Over a 7 or 8 year period…

Had an Orange sub 5 but always hankered after an Inbred. As soon as I got the Inbred, the sub 5 was never ridden againand was sold.

I then (as yo do) fancied a new full sus and ended up with an Enduro.

Having enough spare bits knocking about and wanting a HT again I got a SH 456 summer season (cheers Ton!), got it built and I called it my parts bin bike cos it was essentially made from worn out parts, some of which should have been in the bin.

The Enduro sat there being un used….but as i was no going to the Alps in them days, it kind of got “Alp’d” up with coil forks and a coil shock and tough wheels. That’s basically all the Enduro gets used for these days.

Now on a 456ti now and loving it. OK I can’t /won’t / don’t go as fast as my mates on their full sus bikes but I enjoy line choosing, the additional skill a hardtail needs over a full sus (IMO), the simplicity the lighter weight.

I feel braver on it than i do on the Enduro actually

Since I made the move, two of my full sus mates have got HT’s. One got a 456 the other a chameleon, no regrets from either.

Over time I have too gone back and forward between hardtails and FS. Currently own a BFe and a couple of Commencal fs frames. I sold my orange patriot LT as it wasn’t getting used at all. I thought it was NBS but I enjoy riding the HT more on 95% of what I ride. I have also ridden stuff on the BFe that I wouldn’t on the orange just because I prefer the way it feels.

well, comparing to the list weight of a current 5 is probably not comparing apples to apples. the 5 has got burlier and likely heavier due to what people want from them changing a little, and also CEN regs have probably bulked it up a bit too. i’d be very surprised if your 2004 frame is as heavy as a 2011 one.
i have a 5 and i don’t find it heavy at all. fitted with pikes, X7 bits, the standard wtb wheels, and hayes 9s. i use it for uplift days and holidays. rest of the time it doesn’t do very much at all.
i ride a ‘sensibly’ built inbred ss, ( incidentally this is 853, upgraded from a DN6 one, which TBH i couldn’t tell the difference between, when riding, so that was money well spent then… 🙄 maybe saved 1/2lb or something ) which is heavier than my mate’s, fitted with sektors, on-one wheels, and hayes nines again.
i also have an alfine equipped P7 ( probably pretty close to a DB alpine in frame weight ) running 719s, 9 brakes again, and run of the mill parts otherwise. the P7 weighs 33lbs. 8o
good fun bike though.
if you want another HT, buy one, but don’t try and kid yourself that it’s about the weight, because that 1lb or whatever will likely make **** all difference in the real world.
out of the two bikes you have, i’d bin the soul, get your hooligan, and maybe get some lightweight wheels for it you can switch in for proper mince-lite. 😀
YMMV.