Hayes Brakes

Can someone explain what the differences are between Hayes Mags and HFX-9's.

All I can gather from the Hayes site is that the Mags are slightly lighter, and the lever looks a little more solid.

I'm looking for some real world comparisons in terms of power, modulation, reliability.

The difference is in the levers really. Mag's have almost 3x the bladder size of HFX-9's. They're less likely to have brake fade over a long downhill or ride and have more room for fluid expansion due to the increased bladder size. Better lever on the Mag's typically as well.

…………but both of 'em still suck. Avid or Shimano IMO.

…………but both of 'em still suck. Avid or Shimano IMO.

personally coming off older/low end V-brakes, Hayes disc brakes are like magic to me.

Avid is the way to go. hayes break down after a year and shimano uses mineral oil which heats up a lot is you do downhill.

I've been on my Mags for a while now and I like 'em. They can be a bit off or on, but I have had no problems at all with them. They work really well in the tighter stuff on the shore where you need to stop ina big hurry from time to time.

shimano uses mineral oil which heats up a lot is you do downhill.

Oh really? How much does it heat up and what problems does this cause?

As per Mags vs. HFX-9s

The Mag is Hayes' original break. The HFX-9 was brought out to meet a lower price point, it uses a cheaper lever body to bring the cost down a bit. (They both use the same caliper). The master cylinder on the Mag is indepent of the lever housing, which simplifies repair if it gets broken. On the HFX-9 the master cylinder sleeve is the lever housing (as are pretty much all other brakes). This means that if you break the housing you need to rebuild the master cylinder, or as it is often simpler, just replace the whole lever assembly.

Because the piston sizes are the same on the two brakes power/modulation should be the same. The master cylinder design on the HFX-9s seems to be more prone to trapping air bubbles, this can make the lever feel spongy if some air is trapped in there. There's no reason why a good mechanic can't make either brake feel firm though. Out of the two I actually like the feel of the lever blade on the HFX-9 more as it is more rounded.

The Mags were the class leader when they were introduced in 1998. They are still a decent brake, easy to work on and very rebuildable (all small parts available) but they are seriously outclassed in terms of modulation and ergonomics by modern offers from Avid, Shimano, Magura, or Hope.

I am and have been running a 4 pot XT in the front for 2 years now and have had little problems with fade and such. It may die out a touch but I don't think there is a brake out there with 0 fade whatsoever.

alls i know is that while my hayes mags don't stack up 100[HTML_REMOVED]#37; to most newer offerings, i have had them for 5 or 6 years, with only 2 bleedings each. they are due for a piston overhaul though.

I am and have been running a 4 pot XT in the front for 2 years now and have had little problems with fade and such. It may die out a touch but I don't think there is a brake out there with 0 fade whatsoever.

I still think these 4 pot are the best buy atm.

I have had HFX 9's on every bike I have owned. As far as power goes…yup its there. But its for sure on or off. I can say this though, they will NOT be on my next bike. After testing some of Avid's offerings, I will be giving my money to them. Tried the Juicy's last year and loved them. Tried the Code's this year, love them even more. NO comparison to the HFX 9's.

I still think these 4 pot are the best buy atm.

Their days are numbered. The pistons are starting to sieze up and they have a buck nasty squeel to them. During their prime time though they couldn't be beat IMO. It's a shame they stopped making them.

^I agree. I had a set of 4-piston XTs up until a couple years ago and they were great. I was being facetious with my mineral oil question.

However, I wouldn't buy a set now unless they were super cheap because they are basically garbage if the seals go. Replacement parts were hard enough to get even when the brakes were in production.

I'm now running Hope Mono 4s which deliver very similar performance (and strangely enough use the exact same pad dimensions so the pads are compatible).

Jeff, ive hear m4's have nasty brake fade, also, one of my friends has them, and at the bottom of woodlot he said that they lost all of there power.. comments ?