Best Stringing Machine to start?

S

Sirlukaszp

New User
Guys,

what would you recommend for starters?

stringing mine and friends racquets so not a lot of volume.. but prefferably electric for the ease of use and making it more of a pleasure..

i had a look at PPs Tomcat MT 400, Stringmaster 400 or SuperstriT70 etc.

Considered also Tourna 300 cs but its not findable in europe.. same when it comes to used machines so im looking for a new buy!

budget wise i could go up to 1400$ but would not like to necessarily

thanks in advance!
 
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And if possible, look for a used LO where parts are still available. The Neos 1000 and Gamma 5003/6004 are in you sweet spot. When stringing, it's finding repeatable results from the Indian and not so much the machine, arrow. :eek:
 
In the place i live availabilty of used machines is almost zero.
I believe those LO machines have so callend crank tension mechanism, correct? Is it easy to set/manage?
 
If you can find a good crank machine, buy it. Look at the aftermarket electronic "pullers" that can be mounted on a crank machine as an upgrade. Make sure that your crank machine will work with those.

This way you get a decent machine for a decent price. IF you become a "stringing guru" for all of your friends/acquaintances, etc., then you can move up to the add on electronic tensioner.
If not, you haven't invested thousands of dollars.
 
In my area 2nd market is non existent… so i need to go for a new one

the electric machines i looked at (mentioned in thread start) are 1000-1300$. The LOs recommended anove are 800-1300$ so almost no diff..
 
A LO (crank) is a great option. There is virtually nothing that can go wrong with the most expensive piece, the tensioner, just make sure there is service available -- in case. Personally I have owned a NEOS 1000, and a NEOS 1500. I also owned a Wise tension head. I presently own a Babolat Sensor. The best mounting system by far was the 1500. Overall I couldn't be happer with my Sensor. But I realize that should the end come, I'll be buying a new machine as this one is 20+ years old.
 
I'd take a look at stringway for that budget. I have been on a ml100 for over 15 years and it has been really great. I started with a cheaper one and immediately upgraded to the stringway, quickly learning that cost matters with stringing machines.
 
IMHO starting with a drop weight allows you to feel the string under tension and understand what is happening during the process. Most of the time spent is the weaving anyways and you only get faster by experience and finding your way thru the denser part of the patterns.

With drop weights it's all mechanical, no tensioner head that may need re-calibration, and a very low cost for a solid machine.

If you are willing to spend over 1k then just do it and enjoy the luxury and precision of an e-machine.
 
Get as much of a machine as you can afford. That way it will save you from upgrading like many went through here. No one ever complained that they got too much of a machine. Makes the job more enjoyable in long run.
 
Sirlukaszp said:
Guys,

what would you recommend for starters?

stringing mine and friends racquets so not a lot of volume.. but prefferably electric for the ease of use and making it more of a pleasure..

i had a look at PPs Tomcat MT 400, Stringmaster 400 or SuperstriT70 etc.

Considered also Tourna 300 cs but its not findable in europe.. same when it comes to used machines so im looking for a new buy!

budget wise i could go up to 1400$ but would not like to necessarily

thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Far as I can tell, the Tourna 300CS and the Penta 8600 are a very similar machine. So if you want it in Europe, there's the 8600.
To me it depends on how many you are going to string. If it's in a shop and it's busy, ya basically have to get electronic.
For home, and low volume, I prefer a lockout. I just like the feel and process and reliability of using one. But I am a mechanic/engineer, so may be biased.
TennisDirect in the Netherlands carry Penta, and Technology Sport in Spain might have one in stock.
 
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I agree with the points about buying more machine than you want to. Something many people (including myself in the past) missed is that they tend to hold quite a bit of resale value. I was able to sell my drop weight for around the same price I bought it for - 15 years later. It was barely used and it was still a current model. In my opinion, it is worth it to have 1) fixed clamps; 2) electronic constant pull; and 3) 6 point mount - in that order of priority for easy stringing. If you are more worried about precision, perhaps I might swap #2 and #3 priorities. The higher end machines have other bells and whistles that are nice, but not necessary for someone stringing primarily for themselves.
 
Sirlukaszp said:
Guys,

what would you recommend for starters?

stringing mine and friends racquets so not a lot of volume.. but prefferably electric for the ease of use and making it more of a pleasure..

i had a look at PPs Tomcat MT 400, Stringmaster 400 or SuperstriT70 etc.

Considered also Tourna 300 cs but its not findable in europe.. same when it comes to used machines so im looking for a new buy!

budget wise i could go up to 1400$ but would not like to necessarily

thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Very much agree with the thoughts in post #20 above.

I've been stringing at home with a Gamma Progression II ELS for maybe ten years and that machine hasn't given me even a single hiccup since I first got it (brand new). My first machine was a Stringway drop-weight (constant pull) with floating clamps, and essentially two-point mounting. Once I switched to my Gamma, I immediately liked the advantages I found with having both fixed clamps and six-point mounting. I consider these to be priorities #1 and #1A in any machine I'd want to use.

An electric tensioner is certainly a nice feature, but not what I consider to be an essential thing (for me). As long as the tensioner is accurate and consistent, it's going to produce reliable results.

I can say that I do appreciate the electric tensioner when I have several racquets to string. I'm not routinely doing high-volume work out of a tennis shop or anything, but I coach local high school teams and sometimes I might catch 3-5 racquets that all need to be taken care of over the course of only a day or two. It's definitely less tedious when I can just push that button to tension each length of string. When I was using my older drop-weight machine, I'd be rather spent after stringing 2-3 frames, but I can crunch through 4-5 on my electric rig without feeling more than just a little stringer's fatigue.

Your approach sounds exactly right to me. If you get a somewhat nice machine, it will probably be easy to enjoy and it will likely work at least as well as something that's more of a basic "starter" machine that might lack one or two solid fundamental features. And I agree that you won't have to worry about significant depreciation with anything you buy. There's always somebody out there looking for a machine.
 
My first machine was a Stringway drop-weight (constant pull) with floating clamps, and essentially two-point mounting.
Click to expand...

To avoid misunderstandings:
All our machines have a 5 point direct racquet mounting, the Gamma a 6 point Indirect support.

pm9Ovmnwj


83stressinracquetj
 
FWIW....I'm going on year 22 with an alpha stringer. I believe its similar to todays Axis Pro.

If my Alpha disappeared today, I'd go buy another Alpha.

22 Years with little to no maintenance required.
 
We received a question about the bending stress mentioned on this picture, therefore an explanation:
83stressinracquetj


The narrow supports of many 6-point mountings cause 2 problems for the racquet:
- The racquet is bent around the support by the tensions of the main strings.
- The pressure between the racquet and the centre supports is huge because of the small surface. This often causes a damaged spot on the racquet.

It would be a great improvement if suppliers of these mounting systems would provide a “load spreader” which lowers both the pressure and the bending stress. Like those supplied for badminton racquets.

This speader could look like our Babolat retainer.

1nthroatsupportbabolatj


b7babolatretainerklj
Click to expand...
 
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I am 50 and string on a NEOS + Wise...started in college on my buddies Klippermate....which he still uses today. He was a college level player and is still playing at the 5.0 level. There is no way I am stringing on a Klippermate ever again even if I only do 2-3 frames a month.

Owning a stringer for 10+ years is a long term investment so I agree a better machine is the way to go. Being in Europe, I think the Tomcat is the best option given your budget.
 
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