Texas Power Concepts CDB

Name: Texas Power Concepts CDB
Brand: Texas Power Concepts
Rating: 4.45 (3 reviews)

The Texas Power Concepts CDB is a plate-loadable circus dumbbell hand-built by Houston, TX strongman equipment maker Frank Gonzalez, made to order in a range of diameters, weight bases, and custom colors. The base 10” model reviewed here starts at 65 lb empty with a 2 3/8” handle and loads up to 150 lb total; overall dimensions run roughly 19.5” long by 10.75” wide. It ships without collars, so owners typically pair it with separately sourced high-temp welding clamps or similar heavy-duty collars for overhead and dropped use.

Independent coverage is limited to a handful of owner reports, but they’re consistent: reviewers describe fully-welded construction with no sharp edges or flaws, and GymRadar’s small owner sample (4.45/5 across 3 reviews) echoes that build-quality praise. As of this writing, the manufacturer’s own strongman product listing shows no active inventory, so buyers looking for this exact piece are likely limited to the secondhand market rather than a new direct order.

Material	welded steel
Availability	manufacturer no longer appears to be producing new units
Empty weight	65 lb (lighter/base option)
Bell diameter	10" (base model)
Color options	custom colors available to order (e.g. gold)
Overall width	10.75"
Overall length	19.5"
Handle diameter	2 3/8"
Collars included	no
Max loaded weight	150 lb

What is a Strongman?

Strongman equipment trains raw, functional strength through odd-object lifting, carrying, and loading — atlas stones, yokes, farmer’s handles, sleds, logs, and tires — rather than the fixed, balanced resistance of a barbell. It’s a fit for lifters who’ve plateaued on conventional strength training and want to build the grip, bracing, and full-body coordination that competition strongman and functional fitness demand, or who simply want the most direct training carryover to real-world lifting and carrying tasks. Most pieces are bulky and some (tires, natural stones) are sourced or repurposed rather than bought outright, so plan for storage space and, in a few cases, DIY sourcing as part of owning this equipment.

How it compares

	Texas Power Concepts CDB	Fitness Sandbags	Farmer's Handles - Custom/DIY	Log Crash Cushions
GymRadar rating	4.45/5	4.41/5	4.49/5	4.52/5
Price				$395.00
Material	welded steel
Availability	manufacturer no longer appears to be producing new units
Empty weight	65 lb (lighter/base option)
Bell diameter	10" (base model)
Color options	custom colors available to order (e.g. gold)
Overall width	10.75"
Overall length	19.5"
Handle diameter	2 3/8"		Varies by plan, roughly 1-1.75in; reviewers note under 1in (e.g. 3/4" pipe) digs into the hand more than a larger diameter
Collars included	no
Max loaded weight	150 lb

4.5/5 · 3 GymRadar reviews

Reviews by source

Expert	4.45/5	3 reviews
Youtube	4.5/5	1 reviews

Texas Power Concepts’ CDB is a plate-loadable circus dumbbell hand-built by Houston, TX manufacturer Frank Gonzalez, sold direct in a range of diameters, weight bases, and custom colors before the brand appears to have gone quiet on new production. Independent coverage is limited but consistently positive: GymRadar’s owner sample rates it 4.45/5 across 3 reviews, and a first-hand unboxing video of the 10”, 65 lb, gold-custom-color unit reports “no sharp edges” and “absolutely excellent” weld quality straight out of the box. Build quality is the standout dimension – every source that handled the piece calls out clean welds and robust material with no flex or flaw. Value is the weakest dimension to assess: with the manufacturer no longer listing active inventory, buyers are largely limited to the secondhand market, and no source in this KB reports current pricing.

+Build quality: welds and finish described as "absolutely excellent" with no sharp edges or flaws on inspection (YouTube: Pancakes N Weights unboxing)
+Build quality: "high quality welds and robust material used" on the 10" unit specifically (GymRadar owner review, Vienna Iron Club)
+Durability: owners report "no concerns on anything breaking or bending" (GymRadar owner review, Vienna Iron Club)
+Functionality: base 10" model loads to 150 lb from a 65 lb empty weight with a 2 3/8" handle, enough range for most strongman training loads (YouTube: Pancakes N Weights unboxing)
+Functionality: direct ordering from the maker was reported as easy and responsive, including custom color requests (YouTube: Pancakes N Weights unboxing)

−Value: manufacturer no longer appears to be producing equipment, so new units aren't available at any price and buyers are pushed to the used market (product description; texaspowerconcepts.com/strongman listing is empty)
−Value: no source in this knowledge base reports pricing, current or historical
−Durability: coverage is all short-term (unboxing, early ownership) -- no multi-year durability reports surfaced
−Versatility: reviewed unit is the lighter 65 lb base only; heavier configurations exist per the listing but are unverified by any source here