New Machine! StringMaster Deluxe LE V3

diredesire

Moderator
This top post is going to cover first impressions and unboxing. I'll probably continue to update this thread as I put more time on the machine. I'm not sure I'll have a ton of updates, but I'll probably barf some thoughts after putting a couple dozen frames on the machine once I'm past the so-called honeymoon phase. Happy to answer any questions and/or take more photos.

also... please ignore all of the junk in the background. It's a long story, but I went through a major home renovation and all my shop crap is still in bins. Don't judge me! My fragile ego can't handle it.

Full imgur album here including some photos i'm not posting in this thread.

Unboxing
I actually don't really care for "unboxing" videos or typical consumer electronics packaging stuff, but since I imported this machine from Germany, I decided it made sense to include some comments about packaging and how "risky" I thought it was to import.
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The machine came in three parts. One box had the mounting system and accessories, one had the machine base and tensioner module, the last had the premium floor stand. Racquets included for scale.

Everything was packaged well, and it's worth noting that two of the boxes (i think) were opened for inspection. More packaging photos available in the linked gallery. Realistically I think the build quality of all parts was very, very good, and the packaging was sufficient if handled normally. It's actually harder to throw around packages this heavy, so I think risk of shipping is reasonably low. The tensioner had an overpack and was nested in another box, so sensitive electronics felt very protected. Everything else is mechanical, and the only really, really inconvenient thing that was likely to happen was that the mounting system got bent. The biggest risk there was a direct package drop on the top of the side-mounts.

Assembly and misc thoughts
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The premium base is actually quite a bit more premium than I expected. I actually didn't research (or care) much about the base, but this exceeded my non-existent expectations! It has a pneumatic cylinder similar to an office chair in the base which assists with lifting/lowering the machine. This is welcome now that I'm older, but at the same time, I don't really adjust my machine height once it's set. This would be great for those that share machines/space. It's a pleasant surprise for me, but clearly didn't have an impact on my purchasing decision. One note, though! There's a lot of slop in the machine base and stand interface. Click through to the imgur gallery to see it. I didn't notice this while stringing, but it might be something that someone out there just can't... stand (no pun intended)

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This is the bottom of the base and the other side of the column for anyone that cares. This might give some folks some ideas on mounting wheels/casters to it. If anyone cares, lmk, I can figure out the thread of the feet so you can match casters. I'll get around to this eventually, but see below comments to understand why I'm not doing this now.

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Welds are mediocre. Most people won't notice or care, but I tried teaching myself to weld, and I wasn't very successful, so I judge other peoples' welds to make myself feel better (this is only half a joke). The lever presses the pneumatic cylinder release (like an office chair) to raise/lower. It's kinda nice.

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The included tools/hardware in case anyone cares. These instructions were in English, and were very readable.

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This is something I care about as a relatively short human being (5'5"), but the base height starts at about 30". Fully extended, it goes to about 37". If this is a useless measurement to you, I also measure the stringbed height later.

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This is the base unboxed. From the product photos, I thought this was going to be a pretty "cheap," but functional base. It is much better than that. I was actually pretty impressed - considering some of their lower end machines come with this base, I wasn't expecting much. Their platforms are worthy of upgrading, IMO.
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Documentation that came with the machine. A lot of this was in German, but luckily, most of this isn't needed if you're buying a machine of this grade (assumptions made). One is a how to string manual, and others are from modular packaging, and apply to other SKUs of the machine. The Ennoxx manual is good. One notable thing missing from the documentation is how to assemble the brake. The pictures in all the literature show it as assembled, but the handle comes loose. I wasn't able to thread the handle because the pivot was slightly over-rotated. I tried to rotate it with an allen wrench, or something, but didn't want to damage the threads, so I loosened a bolt next to the turntable and... I wasn't supposed to do that. Don't do that. That boneheaded move is on me.

The hand tools that come with the machine would get the job done, but the grease in the shafts is sticky. It's a cheap commodity tool, and I'll probably end up throwing them away, tbh.

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Hopefully you can tell from these photos that the base is very sturdy in its construction. I would imagine a giant C-channel construction to be very rigid. This would totally be a killer portable machine (in volume). I haven't really tried taking the fully assembled unit off the base, so can't really comment on weight. If someone cares, I can get a rough weight, but I have no motivation to do so "just cuz."

