good advice on the threadlock) and then away you go.
flag RunsWithScissors
Posted: Sep 8, 2015 at 6:50 Quote
There are other hubs that I like better (DT, Chris King, Industry 9, Paul, Hope), but XT is a good hub for the money and I wouldn't hesitate to use them if they were attractively priced.
flag TheRaven
Posted: Sep 8, 2015 at 7:09 Quote
Shimano's have been far more reliable than any sealed bearing hub i've used, in my experience. I do however regularly maintain them - as long as you maintain proper tension on the bearings (check for play every few rides), you should be able to perform the EXTREMELY simple "rebuild" process once a year and have them last forever.

I'm slowly going back to exclusively using Shimano hubs because I still have yet to come across a problem-free sealed cartridge hub. All the while I have 10+ year old Shimano's still spinning like new.
flag markg1150
Posted: Sep 8, 2015 at 7:35 Quote
Gotta admit I'm starting to wanna go back to cup and cone. My shimano deore hubs spin way better than my hopes ever have or will unless I spend a fortune on ceramic bearings. That and the free hub is much quieter
flag MonkeyPuzzle
Posted: Sep 8, 2015 at 14:28 Quote
TheRaven wrote:
I'm slowly going back to exclusively using Shimano hubs because I still have yet to come across a problem-free sealed cartridge hub. All the while I have 10+ year old Shimano's still spinning like new.

I'm running a pair of 20 year-old M737 hubs on my '95 Marin Pine Mountain, but I stick to river paths and cross country on that old fella.
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