I have heard some stories and seen a couple of inferior ropes based on sheath slippage (or departure entirely)and would personally avoid PMI, but overall I think the rest all work fine. That is the message many posters were trying to make, that the rope is not such a purchase as to lose sleep over your choise, but rather that different ropes lend themselves more to different uses based on diameter. How a rope handles is important to me and a "soft hand" is important in terms of ease of handling. I also like a rope to be visually stricking enough that I can find and handle it in fading light. Bicolor can help avoid mistakes.
Keep in mind that a skinny rope is great for sport climbing steep walls but in the gunks a thicker rope will keep you from smacking that ledge under you while the solid rock in the gunks is also less likely to compromise your gear placement. I like a 10 or 10.2 in the gunks. That's all I got.

You wouldn't pay 50$ more for 4 more UIAA falls?

I don't know, but if you are taking more than one factor 2 fall in your climbing career, you don't need a different rope; you need a different sport.

Seriously though , is the fall rating really a good indicator of durability and strength during use?

Not.
In.
The.
Slightest.
Operator abuse plays a far more significant role.

This is a excerpt from a Mammut rope manual that explains how UIAA falls are tested and what the results mean.


Falls Held

The drop test is the point of most interest. It
measures how many >standard falls a rope
will withstand. The standard fall with a >fall
factor of 1.75 is an extremely hard one, which
very rarely occurs in practical use. A weight of
80 kg (with single and twin ropes) or 55 kg
(with half ropes) falls on a single cord (single
and half ropes) or doubled cord (twin ropes).
Single and half ropes must withstand at least
5 standard falls, a doubled twin rope at least
12. Single ropes, which hold 5-9 standard
falls, are designated as standard fall ropes,
those with more than 9 falls are designated
multi-fall ropes.
The number of falls is a direct measurement
of a rope's >safety reserve. No new rope can
break from an impact load, assuming good
conditions and good rope management. But
the efficiency of a rope decreases: >aging
and >wear reduce its strength. Moisture and
particularly frost can reduce it by about one
or two standard falls.[i][/i]

I've used Edelweiss 11, 10.5, 10.2 for trad and always loved their hand and longevity. Think it was the "Eldorado", then "Axis" and someother derivation.

Mammut Gemini doubles are among the best for trad and alpine with wandering routes. Feel and movement are great... weight is wonderful.

Well, remember that a FF1 at the Gunks means you're probably hitting the ground or the GT ledge.

FWIW:
I loved my BlueWater Accelerator 10.5, well priced, handled great for many years, TR workhorse.
Now using a Beal Stinger III 9.4 70m as my single. Another great rope.
Primary ropes are Mammut Genesis 8.5 60m doubles, second set of these. You see a lot of people at the gunks with these, they handle really well.

Again, I am flabbergasted that you guys remember all these model names years after you have made the purchase. Seriously....are you all that obssessed with your gear? As soon as the packaging gets thrown away i forget what I have. I have a yellow rope, red shoes, a blue chalk bag, and a silver helmet. Oh and pink underwear

Gear is EXPENSIVE so it's good to remember what the dollars are spent on... this way you can make sure not to buy the same crap in the future or to buy the good stuff over again.

Sounds like your gear is so old you might need to start replacing it!

Maybe he's just spent to much time being oxygen deprived or taken a few too many rocks to the head.

I don't know about others, but for me, it's just the way my brain works. Probably why I'm an IT guy, I remember specs and details.

Unlike clothing, which we associate with self-image, gear is something we associate with performance. "Since the (enter brand name)(enter gear category) is better, if I use it, I'll be better." And, yes, lots of climbers obsess about exactly that.