Hydrogen Sports PROTON

[JEDI MASTER]

Was it damaged in anyway ? may have to get some bricks and put it next to the machine

no damage..
continued with 3 more baskets full of hitting before i had to go back to work...

 

[J_Ring]

Sorry, but the Spinfire Pro 2 is $2,399 and weighs 40lbs and you do not carry it as it rolls on wheels.

You are a flat out liar! The 54 lb. model costs $2400. You can pay $2700 plus tax if you want the 46 lb. model. You still have to carry balls and gear which makes it weigh 60 to 70 lbs.

The Spinfire is a bloated overpriced dinosaur. Nobody wants it!

 

[bobleenov1963]

I just saw this on Spinfire website:

SetPoint Pulp Premium Quality Pressureless Balls


We recommend using pressureless balls. Our premium quality SetPoint Pulp pressureless balls are much more economical over the long run than pressurized balls,
do not lose their bounce or jam the machine

The Spinfire will potentially jam if using regular pressurized balls?

 

[thanu]

I just saw this on Spinfire website:

SetPoint Pulp Premium Quality Pressureless Balls


We recommend using pressureless balls. Our premium quality SetPoint Pulp pressureless balls are much more economical over the long run than pressurized balls,
do not lose their bounce or jam the machine

The Spinfire will potentially jam if using regular pressurized balls?

I haven’t had any issues with regular balls... I think they’re just promoting their own balls.

 

[celito]

I haven’t had any issues with regular balls... I think they’re just promoting their own balls.

Exactly. Just trying to sell you their balls. Having said that, using normal pressurized balls becomes a pretty expensive endeavor unless you don't mind hitting dead balls. I am using Wilson Trinitis for 3 months now (about once a week or two weeks) and they are holding up nicely.

 

[dak95_00]

Dead balls should not be used in any ball machine. The throwing wheels grab or compress the balls in order to throw them. If a ball compresses too much, it cannot be grabbed and would cause a jam in any ball machine. Not to mention the inconsistency of both the throw and the bounce which is the main purpose of using a ball machine to groove a stroke. Find a friend if you want an inconsistent or variety of shots.

 

[BobbyR]

You are a flat out liar! The 54 lb. model costs $2400. You can pay $2700 plus tax if you want the 46 lb. model.

Wrong. It is 40 lbs with external battery and $2,399. 54lbs is with internal battery, same price. Making bogus claims that someone can so easily check on the website ruins your credibility.

In addition the Spinfire Pro 2 does not blow over in the wind as reported by Jedi Master in post #1051 here or have any recoil drift because it is built much better than the Proton. In 7 years I have never had an even a fraction of an inch of drift. Some tennis pros at my club use the Spinfire for teaching. They would not be doing that if they had to readjust the trajectory as Hydrogen Sports advises on their website to do with the Proton when refilling the hopper. My expert opinion as a product developer is that Hydrogen Sports focused too much in their design on the one objective of trying to be light and small and as a result it is at the expense of better specifications which do not match the Spinfire in many respects.

The Spinfire is a bloated overpriced dinosaur. Nobody wants it!

I guess that's why they report their sales have gone through the roof? It's the most compact high performance machine on the market with durability and customer support second to none. The new model I saw on their website is awesome.

You still have to carry balls and gear which makes it weigh 60 to 70 lbs.

Wrong again. Since you roll it like luggage you only carry your balls and gear, not your balls and gear AND the Proton, which is a lot more weight to carry. I'll forgive that you do not comprehend that.

As a product developer specifications, facts and product ergonomics are very important to me when comparing products. What matters to a purchaser based on those specs and facts is individual preference based on wwhat is important to them. You do not seem to pay any attention to facts whatsoever, which explains why you do is make untrue claims repeatedly and that strongly suggests you work for Proton.

Proton has it's place in the market but you get what you pay for. Actually you can't even get it, until perhaps the summer as they estimate, but they were 7 months late on the first two sales.

 

[bobleenov1963]

Wrong. It is 40 lbs with external battery and $2,399. 54lbs is with internal battery, same price. Making bogus claims that someone can so easily check on the website ruins your credibility.

