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Old 07-21-2014, 11:52 PM   #1
Alexrom1207
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Cyrano Evo HF Hands On Review

I did some research, tried to read reviews, and watched a few youtube videos, but wasn't able to get any good info. Finally I just purchased a Cyrano Evo HF 100cm, and figured I would post initial thoughts for people still considering this gun.


First, the build quality on the gun seems top notch. I like the feel of the barrel and handle. The trigger pull is nice and smooth, and overall I think it's built well. It is deadly accurate, tracks through the water very well, and is an all around excellent gun. I am very happy with it. The power is good at the stock 20 bars, but it is so easy to load and can obviously take quite a bit more power, so I'd recommend adding some pressure to it. Compared to my Cressi SL 70, it is like loading the gun on the low power setting. With 25-27 bars of pressure, I'm assuming the gun will have all the power you could want out of it. I bought it with the intention of shooting 40+ pound fish at 15+ feet, so I'd like to get all the power I can out of it.



All that being said, there are a couple of issues I'd like to point out to people who purchase this gun.

1. The plastic slider on the shaft. Take this thing off and throw it away. It is worthless. It broke after 3 uses and I nearly lost the shaft as a result. I plan on purchasing a new shaft anyway (as the stock shaft is super light and I want something with more punch), but honestly Mares, why go so cheap on a part that is expected to take so much abuse? Omer's Airbalete may have had a bunch of problems, but their high quality metal slide ring was not one of them. I'll be replacing the plastic slider with a metal one on the new shaft.

2. The paint job on the barrel. If you want a gun that always looks brand new, be really careful about letting the barrel rub up against other guns, rocks, etc... I've had the gun in the water probably 5 times and the barrel is already pretty scraped up. This doesn't bother me in the least bit, as I kind of like a gun that looks used, but I know some people complain about these things.

3. The plastic line release. I haven't broken this....yet. But I've heard people have and I can see how. It's a bit light duty for my tastes. On a 100cm pneumatic, I'd think that the parts would be a little tougher. Just be careful around it, as it could break and does not look all that easy to change. Unlike the line release on my cressi SL which is super easy to change ( I know because I've broken it 3 times now).

4. The Mares Reel. This reel is okay. I'm generally not a fan of vertical reels, but it comes with the gun so I guess I can't complain. What I can complain about, is the drag screw (the screw on the side of the reel that lets you adjust how the drag works). Take it out, put some locktite on it, and screw it back in to the desired setting. The screw has a nasty tendency of coming out when you adjust the clutch-style drag. It's not a big deal, just something to take 2 minutes to fix. As for the clutch-style drag, it's super easy to use and I like it a lot.

5. The Clever loader fits in the handle: No it doesn't. There is a metal pin/bar that fits across the inside of the handle (likely for support) and it prevents the loader from sliding in as depicted in the promotional material. It looks like there is a way to remove the orange handle grip part and probably remove this metal pin, but I haven't tried. Honestly, Keeping the loader tucked into the handle seems like a bigger pain to me than it would be worth (especially trying to remove it with 5mm gloves), and the likelihood of dropping it.

Final Thoughts:

I really like this gun. It's kind of funny. I bought it with the intention of having a new toy to play with and figure out etc...and what I got was something so simple, intuitive, and proficient at what it does that you kind of forget about it. It's a great gun so far, but I've only had it for 1/2 a season. I'm hoping that it holds up, but Mares has a reputation for quality, so I am sure it will. It's very easy to load, easy to shoot, easy to transport, and easy to enjoy. I also do some shore diving (and with the larger ports for water to exit the barrel, there is definitely a heightened risk of sand getting in there). The gun comes with a nice rubber barrel cover that seals off the barrel tip as well as down to the sides where these ports are. I keep it on the gun whenever I head out. Not really a big deal, but a nice touch.

I will probably transition the gun over to a dry barrel system, but I'm going to shoot it stock for the first couple of seasons to see what I think.

Hope this post helps people considering this gun. I would definitely recommend it over the Omer Airbalete. If you have any questions, I'm happy to lend what assistance I can.

