Anyone ever upgrade their machines to gravity release clamps?

[neverstopplaying]

I have a SP Maestro with a Wise tension head. It seems I'm stringing more and more and would like to upgrade to gravity release clamps.

I've contacted JC Tennis, Spinfire and New Tech to see what they have to say. I spoke to JC yesterday and just sent him dimensions of my current machine specs - no answers from others yet. I would prefer the Prince that JC sells as they look higher quality.

Has anyone done this? Are the clamp base rails pretty standard diameter so I can just replace the clamp base? Mine are 1.3cm wide.

 

[Irvin]

If it aint broke don't fix it

 

[Chotobaka]

I agree with Irvin. The Maestro is a solid machine and represented a great price/value equation when it was being sold. I personally wouldn't attempt to hot rod it with expensive components that are strictly a matter of convenience. I don't see the spring assisted clamps as a burden, even for heavy volume, and if you have the later 3-tooth clamps you already have excellent hardware. These were the same as the Opus' original clamps.

 

[OccasionalStringer]

I have a SP Maestro with a Wise tension head. It seems I'm stringing more and more and would like to upgrade to gravity release clamps.

I've contacted JC Tennis, Spinfire and New Tech to see what they have to say. I spoke to JC yesterday and just sent him dimensions of my current machine specs - no answers from others yet. I would prefer the Prince that JC sells as they look higher quality.

Has anyone done this? Are the clamp base rails pretty standard diameter so I can just replace the clamp base? Mine are 1.3cm wide.

I have done that!

I have upgraded my Pro's pro V888 clamps to Prince 6000 clamps, both clamp bases and string clamps. But the clamp bases come with the rails so you replace also them. I think that the fixing hole locations for the rails are fairly standard for most turntables with straight rails (280mm x 30 mm).

With my machine it was an easy upgrade event though including delivery costs and import taxes I paid for the clamps more than twice that what I paid for the machine itself (I got the machine at very good price fairly unused from a local badminton player). Even though I live in Finland I ordered the clamps from Tennis Machines, at least at that time USD Euro exchange was such that it was cheaper that way

I did the upgrade due to very poor quality of the original clamp bases and the difference with Prince clamp bases was night and day. I have done now stringing for 3 ITF pro circuit tournaments (100-120 frames per tournament week) with that machine which I never could have done with the original clamp bases.

I find the gravity release quite nice feature although sometimes you need to press the button to release the clamps as the string clamp does not always drop freely when you release it.

 

[kkm]

It's better to release the base of the clamp before releasing the clamp, so don't rely on gravity-release by having the release and drop of the clamp trigger the clamp base to release.

 

[yan.v]

It's better to release the base of the clamp before releasing the clamp, so don't rely on gravity-release by having the release and drop of the clamp trigger the clamp base to release.

With all due respect, this is simply untrue.

The only moment where this is true is after you tie a knot.

 

[neverstopplaying]

Thanks for all these intelligent comments. Kudos to talk tennis. When I get my answers from suppliers I will update on my decision and results.

My current clamp bases tend to always slip a bit, moreso on 1st mains, and need periodic adjustments which don't seem to be that precise, plus I always appreciate quality and speed.

 

[Chotobaka]

Thanks for all these intelligent comments. Kudos to talk tennis. When I get my answers from suppliers I will update on my decision and results.

My current clamp bases tend to always slip a bit, moreso on 1st mains, and need periodic adjustments which don't seem to be that precise, plus I always appreciate quality and speed.

How long have you had the machine and how many times have you adjusted the bases? The bases used on your machine tend to hold up over time and do not need frequent adjustments. They are, in fact, the same bases as on both of the new Tourna machines. Having to readjust frequently is atypical of these components. They have a long history of durability and reliability across more than one brand of machine.

I am not suggesting that replacing the bases with a costly *maybe* plug and play upgrade is quite the lipstick-on-a-pig example of the Pros Pro mentioned earlier, but maybe it is better for you to move your Wise to something like the Neos 1500 and sell your Maestro as-is. Net, net you may be happier.

 

[OccasionalStringer]

I am not suggesting that replacing the bases with a costly *maybe* plug and play upgrade is quite the lipstick-on-a-pig example of the Pros Pro mentioned earlier

I think you statement lipstick-on-a-pig considering my pro's pro upgrade might by quite right and I also was pondering for a while weather I really should do it.

But other than the clamps I found the machine to be at least decent, the racket support is sturdy enough if not a bit clumsy and tension head accuracy according to my measurements was comparable to my Wise unit and much more quiet and gripper switch was much easier to operate.

