These traps looked very appealing online and when I saw them at a local sporting goods store, I had to get a couple. I have an assortment of traps but my favorite by far is the HT Polar Tipups and similar functioning traps. They are portable, light, and easy to setup and tear down.
I found the Frabill Arctic Fire Tip-Up to be similar to the HT Polar Tipups but probably a little more durable (thicker material and better hardware). A very rugged looking trap to say the least. The flags are made of a softer yet tough fabric instead of a plastic flag. The flag arm has a separate catch arm for the spindle. The top of the spindle has two sides; one for an windy aggressive trip and another for a more sensitive one and both are grooved like the Polar traps. It is a bright folorecent green which makes it easy to keep an eye on for both you and others. The hardware is impressive and yet simple. A metal spool adds to the quality of it (which seems to be one of few with this style of trap in other brands). It is still lighter than the wood models and a step up from the other plastic traps.
My only negative observations are that the flag spring is a little strong and I question if that will interfere with a sensitive bite. My other observation is that you cannot adjust the height of the spindle as it is fixed. However, I cannot remember if I ever really needed to do this with the type of ice we get up here. By the middle of January your spool is usually within the ice thickness. This would be an advantage for those that fish shallow with less ice. The HT traps win the thumbs up for that.
All in all it is a great trap for 10 bucks!
Brian