Cheers and happy hunting,
Alex
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Old 07-22-2014, 10:05 PM   #2
popgun pete
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Re: Cyrano Evo HF Hands On Review

Did you receive a parts diagram with the gun's instructions? Over the last two decades Mares have stopped supplying an exploded parts diagram and component list for their pneumatic spearguns, but one lives in hope of this policy reversing as up until the "Cyrano" appeared this information was always in the gun's operating manual as standard practice. The dealers receive the parts and internal layout info for service and repair purposes, but until that info percolates through to the user market the innards of any new Mares gun are a bit of a mystery, that is until someone opens one up and takes some photos.

Mares have made a promotional feature of the raised inner barrel and larger transfer port in the partitioning pressure bulkhead, which was most likely a consequence of lifting the inner barrel up, but there is zero info on this feature. Do you find any difference in moving the regulator knob into the low power position, assuming you have used guns with the earlier set-up to compare it with.
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Old 07-23-2014, 03:33 AM   #3
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Re: Cyrano Evo HF Hands On Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alexrom1207 View Post
I did some research, tried to read reviews, and watched a few youtube videos, but wasn't able to get any good info. Finally I just purchased a Cyrano Evo HF 100cm, and figured I would post initial thoughts for people still considering this gun.


First, the build quality on the gun seems top notch. I like the feel of the barrel and handle. The trigger pull is nice and smooth, and overall I think it's built well. It is deadly accurate, tracks through the water very well, and is an all around excellent gun. I am very happy with it. The power is good at the stock 20 bars, but it is so easy to load and can obviously take quite a bit more power, so I'd recommend adding some pressure to it. Compared to my Cressi SL 70, it is like loading the gun on the low power setting. With 25-27 bars of pressure, I'm assuming the gun will have all the power you could want out of it. I bought it with the intention of shooting 40+ pound fish at 15+ feet, so I'd like to get all the power I can out of it.



All that being said, there are a couple of issues I'd like to point out to people who purchase this gun.

1. The plastic slider on the shaft. Take this thing off and throw it away. It is worthless. It broke after 3 uses and I nearly lost the shaft as a result. I plan on purchasing a new shaft anyway (as the stock shaft is super light and I want something with more punch), but honestly Mares, why go so cheap on a part that is expected to take so much abuse? Omer's Airbalete may have had a bunch of problems, but their high quality metal slide ring was not one of them. I'll be replacing the plastic slider with a metal one on the new shaft.

2. The paint job on the barrel. If you want a gun that always looks brand new, be really careful about letting the barrel rub up against other guns, rocks, etc... I've had the gun in the water probably 5 times and the barrel is already pretty scraped up. This doesn't bother me in the least bit, as I kind of like a gun that looks used, but I know some people complain about these things.

3. The plastic line release. I haven't broken this....yet. But I've heard people have and I can see how. It's a bit light duty for my tastes. On a 100cm pneumatic, I'd think that the parts would be a little tougher. Just be careful around it, as it could break and does not look all that easy to change. Unlike the line release on my cressi SL which is super easy to change ( I know because I've broken it 3 times now).

4. The Mares Reel. This reel is okay. I'm generally not a fan of vertical reels, but it comes with the gun so I guess I can't complain. What I can complain about, is the drag screw (the screw on the side of the reel that lets you adjust how the drag works). Take it out, put some locktite on it, and screw it back in to the desired setting. The screw has a nasty tendency of coming out when you adjust the clutch-style drag. It's not a big deal, just something to take 2 minutes to fix. As for the clutch-style drag, it's super easy to use and I like it a lot.

5. The Clever loader fits in the handle: No it doesn't. There is a metal pin/bar that fits across the inside of the handle (likely for support) and it prevents the loader from sliding in as depicted in the promotional material. It looks like there is a way to remove the orange handle grip part and probably remove this metal pin, but I haven't tried. Honestly, Keeping the loader tucked into the handle seems like a bigger pain to me than it would be worth (especially trying to remove it with 5mm gloves), and the likelihood of dropping it.

