Looking at some new brakes – currently have SLX M675 2 pot and fancy something a bit beefier.

Can get Zee with rotors for £250 or Saints without rotors for £270.

Only difference I can see is Saint is a bit more pleasing to the eye, metal reservoir cover and have tool free reach adjust.

Quite like the tool free adjust on the SLX.

So any reason to choose the Saints over the Zee?

Not looking at other as need i-spec b for my shifters and dropper remote.

I prefer a tool to adjust reach. My hands stopped growing years ago so only need to do it once and I’m not so old that they’re shrinking yet.

Zee without rotors even cheaper.

Deore 4pot calipers £100 for your slx levers ?

Could change the calipers but the SLX are destined for another build possibly.

Can you swap the reach bolt on the zee for a longer one with a head?

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/shimano-xt-disc-brake-br-m8020-set-with-h01a-resin-678892

Xt 4pots for 203

as above

Just over 100 gets you the deore all in with calipers and levers. Best bang for buck by far I think.

The 4 pot Deores (MT520) are your best bet. They’re half the price of Saints, and once you put Saint sintered pads in the power is very similar. They also don’t seem to have any of the variable bite point issues of other 4 pot Shimano brakes.

JP

can’t tell any difference between zee or saints on my bikes. only got saints for my suppressor because they are more bling than the zee.

I got Zees without rotors for 160 quid from zee Germans before Xmas. Have they gone up significantly in recent times?

I’ve been impressed with my XT four pots. I would expect the “Deore” (they aren’t Deore) ones to be almost the same performance but with slightly less nice finish.

I got Zees without rotors for 160 quid from zee Germans before Xmas. Have they gone up significantly in recent times?

Nope, I just got some a week or so ago for that price.

Thanks all.
Still undecided lol.
Edging towards the Zee’s though.
Again the others are all good but don’t want to change my shifters or dropper remote as well so sticking with i-spec b levers.

Zee’s are a brilliant brake you won’t tell the difference between them and saints. What rotors are included?
If its a 50+ difference, buy the Zee’s and enjoy a uplift day with the cash you would of spent.

Rotors are XT RT76, Zee’s come in sub £200 without rotors.
Checked on bike-discount and Zee’s are £164 – about £30 cheaper than Evans/CRC.
Saint’s £247 on b-d and £270 on Evans/CRC.

(Magura 4-pots for best feel)

Deore 4pot calipers £100 – As said, just over £100 for levers too.
I bought these and one of the calipers leaks fluid badly 🙁 before bike was even ridden I had to buy new pads. (Currently waiting for warranty info)

If you do go deore, I’d recommend upgrading to better pads, mine feel a bit crap and howl something awful. Have done since day one.

Only difference I can see is Saint is a bit more pleasing to the eye, metal reservoir cover and have tool free reach adjust

Indeed the calipers are identical apart from cosmetic finish and are noticeably heavier than twin pots. Zee levers are basically Deore with some dimples whereas Saint are more of an XT/XTR hybrid with dimples. In terms of performance the brakes are the same.

£230 sounds rather salty for Zees but if that’s how much they are I would go for the Saints those gold bits look really good.

@tomhoward – you checked for leaks? that’s what alerted me to the issue, the squeaking. Then I looked on the bottom of the caliper and there was fluid pooled there. Took the pads out to replace them and the outside one was soaked with mineral oil on the back.
The rear brake, which has no leak works brilliantly and silently with the stock pads.
(Also, it’s hard to find the info, but they do take the same pads as Vee)

I love my Zees despite their sometimes wayward bite point.

Would most likely get Deore 4-pots if I had to buy new again now though. My 2-pot Deores have been much more reliable than any other Shimano brake of recent years.

With a bit more digging around I can get Saints for £255 from Evans with some vouchers I have.
This is still £90 more than the Zee’s from Bike-Discount.
Really like the blingy/gold look on the Saints – but is the tool free adjust and the bling worth the extra £90?
Also I can get them for Wednesday instead of next week if I go to Evans….

@dezb just checked, nothing visible on the outside of the calliper, or do I need to take the pads out? Both brakes are as loud as each other too. Had less than 6 miles riding, though to be fair, most of that was in wet slop.

One thing to be aware of when buying from Germany is that the levers are on the wrong sides. Easy enough to swap whilst shortening hoses when buying a pair though. I’ve got a zee on the front and the shimano four pot on the rear. The zee is better. Not by much, but it’s better.

If you like the look of the Saints then go with them. Got them on most of the bikes and never let us down. Run them with Uberbike Race Matrix pads which I prefer over the pads they come with

Bit of a thread revival.
After riding my new Mega with the twin pot SLX I put on it I’ve decided a brake upgrade is in order as it’s a way faster bike than my old Mega TR.
Gone for the Saints as I like the extra bling and reach adjustments.