Power Kite Forum

HQ Toxic

SecondWind - 30-3-2012 at 01:08 PM

Any PKFers flying the HQ Toxic?

I haven't had the chance to fly one yet.

Would like to hear some reviews :thumbup:

awindofchange - 30-3-2012 at 01:33 PM

Very nice kite. The Toxic is comparable to the Ozone Method or the Peter Lynn Reactor II. It is a mid range kite meaning that it is not quite as stable as the beginner or introductory kites like the Flow, Beamer or Hornet but it has higher performance. These kites are not as radical or high strung as the Race kites like the Yakuza GT, Prodigy or Vapor but still produce excellent power / speed / performance.

I like to fly these mid range kites for all of my normal buggy riding. They have the higher performance that I crave without being super twitchy or having to worry about them overshooting the window like the Race kites.

The Toxic is a very nice kite from HQ and it does exactly what it is designed to do. It has better power than the introductory kites but probably a little less than the Reactor II's. Super stable, built exceptionally well. The bag is very nice.

SecondWind - 30-3-2012 at 02:41 PM

Thanks for the scoop Kent. Excellent info - think I need to get one in for a demo soon.

BeamerBob - 30-3-2012 at 03:24 PM

Kent you ought to get into this full time! :lol: You said exactly what I was going to say so I'm just here to confirm your opinion. Very nice kites indeed.

chris - 30-3-2012 at 04:03 PM

SecondWind - 30-3-2012 at 04:43 PM

Great video Chris :thumbup:

dandre - 31-3-2012 at 07:36 AM

buggy promos are finally starting to draw me in,
that looked fun

Drewculous - 31-3-2012 at 09:00 AM

<<----that pic... I was on a 6.5 toxic

Nice little jumper too, favors more brake input... But once you get the feel, its a pretty fun kite!

SecondWind - 14-4-2012 at 02:22 AM

Flew a 4m HQ Toxic for the first time today - very nice kite :thumbup:

Winds were around 15 mph and I used my Dirtsurfer. The kite was super stable with smooth power delivery throughout the window.

Very impressed with the build quality also.

I'm definitely Looking forward to putting more hours on the Toxic!

DSC00493.jpg - 152kB

SecondWind - 14-4-2012 at 02:26 AM

In the air:

DSC00488.jpg - 28kB

SecondWind - 14-4-2012 at 02:27 AM

HQ Toxic:

DSC00497.jpg - 112kB

SecondWind - 14-4-2012 at 02:30 AM

Backside design:

DSC00486.jpg - 103kB

SecondWind - 14-4-2012 at 02:31 AM

Handles:

DSC00481.jpg - 191kB

SecondWind - 14-4-2012 at 02:35 AM

Backpack:

DSC00487.jpg - 190kB

soliver - 14-4-2012 at 03:59 PM

I'm always thinking about what I'll get next for another buggy engine to expand the quiver.

I fly a 5m PL Core and LOOOOOOOVE it (esp as a buggy engine), and have been hoping they won't be all gone this fall when I get the money to expand.

Anyone know how Toxic compares to Core should they be all gone when I can buy? Similar or different in what ways? Not buying now, just curious because I have been eyeballing the Toxic for a while now.

BTW,... what's a dirtsurfer?

P.S. please don't U2U me about a Core or Toxic you may have for sale,... I guarantee you that I can't afford it unless its free.

awindofchange - 14-4-2012 at 04:50 PM

Technically - the Core is a beginner to intermediate freestyle kite. It is the first kite in PL's "Pro" line. Performance wise, the Core compares to the Hornet, Flow and the Beamer. The difference is the Core is built with a different material making it lighter so it performs better in lighter winds, plus the bridles are made from a higher grade material and it has a little more detail to the overall construction.

The Toxic would be more towards the intermediate kite range. Similar comparison to the Reactor II and the Method. Personal experience is that the Reactor II has a slight edge in speed, but performance wise the Toxic fits right in with these three kites. It is a bit more stable than the RII and in the hands of the right pilot I feel it could match the speed. It is a perfect step up from the introductory kites.

If you are wanting to move up in performance a bit from the Core's but still maintain that excellent stability and predictability, the Toxic is a great choice.

SecondWind - 15-4-2012 at 02:07 AM

A great ride if you have space (need some room for turns).

www.dirtsurfer.com

Quote:
Originally posted by soliver

BTW,... what's a dirtsurfer?



Dirtsurfers.jpg - 189kB

dandre - 15-4-2012 at 03:05 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by awindofchange
Technically - the Core is a beginner to intermediate freestyle kite. It is the first kite in PL's "Pro" line. Performance wise, the Core compares to the Hornet, Flow and the Beamer. The difference is the Core is built with a different material making it lighter so it performs better in lighter winds, plus the bridles are made from a higher grade material and it has a little more detail to the overall construction.

The Toxic would be more towards the intermediate kite range. Similar comparison to the Reactor II and the Method. Personal experience is that the Reactor II has a slight edge in speed, but performance wise the Toxic fits right in with these three kites. It is a bit more stable than the RII and in the hands of the right pilot I feel it could match the speed. It is a perfect step up from the introductory kites.

If you are wanting to move up in performance a bit from the Core's but still maintain that excellent stability and predictability, the Toxic is a great choice.


Kent can you verify lift?

SecondWind - 15-4-2012 at 08:49 PM

Flew the Toxic for an hour today with the Mountainboard - great kite!

Yes - it has some lift, but not "Blade" like by any means (but maybe my opinion will change in bigger winds/more time on the kite).

lunchbox - 15-4-2012 at 11:19 PM

How does it compare to the U-Turn Butane and Flexi Blurr...(mostly curious about power and speed).

dandre - 16-4-2012 at 12:43 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SecondWind
Flew the Toxic for an hour today with the Mountainboard - great kite!

Yes - it has some lift, but not "Blade" like by any means (but maybe my opinion will change in bigger winds/more time on the kite).


Blade/twister kind of lift often affects other aspects of performance, I'm interested in an all around flyer with good speed/upwind.

Still wanna loft and do the magic dance though

awindofchange - 16-4-2012 at 04:46 PM

Any kite (in the right conditions) will loft you. I have been 8 ft. up with a 1.5m Little Devil (not on purpose by the way).

Lift is such a controversial subject. Compared to the Blades/TwisterIIR's and Depowerables, the Toxic has very little lift. It does however have a bit higher performance than the lower aspect ratio kites so in the right conditions, and with the right pilot, the Toxic can boost you up when you want it to. I don't feel that the Toxic is designed as a lifty kite (unlike the Twister II or Blade I's/II's or the Scout). I feel perfectly fine with it in the buggy and it has great upwind performance and excellent speed. If you want to go big on it you could, but (I feel) it would be much easier (and safer) to grab some air on a depowerable kite.