Banks...
Administrator/Jarhead
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 14,965
Likes: 19
From: Jacksonville, NC
What twoforme2 said. They are not bad, actually well built, and decent power, but you can get a lot more bang for your buck elsewhere. Even if you only want a little power, there are others that can give you that for a lot less money.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,342
Likes: 1
From: Wet Coast, Canada
In My opinion there are a few reasons I think you dont see alot of info about the Banks products on these sites.
Much to the dismay of GBE I think the target market for the Banks stuff is not really the "internet" Generation. Why do I say this? Well They spend huge amounts of money to advertise in magazines and do nothing to advertise on many of the most popluar internet sites.
The Banks products seem to make those happy that are looking for either "just a little more" or those that are looking for safe and clean power.
They seem to suit the old guy that just bought a truck to pull his trailer around the country. Not the all out power gang.
Regretfully, Safe clean power is not most power, and as every other forum, wether it be about trucks, cars, golf, or kite flying (at least I guess there are forums for this). 99.9% of the members are always trying to push the limit, they all buy the products with the most gains, best materials, biggest gains, or highest quality.
The problem is so many people have more dollars than sense, and tear up their stuff and then either stuff it to the dealer or the next guy that buys the truck.
Another problem is there are so many idiots that think it is cool to blow black smoke all over everyone and everything that we are going to have the EPA and every other air Quality Board all over us VERY SOON. So CLEAN Horsepower is soon going to be required...not optional.
SO, all that said, I think Banks Products are good if you are looking for SAFE and CLEAN Power. If you are loking for all out ***** to the wall racing power, there are other products that offer that.
Personally I do not have any Banks Products and probably never will because my goals are a little different. However I would not heistate to buy a used truck that ran Banks Products on it. I would probably shy away from a truck that someone had been running anything else on, unless I knew the seller personally, and knew how they treated things.
If Banks is what you like, then use it, and be happy about it. Don't buy a SMARTY and tear up your equipment just because someone said it was better.
Much to the dismay of GBE I think the target market for the Banks stuff is not really the "internet" Generation. Why do I say this? Well They spend huge amounts of money to advertise in magazines and do nothing to advertise on many of the most popluar internet sites.
The Banks products seem to make those happy that are looking for either "just a little more" or those that are looking for safe and clean power.
They seem to suit the old guy that just bought a truck to pull his trailer around the country. Not the all out power gang.
Regretfully, Safe clean power is not most power, and as every other forum, wether it be about trucks, cars, golf, or kite flying (at least I guess there are forums for this). 99.9% of the members are always trying to push the limit, they all buy the products with the most gains, best materials, biggest gains, or highest quality.
The problem is so many people have more dollars than sense, and tear up their stuff and then either stuff it to the dealer or the next guy that buys the truck.
Another problem is there are so many idiots that think it is cool to blow black smoke all over everyone and everything that we are going to have the EPA and every other air Quality Board all over us VERY SOON. So CLEAN Horsepower is soon going to be required...not optional.
SO, all that said, I think Banks Products are good if you are looking for SAFE and CLEAN Power. If you are loking for all out ***** to the wall racing power, there are other products that offer that.
Personally I do not have any Banks Products and probably never will because my goals are a little different. However I would not heistate to buy a used truck that ran Banks Products on it. I would probably shy away from a truck that someone had been running anything else on, unless I knew the seller personally, and knew how they treated things.
If Banks is what you like, then use it, and be happy about it. Don't buy a SMARTY and tear up your equipment just because someone said it was better.
However their stuff is top notch and tested rigorously so as to not hurt the rest of the components they mate with (not saying the others aren't tested, just different levels of acceptable failures).
I do feel that Banks products are extremely over priced but as stated they market to a higher dollar mature crowd that would rather pay more for a plug and play simplified guarantee (be it less performance than others offer) and until they drop market share enough to correct their pricing it will surely stay.
