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Predator Cue With Revo Shaft: Review, Specs, Cost

Updated Oct 15, 2026 · The LeaguePool Team

The Predator REVO is a ferruleless carbon fiber playing shaft that sells for $549 at Predator and its dealers, in 11.8, 12.4 and 12.9mm tips and five joint pins. It's still the low-squirt reference point: when Dr. Dave Alciatore measured shafts for Billiards Digest, the 12.4 REVO matched Predator's old Z-2 and squirted far less than a solid maple shaft or the Cuetec carbon shaft he tested alongside it.

Our verdict: if you use side spin on a lot of shots and play at least weekly, the REVO is worth it, either on a Predator butt or on the cue you already own. The two catches are the price and a strict set of rules about cleaning and retipping that most reviews skip. Both are below.

Predator REVO specs at a glance

Everything here comes from Predator's own REVO pages, plus Seybert's listing for the taper figures.

Picking between the three sizes is its own decision, and our REVO 11.8 vs 12.4 vs 12.9 guide walks through it. The short version: order the 12.4 unless you have a reason not to.

What the REVO changes on the table

The REVO's job is cutting squirt, the sideways push the cue ball takes when you hit it off center. Less mass at the end of the shaft means less squirt, and the REVO's foam-filled carbon tube puts very little there. If the physics is new to you, our low-deflection explainer covers it.

The best independent numbers come from Dr. Dave Alciatore's January 2019 Billiards Digest column. He measured each shaft's natural pivot length, the bridge length at which pure back-hand english cancels squirt. A longer pivot length means less squirt.

Two things follow. First, a Z-2 or Z-3 player can switch to a REVO without changing how they aim with english, which is exactly what Dr. Dave reported doing. Second, a player coming from a regular maple shaft has to relearn their compensation, because the cue ball now goes much closer to where the cue points. Budget a few weeks for that.

Predator's own claim is that the REVO is 5 to 10% more accurate than its third-generation spliced maple shafts, depending on speed, distance and spin. Predator doesn't publish how it measured that, so treat it as the maker's number.

The other changes are dull and very useful. Carbon doesn't swell or warp with humidity, it doesn't dent when it clips a ball or a table edge, and it cleans with a wipe instead of sandpaper. Dr. Dave also notes the stiffer carbon gives a slightly more efficient hit, so the same stroke sends the cue ball a touch faster. You adjust in a few shots.

What it won't fix

Dr. Dave puts it bluntly in the same column: he likes his REVO, but he doesn't think it makes him play any better. A low-squirt shaft can't produce more spin than a regular one at the same contact point. It doesn't touch swerve or throw, which you still have to allow for on slower shots. And a stroke that wanders off line still misses. If your misses come from aim or speed, a REVO only changes which direction you miss.

Predator cue with a REVO shaft, or a REVO on your cue?

Most people searching for a Predator cue with a REVO shaft are choosing between three routes. Predator sells most of its butts with a choice of maple or REVO shafts, so a full cue's price swings by a few hundred dollars on the shaft alone.

For most league players the last row is the smart money. The butt does far less to the hit than the shaft does, so a REVO on a cue you already like gets you nearly all of the benefit for half the cost of a new P3. Buy the full cue if your current butt has a pin the REVO isn't made in, or if you want the P3's weight system. If $549 is too much, Predator's cheaper carbon option is a Poison cue with the Venom shaft, which is a different shaft and not a REVO. Our Predator cues guide compares every line and its price range.

Will a REVO fit your cue?

It fits if your butt uses one of the five pins Predator makes it in: Uni-Loc Quick Release, Radial, 3/8x10, 5/16x14 or 5/16x18. That covers Predator, Lucasi and most Uni-Loc customs, most McDermotts (3/8x10) and many cues with 5/16x18 or 5/16x14 pins. Mezz United and Wavy joints, and generic 3/8x8 import pins, are not on the list. Our joint types guide shows how to identify yours.

Then check the collar. Predator says every REVO measures .839 to .842 inch at the joint. Viking butts are listed at .840, so they line up. McDermott makes joints at .843 and .855 inch, and on an .855 collar you'll see and feel a small step where the shaft meets the butt. It plays fine, but measure with a caliper first if a lip will bother you.

One warranty catch from Predator's terms: its Uni-Loc and Radial shafts are covered only when used on genuine Uni-Loc or Radial joints, so don't plan on an adapter.