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Unboxed tensioner, pre-mounting. Racquet for scale. It's a cute lil' guy. It also feels high quality, but the tension activating switch feels a little... lacking substance? It feels like a potential weak point of the machine, but I have no basis for this claim. It also activates a little too easily for my blood. I like to/want to be able to rest my hand without accidentally activating the tensioner (note - there's also glide to activate, which just means you pull the string towards you after it sits in the jaws, and the shutting action will hit another toggle switch). This is/was especially annoying when trying to hit the "knot" button on the last pulls of mains/crosses.

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These are the accessories/hw that comes with the turntable. I didn't look too closely at what it's all for, but there were some interesting adapters for weird shaped frames. Clamps felt very nice, and very... "considered" for a lack of a better term. They are very slim, and can sit up against each other when starting the mains.

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String bed height ~40"-47." I just mounted a strung frame to mock a couple of things up, here.

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These two photos demonstrate something I've commented on several times in the past. I personally like to rotate my clamp bases up and out of the way when I am going down my crosses. Curved clamp rails in my experience have made this kind of annoying. On my Sensor, the assembly that sat below the turn table was way bigger than the top, so the clamp base assemblies would play "bumper cars" with one another if I oriented both bases towards the top of the frame. Thus, I had to "wait" until I was way further down the string bed than I prefer to. This machine is probably worse in that regard. The curved rails are actually very short overall, and on this frame, I had to go down to the ninth cross before I could swing that base out of the way. I can probably optimize for this a bit by shifting the mounting around, but I don't think that situation is going to get much better. It's an idiosyncratic gripe, but it's worth mentioning if you're neurotic in that way, like me.

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The tool tray is a weak point, like so many other machines. I really don't get why manufacturers don't just make tool trays that are usable??? It's simply too narrow. Even the tools that come with the machine don't fit without a little coaxing! With that said, over time, I ended up going pretty minimal with my tools. I often don't even bother with needle nose pliers! Good cutters can be used to poke strings through blocked holes with a gentle grip, and I use my cam action pliers to tighten when I do use hand tools. You could also get away with a starting clamp when it's available. Otherwise, and often, I do just hand cinch knots, too.


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In response to @mad dog1 in this post, I took a photo of the clamp bases. I also tried looping string under the push-down mechanism, and indeed, you can catch string on the base, but it's somewhat difficult to do so unintentionally. It doesn't take too much force to pop the clamp if you do, however. The lever doesn't sit too far over the base, so you'd have to get unlucky, but I could see an errant loop of string from weaving get under there. And if you've been stringing long enough, you've had that happen to you, so... there it is.
 

diredesire

Moderator
On Quality
I can't make direct comparisons since I took a long break from stringing and playing, so my memory is unreliable. I'd classify this machine (and therefore the tourna machines) as a high-tier, professional grade machine. There are some weird quirks or compromises that I already noticed, but won't go into too deeply here. As mad dog1 said in the other thread, coming from a Sensor is kind of a weird/unfair comparison since the Sensor really does feel overbuilt. As an Engineer, I can see that there's a lot of "value engineering" that went into this machine, but the acceptable bar is still kept quite high for the product. The machine out of the box with no adjustments is smooth and not sloppy. I can observe a little bit of drawback and shifting in the clamp bases, but I haven't even cleaned the rails or made any minor adjustment to the bases. It feels like it should be no problem to get them dialed perfectly, but I'll update if that isn't the case.

I haven't looked with a critical eye for rigidity problems yet, but I was so surprised by the fit and finish of the machine (in a good way) that I didn't really feel it was necessary to look too hard.

A note on the clamps (also somewhat in response to mad dog1's post in the other thread): They are very good clamps, but I'm also really not sold on the push down bases. Coming from a Sensor, I'm no stranger to push down bases, and this isn't really a novelty to me. I get that some folks here rave about them because of arthritis problems (or similar), but I found the gravity release to be finicky, and the release to feel a little unreliable (?). I had to press it harder than is "smooth" to do so, if that makes sense. I've only put a couple of frames on the machine, however, so take that FWIW. I may just release the clamps by popping the lever up instead of pressing the release button. There's a dead-zone on the release where you have to push it quite far to pop open, and the spring force is sort of spongy, so it feels like you may have already accidentally released the clamp before fully bottoming out. I really like the clamp head, it's narrow and slim. I also prefer more teeth than the 3-toothed sensor clamps. I want to say these are lower profile overall, but I don't have the machines side by side to compare. It might just be that the chunky clamp bases of the sensor color my memory of them. I had a little "catchiness" on the table or bumping of the mounting stocks, so I might make adjustments to my mounting distance and do a clean of the rail. Gravity release I find just isn't reliable enough to work into my stringing process. The clamp heads will often stay up on the bed after popping the release. This could be due to mains holding it up while stringing crosses (side pressure), or the clamp base slightly rotating (raw friction). I have to punch the clamp head off from the top of the string bed, but if/when I do, often times the clamp base doesn't release. It's faster and more consistent just to do a double-handed release simultaneously - you're already in position to move the clamp smoothly (via the base) in that case anyways.