As the clamping system is the most important part of any stringing machine I finally decided to do the upgrade as my first ITF tournament was approaching. Other than the original clamp system I found V888 to be smoother,easier and faster to string on than my other machines: Tecnifibe Major Sp44, Stringway MS200, Stringway ML 100 and Tenex 6000 with Wise unit. With Tenex I have also an option to use Stringway turntable with a special shaft I had made in a machine shop.

Since the upgrade about 3 years ago i have done 1000+ frames with the machine and it is still working OK. During the first ITF tournament the membrane keyboard broke (short circuit) and as a quick solution I made a temporary keyboard on a PCB. Since that I have ordered a new keyboard but I'm still using the "temporary" keyboard I made back then.

But the issues I have with the machine:

1. When stringing several frames ( > 5 ) in a row and when the machine heats up the tension head starts to pull about 0.5-0.75 kg higher compared to cold machine
2. The angle at which the string come to gripper has an effect to pull tension. You notice this when you wrap the string around the diablo going first under, then machine pulls at about 30 % higher tension!
3. The distance from turntable to gripper is quite long.

Considering the issues 1 and 2 above I do not know if they exist also in other, higher end machines with similar chain driven tension head. I have never been able to test and measure such machines. Specially the issue with heating is difficult to spot as you really need do several frames in a row at fairly high ambient temperature.

 

[neverstopplaying]

How long have you had the machine and how many times have you adjusted the bases?

I've had the machine for about 10 years, the Wise unit for about 6 years. I adjust the bases about every 6 months, but I find that to eliminate any slippage I have to put them quite tight and then it requires more effort to set and release. After a few months they loosen up and then I get some slippage again.

As occasinalstringer said, other than the clamp bases I like the machine. However, I may consider selling the machine with the crank, selling the Wise and buy another machine - maybe the Apha Ghost 2.

 

[OccasionalStringer]

About my upgrade. So the main reason was not to have gravity release but have clamps that hold well.

The original clamps were already gravity release but you had to adjust clamp bases so tight for not to slip that the gravity release was not working.

And you had to re-adjust clamp bases before completing the mains as they started to slip. But if I remember correctly I was able to improve or almost completely eliminate the need for continuous base adjustment by applying soft thread locker in the set screw inside the clamp base. Actually this is be something OP could try to do with his clamp bases.

With Prince base clamps there has been no need to adjust the bases at all, not once.

 

[neverstopplaying]

Actually I just watched some videos posted from Eagnas showing how to adjust clamp bases. I didn't know that they can be adjusted by inserting a hex key horizontally into the base. This adjustment is lot easier than the trial and error of adjusting the vertical bolt.

So I now have ideal tension with no slip at all, but it is a lot harder to open and close than a quality gravity base clamp, as I assume the Prince is.

I've got some free time so I'm looking at other machines on the web now, in case I decide to just sell what I have now.

 

[Chotobaka]

I think you statement lipstick-on-a-pig considering my pro's pro upgrade might by quite right and I also was pondering for a while weather I really should do it.

The comment was applicable only to the exponentially high cost of the upgrade vs the cost of the machine. 3 years and 1,000 frames later, it has obviously worked out for you.

 

[Chotobaka]

Actually I just watched some videos posted from Eagnas showing how to adjust clamp bases. I didn't know that they can be adjusted by inserting a hex key horizontally into the base. This adjustment is lot easier than the trial and error of adjusting the vertical bolt.

So I now have ideal tension with no slip at all, but it is a lot harder to open and close than a quality gravity base clamp, as I assume the Prince is.

I've got some free time so I'm looking at other machines on the web now, in case I decide to just sell what I have now.

Seems like you just saved yourself some money. The Ghost you mentioned, would have probably taken you off the upgrade path for a while, too. But unless you have $2,500 burning a hole in your pocket, you are all set.

 

[neverstopplaying]

Seems like you just saved yourself some money. The Ghost you mentioned, would have probably taken you off the upgrade path for a while, too. But unless you have $2,500 burning a hole in your pocket, you are all set.

So I watched some more videos and see that its only necessary to close the clamp 1/8th of a turn and it holds well. Much easier than before.

Knowledge is golden.

 

[OccasionalStringer]

The comment was applicable only to the exponentially high cost of the upgrade vs the cost of the machine. 3 years and 1,000 frames later, it has obviously worked out for you.

Yes, I got the machine at very low price, I paid only 250 Euros for it, at that time new one would have been around 1000 Euro + shipping from Austria. I think that it had less than 10 badminton string jobs made.

Besides clamp upgrade I had to do some additional work with it, like resoldering power connections and some mechanical adjustment and tunig to get linear tension range. I also repositioned the limit switches for tension head movement range to get the gripper closer to the craddle and to have longer pull for stretchy multifilament strings