First Machine - secondhand options

Thinking to get a stringing machine. As this is only to string my racquets - looking for something up to $400.
Options are not great here in Australia.

What I see on the market in this price range

- secondhand Eagnas or Spinfire winder (models vary .. need to wait for some to appear on a bay or in local classifield)
- secondhabd stringway ml100 (anyway, I think it will end up sold around 400)
- brand new Eagnas Combo 710 $550 with tools

Which one would do for are reliable DIY stringing (I assume 1 restring a month on average)?

Stringway without a doubt if you can find one.

If the Stringway is the version that has single action fixed clamps get it asap imo. Same recommendation if it is the double action clamps model. I've never used either but I have inspected a fixed clamp model and it appeared to be a solid well-made machine.

Even if it is the flying clamp version I'd take a good long look at it as $400 is I believe about half the retail price.

Looks like you only have two to compare (for now anyway.) The Stringway ML100 sounds like a great price while the 710 sounds high. But that could just be USD conversion. Most of the complaints in the US on Eagnas are lower quality and customer service from the US distributor but you may or may not have to deal with those issues. The Stringway sure does sound like your best deal as the Stringway is an automatic drop weight and the 710 is manual. If you have access to other Eagnas machines the Logic 90 is an ML100 clone you may want to check out. There are some review threads on TW you can find easy with a google search if intested. Good luck.

These links may help too:
ML100
Logic 90
Combo 710

Irvin said:

Looks like you only have two to compare (for now anyway.) The Stringway ML100 sounds like a great price while the 710 sounds high. But that could just be USD conversion. Most of the complaints in the US on Eagnas are lower quality and customer service from the US distributor but you may or may not have to deal with those issues. The Stringway sure does sound like your best deal as the Stringway is an automatic drop weight and the 710 is manual. If you have access to other Eagnas machines the Logic 90 is an ML100 clone you may want to check out. There are some review threads on TW you can find easy with a google search if intested. Good luck.

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Irvin, just so you'll have some idea of how much things cost in Oz, a tube of 4 Wilson Championship balls will run you $10, and the Australian dollar is actually a bit higher than the US dollar. Plus, there are very few free courts. Tennis is an expensive proposition in Australia.

Been there ( and loved it) and $1 AD = $1.05 USD at today's rate. A can of 3 balls is on sale for under $2 USD all the time in Atlanta area and you can find free courts all over the place in schools and local small parks, not to mention almost every neighborhood has courts. Best of all it is springtime is the US now. Come on up and see the States. You can flush the toilets and watch the water spin the wrong way. But I have to warn you almost everyone talks funny. Also if you throw a stick and want it to come back you better have a dog. LOL

EDIT: BTW the 710 @ $550 AD is about 50% higher than it is here.

Viktorr,

I agree that the ML100 would probably be the best option secondhand.

However, for about A$400, you should be able to get a new KlipperMate straight from USA, including free tools and shipping.

I hesitated a lot initially, worrying about the accuracy of the ratchet-free dropweight. But after stringing so many rackets, I found it very well built for the price. The clamps are excellent too. Lifetime warranty too!

Just take a look at some of the stringjobs I did using the Klipper on my blog

just be patient... good machines come along every so often

Spinfire sell for A$600-900 new and if you're lucky score it for half slightly used.

I was looking at Klipper but decided I wouldn't risk 2-pt & flying clamps,
minimum to be worth my while is 6-pt & fixed clamp.

Dropweight is good 'cos I don't have to worry about constant calibration,
just don't forget to pay your gravity subscription!

Thanx everybody for your advice.
One more thing ... when buying used machine (springway or any other) - what should I pay attention to?
If machine comes from the bay then you never know...
With the machine I am looking at now - the owner is not even sure how old is it.
How do I check that the machine is fine?
(I am novice with stringing)

Forgot to mention ... based on google search ML 100 was available in internet shops at 1999, so the machine in question could be 14 years old. Is it a lot? Does $400 still look good for that machine?

Viktorr said:

Forgot to mention ... based on google search ML 100 was available in internet shops at 1999, so the machine in question could be 14 years old. Is it a lot? Does $400 still look good for that machine?

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The price depends on the condition.

Careful, IF it is a SPRINGway as mentioned in an above post, we may be dealing with an altogether different animal

coachrick said:

Careful, IF it is a SPRINGway as mentioned in an above post, we may be dealing with an altogether different animal

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sorry , my bad, the animal is correct - stringway, but probably quite old animal it is

bought it

Ok, I've just bought it on fleaBay. Picking up on Sunday.
It is a dual action clamps Stringway ML100 machine.
Seller was saying that machine is in excellent condition but I understand now that it is quite old (demo is on VHS).

What do I need to check on pickup?

Without stringing a racquet in my life... I assume I've got to verify that the following things are fine...