Final Thoughts:

I really like this gun. It's kind of funny. I bought it with the intention of having a new toy to play with and figure out etc...and what I got was something so simple, intuitive, and proficient at what it does that you kind of forget about it. It's a great gun so far, but I've only had it for 1/2 a season. I'm hoping that it holds up, but Mares has a reputation for quality, so I am sure it will. It's very easy to load, easy to shoot, easy to transport, and easy to enjoy. I also do some shore diving (and with the larger ports for water to exit the barrel, there is definitely a heightened risk of sand getting in there). The gun comes with a nice rubber barrel cover that seals off the barrel tip as well as down to the sides where these ports are. I keep it on the gun whenever I head out. Not really a big deal, but a nice touch.

I will probably transition the gun over to a dry barrel system, but I'm going to shoot it stock for the first couple of seasons to see what I think.

Hope this post helps people considering this gun. I would definitely recommend it over the Omer Airbalete. If you have any questions, I'm happy to lend what assistance I can.

Cheers and happy hunting,
Alex
I could agree about all, except Omer slider!
Omer microspeed slider is much too heavy and is the worst component of the Airbalete!
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Last edited by tromic; 07-28-2014 at 06:17 AM.
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Old 08-03-2014, 12:29 AM   #4
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Re: Cyrano Evo HF Hands On Review

Ok guys just got the 120cm.

Will post reviews as soon as I have news - but right off the bat, the manual that comes with the gun sucks so let' see what I can figure out beside the obvious. Gun length when loading is 8'5" so you definetly need that extended loader or figure something else out. Those attachable mid gun knee loaders would be a solution, but the Evo has a lot of variation in the barrel design, and so one would need a custom bracket to put on there. The other solution with he extended loader that comes with the gun, is a goofy contraption full of lines etc, kind of like a circus trapeze for your hand that I am not looking forward to using.

Great review by Alex above. 100% agree the sliding plastic line attachment on the shaft is clearly not going to cut it, and I don't see how to put a new one on there on the stock shaft without removing the barb or the piston seat on the other end.

=(

Otherwise he gun looks Tits, and I will be going out soon to test it.

More news when I have it.

Andres.
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Old 08-04-2014, 06:59 PM   #5
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Re: Cyrano Evo HF Hands On Review

Sorry for failing to respond for so long guys. Popgun, no suprises here: the manual has no schematics for the gun. I don't have the earlier version of the cyrano, so I can't really compare the low power adjustment. Compared to my cressi, it is pretty much the same. Maybe a little easier to move than my cressi was back when it was new. But that could be a side effect of the pressure in the cressi's 13mm barrel (very tough to load) versus the pressure in the cyrano 11mm barrel (very easy to load). I don't have a pressure gauge though, so I really can't say.

As for the mares slider. It is a new version from the older slider. (I'll post photos of it). The old slider (which I bought a couple of for back ups) was much bulkier and supported the shooting line through holding it tight to the slider (the tig her it gets, the more it squeezes in towards the center of the slider). Seems like solid support, but hydrodynamics leave something to be desired. The new design has little plastic "outrigger style" supports which hold the shooting line away from the center of the slider. The line threads through these and the supporting walls are very thin. The more pressure on the line, the more the line is trying to break out of the outrigger supports. Which it did quite easily, no hitting rocks, no years of abuse...just 3 days in the water and a few 30 lb fish.

I purchased a new 9/32 spear which seems sturdier than the 7mm stock spear. I also purchased a Riffe metal slide ring with a loop attachment. It is super low profile, super light, and seems very strong. I think it's normally used on riffe's slip tip setups. I think the new spear/slide ring is a smart move for anyone looking to target bigger fish with this gun.

Also, an update on the line release. The spring which is supposed to reset it is too weak. It doesn't reset after a shot and has to be helped back into position manually. Not that big a deal. Just something else to be aware of.
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Old 12-26-2014, 08:31 AM   #6
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Exclamation Re: Cyrano Evo HF Hands On Review

Have Mares Cyrano Evo 70, love the performance! Out of the box, this gun is more powerful (min 20%) than classic Cyrano for sure.
However, line release was broken after 1 months of gentle use. My old Cyrano (3 years) on the original line release still... Mares told that replacement of that plastic crap will take up to 1.5 month (in NJ, USA) and they cannot send spare part to me. I begin "hating season"
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Old 03-07-2015, 04:07 PM   #7
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Re: Cyrano Evo HF Hands On Review

Update on the Cyrano.

