Old DW5000 VS IC
- Thread starter J.D.
- Start date
roncadillac
Platinum Member
That design of iron cobra is a bit more beefy than that design of the dw 5000 series. I've personally played both and would take the Iron Cobra any day over the DW. That iron cobra is a "last pedal for the rest of your life" kinda deal.
The "rolling glide" just refers to the cam shape. The standard was the "power glide" and still the common design they use today, it's mostly rounded but has a more extreme angle giving you a bit more power. The "rolling glide" is a traditional round cam design similar to the DW design that gives you even feel, response, and power throughout the entire stroke. The iron cobra should be dual chain sitting on a wide bed whereas that DW should be a single chain on a sprocket.
If you ever need to repair the iron cobra most modern Tama parts should still work. With the DW, you can still find parts but usually in the form of other pedals you rip apart.
The features on that generation of DW 5000 are the same as what they offer on their current entry level 2000 pedal whereas the current iron cobras are not all that different (aside from the cobra coil which should fit on this pedal if you choose to buy one) from that generation iron cobra.
The "rolling glide" just refers to the cam shape. The standard was the "power glide" and still the common design they use today, it's mostly rounded but has a more extreme angle giving you a bit more power. The "rolling glide" is a traditional round cam design similar to the DW design that gives you even feel, response, and power throughout the entire stroke. The iron cobra should be dual chain sitting on a wide bed whereas that DW should be a single chain on a sprocket.
If you ever need to repair the iron cobra most modern Tama parts should still work. With the DW, you can still find parts but usually in the form of other pedals you rip apart.
The features on that generation of DW 5000 are the same as what they offer on their current entry level 2000 pedal whereas the current iron cobras are not all that different (aside from the cobra coil which should fit on this pedal if you choose to buy one) from that generation iron cobra.
J.D.
Active Member
Interesting. TY. Yeah, the IC is "beefier" for sure. I have a history with the DW, and maybe I'm crazy but it feels better/faster. The IC has been sitting in a closet for 7+ years, so it's in much prettier shape. One issue (that I haven't spent much time on): that front round nut/ring/whatever that helps lock it to the drum isn't turning. Don't want to force it. Thoughts?
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roncadillac
Platinum Member
Is it the round knurled nut in the middle that won't turn or the wingnut on the side away from the hoop?
If I read it correctly it's that round piece in the middle. If so, that whole "arm" (the hoop clamp mechanism) should be floating on a spring. Try pushing down on that arm to take some of the back tension off the knurled nut piece and try to unscrew it. You definitely don't want to break that piece because if that doesn't work the pedal won't clamp to a hoop. If you have wd40 around you can try applying a very small spritz to the middle of that round piece where you can see the bolt sticking through.
That knurled rounded piece has "fingers" on the bottom that fit into grooves on the arm which is supposed to help prevent it from slipping. If there is gunk or rust or something on/in those threads that is causing resistance in any way then this finger/groove design will make it feel locked on there.
It could just be visual trickery but the springs on the DW look "longer" than those on the tama implying greater tension. You may have to play with the settings. The rolling glide cam is much more similar in shape to the DW than the 5000. If you had the power glide cam or the flexiglide strap versions the feel between the two pedals would be dramatically different.
J.D.
Active Member
Nope. Have a single 9000 that I use. These *are* spares. When I got my DWs back, I also got a few spares. A couple cymbals I don't need, 2 snares stands, etc
Bo Eder
Platinum Member
Ah.
J.D.
Active Member
I just took it apart, cleaned it, WD40...now turns enough to be secure. TY!
IBitePrettyHard
Senior Member
I have both a mid-90s DW 5000 and an early 2000s Iron Cobra, just like you have in the picture.
I'd keep the Iron Cobra. It just feels better to me. I have since gotten a newer Speed Cobra, but I tried out my old Iron Cobra and it still felt great to me after all these years.
roncadillac
Platinum Member
PorkPieGuy
Platinum Member
I, personally, prefer DW pedals. I've tried an Iron Cobra a few times and I'm not a fan, but a lot of folks love them and make their living playing them.
Keep whichever feels better to you.
Keep whichever feels better to you.
roncadillac
Platinum Member
Well said, I've always felt the opposite but different preferences are why we have different options which is great.
I've always conversationally explained Tama pedals feeling like more of a whip crack motion where as dw pedals feel more like a fluid rolling ball. Neither is better or worse, just different options for different preferences.
I played Tama pedals for so long that when I tried DW pedals for a few years they felt like I had to "push" the beater through the entire stroke whereas Tama pedals I only have to "get it started" and the beater finishes the stroke with no effort on my part.
I can play Zach Hill speed on an entry level Tama pedal, I can barely pull off a solid gallop on even a dw 9000 pedal.
Again, different options for different preferences.
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PorkPieGuy
Platinum Member
To by honest, I don't know if it was the pedal itself that felt weird to me or if it was that really small beater they used back in the 1990s. I feel like I had to slam the thing, but that was a really long time ago.
Do they still use that same type of beater? It would be interesting to try one out with a wood beater on it or something.
roncadillac
Platinum Member
On most of their pedals Tama still uses a small beater. The classic series pedal has a traditional old school big felt beater and the lower end pedals have a clunky dual sided plastic/felt beater. I actually like the small lightweight beaters haha, I think the DW ones are too heavy. On the few dw pedals I had I swapped the beater for either a big fluffy wool beater or a small iron cobra style beater.
J.D.
Active Member
I've decided, since I really don't *need* either of them, to sell the one which will bring more $, which is the IC. New ones are $550, and this hasn't been used much. So I'm thinking $250. Pretty sure I have someone who wants it. What I *need* is a Tunebot and a hardware gig bag, so that's where the $ would go.
dwsabianguy
Senior Member
I've fixed up old DW pedals with new parts. They haven't changed the form factor that they use since the 90s, and they still make all the same single chains, sprockets, bearings, etc.
Al Strange
Platinum Member
Keep the IC! Robust, smooth and the best pedals I’ve ever played! 
classikdrummr
Well-known Member
Keep the IC, it looks like a 900 vs the DW is a 5000. i have two IC and they are great. will outlive me for sure
classikdrummr
Well-known Member
agree 1000%. built like a tankKeep the IC! Robust, smooth and the best pedals I’ve ever played!