There goes Antony proving he knows little about the differences between the 2 machines and using language that is uncalled for. I haven't been on here in ages but thought it was time to provide another comparison given I've been using both machines for a long time.: Spinfre for almost 9 and Proton for over 2 so I know what I am and am not missing and if you don't, read on!
Here's my comparison:
Cons of Proton:
Random Drills – Spinfire’s drills make it super easy to have the ball shoot randomly anywhere on the court. Proton can only shoot random balls to an area from the baseline to just over the service line because of it's limited vertical angle capability.
Internal oscillation - The Spinfire does not move to tell you where to run in the random drills. Proton moves to remind you were to run. Major disadvantage unless you want to cheat in the random drill.
Lob Height –Spinfire actually does a lob to 60 deg. Proton doesn't. It's only 24 degrees and moving it back to the fence doesn't help as some have suggested as the angle is still the same.
Speed –Spinfire 80mph vs Proton 68
Stability –The Spinfire does not drift, period. We are constantly re-aligning our Proton every time we fill the basket as advised by Jonah @ Proton because of the drift.
Ball Capacity – Spinfire 150 balls vs Proton 110+. You get to hit longer before you have to pick up. Hopper is durable plastic not fabric like the Proton.
Portability – Spinfire just rolls like luggage so you don't have to carry it like with the Proton, as well as all your other gear.
Setup – Flip the basket and go with Spinfire vs with the Proton you have to open the 4-part basket flaps, take out the stirrer, screw it in, the unscrew and store. Don’t lose the stirrer or drop it in the machine as it took us 10 minutes to get it out.
Warranty – Spinfire 2 yrs standard vs Proton 1 yr and pay extra for 2 yrs
Extended Warranty – Spinfire 5 yrs vs Proton not available
Remote – Spinfire has a super light remote, tap setting buttons vs Proton you need to run around with a heavy smartphone in your pocket, unlock it, tap the app, etc just to change a setting
Battery life – Spinfire up to 8 hrs vs Proton lucky to get 2
DIY Repairs – Spinfire super-easy vs Proton admits it is not DIY repairable. Take a look at the 4-1/2 min
video here on Proton's website showing Jonah struggling to get the body out of the machine case.
AC Adapter, ie no battery)– Spinfire yes. Proton no. We love being able to plug in the Spinfire at the court outlet and play for hours.
Durability – I've owned my Spinfire for over 8 yrs with no issues and no software updates required. Proton has had 4 software updates already in the short time it's been out. We've already sent our Proton once already, just like Antony and some others on this forum have.
Design – As a product developer I was very interested in seeing the guts of the Proton and have taken both it and the Spinfire apart. The Proton has what looks like a very dated mechanical design. You can’t clean it without taking it apart. Proton uses a rubber/elastomeric polymer pully that moves the rolling wheels but that material degrades over time. The long threaded actuator pin that Proton uses to intersect with vertical pin can get clogged with ball fuzz causing it to seize as some have reported. The optical sensor that Proton uses to sense balls can get covered with ball fuzz causing machine to stop working. Spinfire does not have any of these problematic design elements. In fact I undertand that Spinfire’s newer v2 model (I have the v1 model) is even more advance internally and way ahead of the Proton in design.
Availability – I don’t know about Spinfire but their website seems to show availability. You can’t even get a Proton. It’s a 3 month wait.
Pros of Proton:
Price – Spinfire $2,399 with handheld remote, standard 8-hr battery & charger, 2 yr warranty vs Proton $1,695 with smartphone remote, 2-ish hour battery, 1 yr warranty, $1,795 with 2 yr.
Programmability – With Spinfire you can indeed program the drills to have different spins, speeds, intervals but they are fixed during the drill unless you change them on the fly. Ball locations can vary and are adjustable to a degree, ie random all over court, long-short balls, 2-Line and random horizontal with 3 different widths or all-court random drills and I can do any of those drills up to 60 degree lob height. You can’t vary anything on the fly during a drill on the Proton. You are stuck with what you programmed. YMMV like my son who likes to fiddle with the Proton programming (kids are like that!), I would rather just tap a pre-programmed drill and start hitting. To each his own.
Whether size and weight is a pro or not is debatable. The Spinfire is 40 lbs with external battery and 25L x 15W x 19”H vs Proton 20 lbs, 17L x 10W x 15”H. The fact that the Proton is lighter is lost on me because you have to carry it vs just pulling the Spinfire like luggage. The size difference may matter to some, especially if you only have a Copper Mini to transport it in or you can't even lift 40 lbs into a car, which begs the question of why you are even playing tennis.
Conclusion:
I don't have a hate on for Proton at all. After we own it and use it regularly along side our Spinfire. i just don't like unfair comparisons from the Antony's of the world whose lack of knowledge means all he can say is another machine 'sucks'. Both of these machines have their place in the tennis ball machine ecosystem. Do you want to pay more for all of the Pro’s of the Spinfire as well as being tried and proven for many years or do you want to pay less for the Proton which has a lot fewer Pro’s, is a newcomer to the marketplace and with longevity unknown. Is being able to program the machine important to you? Do you want to run around with a smartphone in your pocket when practising or not? Do you need to practise lobs, which is a very hard shot to master and which the Proton cannot do? It's all personal preference and what your requirements are in a machine. The budget you have and/or how much you feel like spending on a machine is also a huge factor in your decision.
Good luck!