As usual, apologies for the wall of text, hope others find these thoughts helpful.

Retro edit: I posted a short video clip of the slop of the turntable base. There's a knob that you can tighten down that more or less eliminates the slop. I thought it was to lock the height (which it does), but it also serves to stabilize the base.
 
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MaxSwing

New User
Great write up, I have been waiting for a while to replace my basic drop weight machine but I also only string between 50 and 100 frames a year just for myself and friends at the club. I had come across this machine from other comments on this forum and your post has helped 'seal the deal' that it would be the right choice. My only consideration was going for the Wise tensioner over the v3 one - however the other recent threads indicate that this v3 tensioner is worth the upgrade (roughly £200 for me in the UK).

Now all I have to do is wait for new stock which I am told should be August / September and to convince the wife that this is essential!
 

mad dog1

G.O.A.T.
@diredesire thanks for taking the time to write up and share such a detailed review with objective assessments and visual aids. pretty much confirms everything i thought it would be based on the price point. (y)
 

diredesire

Moderator
Great write up, I have been waiting for a while to replace my basic drop weight machine but I also only string between 50 and 100 frames a year just for myself and friends at the club. I had come across this machine from other comments on this forum and your post has helped 'seal the deal' that it would be the right choice. My only consideration was going for the Wise tensioner over the v3 one - however the other recent threads indicate that this v3 tensioner is worth the upgrade (roughly £200 for me in the UK).

Now all I have to do is wait for new stock which I am told should be August / September and to convince the wife that this is essential!
I would agree even not having used a Wise. It's a nice tensioner just from my brief hands-on with it. I really like the simplicity of the UI. I'll know whether or not it's slow once I string a few more frames and try to get in a groove. I think it's just fine, though.
@diredesire thanks for taking the time to write up and share such a detailed review with objective assessments and visual aids. pretty much confirms everything i thought it would be based on the price point. (y)
Sure thing - I think this thing is a great buy, but it may just be because the dollar is strong relative to other currencies right now. I think this ended up being almost $1K cheaper than the closest comparable Tourna machine, so I thought it was a no-brainer. Hopefully folks are still able to purchase them in the future. I'd try e-mailing Dirk and see if they're willing to make an exception?
 

Dags

Hall of Fame
Thanks for such a good write up. With machines such as the Alpha Ghost and Tourna incarnation of the Xpider offering being unavailable in Europe (where I've looked, at least!), detailed write-ups like this are hugely valuable. I will certainly check in on any updates, should you wish to take the time to share them.

The only question that springs to mind from the outset is the way the turntable sits on the base. Is there a gap that could be prone to string catching? It might just be an illusion from the photo angle.

Great write up, I have been waiting for a while to replace my basic drop weight machine but I also only string between 50 and 100 frames a year just for myself and friends at the club. I had come across this machine from other comments on this forum and your post has helped 'seal the deal' that it would be the right choice. My only consideration was going for the Wise tensioner over the v3 one - however the other recent threads indicate that this v3 tensioner is worth the upgrade (roughly £200 for me in the UK).

Now all I have to do is wait for new stock which I am told should be August / September and to convince the wife that this is essential!
If you do go through with it, please come back and share how hard you were hit by the customs charges.
 

MaxSwing

New User
It will be 20%... That is what the stupid 51% of our country voted for based on a whole load of lies so that is what I will have to pay. However if I didn't pay it on import then it would have been added to cost of the machine at source or at best done sorry of government subsidy.

I am aware of the price and happy with it, I bought my drop weight machine 2nd hand for almost nothing and have upgraded the clamps but still turned a profit stringing for the local club. It would be nice to have a 'proper' machine and when looking at anything available through UK shops you basically get Pros Pro with Wise for around £1500 as an obvious choice and so spending a bit more on a better machine is a sound choice in my eyes.