The ~ If You Pay More You Will Get A Better Product Crowd Still Seems To Hold The Market Share ~
There is a good thread on the compd forum about the different tuners and how some spike rail pressure (arguably something that wipes out injector tips) and others dont and some of the other voodoo that surrounds different types of programmers. I don't know what if any of it is true as my last programmer had a fuel plate and governor springs so I am still reading LOL
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 371
Likes: 0
From: Denver, CO
Banks is what i ran for the first 6 months i had my truck it was great but i thought it was a little weird how i never turned it down i left it on max power 7 all the time. That was the point when i said "I NEED MORE!!!" Banks is defintley for towing and thats it. Good company, but not a company for high horsepower. I cant beleive the egt differance(higher) the tst has, but i geuss that is why banks doesn't brake things, less fuel. 2 pennies
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,188
Likes: 0
From: Austin, TX
And if you think Banks is "safe power" your thinking wrong. I burned up two trannies, one w/ only a banks 6gun and spd ldr(w/ infamous tranny protection) and the other(w/VB/TC upgrades) w/ a Banks/Smarty stack;which is crap compared to other pressure boxes stacked w/ Smarty. As said over and over and over; Banks electronics are over-priced over and FALSELY advertised crap. I've owned the technicooler system and the 6gun/spdldr so I'm pretty sure I can talk! If Gail Banks wants to show the company is as advanced as his mouth claims; he would release a bad **** DL that can compete and burn up trannies like a Smarty. You guys keep hearing from all of the "SMarty Cheerleaders" over and over for a reason; because they're that good. Why don't you shut up and listen to others who have made the same mistakes that your about to? Isn't that what these sites are all about; informing each other???
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,188
Likes: 0
From: Austin, TX
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 694
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa OK
That post is a little harsh don't you think......Maybe if he asked about the smarty then someone can chime in. But if someone asks about the banks, bullydog, edge......or any other programmer for that matter it's always....Smarty smarty smarty. Not everyone needs the smarty, and it doesn't fit everyones style. I'm glad it fits your style and I'm glad everyone likes it....until they tear something up then it's...how can I get dodge to cover my truck.....Those cheerleaders turn into crybabies when there truck goes down on them, then you read.....Tranny slipping after smarty install. So answer the mans questions and with facts and not just......this (insert programmer) sucks, get a smarty.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,188
Likes: 0
From: Austin, TX
Your very right BUT anyone who modifies their truck, then cries when something breaks due to added power.......well, I'll bite my tongue, but I don't feel sorry for them. IMO It is a misconception that Banks is much safer than Smarty especially in the wrong hands. As for the people who make fun of the Smarty cheerleaders, I'm just saying there's a good reason for the Smarty following.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 866
Likes: 0
From: Lakewood, Ca.
To run any kind of power enhancer, prep the rest of your ride. A person can't expect to add more power and not do anything else and expect everything else to live.
The auto. trans./converter is the weakest, it wasn't designed to handle much more than stock power. If you want to increase rail pressure (for more hp), expect the injecters to fail/crack. The more hp desire, the more a person needs to purchase better/stronger items.
It all depends on what hp levels a person wants to attain.(plus their $$$$ situation). I just spent over $7000 to get around 700-800 horsies to the ground (I hope). I'm prepping my truck for the least breakage/failures to happen, but with the hp level Something still could break. It goes with the territory, the more power (and use of r. foot) the more of a chance something will break.
The saying- you play, you pay. This is just my .02 and imho.
The auto. trans./converter is the weakest, it wasn't designed to handle much more than stock power. If you want to increase rail pressure (for more hp), expect the injecters to fail/crack. The more hp desire, the more a person needs to purchase better/stronger items.
It all depends on what hp levels a person wants to attain.(plus their $$$$ situation). I just spent over $7000 to get around 700-800 horsies to the ground (I hope). I'm prepping my truck for the least breakage/failures to happen, but with the hp level Something still could break. It goes with the territory, the more power (and use of r. foot) the more of a chance something will break.
