Dunlop max 800i info

[teachingprotx]

Hi ,
Anyone out there ever played with this thing ? If so can you tell us your feelings, opinion on her . I re-discovered the specs again on her, and the seem rather interesting with such an incredibly crazy low flex RA. But as we know sometimes that does not translate the same when actuality playing / hitting . Anyone out there ever try it play with this vintage dunny “... let us hear ya

 

[Ultra 2]

I found one last year and played with it for a couple days and sold it. It’s like a soft Profile OS with that max 200g feel. You should try it if you can get a hold of one.. pretty rare.

 

[teachingprotx]

Oooh ok man. A soft profile now that is a fantastic oxymoronic word phase . I love it ultra! What’s funny is... I can understand that very well .
Thank you for this .
I noticed you stated it feels more of a OS profile .
Can you explain further why it felt over sizey......
like did the Dunlop feel like it had a larger sweet spot ?
I love learning so any thing you can tell is super coo !

 

[Ultra 2]

It was around a 95 head size with thinner beam width than a profile. The Profile 95 had the head size playability of a PS85 due to the massive width and I thought the Profile 110 had a playability of a frame 10-15 sq inches smaller. These are good frames for someone who hits through the ball and flat. It would be horrible for the modern swing (the window pane swing).

The 800i is a slimmed down wide body and would be considered a tweener in today’s terms with that IMF feel that the was revered in the 200g, 300i and the 400i. It was the wide bodied version these aforementioned frames in a bigger head size.

 

[teachingprotx]

Aww yeah !! Thank you for the info man. Always been super curious about her. It’s got an interesting head shape I always thought .kinda oval .. and wow the 41Ra is unreal . But I have a feeling it may be in the low 40’s but prolly feels like High 50’s?

 

[Ronaldo]

Anyone recall the MAX 500i? Btw, anyone experience warping of any of these injection molded racquets? Still have a new MAX 200G.

 

[Ultra 2]

Aww yeah !! Thank you for the info man. Always been super curious about her. It’s got an interesting head shape I always thought .kinda oval .. and wow the 41Ra is unreal . But I have a feeling it may be in the low 40’s but prolly feels like High 50’s?

No way that it's in the high 50s in RA. It still had that nice soft IMF feel. Bordering on it being too flexy. It felt head light, and if you can find one in L2 or L3, I imagine it would be a sub 12 oz frame.

 

[coachrick]

Anyone recall the MAX 500i? Btw, anyone experience warping of any of these injection molded racquets? Still have a new MAX 200G.

Lots of warping in the Southeastern US...high heat combined with high tensions...no bueno
The 400i SHOULD have been a phenomenal frame; but it barely was a blip on the radar in Atlanta(with 45,000 league players during that time).

 

[teachingprotx]

Yeah I’ve heard fab things about the 400 I... we had a top junior in KY that used it . He blasted ground strokes flat bombs never went long either , with that stick. Strung it tight with pro blend as the legend has it, was sponsored by Avia shoes!

 

[teachingprotx]

Incredible that the 800i max was late production in the 80’s or 90’s? And especially to NOT have a head gaurd ! Euro clay courts sticks only need apply !
Wow man. I bet it is the perfect clay stick

 

[teachingprotx]

I think themax 200 pro was 30’s RA
300 max 40’s RA
400 was 50’s RA
And 800 max
Back down in the high 30’s low 40’sRa .

 

[Ronaldo]

Yeah I’ve heard fab things about the 400 I... we had a top junior in KY that used it . He blasted ground strokes flat bombs never went long either , with that stick. Strung it tight with pro blend as the legend has it, was sponsored by Avia shoes!

Avia heel cushioning is awesome! Recall a junior snapping the head off a late................R.I.P. 200G with a forehand.

