SC in MA said:
My understanding is there is some drawback with both the double action and single action clamps, with a bit more drawback with the single action. However, any drawback is taken up by the next pull so I personally think drawback is a non-issue, though I believe others think it is. This was a hot topic in the past. Do a search for more details.
Yep, there is a slight amount of drawback, I think this would be eliminated if the clamp jaw/heads were machined, they look to be cast or something similar. The way they fit onto the base shaft is fairly loose for something that expensive. This is not to say the clamps are not good, IMO they are of excellent quality, but the drawback is noticeable. I don't mind much, though, since as has been said, the drawback is pulled out in the next pull. The only time this will matter is on the last string before tie off.
As far as price, i think anything around $700 is an excellent price. The constant pull (and the consistency of the said constant pull) is simply amazing. It's hard to really understand what one means by it until you've strung with one. I just have the utmost confidence in my machine.
One major gripe (ok, two) i have is/are: Lack of 360 degree rotation (I miss it really, really bad). There have been people who modify their machines to "enable" 360 degree rotation, but i think you have to store the tensioner down, in which case you lose the convenience of the clam shell jaw.
The other gripe i have is that there is no turn table brake. This seems like it would be easy to implement, but sadly enough, there is none. This is almost a requirement to string O3 style racquets... (I don't like the boomerang tool).
Hope this helps.