40lbs + 14 lbs external battery = 54 lbs that you have to bring to the tennis court, right?

Isn't the 6lbs Li battery $279 extra?

 

[BobbyR]

40lbs + 14 lbs external battery = 54 lbs that you have to bring to the tennis court, right?

Yes but you are only carrying the 14 lb battery not the Spinfire. That's a huge distinction people some are missing. You carry everything AND the machine with the Proton.

Isn't the 6lbs Li battery $279 extra?

Yes but it is optional. The regular 14 lb SLA battery is included in the $2,399 price. I bought the 6 lb Li battery last fall because my SLA eventually reached the end of life. I was getting about 2-3 years out of an SLA battery playing 2-3x week and they report their new LiFePo4 battery life is 4x as long.. I was getting about 4 hours running time with the SLA battery but their website says it lasts 3-8 hours based on machine settings. That's multiples more than the Proton battery. With the LiFePo4 battery I am getting about almost 5 hours.

 

[BobbyR]

I haven’t had any issues with regular balls... I think they’re just promoting their own balls.

I am surprised you don't have any issues with regular pressurized balls since they always go flat after use. Pressureless balls do not.

When I bought my machine Spinfire told me I could use pressurized or pressureless balls and even recommended pressureless ball brands they don't even sell that they tested to work well. It therefore didn't seem to me that they were just trying to promote their own balls. They said the quality of pressureless balls can really vary based on price and also told me that they are not necessarily going to feel exactly like pressurized to every player, especially if you bought some of the budget brands. I did try the Gamma pressureless balls which are really cheap at one point but they felt like rocks compared to Tretorn and SetPoint Pulp.

I used brand new pressurized balls in the beginning for a while but they got flat fast because of how they get compressed between the wheels in the machine and you're hitting them much more frequently than when you just play tennis. After a while the cost of replacing them and always having to open 65 cans of balls was a bit much. I've switched to their SetPoint Pulp Pressureless balls but have also used the Tretorn Micro X. To me they are of equal quality. I've been using the Pulp's and use them for up to 2 years and find no loss of bounce whatsoever.

 

[Mike T]

I've been using the Pulp's and use them for up to 2 years and find no loss of bounce whatsoever.

How does the felt hold up?

 

[BoxbeamsFTW]

I just saw this on Spinfire website:

SetPoint Pulp Premium Quality Pressureless Balls


We recommend using pressureless balls. Our premium quality SetPoint Pulp pressureless balls are much more economical over the long run than pressurized balls,
do not lose their bounce or jam the machine

The Spinfire will potentially jam if using regular pressurized balls?

I still wonder if these are the exact same balls as their Spinfire Juice pressureless balls they've been selling for years just rebranded. Because you know.....

Dead balls should not be used in any ball machine. The throwing wheels grab or compress the balls in order to throw them. If a ball compresses too much, it cannot be grabbed and would cause a jam in any ball machine. Not to mention the inconsistency of both the throw and the bounce which is the main purpose of using a ball machine to groove a stroke. Find a friend if you want an inconsistent or variety of shots.

Also because you have nothing to read from the machine. Not like playing a human being. No change in swing, contact, or sound. The sound of the ball barely changes as it leave the chute. You'd be surprised how much it can throw you off. You have to adjust last second and then make less than clean contact and lose the entire point of why you went to court in the first place. Then you have to think about picking up and reloading that wasted ball later....

 

[BoxbeamsFTW]

I am surprised you don't have any issues with regular pressurized balls since they always go flat after use. Pressureless balls do not.

When I bought my machine Spinfire told me I could use pressurized or pressureless balls and even recommended pressureless ball brands they don't even sell that they tested to work well. It therefore didn't seem to me that they were just trying to promote their own balls. They said the quality of pressureless balls can really vary based on price and also told me that they are not necessarily going to feel exactly like pressurized to every player, especially if you bought some of the budget brands. I did try the Gamma pressureless balls which are really cheap at one point but they felt like rocks compared to Tretorn and SetPoint Pulp.