So. We did a trip down to the keys and me and a buddy brought our cyrano evo hf 100 and 110.

My friend didn't replace the slider that was on the spear that came with the gun. I brought extra sliders because I figured his might break. It broke during the very first day of use (maybe 3 or 4 shots on the brand new gun). We put a new (the old model) slider on his spear, and everything was good after that. Not a big deal, but people should just know to immediately change the stock slider on the gun.


The line release on my friend's 110 broke. There was apparently an issue with the trigger not pulling correctly, and he thinks that it may have happened because the spear didn't seat fully. I'm not sure why or how that happened, but it seems that, when he pulled the trigger, the spear was released, but the line release did not release. The shooting line broke the plastic line release during the shot. He used some rubber bands to rig up a temporary line release so that he could still use the gun during the trip.

During the trip my power adjuster knob broke. The knob appears to have stripped the threads of whatever part it screws into. I didn't unscrew it or do anything to it, so I'm assuming this is just an indication that the material used for the power adjustment knob is cheap metal. Either that, or it was cross-threaded at the factory.

The adjustment knob came out part way--not far enough for me to remove it from the gun entirely, but too far for me to be able to push it back in and adjust the power to the low setting. I kept expecting to look down and see the know missing entirely, but it stayed attached (kind of loose and dangling) during the trip.

It didn't interfere with my ability to use the gun because, thankfully, it broke while the gun was on the high power setting. However, it is another small issue with this gun that people should be aware of.

I'll be sending the gun out to mares for repairs. I'll let you know how that goes.


I'm not ragging on this gun. I like it a lot and look forward to getting these pesky little issues resolved. However, I will say that it just looks like Mares cheaped out on some of the incidentals. I would rather have paid an extra $100 for a gun that was made with high quality parts.
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Old 03-08-2015, 11:40 PM   #8
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Re: Cyrano Evo HF Hands On Review

Alex by any chance did you mess with the trigger sensitivity screw ? I have a 110 and I broke a line release on my 2nd trip with the gun. granted I have not used the gun as much as you have, but it was frustrating to have something like that happen to me. Give that screw as much slack as you can, it has worked for me, as pete said once, the tighter that trigger is the less space it has to move and catch on the line release thus breaking it, is meant to break there vs something deep and more expensive like the trigger mech, per say.

my biggest gripe with this gun is aiming well, overall quality to be honest, but my aiming with this thing is horrible and always end up tossing it back and grabbing my band guns.

any tips?

Will be using tomba kit soon.
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Old 03-08-2015, 11:47 PM   #9
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Re: Cyrano Evo HF Hands On Review

mares did not take in mind scratch resistant surface when they build this crap, seriously it shows scratches just from looking at it too long, and It may not hamper function, but it does boil my blood.
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Old 03-09-2015, 01:57 AM   #10
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Re: Cyrano Evo HF Hands On Review

Sub-contractors in China probably think a lower grade of anodizing will do the job and no one will notice, ditto for substitution of plastic or reduction of dimensions, anything to cut their cost of production and thus increase their profit at their end. Unless Mares regularly check the quality themselves they may be fooled into thinking that the quality is up to scratch (no pun intended). It is not unknown for Asian suppliers to submit a first batch that meets all specifications, then slowly wind back on the quality of later deliveries to reduce their own costs, especially with a chain of sub-sub-contractors making arbitrary changes through ignorance where they think "this stuff is cheaper and will do exactly the same job" when it will not. Think of those flimsy plastic line slides! Of course Mares may have asked for a lower specification themselves, but it seems odd to toss away their reputation for quality built up over decades. The old time employees would be spinning in their graves to see the company offer such sub-standard products, although this standard may be a new "norm" given that product durability seems to be less important than price as "you can always buy another one".
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Old 03-09-2015, 07:23 AM   #11
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Re: Cyrano Evo HF Hands On Review

under warranty, I think the price was $ 7-15 USD, given that being the case. It will always be cheaper to shoot my band guns if every other trip my line release would be broken.

