I assume others have noticed that the quality of the traditional (Victor) vertical style spike traps is not what it used to be. Anyone know why? I presume liability. They just aren't as strong as they should be, and the spring strength is not good. Those old ones really had the power necessary to effectively do the job on a regular basis. We try modifying the springs, but they still aren't the same. This diminished quality has been occuring for several years. Frustrating.
http://www.victorpest.com/victor-mole-trap-b0645-3?gclid=COK2_cSyh9MCFQUMaQodlLgDPg
I wonder if this is the same Victor company that makes all kinds of furbearer traps.
I resort to eBay to find the good ones.

Too many knock offs selling a cheaper product like sweeny and tomcat...so victor i assume had to diminish quality to produce a cheaper product.

Go with OOS and leave them things at home. I have caught moles in just about every trap made to catch moles including live mole traps...the OOS is what i use exclusively

I bought 1 of these OOS recently and look forward to trying it.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Victor-0631-O...13=&veh=sem

I bought a couple of those for this year. Man they got a strong spring on them

Maybe true. It's frustrating. They had such a great product.

The old Victor spike traps can often be found at flea markets. I use OOS 99% of the time, but still pick up any of the *good* old spike traps at yard sales when I find them. My favorites (for spike traps) are these old Reddick traps. Super long and strong springs, and they have round, very pointy spikes.

I picked up some old ones that aren't tall like yours, but they are still highly effective. I'm anxious to try the oos that I bought. I'm not sold on those choker loop traps.

Got just over 250 oos in the ground right now and just got 4 dz more on my doorstep today when i got home

We've done pretty well with the Victor type scissor traps. Fleet and farm is the cheapest I've been able to them.
https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/victor-out-o-sight-mole-trap/0000000005904

Where are you guys buying yours and what price?

Albano traps are my first choice trap and has been since I got on to using them. We haven't used OOS traps for many years. They work as do all the traps. For weight and effectiveness and how many traps we have to set it is the only choice for us.

I have to disagree 100% on the oos (curved scissor hands) firing slow depending on soil type. If u are using my system of the way i set em...that mole is dead even if that trap is in the ground for a couple weeks. Also if your trap is in same place for more than 2 weeks it wasnt in right place to begin with. Have caught over 10,500 moles in my career as a mole trapper...99.9% of those with the OOS

Spikes aren't slow either as long as you set the trap off a few times to make premade holes for the spikes to slam down through.

Agreed, the OOS's are very versatile in most soil/mulch situations. Additionally, you can fit 75+ traps in a standard tote, which is typically enough for a single day's worth of setting. Another advantage is that once set, you can easily see from a distance if it has fired by the top bars being offset from each other. I haven't used the Mole Eliminator, and only occasionally use the Albano, and have these two sets of questions:

1. With the Mole Eliminator, how many can you fit into, let's say, a tote? (as compared to 75+ OOS). Also, I can comfortably carry 25-30 OOS in a small tote bag for those jobs with a large square footage. How does the ME compare?

2. For those who have used the OOS and Albano, are the Albano's as easy to check for a catch as the OOS? The Albano is great to have in the tool bag for tough locations like messy mulch, large numbers of rocks in the soil, and up against walls/sidewalks where the OOS won't readily cover the burrow run. Otherwise, the OOS has been the most versatile.

I'm here to learn, so would appreciate the feedback from those who have used a variety of mole trap types.

I dont think checking the albano are easier...i have used em for accounts like softball fields, soccer, polo etc but oos you can check several feet away

Every minute saved in a day is an added 1-3 more stops you could make. My average is 8-15 min per stop depending on several factors including talking to customer, checking yard which depends if i cleaned out lawn already or first check, billing out any moles before leaving driveway if not home (use qb online) and any traps set but not in that order obviously. I am able to do 15-20 stops on my long driving routes in a day or up to 30 stops a day on closer in town routes. Currently have just over 120 stops just on moles per week and got to add another 15 for this week plus bats and bird stops in a week so time has to be tracked and adjustments made for speed without skipping quality. I have a tech that does 50 stops a week

In the two most recent posts re moles, you've already seen a variety of responses to your question. We all have our preferences and techniques depending on climate, soil types, subspecies of mole, population density, surface or deep runs, etc. Remember to go back to the old mole threads found in the forum archives.

U.K. trappers have been trapping moles 300 years before the U.S. ever came into being. The majority of them use the half-barrel (Or Duffus) and the Talpex. Steve's traps are now just slowly creeping into their picture. They get a kick out of the traps we use. I use 3 different type traps depending on the soil/turf situation. I primarily use the upgraded OOS. Note the stainless steel trip rod and offset trip pan in the pic. No more time spent cleaning rust from these trap parts. No more bridge or mound building under the original OOS trip pan. The Talpex is useful for me only in the open, softer, no turf mole runs. This scissor trap can be hand set wo the use of tools. Understand that I use these 2 traps primarily in sandy soils and on surface/foraging runs. Steve's traps are used on mole runs and locations other than the surface runs. Note the position of the mole caught using this trap. I use this trap exclusively upside down in the deeper mole runs. This is what works for me. Again, search the archives and glean what is posted by some of these wily veterans who are generous with their advice and techniques.

Where do you get the upgraded parts for the OOS Trap?

You can get the parts or fully modified OOS traps at www.budstrap.com.