I used brand new pressurized balls in the beginning for a while but they got flat fast because of how they get compressed between the wheels in the machine and you're hitting them much more frequently than when you just play tennis. After a while the cost of replacing them and always having to open 65 cans of balls was a bit much. I've switched to their SetPoint Pulp Pressureless balls but have also used the Tretorn Micro X. To me they are of equal quality. I've been using the Pulp's and use them for up to 2 years and find no loss of bounce whatsoever.

I've heard some Gamma pressureless balls are much better than others. Forgot exactly which ones, people say conflicting things sometimes. But try some of their two-tone balls sometime if you want.

I dunno about the Setpoint Pulp specifically, but I've heard most people find their Juice balls pretty good quality in general. But some people find the Tretorn Micro X better. I don't feel much of a difference if at all. But I don't even think the Micro X feels that great either. Even for a pressureless ball.

Btw with the Spinfire balls, what's with the fruit-themed names?

 

[bobleenov1963]

I just weigh Proton+battery and myself on the scale. The total weigh is 168.3 lbs. I then weigh myself at 149.1 lbs. Therefore, the Proton by itself is 19.2 lbs.

If you have to carry the 14lbs External Spinfire battery to the tennis court, that is almost 73% the weight of the Proton.

 

[JEDI MASTER]

if you ever loose your gold peg.. i'm sure Jonah can send you another one...

but if you don't want to wait. a 8mm bolt and nylon lock nut will work...

these are a little longer than the original and will try hitting with two pegs and hopefully reduce the
ball jams in the hopper...

 

[BoxbeamsFTW]

Hmm, a gold peg huh?

This pirate ball machine is carrying some bling.....

 

[dak95_00]

if you ever loose your gold peg.. i'm sure Jonah can send you another one...

but if you don't want to wait. a 8mm bolt and nylon lock nut will work...

these are a little longer than the original and will try hitting with two pegs and hopefully reduce the
ball jams in the hopper...

What is this piece for? Is it part of the carousel that swings around and loosens the balls to fall into the carousel? Why would someone lose it?


On another side not, kudos to Proton for finally getting this machine out. At $1000, I'd definitely say it packs the most bang for the buck. Are there shortcomings? Absolutely but it's way ahead of the competition at that price point. At the retail price of $1600 (does that include shipping?) I'm not so sure. The lightweight which helps in portability is negated by the drift/recoil. Is that to be expected? Maybe. There are many workarounds for the problem of no wheels for portability but for $1000, I'd quickly overlook them. At $1600 I must really consider the extras and costs associated.

The next hurdle is the durability and customer service. Will it be useful on multiple playing surfaces? Will it last longer than the warranty? Other brands are known to have excellent customer service with Tennis Tutor coming in at the best without real competition in this category. Both Lobster and Silent Partner are very helpful and responsive. I'm a little annoyed with Lobster as my Elite Grand IV required a new control panel and that was costly for me to send it back, etc. I opted for the upgrade to the Elite Grand V LE and got it back but haven't been out with it. Playmate/Active Sports has to be the most expensive customer service out there. Good luck working with them; they are responsive. I never had a problem in 6 years with the Silent Partner machine I owned. I never knew how much I liked INTERNAL OSCILLATION (IO) until I started using the Playmate and that makes Spinfire much more intriguing. I see Tennis Tutor is now making IO machines too.

For me, I think I'm going to save my money and buy a Tennis Tutor with IO and true shot making/programming capabilities. It's expensive but it would definitely be the last money I ever spent on a ball machine. Their customer service is far ahead of the competition and their machines are very simple to work on.

 

[bobleenov1963]

What is this piece for? Is it part of the carousel that swings around and loosens the balls to fall into the carousel? Why would someone lose it?


On another side not, kudos to Proton for finally getting this machine out. At $1000, I'd definitely say it packs the most bang for the buck. Are there shortcomings? Absolutely but it's way ahead of the competition at that price point. At the retail price of $1600 (does that include shipping?) I'm not so sure. The lightweight which helps in portability is negated by the drift/recoil. Is that to be expected? Maybe. There are many workarounds for the problem of no wheels for portability but for $1000, I'd quickly overlook them. At $1600 I must really consider the extras and costs associated.