Owner complaints, and which ones are fair

• The sound. Predator's FAQ says the REVO amplifies the impact sound, and the tone changes with the collar and insert it's screwed into. Owners on AzBilliards split on whether that's a problem. Hit one before you buy if sound matters to you.
• The feel. Dr. Dave found the Cuetec CT-15K felt a little softer than the REVO. Several AzBilliards posters moved from a REVO to a Cynergy for more feedback. That's preference, not a defect, and our Cynergy guide compares the two.
• Scratches. Predator calls the finish highly ding resistant, but says the surface can scratch and sharp edges can cut it. Predator's $25 recondition service removes scratches.
• No breaking with the 12.4 or 11.8. Predator doesn't recommend breaking with either. The 12.9 can break, Predator says, but it's tuned as a playing shaft; the BK-R break shaft ($579) and the BK Rush cue are built for that job.
• No hand chalk, talc or baby powder on the shaft, and no sanding. If you're used to powdering your bridge hand, switch to a glove.
• Price. $549 buys a Cuetec Cynergy plus change, and budget carbon shafts cost a third as much. You're paying for the lowest squirt in Dr. Dave's published carbon test, Predator's warranty and five joint choices.
• Confusing listings. Two of the Amazon REVO listings we checked name one joint or diameter in the title and another in the bullets. Read the whole listing and match it to your butt before you order.

Retipping a REVO: the rules that protect the warranty

This is the part that catches owners. Predator recommends that only its own repair department change a REVO tip, and its repair page says Predator has no outside authorized repair centers, so in practice that means shipping the shaft to Predator. Repairs done elsewhere can affect the lifetime warranty.

Predator quotes 4 to 7 business days, and you pay shipping both ways for repairs. If a local cue mechanic does the work anyway, these are Predator's limits:

1. The red tip silencer must stay at least .010 inch (0.25mm) thick, or the warranty is void.
2. Don't sand, cut or trim the vault plate, and keep it at least .060 inch thick.
3. Don't sand the carbon. The shaft must stay at or above its minimum diameter: .468 inch for the 11.8, .488 for the 12.4 and .508 for the 12.9.
4. Don't replace the silencer unless it's unavoidable. Predator's lathe guide says that removes material from the vault plate face.

Predator publishes a step-by-step lathe guide for mechanics, so a good shop can do it right. Most owners we'd point to the $79 Recharge, since it keeps the warranty clean. For general tip costs, see what a retip costs.

The REVO warranty in plain terms

The REVO carries Predator's limited lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects, and unlike Predator's maple shafts, it also covers warping. The conditions: you must be the original buyer, it must come from Predator or an authorized dealer, the Predator logo must be on the shaft, and sanding, polishing, chemical treatment or diameter changes void it. Predator's terms also exclude misuse and exposure to extreme heat or humidity, which is worth knowing before you leave it in a car all summer. A used REVO has no warranty at all. The full fine print for every Predator product is in our Predator guide.

Daily care

1. Brush off loose chalk and dust with a microfiber cloth.
2. Wipe from the joint toward the tip with a REVO cleaning wipe, or a cloth lightly dampened with 90% isopropyl alcohol. Let it dry for a minute or two.
3. On a Uni-Loc joint, clean the pin and insert threads with alcohol when the shaft arrives and every six months after.
4. Keep joint protectors on and carry it in a hard case. Predator says the REVO isn't built to take heavy sideways pressure, so don't tap it on the table or lean on it.

That's the whole routine. No burnisher, no slicker, no wax. Our joint protector and cue case guides cover the gear.

Buying a used REVO

REVOs turn up constantly on the AzBilliards classifieds, and a used one can make sense as long as you price in the missing warranty. Check four things before paying:

• The Predator logo, present and intact.
• Diameter with a caliper, measured just behind the tip. Anything under the minimums above means someone sanded it.
• The red tip silencer. If it's thinner than about a quarter of a millimeter, a retip went wrong.
• Straightness and the joint threads. Our warp test and used cue checklist cover how.

A REVO priced far below what dealers charge deserves the same suspicion as any too-cheap brand-name cue.

REVO vs the alternatives

Who should buy one

Buy a REVO if you play at least weekly, put side spin on a real share of your shots, and either travel with your cue or keep it somewhere humidity swings. Get the 12.4, in your butt's pin, from an authorized dealer, and keep the receipt: a warranty claim needs proof that you bought it new.

Save your money if you're in your first year of league play, you mostly shoot center ball, or you can't live with a louder, stiffer hit. And if you break hard with your playing cue, either get the 12.9 or budget for a separate break cue; a $549 shaft shouldn't be your breaker by default.

Sources

• Predator: REVO carbon fiber shafts (sizes, tapers, joints, prices)
• Predator: REVO FAQ and care guide
• Predator: product warranty (minimum diameters, exclusions)
• Predator: repair services and prices
• Predator: Custom REVO options
• Predator: how to retip a REVO on a lathe
• Seybert's: Radial REVO listing (taper rise figures)
• Dr. Dave Alciatore: "The Carbon Fiber Shaft Craze," Billiards Digest, January 2019
• Dr. Dave Alciatore: low-squirt shaft FAQ

Our picks

Links open the current selection and price on Amazon so you can compare real reviews before buying.