 

[ratm355]

Yeah those IMF rackets have legit technology behind them. I wouldn't pay too much attention to the flex ratings...30+ years later a lot of that will be dependent on how much the racket was used but they'll still be very stable as designed and aren't noodles. They're all great rackets. I went with the 200G because it was readily available but I've used all of the others. I would avoid high tension poly on them...plays like crap on the 200G which is the most flexible model and could cause premature breakage especially on the 500i and 800i I hear. With the "dynamic stiffness", they play very different from about all other rackets so you really have to commit to them for a long time, make technique and string adjustments, etc. Treat them well, use head guards, don't store in your car, attic, or out in the heat all day during a tournament without a nice insulated bag.

 

[legrandLeconte]

800i was an embarrassing ending to the fabulous IMF series.

 

[teachingprotx]

Man .. damn!
Just got word on the 800i 12 oz strung up . Crap . Was hoping for lighter and then realized again , no head gaurd comes on it .
So no way to decrease weight .... and I usually don’t mind going down a bit past the first few layers of paint .... to get her on a “diet “... but even I am too afraid to do this w/ this frame as I have a feeling she is fragile to begin with . Aka “ thin walled “””””as I too
have been warned of her famed Dunlop warping..
like the max 200 g . Man that thing warped like a mother ..
But what I thought was interstring , about the max 200 g was how incredibly thick the walls in this racket truly are...
Matter of fact out of all of the 8 to 10 different rackets I’ve deconstructed the max 200 g is by far the absolute thickest walled frame I’ve ever seen .
I was able to shave / sand a ton of weight of it and still had an incredible amount of thick materiel existing wall to work with.
I think I was able to get it down to 11 oz strung for a client . Which was a large amount of weight coming from her original heft ..
Anyway ... thank you all for all your shared experiences and hope everyone is staying safe out there !

 

[Ronaldo]

My stock medium 200G is 14.3 oz strung. New one is unstrung, never weighed it. Only knew one player that used an 800i. 500i is light IMHO

 

[teachingprotx]

Ooooh man ! 14.3 yikes !! I think the ones I was working with had to be super lights ? As they were all in the mid 12 ounces . 12 to 12.8 oz ..
wow . 14 oz . Kill me now

 

[Ronaldo]

Ooooh man ! 14.3 yikes !! I think the ones I was working with had to be super lights ? As they were all in the mid 12 ounces . 12 to 12.8 oz ..
wow . 14 oz . Kill me now

No sweat, have a pair of Mfil 200G 95 15.5 oz strung.

 

[Ultra 2]

No sweat, have a pair of Mfil 200G 95 15.5 oz strung.

In stock form?

 

[Ronaldo]

In stock form?

Like lead balloons

 

[Ultra 2]

Man .. damn!
Just got word on the 800i 12 oz strung up . Crap . Was hoping for lighter and then realized again , no head gaurd comes on it .

none of the imf frames came with bumper guards or grommet strips.

 

[Ultra 2]

Like lead balloons

Damn. Would make good warm up rackets.

 

[Ronaldo]

Damn. Would make good warm up rackets.

This is even bettah,

 

[teachingprotx]

Wow 15!!

 

[teachingprotx]

if I played with a 12 oz racket for 20 min.. I can barely move for 72 hrs afterwards

 

[teachingprotx]

I really do need to hit the weights man ... ughh I know

 

[teachingprotx]

Ohh there is NO question all things perfect health wise , I play infinitely better tennis with a heavier frame .. but .. sheesh I hurt to bad afterwards

 

[dnguyen]

I have 2 of them with 2 covers and they are like brand new. Interested? Send me a messsge.

 

[teachingprotx]

I have 2 of them with 2 covers and they are like brand new. Interested? Send me a messsge.

Aww thank you that’s sweet of you to offer !
So nice . Thank you
I’ll pass at this time . If I ever get arm healthy maybe I can try this Frame .
Thank you again for the offer.

 

[Grafil Injection]

I just snagged one of these to add to my Swirly collection, and so far I definitely recommend it if you're after a heavy and very comfortable stick.

