Doug, If i have the sizes right i think you will find the GT recorders bigger, heavier and stronger. Hooks dont actually have a universally applicable size scale so one 5/0 isnt the same as another. I think that has been discussed elsewhere in here at length. The weight of the hooks affects the lures quite a bit.
I'm a dremel person for de-barbing also, but careful to do it without heating the hooks up to much which i presume potentially affects their strength to some degree. I then use indelible black marker on the sanded parts and points to stop rusting and help keep them sharp.