Just for clarity I don't see me getting my money back any time soon but this is more a hobby than anything else and like most hobbies it normally ends up costing more.
 

diredesire

Moderator
Thanks for such a good write up. With machines such as the Alpha Ghost and Tourna incarnation of the Xpider offering being unavailable in Europe (where I've looked, at least!), detailed write-ups like this are hugely valuable. I will certainly check in on any updates, should you wish to take the time to share them.

The only question that springs to mind from the outset is the way the turntable sits on the base. Is there a gap that could be prone to string catching? It might just be an illusion from the photo angle.
Added a couple photos to the album. When purchasing, I was under the impression that the StringMaster machine had a flat metal turntable with no cosmetic shroud unlike the 700-es

(700es below)
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Looks like the 700-es has a different shroud, there's two plastic curves mounted to the bottom of the StringMaster table:
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From what I can tell, it's a lot lower profile. It's a bit of a headscratcher as well, looking at videos of the 700-es, it looks like the turntable to base spacing is a lot higher. I wonder if it's due to the tensioner height?

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In any event, this is the spacing of the bottom of the turntable shroud to the base. I wouldn't say it's any more or less likely to get string caught than any other machine. Obviously a sensor with a cupped base would avoid catching a bit more, but that's an exception.
 

MathieuR

Hall of Fame
@diredesire , first of all, I'm glad your back on the forum.
- could you elucidate what checklist you followed to get to your choice for this stringer
- when you buy in the US from a EEC-country, is it then VAT free? And then you have to pay the import-duties (+ transport).
 

mad dog1

G.O.A.T.
@diredesire , first of all, I'm glad your back on the forum.
- could you elucidate what checklist you followed to get to your choice for this stringer
- when you buy in the US from a EEC-country, is it then VAT free? And then you have to pay the import-duties (+ transport).
Yes, VAT is not applicable.
 

diredesire

Moderator
@diredesire , first of all, I'm glad your back on the forum.
- could you elucidate what checklist you followed to get to your choice for this stringer
- when you buy in the US from a EEC-country, is it then VAT free? And then you have to pay the import-duties (+ transport).

TL;DR: I didn't want to pay quite a bit of money for not that great of a machine, so I spent a lot of money on a good machine. This one was the best bang for the buck I could find for the tier of machine I was interested in.

Sure, but it's a tortured and idiosyncratic logic/thought process... I wouldn't say there was a checklist...

I'm only even casually playing these days. I don't really practice, but will play league matches on friends' teams if they want me to play. I've essentially taken a decade off of the game, only hitting once or twice a year (or less!) for a long time. It's a long story, but I've had wrist/shoulder injuries since highschool, and post college, I never got back into the game for various reasons. Throughout when I was playing, and throughout university (Bachelors and Masters) I was stringing for the school's teams, so I've always owned a machine since highschool. Tennis can be relatively inexpensive if you live somewhere with good weather, but can also be very expensive if you're a string breaker and/or have to pay indoor court fees and club memberships. I live in the PNW, which is generally a very rainy area of the US, and I live in a pretty HCOL area, so tennis is a pretty expensive sport to play (another disincentive to come back to the game "seriously").

In any event, even hitting casually, if I feel like my strings are dead, I don't enjoy playing. I have access to my old machine by the way of my buddy buying it from me, but I don't want to drive half an hour just to use it, especially if I'm not playing regularly. I've had a lot of big changes/events in my life as well (big home renovation, moved out of my house to complete it, had a kid, moved back, etc.), so time is in very, very short supply. Even though I can't monetarily justify a(ny) machine, I can't stand to spend double the time and spend a crazy amount of $$ to get my racquet strung by someone else that probably won't do as good a job as I will at a pro-shop. Strung frames range from ~$30-80 where I'm at, but it'd be 2x to and from car trips on top. Long story short, I decided I'd just pick up a machine. Looking at prices after my hiatus, I was a little surprised to see how much prices have gone up. I'd have been fine with a solid used machine, but they're nowhere to be found, and the ones that do come up are ridiculously priced. Jumping up to a lower end 'prosumer' grade machine (stand, crank, low end eCP) felt like a bad trade when better machines are "only," say, 50% more. I didn't want to get a machine that I'd curse myself for getting a couple years down the road (I've been there before). So I decided I'd jump past the ~$1000-1500 tier machines. The 700-es was mentioned to me by my buddy @brownbearfalling as one to check out, and I went down the rabbit hole of looking at xpider machines...

