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Howdy Dakka-ites,

Getting tired of lugging my space marine army around in 3 standard GW cases, a Sterites box and a tackle box. I am looking at one large solution. Sabol and Battlefoam are both very compelling choices, IMO.

Here is what I want to tote:

Landraider X4
Drop Pods x3
Dreadnoughtsx3
Landspeeder X6
Landspeeder Storm
Rhino X4
Razorback X2
Vindicator x 2
Predador X2

I have various troop choices, but these are a non-factor for me.

this information given, I have been measuring the pros and cons of both

Sabol: Looking at he Division. Fits 3600 CI of foam. Overwhelmingly less expensive, but I am not sure how efficient a design they are. AS an example, If I get a 4" thick tray for some land raiders, it seems I cam only store 1 land raider in it. There is more space, but it would be wasted on a model that does not need the height, thus is is less efficient. The cases seems of a lower grade quality.

Battlefoam: looking at the 1520. Fits 4092 CI of foam More expensive, seems to be of better quality. I value a good quality product and do not hesitate in putting forth the money for higher quality as long as I feel I am not wasting my money. That said, it has goodies I don't need, like the display table, so I feel like I am wasting money. The tray will fit 2 land raider plus a 3rd, smaller model as well in the 4" deep tray. I can also have the foam custom cut. With most of my models being 3rd edition, I don't know if their templates will work with my models (such as the size difference in the Rhino based models). A Big Turn off: I have sent two different e-mails asking question, and have received no answers from battlefoam. this makes me nervous about their customer service. Also I should state I am not going to trade in my GW cases to Battlefoam, as I have a large unassembled IG army I will be trying out.

Please, relate your insights and experiences.

Ted

Suggestion: Whatever company you buy your foam from, they conform to the "standard" Sabol size. Sabol, Portable Warfare, Outride, and Battlefoam ALL make trays in the 7.5x13in size.
However, take note that Batlefoam inexplicably makes their trays 7.75x13in.

That being said, you could always get the "double wide" foam tray. I use the Sabol tray and I can comfortably fit three Trygons and bits in there. I'm sure you can fit two Land Raiders in one as well.
Sabol: http://www.saboldesigns.net/catalog/item/4831262/5113608.htm

I'm not a fan of Battlefoam personally, but if there's one thing I have heard they're good at, it's customer support. I'm surprised you have gotten unreturned e-mails. Try again and/or call them with your questions.

I prefer Sabol cases. They are much more reasonably priced than battlefoam. If you want the best of both worlds, my advice is to get the motorpool (I believe this also works with the division case as well) case EMPTY, and purchase custom foam for the battlefoam range of cases. This way you get the cheaper case, but you can maximize your space utilization.

Well, I am buying the case and the foam, and not just the foam. Sorry if I was misleading there.

But I did not see the doublewide foam for Sabol. That puts a different spin on things. That's the kind of information I am looking for to garner an educated choice- thanks!

TedintheShed wrote:Well, I am buying the case and the foam, and not just the foam. Sorry if I was misleading there.

But I did not see the doublewide foam for Sabol. That puts a different spin on things. That's the kind of information I am looking for to garner an educated choice- thanks!

Sabol makes two versions of the doublewide: a 4" thick version for Superheavies like the Baneblade and a 2" thick hybrid.

These figure foam inserts only fit in the Sabol Motorpool and Division cases. My personal favorite is the Motorpool since I have a lot of IG vehicles. For Apoc games, I'm thinking of adding a second Motorpool case. I like the 2.5" or 3" standard inserts but I'll use the 4" as well since it came with the case.

See the figure foam inserts at: http://www.saboldesigns.net/figurefoam.html

I have a Sabol Motorpool and it's honestly not very good. The foam is low quality and glued onto the base rather messily, the case is soft and a bit too tight, so the trays get squished a bit.

If I were in the market for a new case, I'd either go with Battlefoam or buy a cheap carry-on and make my own trays.

lord_blackfang wrote:I have a Sabol Motorpool ... the case is soft and a bit too tight, so the trays get squished a bit.

I have three motorpools and this is my chief complaint about the case. The foam itself doesn't bother me. It gets the job done. I mainly use my battlefoam 1520 now primarily because of the rigid sides. I still like the pockets on the sides of the sabol cases better.

In terms of email, battlefoams presale CS is pretty hit or miss it seems like - they will work with you on the phone though if you call (not always ideal), and once you've ordered tend to be really responsive.

We just ordered a second 1520XL - if you aren't concerned too much about the $$, BF is definitely the way to go.

