Looking for a stringer $400-600

[dakels]

Hi, everyone,

Seems I have the same question as many others so I'll try to be a bit more specific. I'm looking to buy a stringer. I have never strung a racquet before but I have a little bit of knowledge from watching friends string on cheap tabletop dropweight's, to very expensive $4000-5000 stringers. The stringer would mainly be for my use and the occasional stringing for people I play with.

I am a baseliner with hard top spin ground strokes and a serve about 105-110mph. I like graphite/kevlar long stroke racquets like the prostaff 6.0 strung at high tensions, 67-69lbs on synthetic guts. Sometimes I will use extended racquets though and don't know if that is an issue when picking a stringer. I will typically break a 16 guage or 15 lite synth gut in about 3 hours or so (center break with very chewed strings). Depending on how much I play I will be stringing 3-4 times a week then add 1-2 a week for freinds. So lets say 5-7 stringings a week, 16 maybe 17 guage synth gut, 60-70lbs tensions.

My price range is about $400-600 or less depending on the situation. Bear in mind tht I only plan to keep this stringer for a few years as a starter until I am experienced enough to buy a better one that I know what I want. I see so many models in that price range. The entry level uprights start around there too. If possible I'd like to have an upright but it's not a requirement if I can get a tabletop thats better for the same price. I am not a fan of the dropweight system as it seems very inconsitent to me, but that all depends on the person stringing I guess. My main hitting partner is a top ranked collegiate player and one of Nick Bollettieri's students. He uses this POS tabletop dropweight junk... so if it's good enough for him as far as stringing quality, well it would be good enough for me. But, he's been stringing since he was like 10 years old. I may be better off with a spring system? What about the electronic's? BTW my friend's 2 point tabletop dropweight stringer has put small chips and non structural cracks on the bridge of my racquets. He doesn't care cuz he gets half a dozen new racquets every few months but I do care obvisously. I'd like a 4-6 point system or at least a very safe and secure 2 point. My racquets last about 2 years or so before some major wear starts to go into the frame. I'd like to keep it that way and not have premature breaks from a crappy stringer.

Anybody have recommendations? I would gladly consider used models as well. Even resource links for places to buy? I really enjoy this site but the reviews are a bit limited. I'm kinda looking for a magic bullet such as 12 good reviews about such and such model and good comparison's to other stringers in that class/price range. I am in the northern NJ, NYC area if anybody can recommend a shop that handles machines. I wouldn't mind ordering froma reputable catalog or web site.

thanks! :D

[dakels]

I'd like to add too that tension prescision and consistency are of course important, especially considering I like high tensions. Even if it's not accurate, thats ok as long as it's consistent. So if a stringer likes to read 5 lbs over, as long as it always does that consistently and I can make up the difference, thats fine by me.

Speed also is a small factor. I'm not going to be doing 10 racquets a day of course but I also don't want to add 15-20 minutes to each stringing because of some crappy clamp design or lack of rotation. I hope to be eventually be doing a racquet in under 30 minutes, preferably 20 and accurately. I understand that comes with experience but a little better machine layout can help that of course.

btw the main stringer (as in the person operating it) at Bollettieri Academy does a racquet in about 8-10 minutes! He threads everything through first then goes back and tightens each one (not that I really understand the difference). He is incredibly fast. Of course if it's natural gut it takes a bit longer. There is a proshop I have been going to near me where the girl there does a stringing (normal racquets, synth gut) in about 15 minutes and in the 100 times I have used her, she's been off on 1 racquet (the tension balance was a little off and 3-4lbs low). The rest are about within 1 lbs or less of what I ask for and my grommets are in good shape. I think she uses a Prince Neos 2000?

I was just looking at the Neos 1000. Is that any good? It's a bit expensive though. Maybe I could find one used...

[dakels]

anybody?

Bueller?

Buelller?

Bueller?

:confused:

[moreysaintdenis]

I am looking in buying a stringing machine too.

You mentioned that you would keep the machine for two years or so until you are experienced enough to buy a good one, and also you would string 5 to 7 racquets per week.

Based on these two assumptions, if I were you, I would directly buy a very good stringing machine in the $1000 - $1500 range (about the same range in Euro). From what I have read, Alpha, Gamma, Prince, Stringway have very good reputation. I don't mention the Babolat, that's a different world.

Why ?
The 1st reason is: assuming the price you would pay for stringing job is about $15, that would represent $105 per week (7 racquets). You will pay off your 1000-dollar stringing machine in 9.5 weeks.
The 2nd reason is: you will save yourself the hassle of reselling your old machine to buy a new one, and paying twice for shipping, if applicable.

My two cents.

[jeffkupers]

I suggest to all entry level stringers to look for a reconditioned Ektelon or Prince. There are companies that recondition these to "like-new" condition.

These machines are still the industry standard and very easy to use. I've had Gamma, Babolats, Alpha, and I keep coming back to the Ektelon (currently a NEOS) because of its ease and accuracy. I LOVE the two point mounting system.

