This has been the best ATC I've ever used. It's durable and lightweight, and the friction is adjusted by flipping it so there's no teeth to wear down like on other friction control ATCs. The cooling fins actually work- it takes A LOT of rope work just to warm this thing up on the outside, compared to my carabiner which is always burning hot after a long belay or rappel.

It's easy to use. The small end against the biner squeezes the rope more, which gives more friction. This end is also good for sport belaying because the device points inwards, which makes feeding the rope trough the wide end slightly easier. So far it has never jammed.
Also, the new version has a nice dark look and is unpainted, so there's no paint to wear of if that's something you might not like. (I'm one of those fussy guys who likes his gear to look clean!) The actual device has not yet shown any wear, and I doubt it will for a long time. Not too expensive, neither. Thanks Trango!

I am happy with it, but as I move up the grades, and have climbers that are starting to work routes, this device is not what you should be using. You will get tired, and not have too many options to lock off that I have found yet.
The heat coils really do work, and I love it for rappelling.

This is the only belay device that I have used. It's a simple, tried and true device. Years ago this was sold as a "Lowe Tube". Has anyone heard of it called by this name? It's the same design, but it wasn't sold by Trango. Great for beginner and expert climbers...

I love teh trango pyramid, it's relatively light, but it's so smooth, hold a fall well, and the fins to dissipate heat actually work. These are one of teh oldest style belay devices, and the designs holds up to years of abuse.

I'm still mourning the recent loss of my Pyramid. The only gripe I had was it didn't have the smooth feed that my B-52 does. It also didn't seem to like fast rappels quite as well. Overall a device I would recommend to anyone.