I apoligize for the lack of response to your email. If you PM i can answer any of your questions for you. This is the busiest time of year for us and we are trying to get all of our christmas orders out.

Rik

Thank you all for the responese

Cato Sicarius wrote:I apoligize for the lack of response to your email. If you PM i can answer any of your questions for you. This is the busiest time of year for us and we are trying to get all of our christmas orders out.

Rik

Rik, once I get home from work, expect an incoming PM- I appreciate you making the effort to answer my questions!

Ted

If you are concerned about the 'soft' shell of the motorpool case, you can just go to home depot and buy some of those plastic 'for sale' signs and the like. Just use an exacto blade to cut it down to size, and voila, removable rigid sides.

I am a big fan of Sabol and have numerous Motor Pools, and Divisions, as well as the Battalion bag. I recently added Sabol's new Armored Company bag to my collection and absolutely love it. The bag is sized to accommodate the double wide trays, and comes with "armored" panels to reinforce the bag and prevent the miniatures inside from being damaged. I was so impressed with the bag that after buying my first one in November I turned around and ordered a second bag.

It is worth giving the bag's page a look, and Sabol is doing a 25% discount on all orders over $100 during the month of December, which drops the bag's price down below $70.

http://www.saboldesigns.net/armored_company.html

I have three Sabol bags but have been eyeing the BF bags lately. I have had no issues with Sabol but as stated by others the foam is a little “sloppy” the way it’s glued.
I’m thinking BF because I like the idea of laser cut foam too….

If you're really concerned about Sabol's foam, you can use Portable Warfare's foam. It's the best quality stuff I've seen out there and still fits the Sabol-size of 7.5x13in:
http://www.portablewarfare.com/products/index.php#blufoam

Additionally, to transport my stuff to and from the local game store, I use an Office Depot rolly cart. It fits the Sabol-size trays very well and even survives being taken onto the subway:
http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/987304/Office-Depot-Mobile-Folding-File-Cart/
It's also really cheap and collapses nicely.

Personally, I don't have much brand loyalty, so I encourage sticking with products that conform to a standard size. All the major companies from Sabol to Battlefoam produce foam in the 7.5x13in size.

I have been kicking around these two companies as well. BF has a great looking product, in hand it feels very sturdy and looks like it could handle quite a bit of punishment. Sabol's looks nice too, just a little less nice. Almost like it was made at the soft lunchbox factory.

Battlefoam isn't worth the price. Sabol is a much more efficient use of funds and is flexible for adjustment later on where battlefoam is not. Once you've committed to a BF tray you are pretty much stuck with it, whether it fits the army you want to transport or not.

Like I said if anyone has questions please feel free to PM me. It may take a bit to respond but I promise I will get back to you.

Rik

NecronLord3 wrote:Battlefoam isn't worth the price. Sabol is a much more efficient use of funds and is flexible for adjustment later on where battlefoam is not. Once you've committed to a BF tray you are pretty much stuck with it, whether it fits the army you want to transport or not.

I didn't know Sabol made trays from living metal!

Or did you just mean you can leave a Sabol tray un-plucked until you buy more models? BF makes pluck trays too, if that's what you want.

However, take note that Batlefoam inexplicably makes their trays 7.75x13in.

Personally I think it's just so people will buy them, realize that they're a real tight fit in Sabol bags, and then go "Screw it, I'm going Battlefoam all the way."

Just a theory.

After seeing a Battlefoam bag in person I will say there's a big difference, the bag is way sturdier. Just so damn expensive though.

lord_blackfang wrote:

NecronLord3 wrote:Battlefoam isn't worth the price. Sabol is a much more efficient use of funds and is flexible for adjustment later on where battlefoam is not. Once you've committed to a BF tray you are pretty much stuck with it, whether it fits the army you want to transport or not.

I didn't know Sabol made trays from living metal!

Or did you just mean you can leave a Sabol tray un-plucked until you buy more models? BF makes pluck trays too, if that's what you want.

No what I'm saying is that the Sabol pluck trays give you room to put some units in a tray now and then adjust that position or add additional positions within the same tray. The pre-cut BF trays, don't provide this flexibility and the "Pluck" trays you are referring to are not remotely the same thing. You can fit 1, and only 1, average shaped model into a hole. In fact not only is in not remotely the same its actually quite useless.

Sabol Pluck Tray: $8.49
BF Hybrid Tray: $20

If anyone starts up the Foam Wars again, we will start handing out suspensions, no questions asked. What should be (and has pretty much been, in this thread) a comparison of competing products has turned very ugly in the past.