Predator REVO 12.4 Carbon Shaft, Radial

The REVO most players should buy

The middle size, with the low-rise taper (about 8% rise over the first 14 inches), ferruleless front end and limited lifetime warranty against warpage. The listing title says Radial but one bullet says Uni-Loc Quick Release, so confirm the joint matches your butt before you order.

Check price on Amazon →

Predator Revo 12.9mm Carbon Fiber Shaft

Coming from 13mm maple, or breaking with one shaft

The thickest REVO and the only one Predator says you can break with. The listing title says 12.9mm Radial with a soft case and cleaning wipes, while a bullet repeats 12.4mm, so check the selected size before you buy.

Check price on Amazon →

Cuetec Cynergy CT-15K Carbon Shaft

Carbon for about $100 less

If the REVO's price or its stiff, loud hit puts you off, this is the shaft to hit next. It comes in more joint pins than the REVO, including Mezz joints, and pick your exact pin on the listing. This link is the 12.5mm in 3/8x10; Cuetec lists other pins separately.

Check price on Amazon →

Predator BK4 Break Cue

Keeping your REVO out of the break

Predator's break cue with its vault plate front end and a KTRL hard synthetic break tip. The Uni-Loc weight cartridge adds up to 2.5 oz for a 20 to 21 oz cue. The detail most players overlook: a dedicated breaker means your playing shaft's tip keeps its shape for league night.

Amazon price: $429.00 as of 11:10 AM EDT. Price and availability can change; Amazon’s price at purchase applies.

Check price on Amazon →

Superbilliards Weight Bolt Kit for Predator Cues

Fine-tuning a Predator butt

Eight weight bolts from 0.1 to 2 oz plus a stainless tool. The listing says it fits Predator cues except the BK2 and the Predator Sport. Handy if a new shaft leaves the cue feeling lighter or heavier than you like.

Check price on Amazon →

NEIKO 6-Inch Digital Caliper

Checking a used REVO

Measure the tip end against Predator's minimum diameters and the collar against your butt before money changes hands. It's the cheapest insurance on a used shaft.

Check price on Amazon →

Frequently asked questions

Is the Predator REVO worth the money?

For a regular player who uses side spin, yes. In Dr. Dave Alciatore's 2019 test the 12.4 REVO had a 19-inch natural pivot length, the same as Predator's Z-2 and about double a solid maple shaft's, and it never warps or needs sanding. If you mostly shoot center ball or play once a month, the money does more as table time.

How much does a Predator REVO shaft cost?

$549 for a stock 29-inch shaft at Predator and dealers such as Seybert's, from $569 for 30 inches, $599 for a custom order and $579 for the BK-R break shaft.

What tip comes on a REVO?

An eight-layer Predator Victory tip over a red V-TEK tip silencer. Predator's store lists Medium as standard, and dealer listings for the 11.8 show Soft. Predator offers other Victory hardnesses and Kamui Black tips for $29 extra.

Can you break with a REVO shaft?

Only the 12.9, and Predator says it isn't optimized for it. Predator doesn't recommend breaking with the 12.4 or 11.8. The BK-R shaft and BK Rush cue are its break options.

Who can retip a REVO?

Predator recommends its own repair department: $20 to install a tip or $79 for a Recharge with tip and recondition. If a local shop does it, the red tip silencer must stay at least .010 inch thick and the shaft and vault plate must not be sanded, or the warranty is void.

Can I sand or use hand chalk with a REVO?

No. Predator says sanding, polishing, abrasives and chemical treatments void the warranty, and it bans talc, baby powder and hand chalk on the shaft. Clean it with a REVO wipe or a cloth with 90% isopropyl alcohol.

Will a REVO fit a McDermott cue?

Yes, in the 3/8x10 version. REVO joints measure .839 to .842 inch, so on a McDermott with an .855-inch collar you'll see a small step at the joint.

Does the REVO warranty transfer to a second owner?

No. It covers the original buyer only, and only when bought from Predator or an authorized dealer, with the Predator logo intact.

Is the REVO better than the Cuetec Cynergy?

It squirted less in Dr. Dave's 2019 test against the CT-15K, and it costs about $100 more. The Cynergy comes in more joint pins and feels softer to many players. Choose on fit and feel.

Does a REVO come in 30 inches?

Yes, in the 12.4 and 12.9. The 11.8 comes in 29 inches only.

Related guides

• Wood vs Carbon Fiber Cue Shaft: Squirt, Feel, Cost
• Pool Cue Wraps: Irish Linen vs Leather vs Wrapless
• Pool Cue Length: What Size Pool Cue Do I Need?
• Revo 11.8 vs 12.4 vs 12.9: Which Diameter?

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