Pete, sorry for not making memory but did you cover what would happen if the line release would be metal?

Only real problem I see with that is having the gun fire and somehow line release not giving and there goes a shaft coming back at you.
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Old 03-09-2015, 12:22 PM   #12
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Re: Cyrano Evo HF Hands On Review

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mares did not take in mind scratch resistant surface when they build this crap, seriously it shows scratches just from looking at it too long, and It may not hamper function, but it does boil my blood.
Absolutely true. The gun scratches up to all hell. It's fine by me though. A speargun is a tool, not a piece of art (although some guns are, just not the ones that I own). A good tool should look well used (but not abused), it adds to the character for me. I like pulling out my guns that show some (non function impacting) wear. It shows that they have performed and continue to perform their jobs well.

Regarding accuracy, I have a friend that had the EXACT same problem switching from a 42' biller to the 110cm cyrano evo hf. With band guns (especially ones where the handle is mounted below the stock (usually wood guns)), or with any mid handle gun, your shooting posture is going to be way different. He figured out that he used to cocktail his wrist a little with his biller to intuitively line up the shot. But with the pneumatic, the spear is pretty darn close to where the top of your wrist sits. Lock that wrist out perfectly straight (directly in line with your forearm) and the gun will shoot beautifuly. Unlike band guns (where accuracy varries, and some guns require a different shooting style (midhandles)) accuracy on pneumatics is much better and more consistent across the whole field of guns. The new cyrano is deadly accurate once you adjust your grip properly. It's the most accurate gun I own, and my Wong Nor'easter is a lazer. But just the mechanics of how a pneumatic works, it's very hard to make a band gun shoot as accurately.
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Old 03-09-2015, 05:07 PM   #13
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Re: Cyrano Evo HF Hands On Review

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Originally Posted by armandozx View Post
under warranty, I think the price was $ 7-15 USD, given that being the case. It will always be cheaper to shoot my band guns if every other trip my line release would be broken.

Pete, sorry for not making memory but did you cover what would happen if the line release would be metal?

Only real problem I see with that is having the gun fire and somehow line release not giving and there goes a shaft coming back at you.
The line release made in plastic is OK if they get the synchronization right with the line releasing before the sear lever releases the piston, but the timing gap is too small and almost non-existent with how the gun is set up now. A metal line release lever would probably bust the arm on the front of the trigger, so better to sort out the synchronization issue first. In the attached diagram, which I eventually located, you can see sear lever is tilted even before the trigger is pulled, hence winding back the trigger sensitivity screw improves what little margin there is.
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Old 03-09-2015, 09:27 PM   #14
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Re: Cyrano Evo HF Hands On Review

Spot on Pete! so far it has been working for me keeping my fingers crossed!

Will commit to use the gun more this season so I can get used to aiming out of it. Tomba kit will be here soon.
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Old 03-09-2015, 09:58 PM   #15
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Re: Cyrano Evo HF Hands On Review

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Spot on Pete! so far it has been working for me keeping my fingers crossed!

Will commit to use the gun more this season so I can get used to aiming out of it. Tomba kit will be here soon.
Let me know how you like it. I put one on my Cressi and it made the gun harder to load. I'm not sure if this is supposed to happen (I probably should have asked Marko, but never got around to it). It felt like the spear would get jammed up when trying to push it in (like the friction with the O-ring was causing resistance with the spear going in). I changed the way I load it so that the spear goes in straighter and it helped a bit. I've considered taking the gun apart to make sure I didn't screw anything up inside, but have been worried I'd just make things worse.

If anyone can let me know if this is common or not, that would be helpful.

Other than that, I absolutely love the Tomba kit. Power improvement and noise reduction are amazing. I'm considering putting one on my Mares also, but wanted to give it a season of regular use first to see how I liked it.
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