The next hurdle is the durability and customer service. Will it be useful on multiple playing surfaces? Will it last longer than the warranty? Other brands are known to have excellent customer service with Tennis Tutor coming in at the best without real competition in this category. Both Lobster and Silent Partner are very helpful and responsive. I'm a little annoyed with Lobster as my Elite Grand IV required a new control panel and that was costly for me to send it back, etc. I opted for the upgrade to the Elite Grand V LE and got it back but haven't been out with it. Playmate/Active Sports has to be the most expensive customer service out there. Good luck working with them; they are responsive. I never had a problem in 6 years with the Silent Partner machine I owned. I never knew how much I liked INTERNAL OSCILLATION (IO) until I started using the Playmate and that makes Spinfire much more intriguing. I see Tennis Tutor is now making IO machines too.

For me, I think I'm going to save my money and buy a Tennis Tutor with IO and true shot making/programming capabilities. It's expensive but it would definitely be the last money I ever spent on a ball machine. Their customer service is far ahead of the competition and their machines are very simple to work on.

I think of the Proton tennis ball machine like an Iphone that I will toss away after four years in service. My company replaces my laptop and Iphone every three to four years so if the Proton can make it through four years, then I consider $995 well spent. I think Proton support is good but I don't know that for sure because I have not had a need for support.

My sister shipped the Proton down to Cocoa beach for me and my wife and daughter really like using the Proton. According to my wife and daughter, the drift/recoil is minimum. They didn't have this issue with the lobster but they are willing to tolerate it from the Proton and carrying the 44lbs lobster to the tennis court.

I actually weigh the Proton on three different digital scale and it weighs 19.2 lbs. Not sure why Proton listed it as 20lbs.

 

[happyloman]

if you ever loose your gold peg.. i'm sure Jonah can send you another one...

but if you don't want to wait. a 8mm bolt and nylon lock nut will work...

these are a little longer than the original and will try hitting with two pegs and hopefully reduce the
ball jams in the hopper...

Thanks!

 

[BobbyR]

How does the felt hold up?

Well. The ball fuzz slowly goes away like any regular tennis ball. You can't stop that.

if you ever loose your gold peg.. i'm sure Jonah can send you another one...

but if you don't want to wait. a 8mm bolt and nylon lock nut will work...

these are a little longer than the original and will try hitting with two pegs and hopefully reduce the
ball jams in the hopper...

Great idea as I know my son will likely lose it. I'm more worried though he'll accidentally drop it into the machine.

 

[BobbyR]

I just weigh Proton+battery and myself on the scale. The total weigh is 168.3 lbs. I then weigh myself at 149.1 lbs. Therefore, the Proton by itself is 19.2 lbs.

If you have to carry the 14lbs External Spinfire battery to the tennis court, that is almost 73% the weight of the Proton.

Yes. Thanks for making my point. Less to carry to the court with the Spinfire. Now that I have the lithium version I'm only carrying a 6 lbs battery, so 31% of the weight of the Proton.

 

[BobbyR]

On another side not, kudos to Proton for finally getting this machine out. At $1000, I'd definitely say it packs the most bang for the buck. Are there shortcomings? Absolutely but it's way ahead of the competition at that price point. At the retail price of $1600 (does that include shipping?) I'm not so sure. The lightweight which helps in portability is negated by the drift/recoil. Is that to be expected? Maybe. There are many workarounds for the problem of no wheels for portability but for $1000, I'd quickly overlook them. At $1600 I must really consider the extras and costs associated.

Shipping was $25 for my $995 early birdie machine. I don't know if that shipping was a special rate because of the price. An extra battery is pretty well mandatory given it only lasts a fraction of other machines on the market. That's $99 (although I paid less because I got in on the first sale 18 mos ago). So the total comes to $1,595+$25+$99. That comes to a bit over $1,700 which is a lot for a brand new product with only a 1-year warranty.

The next hurdle is the durability and customer service. Will it be useful on multiple playing surfaces? Will it last longer than the warranty? Other brands are known to have excellent customer service with Tennis Tutor coming in at the best without real competition in this category. Both Lobster and Silent Partner are very helpful and responsive. I'm a little annoyed with Lobster as my Elite Grand IV required a new control panel and that was costly for me to send it back, etc. I opted for the upgrade to the Elite Grand V LE and got it back but haven't been out with it.