- overall condition
- this is stringway ML 100 and not 90 ( they look same on pictures, what is the difference... how can I tell?)
- clamping the racquet works well (probably should bring some racquet to try)
- checking drop weight and how string pulled/released
- checking that fixed clamps can be moved smoothly and hold string ok

Does it sound like a good list?
Sorry for annoyance but being a newbie, I am not very confident purchasing secondhand machine.

Thanx,

Viktor

If you and the seller have time try to string a racket before you take it home and try on you own.

Not sure what the difference between ML90 and ML100. I have an old LaSerFibre which is identical to the ML90.

Make sure:
1. Machine has a working brake. It isn't a big deal unless you string the Prince O port rackets and then you need the brake for the O ports. Easy to test the brake and ensure it locks the turntable
2. Test the action on the clamps to make sure you get a nice lock on the base and a nice lock on the string. Clamps in good condition have a feel where you can feel it "snap" into place. I use the word loosely because it doesn't click or make a noise when it locks but you will feel the it build pressure and then it pops into a locked stated. The clamp pressure on the string and the base are both adjustable and you may want to test adjustments. I use as little pressure as possible and slippage is not a problem.
3. Make sure the tension head grabs the string nicely.

These are great machines and there is not much that can go wrong.

They do say after about a 1,000 strings jobs you may want to refurbish the clamps. By refurbish, I think they mean take it apart, clean it, lubricate with white lithium, and possibly replace the cam component. Cam is a little metal thing-of-ma-jig that controls how the clamp locks/snaps into place. A new CAM is not much money - $20 or less if stringway will sell you one. I have had my machine for 6 years but have done no where near 1,000 rackets. I probably only do about 50-75 rackets per year. I have not noticed any degradation in machine performance during those 6 years.

>>1. Machine has a working brake.

I did not realize it has a brake. Ho is it operated?

Viktorr said:

>>1. Machine has a working brake.

I did not realize it has a brake. Ho is it operated?

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The brake would not be used to string non O port rackets. If you had a Prince racket it would make a lot more sense to you.

Thanks for your replies, getting the toy tomorrow. Seller is happy to show how to use it.

Can you guys tell me what tension do I use compared with electronic Wilson machine that is used in the shop?
Say, if Electronic machine tension is 50 lb.. does it mean that Stringway should be set to 50 lb to match it?
I think I read some threads and documents explaining that dropweight will actually hold tension better - so I probably should do 47 lb as an equivalent?
Right? Wrong?

Googling the Stringway - it is told to have "constant pull" and that the arm angle does not matter? I am struggling to understand the physics of that (and I am (or was sometime ago:???: )a physicist)..
Any references to anywhere on how it works? Or am I wrong again?

Cheers,

Viktorr

Viktorr said:

Thanks for your replies, getting the toy tomorrow. Seller is happy to show how to use it
...
...
...
Googling the Stringway - it is told to have "constant pull" and that the arm angle does not matter? I am struggling to understand the physics of that (and I am (or was sometime ago:???: )a physicist)..
Any references to anywhere on how it works? Or am I wrong again?

Cheers,

Viktorr

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This info is from Stringway site.
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Wow, this is smart. Nice, neat and simple trick.


Any takers on the tension question (electronic vs drop weight)?

I would leave the tension the same.

I've got ir!!

So, I do have the toy at home. Machine looks in good shape to me (I cannot claim to understand much though).
Sellers were good to assist me in stringing a racquet - and I've already played with that racquet. Seems to be allright. I've used multi, so stringing was a pleasant exercise.

After watching the supplied VHS I have some questions though..

When using measuring stick - the hole of the stick goes into that metal axis..does it?
(the seller told me that the edge of the stick goes against the red bit.. in the video stick hole goes in the metal axis. So it looks that tension 58 which I thought I used is actually 64?)

When stringing mains - do you go symmetric (one string on left one on right)?

The rule that last main string (and first and last cross) are strung at 8 pound more than the bed - is it used by everybody?


More generally, I probably need a link to stringing for idiots.

Thanks

yeah you do mains symmetrically from the middle to balance the stress,
whether you go 1 or 2 every side... don't matter much

some ppl super-pull the ends before knots to counter slip loss from knot
but you shouldn't lose that much if you learn to cinch up knot properly

Viktorr said:

...When stringing mains - do you go symmetric (one string on left one on right)?

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Always string the mains symmetrically. The USRSA say to never go more than 3 strings ahead on either side. So you can string three main on one side, then 6 on the other finish the first side than the other. I prefer to string one main on one side then two on the other until finished. I ran a test once comparing the left and right side mains on a 16 main racket. Never getting more than one ahead on either side produces a more symmetrical stringbed but I doubt anyone could tell the difference once the racket is completed. I strung only the mains and held each end with a starting clamp and measured the frequency of like numbered mains here are the results using the 1-2 and 3-6 methods.

Viktorr said:

The rule that last main string (and first and last cross) are strung at 8 pound more than the bed - is it used by everybody...

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Bot sure if most do that or not but I do not. The reason for it is to prevent tension loss on the outside main due to drawback.