When does Ball Machine go on sale?

dak95_00

Hall of Fame
Silent Partner puts some demo models on the auction site every so often at a discount with full warranty. Tennis Tutor also sells demo models on their site but you have to call and ask.

Other than that, check out local classified ads for used machines. I've had good luck and both of those companies are known to service their old machines for new owners. There's very little to go wrong on an entry level machine.
 

wildcat

New User
TW has the Lobster Elite machine with FREE remote, this December. This is a $300.00 savings. I struggled with paying that much for a remote, reasoning that I was playing for the exercise.
I bought the tennis tutor player plus and paid for the remote. The bottom line is you will enjoy and use your machine more, and try different elevation, speed, spins etc, at the push of button, from your side of the court.
I know from experience that without the remote I would load 150 balls into the machine and shoot some to align my setting, then run to the other side and hit till they was gone even if I found that I did not like that setting.
Remote seems overpriced, but on a $2000.00 investment, I think it makes the difference of using your machine a lot and looking forward to using it, or only getting the machine out because you can't find a hitting partner.
I've had both. Without remote I only used the ball machine about 3 or 4 times a year, hitting for 90 minutes. Having remote with quick access to changes, keeps me working on improving different parts of my game. I now use the machine once a week for about a 3 hour session.
 

rchjr2091

Semi-Pro
I bought a new one thinking I just had to have a new one . (Lobster Elite 1) I bought it for 1100. Sold it for 700 eighteen months later on Craiglist . I wish I had looked for a used one first .
 

Random Guy99

New User
I bought the entry model SP from SP; a demo model off ****. I think it was $600 shipped and it had full warranty. I used it a ton the first year - no issues. End of year 2 one of the leads on the control board went so only one wheel would spin. I removed the connector from the dead wheel and applied it to the good wheel. So I had one dial to control speed - it controlled both wheels. Lived with only getting knuckle balls for last month of year 2 (that was kind of horrible actually); bought a replacement board from SP for year 3. That was like $100. SP was very helpful in analyzing the problem. I even explored upgrading to a remote capable circuit board, but that involved a 2nd board (for the remote) and didn't make sense, all factors considered.

For $600 I do not miss the remote. I have found it best to load the hopper 1/2 full (75ish balls). By the 75th ball I am gassed (if I have it rotating); and it makes more sense to get the break to reload the machine and make the limited settings changes I can make to work on what I want to work on for the next 75 balls.
 

preeb

Rookie
How about this:

01616_iLbZtF9tKJr_600x450.jpg
 
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