Dyna-King's newest entry in the true-rotary market is its "Trekker" version of the Barracuda Jr. The primary difference between the standard Barracuda and the Trekker is smaller size and the substitution of aluminum for stainless steel in the arm, bearing housing, and rear assembly. The jaw housing and standrod remain of stainless steel. The benefit of the substitution is a reduction in weight, which Dyna-King claims, is under half a pound, without the base. (My office electronic postal scale indicated 9.6 ounces for the pedestal model.) Plastic thumbscrews replace the knurled brass pieces for rotary tension adjustment and adjustment of the jaw assembly to put the hook shank on the axis of rotation, and the rotation lock-out screw is replaced by an Allen screw. Both models come with a Delrin collar which carries the bobbin hanger, while the c-clamp model has an additional collar to set the height of the vise.

Dyna-King Trekker

The centering gauge which is provided with the Barracuda model is not included, and while this tool is beneficial for novices, adjustment of the Dyna-King jaws to put the hook shank on axis is simply accomplished without the gauge.

Outrigger

The vise is available in either pedestal or c-clamp models. The standrod on the pedestal model is approximately 7" tall, while the c-clamp model provides a 9" standrod for greater height adjustment. The pedestal base is suitably hefty, with a footprint of 4" x 5 5/8". The C-clamp gap is 2.5", with only about 1 7/8" usable. Dyna-King offers a larger c-clamp, which will accommodate table top thicknesses of up to 3". Recognizing that a wider surface on the c-clamp is beneficial for a vise of this size, the provided c-clamp includes what Dyna-King calls the "small outrigger," a machined aluminum piece which provides a larger clamping surface. However, this piece also reduces the usable gap to about 1.5". If your tying table has a thick top, opt for the larger clamp base.

Dyna-King Trekker Midge Jaws

As is explained in the main article, vise design involves a series of choices. As with other Dyna-King true rotary models, Ron Abby's decision was to emphasize the hook holding capabilities of his push collet jaw design, which is retained in the Trekker. This design places a significant amount of weight relatively far from the axis of rotation, so physical laws of gravity and inertia want to keep the jaws at the six o'clock position. (Other designs combat this tendency by either using lighter parallel clamping jaws, placing the weight of the jaws closer to the axis of rotation, or both.) If the rotary tension is not tight enough, the jaws tend to fall, and rotation feels heavy and unbalanced. If the tension is tight enough to hold the jaws in the desired position, turning the vise requires slightly more effort. Nonetheless, careful adjustment of the rotary tension screw will result in operation which is smooth and pleasant. Rotation is accomplished by a simple, straight lever behind the bearing housing.

Dyna-King Trekker Jaws

The benefit of Abby's jaw design is superior hook-holding power.

The supplied jaws incorporate the double hook pocket design of Dyna-King's other vises, scored on the interior tips, and they function well from 4/0 tarpon hooks down to about size 18 or 20. If your tying includes the micro hooks, you'll want the optional midge jaws, which retail for $39.

Verdict:
The switch from stainless to aluminum resulted in some weight saving, but the Barracuda Jr. Trekker remains a large vise, more suitable for bench work than as a true traveler--you won't want to put this one in your vest. However, the changes are also reflected in the price. The current price for the full-sized Barracuda is $349, while the Jr. Trekker retails at $219--a significant difference. The price differential is reflected in the appearance of the Trekker and its use of less expensive parts. For example, the cam lever is a somewhat cruder piece than the machined and knurled piece on Dyna-Kings's higher priced tools. But this is well-made, highly functional tool, available at significant savings over the full-sized all stainless Barracuda.

With a differential of $130 between the stainless Barracuda and the Jr. Trekker, and a similar difference when considering Renzetti's Presentation series, the Trekker becomes a good value for a full-size true rotary.