Are Sram front mechs really that bad?

The last piece in my ever changing pipedream build is a front mech. I now plan to run 9 speed sram xo as a result of a sale thread on here (originally planned xtr m970).

I don't have an sram front mech, and for some reason have the desire to keep the gears all from the same manufacturer despite knowing I can use any front mech.

I've read varying reviews about sram front mechs so am wondering are they really as bad as some make out? I don't think they make an xo 9 speed front so am looking to buy an x9 one with the high clamp, which brings me neatly on to another question: is there a performance difference between the high and low clamp versions?

I have my eye on a high clamp version, just wish it had black somewhere in it to match the rest, or that there was an xo version available.

Another question or two:

Can I run a 3x10 front xo mech on a 9 speed drive train?

As my frame is a very small diameter requiring a 28.6 clamp, should I shim a larger clamped mech, or buy a direct mount frame adapter in the right size, then buy a direct mount mech to suit (assuming answer to above 3x10 on a 3x9 is yes).

Are there any nice, but inexpensive direct mount adapters out there, preferably in black or gold to match other colours in the build?

I wait some wise words, as this new fangled technology is new to me, but I'm looking to embrace it.

Keep an eye out for my next question about tyre choices to follow later.

Re:

personally i'm not a fan of Sram, so maybe a pinch of salt here but . . .

the one time i used a sram front mech, esp 9.0, it was rubbish, plastic, struggled to get it to stay tight on the frame, flexed at the cage when shifting between rings. rubbish.

but . . . that was a while ago, the 3x10 may work, but i don't know for sure, the cage maybe narrower so it's worth checking that out, i personally much prefer high mount mechs, they last so much longer, i think it's because the pivots are closer together so there is less movement when they do wear abit.

but overall i'd still stick with a shimano if possible.

Thanks, sticking with shimano was my original intention, but I thought I'd do something different for a change. I'm not using an sram chainset (being different there too and running e.thirteen xc), and I'm keeping my m970 bits just in case I don't get on with the sram kit, agreeing with you and at least I can switch back if needs be.

Thanks for the info on high clamp, I hadn't thought of that but experience of shimano high and low clamps would concur.

I'm currently using a Sram X9 front mech on my Moots (on a 3x9 setup) paired with a X-0 rear mech, Sram chain and casette. Function wise it works just fine, never had any issues. I wanted to go for a full Sram drivetrain. That being said I wish the front mech would be as nicely made as the X0 rear mech, but it's not, the quality is not quite there comparing to Shimano (especially XTR). Weight wise it is also heavier than Shimano (lots of steel). I will swap it out to a M952 XTR mech (the one and only with the parallelogram plates, best front derailleur ever made). The XTR is going to be lighter and better working, unfortunately not matching the Sram rest but by now I don't care anymore about matching, I want the best. That being said, I had no issues with the X9 front mech which shifts fine (even with Syncros chainrings), it's just not that nice.

Thanks, that's interesting. I have shimano options, but think I'll give sram a chance, and to be honest, I don't tend to do that much shifting on the front, mostly use the big ring anyway, so hopefully it will simply look good until such times it is needed (I must say that the wide pivot shimano ones I have had tend to get stuck when not used frequently).

Anyone got any thoughts on the other questions - buy a direct mount adapter to increase mech options (if yes, where can I get a nice one), will 3x10 work on a 3x9 set up.

Cheers

TBH, is not so much the mechs, but the whole front end system.
The shifts are just not very good, pretty much like going back to 90's shimano set ups.
They can (usually) be fettled/set up to give good shifts, but they aren't very robust, as soon as you get dirt, cable stretch or noticeable wear. The shifting goes to shit.
Shimano systems are far easier to set up and get good shifts on, then they need a lot more wear/noise before they stop working well. I've heard, but not experienced yet, that the new DA 11 mechanical front shift is almost as good as the Di2 shift. And by all accounts, the new XTR front mech is a whole new game as far as front shifting goes.
SRAM keep pushing 1x mtb drivetrains for all.........

Re:

No tried any Sram stuff yet.
I tried a bottom swing mech and found the modern top pull cable stop pulled the
cable at a pretty severe angle, from the stop, it didn't look at all good.
So I bought a top swing mech, much better cable angle and it works just great,
it is still shifting nicely after a year, still wonder why they put the stops where they do.
But I find the top swing mech ends up looking like I have a wasps nest on the
frame as soon as it sees a bit of mud, it's much closer to the tyre than bottom swing
mech, it still shifts but doesn't look good for it; It is a 34.9 mech shimmed down to 28.6, this must make a bigger shelf to collect mud on.