Mesh kite spinners - attractive but fragile?

My 2,113th kite video. Not much in the air in this short flight, but these mesh spinners certainly catch the eye. However, their construction is not great, and this is not the first time that I've had one fall apart. The current price seems to be much higher than when I bought mine, so maybe the quality has increased too, but I don't have any information on this.
Anyone wanting to check out all my "How to..." videos on various aspects of kite-flying can now find them all easily on my Playlist at / jimskitesnz .

[@kiteflyingdownunder....car6272]

Thanks for showing the spinners again. They still looked great even with the damage. Interesting the direction of the triangular fabric pieces alters the rotation.

[@JimNicholls]

The surprising thing is that they rotate at all, with all the holes they have in them!

[@EvanPang-w4i]

Very colorful: brightens up the gloomy day quite well!

[@JimNicholls]

I'm glad that it helped, Evan!

[@craigh3381]

Jim thank you for sharing...enjoyed the mesh spinners...

[@JimNicholls]

You are very welcome, Craig. They are interesting items.

[@SingaporeCityWalks]

First time I see such spinners. They look fragile but interesting, especially the different directions of rotation.

[@JimNicholls]

They are not seen often, but certainly look interesting. They were not well made, and the fabric frays badly. It's hard to see why they rotate at all, but the different directions are probably because the triangles of fabric are oriented differently on the two spinners.

[@MrOldflyer]

Gosh, those are mesmerising to watch Jim! Loved them!

[@JimNicholls]

Glad you like them, Nigel! I've had them for ten years and have made several videos of them previously, but I don't fly them often.

[@johndennehy3014]

This is mesmerising!

[@JimNicholls]

They are quite special, for sure.

[@ronstewart9792]

The mesh spinners are cool Jim, Ron

[@JimNicholls]

They surely are, Ron, and it's still a mystery to me how they work so well when half of them is empty space.

[@deweygravesjr.122]

Nice video Jim. Very cool spinners. Thanks Jim!

[@JimNicholls]

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Dewey. Those spinners are great, but I wish they were more durable.

[@SeanSkyhawk]

Interesting form factor for a spinner!

[@JimNicholls]

Indeed it is! It's hard to believe that they operate so well with all the holes in them.

[@ttullis1]

Jim I have one of those spinners and they are, as you say, fragile but what a look they have in the sky. I'm glad I have one but would be hestitant to buy another.

[@JimNicholls]

Tim, the price seems to have gone up enormously since I bought mine, and I wonder if that may be in part due to their having introduced a more robust construction. Probably not, and I, too, would not be buying another, certainly at the current price. I spent some time today repairing the broken one, and sewed on new triangles that I'd hot cut, so they will outlast the others which are all fraying to some extent and were clearly not hot cut. The idea of these items is great and they look terrific, so it's a great pity that they're not more durable.

[@vikramsinghkite4358]

Very nice kite flying sir

[@JimNicholls]

Thank you, Vikram. I'm glad that you liked them.

[@BobIsnt287]

congrats on 2000 videos jim! :)

[@JimNicholls]

Thank you!

[@PanyingPilot]

Went to the beach yesterday with a plan. Sky was clear, winds fickle and heat excessive. Packed up to leave and Nature threw the switch and went from 5 to 15 mph . No video to show, but endless debriefing at home about the experience. Fortunately most kites did not have to be repacked.

[@JimNicholls]

Kite-flying has become more frustrating in recent times, with weather conditions less stable and predictable everywhere, it seems. We have many fewer flying days now, and when we do fly it's often in unsettled winds and cloud is much more frequent. I hope, Glenn, that you have better luck next time. I know it's quite a trip to the beach for you, whereas I'm only a few minutes away, so can keep an eye on the weather before I go.

[@flyingfish1849]

Oh, my… when you have a plan and a camera we see some cool videos! Are tree levels in panying flying? What comes after Grand Master Aloft? I’ll have to wait and tune in next time! Bummer on the wind velocity!

[@googleuser3553]

Thanks Jim. What causes the spinners to spin in different directions?

[@JimNicholls]

I guess, Sheryl, it's the fact that the triangles of fabric are orientated differently on the two spinners, but how that works I have no idea.

[@DavidHaworthWA9ONY]

Hi Jim great video , for kite line laundry, which is best single skin lifter, delta or parafoil kite?

[@JimNicholls]

It all depends on what you want to lift, and how much wind you have. Deltas, if big enough, can lift quite well but are not happy in strong winds. Parafoils of the right size and type are ideal, and my favourite lifter is the UltraFoil 30, which is sadly not currently available (and was expensive anyway). In my next video you will see the UltraFoil 30 lifting three items, and its smaller sister the UltraFoil 15 lifting five items, most of which are fairly small. There's no "best" lifter, and I use whatever I have with me that I think is suitable at the time. Sometimes that might be an inflatable kite such as the Trilobite or Tadpole. I would not recommend the single skin lifter, which is only satisfactory in a smooth light wind and needs a good tail to be of any use.

[@DavidHaworthWA9ONY]

@@JimNicholls Thank you for the detailed reply. What is a strong wind to you? Also, what type/strength of kite line did you use in this video? Happy flying.

[@JimNicholls]

There is no clear level at which I'd call a wind "strong", as what is stressful to one kite might be easily handled by a different one. But I'd hesitate to fly most deltas in more than about 18 mph, whereas a parafoil would probably be good at another 10 mph on top of that. Both would be happier in somewhat less wind, but the parafoil needs a little more breeze than the delta at the bottom end. Manufacturers usually give a guide to wind speeds suitable for their kites, which can give you some help, but there are no hard-and-fast rules and the smoothness of the wind is equally important, if not more so. In the end, the wind is what it is, and you need several kites if you want to cope with a wide range of conditions. I used 300lb line on the lifter in this video. It has quite a strong pull.

[@DavidHaworthWA9ONY]

@@JimNicholls Thank you for your experience.

[@JimNicholls]

I forgot to mention the Power Sleds in my previous answers. They are excellent lifters at a very good price. See: www.pictureprettykites.com/single-line-kites/36-power-sled-wave-break/ and www.pictureprettykites.com/single-line-kites/24-ft-power-sled-illusion/ . There are lots of videos on my channel showing these kites doing an excellent job of lifting. I've not been using them recently, but will do so again soon. They are a great alternative to foils, and in some conditions probably better.