Hydrogen Sports seems to have good customer service but the real test will be when they have a lot of machines in the marketplace. During the flirting stage everyone looks attractive. From what I've seen of this machine no way can it be easily DIY repaired. I also question the durability from what I can see, but it's a question mark regardless.

Playmate/Active Sports has to be the most expensive customer service out there. Good luck working with them; they are responsive. I never had a problem in 6 years with the Silent Partner machine I owned. I never knew how much I liked INTERNAL OSCILLATION (IO) until I started using the Playmate and that makes Spinfire much more intriguing. I see Tennis Tutor is now making IO machines too.

I love Spinfire's internal oscillation. I don't want the machine telling me which way to run when in the random modes.

For me, I think I'm going to save my money and buy a Tennis Tutor with IO and true shot making/programming capabilities. It's expensive but it would definitely be the last money I ever spent on a ball machine. Their customer service is far ahead of the competition and their machines are very simple to work on.

That Tennis Tutor IO Player is over $4,100 with remote (shipping is a whopping $350!). That's seems like a lot to pay just to be able to program 6 balls when you can get almost everything except that for $2,399 with the Spinfire, whose support is awesome too btw.

 

[BobbyR]

I think of the Proton tennis ball machine like an Iphone that I will toss away after four years in service. My company replaces my laptop and Iphone every three to four years so if the Proton can make it through four years, then I consider $995 well spent. I think Proton support is good but I don't know that for sure because I have not had a need for support.

You are probably one of the few people that is happy to 'toss away' something they spent $1,000 for after a few years in service. Are you going to do that with something you pay $1,600 for, which is what you'll pay when you need to replace it if not more? I'll soon have my Spinfire for 8 years and a friend of mine sold his 3-year old one for $1,700 to upgrade to the new Spinfire Pro 2 v2. I'd rather have a durable machine that is not a 'throw away' after a few years of use as I think would most people.

I actually weigh the Proton on three different digital scale and it weighs 19.2 lbs. Not sure why Proton listed it as 20lbs.

You're right. Mine weighs the same. Perhaps they're rounding up?

Another thing they got wrong is the machine is 10" wide, not 9" and 18-3/4" long not 17". You would think the manufacturer would know their own specs!

 

[mmk]

... An extra battery is pretty well mandatory given it only lasts a fraction of other machines on the market. That's $99 (although I paid less because I got in on the first sale 18 mos ago).

Instead of spending $99, buy a Ryobi-compatible battery from the rainforest

 

[Bolivian10s]

Shipping was $25 for my $995 early birdie machine. I don't know if that shipping was a special rate because of the price. An extra battery is pretty well mandatory given it only lasts a fraction of other machines on the market. That's $99 (although I paid less because I got in on the first sale 18 mos ago). So the total comes to $1,595+$25+$99. That comes to a bit over $1,700 which is a lot for a brand new product with only a 1-year warranty.



Hydrogen Sports seems to have good customer service but the real test will be when they have a lot of machines in the marketplace. During the flirting stage everyone looks attractive. From what I've seen of this machine no way can it be easily DIY repaired. I also question the durability from what I can see, but it's a question mark regardless.



I love Spinfire's internal oscillation. I don't want the machine telling me which way to run when in the random modes.



That Tennis Tutor IO Player is over $4,100 with remote (shipping is a whopping $350!). That's seems like a lot to pay just to be able to program 6 balls when you can get almost everything except that for $2,399 with the Spinfire, whose support is awesome too btw.

The Tennis Tower Player IO with Multi Function Remote is $3,395.00 plus $250 shipping and a 3 year warranty.

 

[BobbyR]

You are incorrect my friend. See below. The remote is $300 extra so with $250 shipping it's $3,945. If you're in CA then it's $267.89 extra so $4,212.89. The warranty is 3 years vs 2 for Lobster & Spinfire but I should hope so given the whopping price. All have extended warranties available.