I will mention, I have plans to purchase another electric, constant pull machine in the very near future. Times will eventually change and the constant-pull will in turn be the standard. If electric is in your head, make sure you purchase one that has both constant-pull and lock-out options. People that are used to having their rackets strung on a lock-out machine will be upset with a constant pull string job. By having both options, you don't have to spend time calculating the differences.

Your going to have all of us tell you what is "best" due to our personal preferences. All of the machine types are accurate in their own perameters when used by skillful hands. I just feel the Ektelon and Prince lock-out machines are the easiest and if well-maintained, extremely accurate.

[rhogeo]

I bought a very nice used Ektelon Model H for a little over $400 on eBay about a month ago. Very nice condition, included cover and tools. I tested the tension with a Prince string calibrator and it's perfect.

I would suggest getting a Ektelon Model H. It's one of the best machines ever made. Ask any professional stringer.

[eddie353]

I agree that the Ektelon H is the best stringer to use...have used one almost exclusively for the last 25 years...(have tried some other stringers, never seemed to take a liking to them)....I've hauled it to many tournaments and have had many club pros comment that they wished they had kept their Model H instaed of buying a newer updated stringer. Every time we havea sent it in to be reconditioned it has never been off by more than a pound.

[tennisinstructor]

Hi Dakels...I live in Canada...I came across your ad and seen your looking for a strining machine??
I have a gamma 4000 stringing machine for sale and I'm willing to sell for $800.00 O.B.O... if interested make me an offer at this stage I'm negotiable


if you are interested or know anyone that might be interested please reply or have them get ahold of me by email or cell# and I'll send them photo's of the machine and it's accessories and you or they can make me an offer..and let me know were they live incase it's in the U.S.A.


Thanks


Dan Emrich
35 McKeough Avenue
Chatham,Ontario
Canada
N7L 1J3

CELL# 1-519-809-1264
tennisinstructor@hotmail.com

[electrice]

my recomendation for someone like you is a gamma x6 or gamma x2. both are good just remember to do a 2piece string job on all your rackets, especially if you get the gamma x2.

you can get away with the x2 its a magnificent deal. the x6 is a little better because its mounting system is better. however if you do a 2piece string job like i said, you wont notice a big difference with both machines.

[CoachCarter]

I actually recently bought a new Mutual Power Atlas 8600...around $800 - electric...has been super easy to use...have strung about 10 frames this weekend with it. I'd suggest taking a look at them...they had a few models...might fit your needs and be good to last in the future.

Coach Doug Carter
LeTourneau University Tennis
Longview, Texas

[Blork]

CoachCarter,


Because the Mutual Power Atlas 8600 is listed as a lockout machine in a comparison table from RSI (link (http://www.racquetsportsindustry.com/issues/200608/200608smg_tensioning.html)), I was wondering if you could conform this fact from personal experience.

Also, there is a large image of the machine on the Mutual Power website, but the writing on the control panel is not legible. Would you be so kind as to say what controls this machine offers? If it would not be too much hassle, a close-up picture of the control panel would make things even easier.


Kind regards.

[CoachCarter]

Describe what a lockout machine would do as compared and I can gladly tell you whether that's the Atlas 8600. Send me your email address and I will send you a picture...you could then upload it or whatever. It's quick and seems accurate as heck.

DougCarter@letu.edu

[Blork]

A lockout machine stops pulling and locks the tension head as soon as the desired tension is reached. However, a string under tension will elongate because of elasticity (some more than others of course) and therefore the tension will drop a bit. A constant pull machine will keep tensioning as the string elongates to make up for this loss.

Practically speaking the easiest way to see if yours is a lockout or constant pull machine is to tension a string and observe if the tension head keeps correcting. These corrections could be very small, but you should be able to see the tension head rotate slightly. An illustration can be seen in the following video: link (http://www.sptennis.com/videos/CP40.html).

(Apologies for the commercial nature of the video, but it illustrates the difference quite well.)

[CoachCarter]

OK, well it does seem to lock out most of the time, but if I move the frame around some then it will pull some more. I hope that helps. I know my discription is kinda vague.

[Blork]

The control panel of the Mutual Power Atlas 8600:
10
(Picture courtesy of CoachCarter.)

According to your description it does notice a decrease in tension, but different machines have a different tolerance for this decrease. This is seldom mentioned by manufacturers, but it can range from less than a pound to a couple of pounds. Only when the tension drop exceeds this amount will the machine pull the string again to the desired tension.

Thanks for the info CoachCarter, I was especially interested because the Mutual Power Atlas series seem very similar to the Tyger StringProfi-630 which I was considering myself. Mutual Power is not available here, whereas Tyger is very easily found.

For those interested:
-------Mutual Power Atlas 9600------- -------Tyger StringProfi-630-------
11 12
Don't tell me they don't look similar...

PS: I apologize for going off-topic in this thread, but considering the topic was started in 2003 something tells me the topic starter probably has bought his machine by now...