Ball Machine weight/size questions

waterpro

New User
I see a lot of people who have bought a Hydrogen Proton ball machine list the #1 thing they love about it is the size and weight.

With that in mind, I was wondering if anyone can you expand on this and is it really that big of a concern because here's the way I'm currently thinking about this:

Size:
I have a small SUV with a hatchback. So fitting a ball machine (size-wise) should't be a problem. I could see size being an issue if you have a super tiny smart car or something like that, but I would think any car with 4 doors and/or a hatch or would be perfectly fine for any "modern day" ball machine. It's also not like I'm riding my bike or walking a long distance to the courts with a ball machine either. I would think riding a bike or walking any length of distance with any ball machine, 100+ balls, and my large 12 racket tennis bag would be a royal PITA even with a Proton. In fact, if you are walking a longer distance, I think the larger machines actually would gain an advantage because you could put a cardbard box on the machine, bungie it to the ball machine handle and then have all your balls in the box. That way you could just pull/roll it all the way to the courts.


Weight:
This is also a bit baffling to me because it's not like I have to farmer carry the ball machine a mile to the court or anything like that. I would think the only time weight comes into play is when you lift it into and out of your car. We're talking maybe 5-10 seconds each time? After it's out of your car, all modern day ball machines have a handle and large wheels to roll it around. I would also think the added weight is a benefit not a hinderance because I read that the Proton drifts over time. I guess I'm looking for more opinions here too because I feel like a ball machine is lighter than say a bag of water softener salt or a standard 60lb bag of concrete. I just don't see the issue when we're talking just a few seconds into and out of the car and then you're rolling the machine around after that. I guess maybe if you were a 16 year old female that's under 5' tall and weighs less than 80 lbs it may be an issue. But on that same note, there's a thin 80+ year old guy at the courts that I visit that has a Spinfire Pro 2 and he can get it into and out of his car just fine. He loves the machine and said if it ever broke he would definitley buy another one.

Thanks everyone, I guess I'm just trying to get a little more perspective on things since I'm planning to get a machine pretty soon and it seems like these are two of the main reasons people buy a Proton vs Spinfire, Tennis Tutor, Lobseter, etc. Are the later machines really that big, heavy and awkward?
 

dak95_00

Hall of Fame
People will say whatever to justify their purchase. If the best thing they can say about it is it is lightweight, so be it. There are more and more machines out there with programmability. I never owned the Proton but I liked the idea of creating my own drills. I hated the idea of the recoil and drift. The weight issue was a bit overblown for all of the reasons you have listed.

For the record, I bought the Titan. For me Spinfire and Lobster have great reputations but nickel and dime their customers. Titan seems to be doing good by replacing parts and remote controls when they are no longer working free of charge. Spinfire wants $500 to upgrade a control panel in order to run their new software. Lobster will also charge a good chunk for similar issues. Tennis Tutor has the best reputation but their machines are clunky and hard to move around.
 

dak95_00

Hall of Fame
Thank you for the feedback! Curious which Titan you have? Titan one or Titan Ace?
I bought the ACE because it is lighter weight. I had a Playmate Volley which is 40+lbs and I thought the ONE seemed like too much. I already have hoppers and a tennis bag so I didn't see the need for an all-in-one bag/machine. I still haven't used the machine yet because the weather has been awful and I just received it after Thanksgiving.

Portability is definitely a factor every person should decide upon. The Playmate Volley has four usable wheels and that made rolling it full of stuff from my van reasonable. I just picked up an old electronic Playmate Ace Genie V that is big and heavy and is wheeled around like a wheelbarrow. As a high school coach, I can leave it in the shed at the school courts which is my plan. Once it is there, the wheels are fine. But lifting that thing in and out of my van would be too much on a regular basis.
 

Curtennis

Hall of Fame
Ball machine size/weight means everything to me were i to start shopping them again.

