i’m on my 4th pair of SS after exchanges made each consecutive spring (msr/atlas user). the list of good/bad is long but the salient pts i care to make are perhaps not commonly mentioned, regardless, they are common complaints amongst my cohorts & i:
MSR bindings: (-) if high mileage user, you could develop forefoot problems from the middle strap if you choose to wear (wet) leathers or some other soft boot; (+) already mentioned but worth repeating – best SS for sidehilling due to side traction bars.
Atlas claw/crampon: (-) notorious for growing giant snowballs. i think it's to do with the rivet underneath. is there a way to defeat this problem?
Atlas welded join: (-) another reliable weak point…the welded piece breaks off…. and now, the so called improvement marketed in 2004 utilizes a plastic v-insert to join the aluminium tube at the back; now the plastic breaks instead. V-shape is the design flaw.
These problems arose over bi/tri-weekly use from scramble/mtnr’g type episodes; not your X-mas holiday/hot chocolate tours on Cypress.
Will not be replacing SS this season as I’ve recently taken up falling down on ^* sticks
despite these problems, and having accepted their limited durability, i think MSR or Atlas are the best performers for our snow. i don't have a verdict for TSLs yet; but for a handful of folks i know, the (-) very fancy Tubbs ratchet bindings have been cracking after one use.