The saying- you play, you pay. This is just my .02 and imho.
DTR 1st Sergeant
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 5,530
Likes: 6
From: Applegate, CA
So I agree, there is nothing wrong with Banks. It does what it is designed to do and fairly much as advertised. The big drawback is you pay a lot of $$$ for what you get in return. And it is not "friendly" to stack. It is the defueling parameters that does it more than anything. You can have a programmer but those signals go through the six-gun unit and can get modified back down... the one big danger with Banks six-gun is that it is primarily a pressure unit so if you have it turned all the way up all the time, you will shorten injector life.
I've said it many times here before... with Banks, high egts, it defuels; tranny slips it defuels; foot on accelerator, it defuels; key in ignition... it defuels...
DTR 1st Sergeant
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 5,530
Likes: 6
From: Applegate, CA
To run any kind of power enhancer, prep the rest of your ride. A person can't expect to add more power and not do anything else and expect everything else to live.
The auto. trans./converter is the weakest, it wasn't designed to handle much more than stock power. If you want to increase rail pressure (for more hp), expect the injecters to fail/crack. The more hp desire, the more a person needs to purchase better/stronger items.
It all depends on what hp levels a person wants to attain.(plus their $$$$ situation). I just spent over $7000 to get around 700-800 horsies to the ground (I hope). I'm prepping my truck for the least breakage/failures to happen, but with the hp level Something still could break. It goes with the territory, the more power (and use of r. foot) the more of a chance something will break.
The saying- you play, you pay. This is just my .02 and imho.
The auto. trans./converter is the weakest, it wasn't designed to handle much more than stock power. If you want to increase rail pressure (for more hp), expect the injecters to fail/crack. The more hp desire, the more a person needs to purchase better/stronger items.
It all depends on what hp levels a person wants to attain.(plus their $$$$ situation). I just spent over $7000 to get around 700-800 horsies to the ground (I hope). I'm prepping my truck for the least breakage/failures to happen, but with the hp level Something still could break. It goes with the territory, the more power (and use of r. foot) the more of a chance something will break.
The saying- you play, you pay. This is just my .02 and imho.
if all you spent was $7k and you get 800 rwhp... then you did pretty good.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,813
Likes: 2
From: LaGrange, Texas
The thing is, Banks overcharges and IMO overdesigns for a product that incorporates to many safegaurds to achieve real useable power. Hence why the power comes in late and ends early. I owned a six gun with pda and thought it was a good product. I now know its not worth the money you pay for it, because something like the Quadzilla products or yes (Smarty) achieve better powerbands at their safe levels. For less money, even with gauges. You can go with Gale Banks hype, or you can go with our hype, whe aren't advertisers, we're mostly down to earth ppl who speak our opinions. Call it bashing if you want, but if I can stop someone from wasting their money on a product that is inferior to a cheaper but more useful product, I will. I calls it as I sees it.
Now, some ppl like Banks and stand by them, but I don't see many that will stick by them after trying something else. I don't know about ya'll, but I wouldn't want to spend almost 3k on a system that won't even deliver 200hp like Banks stinger and bigg hoss when I can pay $850 bucks for Power on Demand and second to none customer support. Smarty is a big name here in cyberspace for a reason, don't get so upset if it gets mentioned. They have earned their respect. If you want to post on here, you have to realize this is a site for sharing opinions in a respectful environment.
Now, some ppl like Banks and stand by them, but I don't see many that will stick by them after trying something else. I don't know about ya'll, but I wouldn't want to spend almost 3k on a system that won't even deliver 200hp like Banks stinger and bigg hoss when I can pay $850 bucks for Power on Demand and second to none customer support. Smarty is a big name here in cyberspace for a reason, don't get so upset if it gets mentioned. They have earned their respect. If you want to post on here, you have to realize this is a site for sharing opinions in a respectful environment.