I had the big green aluminum box one and I hated lugging that to and from the courts. Carrying a hopper, a racquet bag, and dealing with a 40 lbs machine is no fun and I’m a big dude. After tennis is over loading it all back up. Carrying it back into the house to charge. The wheels were awful which probably didn’t help.
 

Injured Again

Hall of Fame
Size:
I have a small SUV with a hatchback. So fitting a ball machine (size-wise) should't be a problem. I could see size being an issue if you have a super tiny smart car or something like that, but I would think any car with 4 doors and/or a hatch or would be perfectly fine for any "modern day" ball machine.

I just have to say that I do have a smart car and have carried a full sized Playmate ball machine in the trunk area with no problem. I layed the Playmate on its side and I had a big plastic bag of tennis balls stuffed into the ball tray area, and had my 12 racquet tennis bag on top of the Playmate. It probably won’t fit into a sedan with a small trunk opening, but could sit in the back seat on top of a moving blanket.

smart cars are fantastic urban vehicles!
 

JEDI MASTER

Professional
Has it shipped yet? I got too worried when they kept raising the number that could get the initial deal and said it would be delivered in December. I had definitely considered one.
Not yet..crossing fingers for December delivery...
not in a big hurry.. i'm thinking probably January delivery.
 

stapletonj

Hall of Fame
I have had and used 3 or 4 ball machines in my time (lotta years) Lobster, TT, friend had a slinger, playmate
IMHO - Proton was light years ahead of my then current one (Tennis Tutor)
The TT was a tank, don't get me wrong.
Don't know about the latest and greatest AI moving ones....

If you own the Courts, portability is not a big deal at all.
If you don't - it is a huge deal.
Between the machine, the balls and hopper, your bag, drinks, etc. It can take 3 or 4 trips just to get the stuff onto the Court.
 

MaverickTennis

New User
I also have the Titan Ace. I researched all the machines but liked the Titan better due to the new app programmability and feed velocity. I have no issues getting it in and out of the rear hatch of my car. I lay it down sideways which is the smaller dimension. I use a basket to retrieve the balls and serve with, so no need for the Titan One model. There are no stairs at my court, so no need to carry it up or down, other than the 2 at my house.
I carry my tennis gear in my large bag on my back. A basket in one hand and the ball machine in the other. One trip from car.
 

cks

Hall of Fame
I'm planning to get a machine pretty soon and it seems like these are two of the main reasons people buy a Proton vs Spinfire, Tennis Tutor, Lobseter, etc. Are the later machines really that big, heavy and awkward?

I have a tennis tutor plus that I use when I want a quick hit, and can't line up a hitting partner on short notice.

Size: It is a bit bulky, but I'm able to load it easily in the bed of my truck, or slide it in the back seat of my crew cab.

Weight: Not too bad, and I can roll it from my vehicle to the court in one trip. Racket bag on back. Right hand carries water bottle and ball hopper, while left hand pulls the tennis tutor.

What sold me on going with tennis tutor were the glowing recommendations on their customer service.
 
I have an old school silent partner scoop smart and it was a pain to carry it up and down from my 2nd floor apartment. However, I moved to a much bigger house and now I only have to roll it out of the garage. I have big suv so it's not a problem size wise. I'm still using 2 ball hoppers with the metal handle and still prove to be cumbersome to put in the car and then having to pull all 3. With the proton, you could carry it on your shoulders and pull the hoppers. The titan one I think has the wheels and the balls can stay in the machine. But then how do you pick up all the balls? The tubes?
 

MaverickTennis

New User
I have an old school silent partner scoop smart and it was a pain to carry it up and down from my 2nd floor apartment. However, I moved to a much bigger house and now I only have to roll it out of the garage. I have big suv so it's not a problem size wise. I'm still using 2 ball hoppers with the metal handle and still prove to be cumbersome to put in the car and then having to pull all 3. With the proton, you could carry it on your shoulders and pull the hoppers. The titan one I think has the wheels and the balls can stay in the machine. But then how do you pick up all the balls? The tubes?
They sell a wire roller collector. Has really good reviews. I opted for the Ace and use a basket.
 
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