Aluminum Gitzo Tripods: Anyone have any experience?

Tried searching but nothing came up.

Found a couple of their aluminum models on B&H last night and for the price, I think I'm gonna pick one up in a couple months.

Has anyone had any experience with these? How is their build quality, reliability, etc?

Unless you are willing to pay the extra money to go Gitzo for the twist locks I wouldnt bother with Gitzos aluminum legs. Just with Manfrotto if youre going to go aluminum and save the money. Or, better yet, hold off and save your money and go Gitzo carbon fiber. Thats where its at!

They are indestructible but heavy and EXTREMELY cold in the winter.

Im not too concerned with weight. I'll be using them on location or in studio worm so it doesn't have to be light.

I like the manfrotto stuff but gitzo always feels like a better product to me.

Older Gitzo designs are nothing like the speed and ease of the current designs! The current Gitzo legs with G-Lock and ALR (anti leg rotation) make it easy to tighten quickly yet snugly, and easy to loosen. I was tripod shopping over 20 years ago, and the Gitzo design of legs back then made them far more difficult and slow, compared to Bogen (Manfrotto). That Bogen speed and easy advantage went away with the Gitzo G-Lock and ALR

While not Gitzo, I have a couple of Bogens (#3035 and #3040) that I got back in the 1980s. They're big, sturdy, heavy, indestructible aluminum tripods and over the years, I've found I almost never use them when I'm out & about just because they're big - and heavy - and...

I own the Gitzo studex G3 with centercolomn for 30 years now and still without problems. Not a thing to carry on your back.