What is hilarious is Tennis Tutor has a measly 1-week return policy. Lobster requires you to have the machine back in their warehouse within 30 days of delivery. Spinfire is the most generous of all and only require you to call within 30 days which shows how much faith they have in their product.

https://imgur.com/a/FmEhmkH

 

[ACSTracker]

I would love to see more videos of the Proton in action!

If you own one, please post some videos of it in action!

 

[dak95_00]

I would love to see more videos of the Proton in action!

If you own one, please post some videos of it in action!

I don’t even know why Tennis Tutor bothers advertising a warranty. I’ve dealt with them a number of times with used ball machines that were 20 years old and passed around to who knows how many owners. They just ask for the serial number to confirm the model and send out parts to repair them at NO CHARGE. They don’t even ask for postage. It’s absurd how well they back up their products.

 

[mr_starface]

Whats the minimum spec to run the app an iphone? I have been android for years but have an old 4S in the loft which I could use if its compatible

 

[bobleenov1963]

According to Hydrogen Sports LLC: Requires iOS12.1 or later. Compatible with iPod touch, iPad and iPhone.

I don't think the 4S can run iOS 12.1 or later.

 

[Papa Mango]

According to Hydrogen Sports LLC: Requires iOS12.1 or later. Compatible with iPod touch, iPad and iPhone.

I don't think the 4S can run iOS 12.1 or later.

This is correct. Tried on an older iPhone 6. Does not work. Issues with bluetooth connectivity (older chip or something).
Does work on iPhone 6S.

 

[Nostradamus]

if you ever loose your gold peg.. i'm sure Jonah can send you another one...

but if you don't want to wait. a 8mm bolt and nylon lock nut will work...

these are a little longer than the original and will try hitting with two pegs and hopefully reduce the
ball jams in the hopper...

what's that for ?

 

[JEDI MASTER]

what's that for ?

just in case you loose the original peg and can't wait to have a new one delivered...

also experimenting with 2 taller pegs if it'll reduce the ball jams in the hopper...

 

[bobleenov1963]

You are probably one of the few people that is happy to 'toss away' something they spent $1,000 for after a few years in service. Are you going to do that with something you pay $1,600 for, which is what you'll pay when you need to replace it if not more? I'll soon have my Spinfire for 8 years and a friend of mine sold his 3-year old one for $1,700 to upgrade to the new Spinfire Pro 2 v2. I'd rather have a durable machine that is not a 'throw away' after a few years of use as I think would most people.

First of all, I only paid $995 for the Proton so I think if I can have four years out of the Proton, I consider it money well spent.

How many people do you know, in 2021, still use the laptop/desktop that they purchased in 2013? I don't know of many. I don't even many people in 2021 still use the same Iphone that they purchased in 2013.

YMMV.

 

[BobbyR]

First of all, I only paid $995 for the Proton so I think if I can have four years out of the Proton, I consider it money well spent.

How many people do you know, in 2021, still use the laptop/desktop that they purchased in 2013? I don't know of many. I don't even many people in 2021 still use the same Iphone that they purchased in 2013.

YMMV.

No one is buying a Proton for $995 now and people want their products to last. Comparing an computer or phone to a ball machine makes no sense as they change a lot over the years. A ball machine does not. It is going to shoot balls the same speed and direction as it did 10 years ago. I've had my Spinfire Pro 2 for 7 years and know a guy who has been using his for 10 with no breakdowns. You should want products you purchase to last rather than shell out your hard-earned money yet again because the product is not durable. You are the much less than 1% with that view on product longevity.

 

[BenC]

It's somewhere in between, isn't it? I expect a compact ball machine of a new design full of moving parts to wear out eventually, but if it's still going after 4 years I'm not going to just toss it.

I am using the same desktop I was back in 2010 but many parts (particularly moving ones such as hard drives and fans) have been replaced. I've also been through multiple laptops, tablets, and phones since those take much more abuse from being mobile.

More than obsolescence, I think the Proton's quality of parts and ease/cost of repair will determine how long it really lasts.