Things like this:

NecronLord3 wrote: In fact not only is in not remotely the same its actually quite useless.

are over the line. Blatantly false hyperbole only serves to inflame opinions and cause problems (it's blatantly false hyperbole because the trays you are talking about MUST have a use, or they would never sell, which they do).

Keep it to the facts, people, and don't stir anything up.

To the OP: If only you'd asked this question a month ago...when Battlefoam was having their annual Black Friday 25% off sale!

I used to be a Sabol man through and through, and earlier this year when I got into playing Warmachine I decided to pick up one of the Battlefoam Warmachine bags to try them out. It is my favorite bag I've ever had for my wargaming, cushioning and protecting the models in a durable case that also has plenty of pockets, and a built-in binder to hold my card sleeves!

This year at Black Friday, I decided to go ahead and pick up a 720 for my Space Marine army. When you buy a bag from them, you can choose your pre-cut foam inserts, including designing your own either by using their flash-based designer or actually tracing models onto paper and sending them the traces(great for custom models). I haven't received my order yet as I had ordered some custom-cut foam and that will slow down the order...but then again, I wasn't desperate to get my case in a rush, either, and it's still within their window for shipping. Based on my experiences with the Warmachine case, I'm eagerly awaiting my 720...though sometimes I wish I'd just bitten the bullet and gotten a 1520 instead.

In comparison,

I have a Sabol bag with a combination of Sabol and BF foam. I love my bag and it was much more reasonably priced than the BF alternative; however, I like the precut BF foam for standard sized minis and the Sabol pluck foam for the odd minis (ogre hunter, yhetis, gorgers...)

I am much the same as the previous poster in that I have no brand loyalty. When considering what transport product to buy, I buy the cheapest product that will fit my needs. To me, foam is foam. I haven't ponied up for the blu foam through portable warfare but it looks to be of high quality but more expensive than I'm willing to pay.

2cents.

I've got a bit of everything. I have a huge collection of Sabol bags, an old BF 1520, and BF cut trays fit to a sabol bag. BF makes a heck of a bag. They're gigantic. Hard sides is nice if your going to be traveling a lot and aren't taking your car. Their trays cut for sabol bags are also pretty sturdy. I bought their pack of 5 for my IG infantry. I wouldn't use their custom cut foam if only because every addition you make to the army is going to require new tray(s). None of my above points adress the price difference, which is considerable. In short, I'd go with Sabol bags and at most some of the pre-cut BF trays for infantry as they do hold more standard models.

DrunkenBoxer wrote:To the OP: If only you'd asked this question a month ago...when Battlefoam was having their annual Black Friday 25% off sale!

I used to be a Sabol man through and through, and earlier this year when I got into playing Warmachine I decided to pick up one of the Battlefoam Warmachine bags to try them out. It is my favorite bag I've ever had for my wargaming, cushioning and protecting the models in a durable case that also has plenty of pockets, and a built-in binder to hold my card sleeves!

This year at Black Friday, I decided to go ahead and pick up a 720 for my Space Marine army. When you buy a bag from them, you can choose your pre-cut foam inserts, including designing your own either by using their flash-based designer or actually tracing models onto paper and sending them the traces(great for custom models). I haven't received my order yet as I had ordered some custom-cut foam and that will slow down the order...but then again, I wasn't desperate to get my case in a rush, either, and it's still within their window for shipping. Based on my experiences with the Warmachine case, I'm eagerly awaiting my 720...though sometimes I wish I'd just bitten the bullet and gotten a 1520 instead.

I'm in the same boat as you DrunkenBoxer. The Warmachine bag is AWESOME, and I'm eagerly awaiting my 720 as well. I test drove a Warmachine bag at Miniature Market so I was able to see the in's and out's and it really is the perfect bag. The only thing I don't like about the other bags is a factor of Warhammer vs Warmachine. Warhammer 40k requires alot more larger models (tanks/dreads/defilers/demon princes/etc) that are all sorts of goofy shapes and require alot of space in a bag. Ideally I wanted a 432 just so I could have a complete army in a small case, but in the mechanized world of 5th edition 40k, this is just not possible, so I went with a 720 for my Mech Eldar, with 3x 3 Falcon/Serpent trays and 1 infantry tray. Unfortunately, at present there is no way I can think of that my Dread Bash/Khornezilla army will fit in anything less than a 1520 because of the stupid defilers/soulgrinders, but that's a different story.

So...in any event, I love battlefoam!

