Advice using inserts for binding replacement (ATK)

Quiver killers.

I personally am not the biggest fan on Quiver Killers/Inserts. Im always on team 1 set of bindings per ski (excluding CAST toes). Here are some downsides/hidden costs of inserts/quiver killers you may not have thought of:

- My local shop in Bozeman charges $15 PER SCREW to mount. Some shops wont even touch them.
- puts big holes in your skis- pretty much kills the resale value.
- Brake width- if you have multiple touring skis, i assume you have a big day ski (90-100mm) and a pow ski (115+). Are you planning on reusing the brakes? or buying $80 brakes for every width of ski you have?
- the pain in the butt of unscrewing your bindings every time you want to switch skis- its just not worth it over time.

Cost of inserts + cost of mounts + time unscrewing bindings while your touring partner is waiting for you + brakes + value lost on resale > g3 zeds for under $300 new, or brand new raider 13s for under $500 new from a quick google search

Inserts are big in the tele world, and I’ve done some research on them. From my understanding, it’s crucial that the inserts are installed very precisely. I’ve read that you need to screw the binding on while the glue / epoxy is setting for the inserts, that way they will be seated as perfect as possible. Maybe try it out on a pair of beaters first?

For me, inserts makes more sense when having 3+ pairs and 2 sets of bindings. That way you aren’t stuck moving bindings all the time. It’s really not a huge deal swapping bindings from ski to ski tho, a little time consuming but it saves money for sure.

I think it’s sketchier doing it with tech bindings vs regular bindings because of the lack of elasticity. It is true tech bindings need to be more precisely mounted to release properly.

i’d stick to one touring ski or put the atk on your chargiest. 3 seems like overkill

Thanks for the info guys!

hamsauceI personally am not the biggest fan on Quiver Killers/Inserts. Im always on team 1 set of bindings per ski (excluding CAST toes). Here are some downsides/hidden costs of inserts/quiver killers you may not have thought of:

- My local shop in Bozeman charges $15 PER SCREW to mount. Some shops wont even touch them.
- puts big holes in your skis- pretty much kills the resale value.
- Brake width- if you have multiple touring skis, i assume you have a big day ski (90-100mm) and a pow ski (115+). Are you planning on reusing the brakes? or buying $80 brakes for every width of ski you have?
- the pain in the butt of unscrewing your bindings every time you want to switch skis- its just not worth it over time.

Cost of inserts + cost of mounts + time unscrewing bindings while your touring partner is waiting for you + brakes + value lost on resale > g3 zeds for under $300 new, or brand new raider 13s for under $500 new from a quick google search

I made up the decision to skip the inserts altogether and just mount them directly to the ski.

As you said it is very cumbersome and difficult to make it right using inserts and so many things can go wrong, especially with AT bindings which have even less elasticity than the alpine ones.

I came to the conclusion that it's way to much hassle and unless perfectly installed there is always a chance for extra pressure points that will most likely contribute to pre-release issues or breakage.

I know I'm VERY late to this thread, but just saw it. Coming from the telemark world, inserts are no big deal. Even stray's on trays have them on nearly every board. So why not AT crowd?
I've done EXACTLY what you wanted to do @marcomarinescu with ATKs on my skis. Those bindings are more than $500 so for $60 I can move them from one ski to another?! an extra $30 in brakes or a leash and we're in business!
So I invested in a QK install kit and drilled 4 skis for ATKs. A 86 waist spring/hyperlight setup that I drilled 2x in the rear b/c I got smaller boots, BD 104s, DPS 112's and some aging Rossi Squad 7 122s (that I also QK'd for Tele deep days).

Keys to success with inserts.
0) Use a paper binding template and VERIFY WITH THE ACTUAL BINDING so it's not just trust the paper measurements. This is what ATK means when they say you might have misalignment. Use your boot, use your binding and pre-fit, then validate w/jig, then mark and drill.
1) Punch, then Drill with a drill press. Don't trust your free hand.
2) Tap the hole
3) use slow cure epoxy - takes 24 hours
4) Set the QK just barely deeper than the top sheet
5) Mount your bindings in the QK before they cure so they properly align and the stress is set by the epoxy



Having done this 4x now and skied on these 4 pairs with reckless abandon with zero issues. QK is a great way to go.

Concerns?
1) Resale - ATK is the gold standard of bindings now. Someone wanting to buy your skis will likely already have some.
2) Brake width - I bought different brakes for each ski. They weren't that expensive $30 IIRC. Ebay or Hagan has them
3) Using the same binding on multiple skis is more sustainable and cost effective
4) Wiggle out? Field issues? Use vibstop or the Binding Freedom screws with teeth under the head will prevent the machine screws from working themselves out. You can carry an extra screw if need be in your field repair kit. AND you can take the bindings off if you need to use your skis as a flat field rescue sled.