 

[RVAtennisaddict]

pressureless balls: they definitely feel heavier and different than the normal balls when hitting, to me. And tend to aggravate my elbow much faster than regular balls/hitting with a real person. My club uses a wilson pressureless ball - all pink to differentiate for regular balls/keep people from using them regular hitting. But there is a reason no one really is playing with them regularly...
imo

 

[Cailean24]

I use the [cheap] Penn Championship balls in my Spinfire and the largest issue I have is the felt wearing down. I use kegs to pressurize them, but the “regular duty” felt is all but gone after 7 months of use. Thinking about buying “extra duty” next time.

I’m sure the Proton, or any ball machine, will have similar issues.

 

[pasta]

7/10

 

[blablavla]

First of all, I only paid $995 for the Proton so I think if I can have four years out of the Proton, I consider it money well spent.

How many people do you know, in 2021, still use the laptop/desktop that they purchased in 2013? I don't know of many. I don't even many people in 2021 still use the same Iphone that they purchased in 2013.

YMMV.

My ptivate notebook was purchased in 2011, still up & running, so no need to replace.
My work notebook... don't really know when it was manufactured, but probably 6-7 years ago. Still up & running, so no need to replace.

My iphone. Up & running 4 or 5 years. No need to replace it for now.

 

[blablavla]

The spinfire pro v2 is 40lbs with the 6.5 lbs external battery. don't you need to take the batter to the tennis court? Furthermore, try to load/unload a 40 lbs from a car as a 60+ years old grandma. I used the Proton twice now and I really like it. It does have some disadvantages but it works out well for me. Main thing for me is the portability.

If I need a better ball machine, I'll go with the ACE attack or better yet, I'll hire a UTR 12+ to hit with me.

As a 60+ you're probably better off without a ball machine at all.
Sport in order to maintain health and serious training are far from synonyms.

As a Spinfire user, I already wrote several times to you and others, it's very convenient for transportation, I take in 1 go:
Spinfire without battery, it has wheels, so very convenient
Tennis bag on my shoulders
Basket with 96 balls in one hand
Battery / ac cable extension in another hand (same hand that holds Spinfire)

Can you do the same with Proton?
Or do you expect a 60+ years old to carry Proton from the car to the court and then back?
Lol

 

[blablavla]

The spinfire with gear weighs 70 lbs. and costs almost $3,000. Nobody wants that.

Facts please

 

[stapletonj]

As a 60+ you're probably better off without a ball machine at all.
Sport in order to maintain health and serious training are far from synonyms.

As a Spinfire user, I already wrote several times to you and others, it's very convenient for transportation, I take in 1 go:
Spinfire without battery, it has wheels, so very convenient
Tennis bag on my shoulders
Basket with 96 balls in one hand
Battery / ac cable extension in another hand (same hand that holds Spinfire)

Can you do the same with Proton?
Or do you expect a 60+ years old to carry Proton from the car to the court and then back?
Lol

as a 64 1/2 year old tournament level player who regularly works out with my personal ball machine and kicks most high school and college kids *ss, I must disagree with this remark.... wanna compare 5K or 10K times?

 

[JEDI MASTER]

As a 60+ you're probably better off without a ball machine at all.
Sport in order to maintain health and serious training are far from synonyms.

As a Spinfire user, I already wrote several times to you and others, it's very convenient for transportation, I take in 1 go:
Spinfire without battery, it has wheels, so very convenient
Tennis bag on my shoulders
Basket with 96 balls in one hand
Battery / ac cable extension in another hand (same hand that holds Spinfire)

Can you do the same with Proton?
Or do you expect a 60+ years old to carry Proton from the car to the court and then back?
Lol

you can carry 96 ball basket that weights as much as the proton..???

YES! I'm over 60
Tennis Bag on my Back
80 Ball Hopper on Wheels on one hand 18lbs.
Proton on the other..
walk to court is approx 100'

 

[bobleenov1963]

As a 60+ you're probably better off without a ball machine at all.
Sport in order to maintain health and serious training are far from synonyms.