NecronLord3 wrote:Battlefoam isn't worth the price. Sabol is a much more efficient use of funds and is flexible for adjustment later on where battlefoam is not. Once you've committed to a BF tray you are pretty much stuck with it, whether it fits the army you want to transport or not.

Quick question but, first, a preface:

I know you're no BF fan, and I see in the quote above how you feel re: committing to a BF tray & being stuck with it.

Why is it that you feel Battlefoam isn't worth the price? What I'd really like to see is an answer without (a) commenting on any specific person involved in the company or (b) comparing it to any other product ir company.
I'd like to see an analysis of BF by itself. I happen to like them, but admit to not owning any. So, I'm interested in seeing well presented dissenting opinions.

Thanks

Eric

I've used Sabol bags and trays in the past, and I did not like them. I prefer GW cases to the Sabol ones I owned. Picked up a Warmachine Battlefoam Bag some months ago, and I absolutely LOVE the thing. Everyone I know who's gotten one loves it, and most of the Warmachine players at the FLGS have been getting them after seeing the ones people have.

Fun story. A friend at the FLGS had his Warmachine Battlefoam Bag with his full army stolen out of his car. Either the person did not know what they were taking, or they were doing it just to spite him, because they threw it off the bridge a block away. It wasn't found until a full month later by a road worker doing survey work on the bridge. He saw what was in it, knew about the comic shop right there, and asked inside if anyone was missing it. The guy was working at the time, so he went down and got it. The bag and everything inside were still full intact. The only thing that got ruined was the codex on the very bottom of the bag, where some of the creek water had leaked into the bag. Everything above that was fine.

NecronLord3 wrote:
No what I'm saying is that the Sabol pluck trays give you room to put some units in a tray now and then adjust that position or add additional positions within the same tray. The pre-cut BF trays, don't provide this flexibility and the "Pluck" trays you are referring to are not remotely the same thing. You can fit 1, and only 1, average shaped model into a hole. In fact not only is in not remotely the same its actually quite useless.

Sabol Pluck Tray: $8.49
BF Hybrid Tray: $20

You do know that BF sells regular pluck foam trays just like sabol trays, right? You're not deliberately trying to compare apples and oranges because you're so dead set against BF, right?

Anyway, comparing cost by area of standard 2" deep foam pluck trays*:

Sabol pluck tray @$8.49 (7.5"x13"=97.5 in²) is $0.09 per in².

BF pluck tray @$20.00 (15.5"x12"= 186 in²) is $0.11 per in².

* sabol pluck trays range up to 4" deep and are all $8.49. BF pluck trays are only available up to 3" and range from $17 to $22.

MagickalMemories wrote:

NecronLord3 wrote:Battlefoam isn't worth the price. Sabol is a much more efficient use of funds and is flexible for adjustment later on where battlefoam is not. Once you've committed to a BF tray you are pretty much stuck with it, whether it fits the army you want to transport or not.

Quick question but, first, a preface:

I know you're no BF fan, and I see in the quote above how you feel re: committing to a BF tray & being stuck with it.

Why is it that you feel Battlefoam isn't worth the price? What I'd really like to see is an answer without (a) commenting on any specific person involved in the company or (b) comparing it to any other product ir company.
I'd like to see an analysis of BF by itself. I happen to like them, but admit to not owning any. So, I'm interested in seeing well presented dissenting opinions.

Thanks

Eric

Its all about consumer value. It would be one thing to buy Battlefoam if it was better product for a similar price. However, its not. It is an arguably slightly better alternative to what other companies product for far less. BF trays are a good idea but they are extremely impractical for anyone who does more than standard poses(which is your average gamer) and having to custom design each tray is just as easy as using pluck foam yourself, again for a much better price.

BF is an over priced product that might be slightly better than what Sabol has to offer. But for the long term I want a product that I can adjust to my needs, and BF precut trays just are not that at all. If I'm going to purchase pluck foam, I'm doing it at a far better price with Sabol.

Lorek wrote:If anyone starts up the Foam Wars again, we will start handing out suspensions, no questions asked. What should be (and has pretty much been, in this thread) a comparison of competing products has turned very ugly in the past.

Things like this:

NecronLord3 wrote: In fact not only is in not remotely the same its actually quite useless.

are over the line. Blatantly false hyperbole only serves to inflame opinions and cause problems (it's blatantly false hyperbole because the trays you are talking about MUST have a use, or they would never sell, which they do).

Keep it to the facts, people, and don't stir anything up.

So no negative opinions about an advertiser? Saying it's useless is just as valid as saying they have converted from Sabol to BF. Neither is a "Fact" in this case.