Used gear deal: are orange (first gen?) Rottefella Freeride bindings a good idea in 2024?

[Lubega6]

Hello guys.

I've stumbled upon a deal for a pair of Fischer Ranger 98 equipped with the "orange Freerides" (NTN bindings, probably first gen, released 15 years ago). Asking price is 400$.

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The deal seemed alright to me but I have been told to be wary of the orange Freerides. Failure reports are common on the web and the technology has evolved quite a bit since 2008-2009. I believe they were among the first NTN bindings on the market, so somewhat experimental.

Would you advise against this purchase? Can this setup offer reasonable performance for resort and backcountry skiing?Coming from a NNNBC telemark background.

Thanks

[Montana St Alum]

I had a pair of these bindings early on.

1. They are extremely active! I went to them from 7-TM power tours and for the first couple of days I thought I'd forgotten how to make a tele turn. You must forcefully press the shin against the cuff on the dropped knee, or they won't budge.

2. The "wings" on either side of the toe extend such that those wings will dig into the sides of the toes of the boots, causing significant damage.

3. Then I broke the wings off, but I ski bumps a lot and that's a significant stress on the bindings.

4. They don't tour well. Freedom of motion isn't great in tour mode,

5. I just picked up a brand new pair of Outlaw X bindings on Steep and Cheap for $328. The deal you're considering includes the skis, of course. Do you need/want the skis? Are the skis also 15 years old, or newer? If so, you could keep the skis and sell the bindings.

No. I would recommend against these bindings. I'm agnostic on the skis.