My strung specs are: 380g (13.5oz), 30.75cm balance (11pt HL), which makes it fairly easy to swing despite the mass. I would estimate SW in the mid 340s. Head size is around 95-96 sqi. It's a few millimetre longer than most 95s, but a few mm narrower. Beam is 21mm at the handle, 23mm at the throat and 26mm from the 8/4 to 12 o'clock. Fairly similar to some Prince CTS frames. And that was an L3 stickered frame.

After a brief hit in the wind today, there is the nice IMF flex; and whilst I have no reason to doubt the measured 32 RA, I would say it feels more like a mid 50s RA when hitting, in the same way that MAX 200G etc also feel more stable than their RAs. Overall, I find it similar to other wide-body frames of the time, but with a much more comfortable feel. Here is the size compared to a 200G. An important difference is that the string-bed is much more variable than the 200G and most other 85s, which I've found to have very even string-beds. The 800i is very dense in the central 25 cells (sweet-spot), then becomes progressively less dense in a linear fashion. Over the central 100 cells (sweet-zone), the average cell size is 1.20cm2, which makes it still on the dense side. In comparison, the average cell size in the 200G's sweet-zone is 1.325cm2, about the middle for all rackets.

 

[Grafil Injection]

After a second hit today, the 800i proved to be very easy to serve with. I would say similar to a quality current stick like Radical Pro or Pure Drive. Plenty of power with good control as well. Feels more like 335g than 380g. Just a bit tricky regarding manipulation/spin options due to the mass. Feel is very comfortable, no need for a dampener, in fact perhaps too comfortable. I can imagine that a lively string might be the way to go to get more feedback.

 

[teachingprotx]

Wow thank u so much for the review !!!

 

[Grafil Injection]

Wow thank u so much for the review !!!

My conclusion so far is it's a very nice stick with the weight providing great stability, whilst not being a problem to manoeuvre being so HL. But, it doesn't have the IMF magic of the 85s. My guess is because the 200,300 & 400 have the very boxy beams, whereas the 800i is a more modern flattened oval.

 

[Henry Hub]

Slightly off topic but has anyone (@Grafil Injection ?) heard of the Dunlop Court Star? Just seen an ad for a batch of rackets including this frame, which has IMF stylings but I’ve never heard of it before:

https://imgur.com/a/v2Vh6fr

 

[Grafil Injection]

I'm not aware of that model unfortunately. Looking at your pictures and the 2013 thread also requesting information, it seems similar to a MAX in that the beam is both thick and deep and the graphics are similar. On the other hand the way the top of the throat turns upwards and the throat bridge is not recessed shows it is not using the same mold as any of the known IMF frames. I recall some other Dunlop models from Germany that were clearly designed to look like IMF MAXes, and the Court Star was a historic Dunlop name, so perhaps it's one of those. If it's a bargain, I'd go for it just to find out, or get a higher resolution picture and see if it has grommets first. I noticed the thread on the Dunlop 100G that also has similar IMF graphics, but was produced in Taiwan out of Kevlar and Nicalon and had normal grommets etc.

 

[retrowagen]

I think that Court Star was a late late late wood composite mid, fully painted (a’ls Donnay) to lend it the cachet of its more modern and upmarket siblings, and possibly dupe the ignorant consumer.

 

[vsbabolat]

I think that Court Star was a late late late wood composite mid, fully painted (a’ls Donnay) to lend it the cachet of its more modern and upmarket siblings, and possibly dupe the ignorant consumer.

I think you’re right.

 

[Henry Hub]

Being an ignorant consumer at heart (given some of the dodgy frames in my collection) I am tempted by this one but I think @Grafil Injection may be in the uk too so could be interested. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/449241766961164/

 

[Grafil Injection]

Thanks, but I've got too many rackets now! If it's a bargain you should go for it and let us know the details, then give the other junk to charity.

 

[vsbabolat]

I think that Court Star was a late late late wood composite mid, fully painted (a’ls Donnay) to lend it the cachet of its more modern and upmarket siblings, and possibly dupe the ignorant consumer.

Just found some good photos on German Bay and it’s wood

 

[Grafil Injection]

Looks great condition for 15 Euro, and Made in England.