As a Spinfire user, I already wrote several times to you and others, it's very convenient for transportation, I take in 1 go:
Spinfire without battery, it has wheels, so very convenient
Tennis bag on my shoulders
Basket with 96 balls in one hand
Battery / ac cable extension in another hand (same hand that holds Spinfire)

Can you do the same with Proton?
Or do you expect a 60+ years old to carry Proton from the car to the court and then back?
Lol

The problem is lifting the 44 lbs Spinfire up/down from the car. Terrible idea for a 60+ year old person. You still have to cary the 14lbs external battery to the tennis court, unless you are willing to pay an extra $279 for the 6 lbs battery.

I can put the Proton, 19.2 lbs to a wheel cart and wheel it to the court, along with other equipments. That's doable for a 60+ years old person.

 

[pvbplayer]

'Over-complicating this?' Seriously? Comparing features is too complicated for you? Sorry but when people are spending a few thousand dollars they do some serious analysis. If that's over-complicating then so be it. Most people care about what they get for their hard-earned dollars. If you don't that's your business but most would say it is not a prudent way to decided how to spend your money.

My over-complicating comment was specifically about carrying the Proton to the court and needing some kind of cart to avoid carrying 80+ lbs of gear. If you get a hopper with wheels (mine was ~USD29), it would be very easy to pop the Proton on top and then carry your tennis bag or backpack. I do it with the cube which is bulkier, heavier, and an awkward square shape. A bungee cord would give you even more peace of mind to keep the machine secure on the hopper, although I don't use one.

I appreciate all the details you've provided about the Proton's features, but as a 52F I can't really see how carrying it to the court is going to be a drawback compared to one of the traditional machines.

 

[bobleenov1963]

My ptivate notebook was purchased in 2011, still up & running, so no need to replace.
My work notebook... don't really know when it was manufactured, but probably 6-7 years ago. Still up & running, so no need to replace.

My iphone. Up & running 4 or 5 years. No need to replace it for now.

I don't know about you but I tried to run Redhat Linux 7.x on my 2010 IBM server and it refused to boot up and install. Newer Operating Systems and applications will not run on older hardware, not mention vendors support. I tried to upgrade NetFlix on my Ipad 2 a few months ago but it failed. Just saying.

 

[blablavla]

The problem is lifting the 44 lbs Spinfire up/down from the car. Terrible idea for a 60+ year old person. You still have to cary the 14lbs external battery to the tennis court, unless you are willing to pay an extra $279 for the 6 lbs battery.

I can put the Proton, 19.2 lbs to a wheel cart and wheel it to the court, along with other equipments. That's doable for a 60+ years old person.

Where are you going to store the wheel cart?
In the car that doesn't fit the Spinfire?
Leg me guess that the wheel cart + Proton need much more space than Spinfire / Lobster

 

[blablavla]

I don't know about you but I tried to run Redhat Linux 7.x on my 2010 IBM server and it refused to boot up and install. Newer Operating Systems and applications will not run on older hardware, not mention vendors support. I tried to upgrade NetFlix on my Ipad 2 a few months ago but it failed. Just saying.

Of course it fails, cause Apple stops supporting devices some years later, so you can't update the iOs, which results in impossibility of uploading the minimum required version of the app to watch Netflix. Or other Apps

Then, let's remember that some corporate was caught while slowing down older devices via software update. Did they as well play with the battery via software updates? Or simply not let you replace it, so that you are forced to buy a new device instead of a simple battery replacement?

If you buy hardware from companies without such business practices, chances are that you'll be able to use that hardware 5-10 years after purchasing.

 

[blablavla]

A review from my 12 years old son and 14 years old daughter after trying out the Proton this morning. My neighbor is 70 years old and she drives them to the nearby HS tennis court and back home when they are done. The Proton fit nicely in the trunk of the 2021 Toyota Prius along with the tennis bag and 75 tennis ball. There is about 100 yards between the parking lot and tennis court. Son carried the Proton and tennis bag while daughter carried the ball pickup tube and 75 tennis balls, along with some water. No issue at all.

After 2 hours on the tennis court, here are their comments: 1) machine is very light and easy to use. The app on the iphone is so easy to program;

There are six tennis courts at the high school but only 3 courts are being occupied. Everyone at the tennis court asked my daughter where they can get the Proton so that they can order one.

Are you sure that you don't have financial interests in Proton as a company or from device sales?