With that background:
  • I downselected to xpider machines because of the clamps. Other high-end clamp machines were more expensive in price tier and less readily available
  • Mounting system looked nicer (self centering) than other options that were comparable or cheaper in price
    • I am seeing some weird adjustability things with the mounting system, but haven't put enough time on the machine to comment on it
  • StringMaster/Ennoxx tensioner looked interesting with glide to activate
  • I have no strong opinions about stands, but the premium stand looked like it'd be more comfortable if I kicked it :sneaky:
  • It was cheaper than the 700-es, which I was already using as a rough benchmark for machines
I wouldn't call it a checklist by any means, but when I looked at the current landscape, The Gamma machines feel expensive for their performance (I used to own a 5800 ELS), the ghost II was more than I wanted to spring for, the other alpha machines didn't have self-centering mounting systems or competitive clamp bases. I like Stringway, but the footpedal operated machine has long since been discontinued, and I don't want to pump a weight. All in all, it just felt like this machine was a sweet spot in value and >$3K was getting into the ridiculous territory (from justifying the spend perspective).

Probably not that satisfying of an answer... yes, as mentioned above - no duties.

Nice post DD. Just out of curiosity, was the assembly a 1 or 2 person job? It looks heavy and sturdy.

Hey Steve, good to see you around! it was a pretty easy one person job. Everything's broken down into pretty manageable pieces, so bolting stuff together in order, you really only lift 50 lbs max? Machine parts were also reasonably balanced, so the mounting holes of the base to the stand weren't stressful. I've worked with machines that would tip before you could thread a bolt before - everything was straightforward and pleasant.
 

MaxSwing

New User
Sorry for resurrecting an old thread but I was wondering if you are still happy with the machine @diredesire ? They are hopefully back in stock soon and I believe it's still a great machine for the money. I am a casual stringer (100 frames a year maybe) but I want to replace my very basic drop weight.
 

diredesire

Moderator
Yep, more or less happy. There are some issues that are worth commenting on, but nothing that really changes the original content or conclusion:

  • If I didn't mention it before, I had an animation that showed the main machine shaft slop - applying the brake makes this more or less go away. Not really worth noting after the fact.
  • As mentioned, I screwed up the (turntable) brake assembly - I've since fixed that, and now my brake works. I haven't used it a ton, but the brake action is strong and doesn't feel like it's at any risk of slipping.
    • With that said, I now get some string catching action on said brake handle a couple times a string job. It's actually kind of mind boggling how the string gets caught on it, as the string always manages to take a path that I wouldn't normally think I pull it. I haven't really diagnosed my process to see where/how I'm creating this catching action, as the string feels like it's going under the turntable. Maybe it's when I rotate around to pull slack out of the one-ahead loop.
    • It is actually very annoying, and this is one thing I hate in general about brake handles - they're always very catchy.
  • I'm still not totally convinced that the clamp bases are the greatest. I've still not spent any time dialing them in, but I've had a couple instances on the crosses where I notice that one of the bases (always the same one, btw) pops up at the base. I think I've mentioned it in this thread, but I very often release the other clamp that backs up the "current" clamp, just to get it out of the way. This is another idiosyncratic issue for me, but if the last clamp base isn't reliable, I lose all tension on the crosses and (would) have to start over. I'm confident I'm pressing down with sufficient pressure to lock the clamp base down, but it seems like something is jarring the clamp on the release of the tension head, which pops the base loose.
    • The down-clamp action feels a little frictiony, for lack of a better term. I'd be expecting a smoother/more positive cam-lock action upon clamping, but I apply clamp head before base - largely for allowance of pre-loading. This may not work well with these bases (?). Again - I haven't diagnosed or tried to do a lot of A/B scenarios.
    • This for sure isn't from a string getting underneath the clamp and popping it up, which is possible (as mentioned above)
    • Edit: I had a few minutes to play with the bases. One of them definitely pops up a lot more easily than the other. Down-press force is roughly the same, but one locks more positively. I didn't adjust either because my garage is a big mess atm, but I think it'll just be a quick tightening of an allen screw. Will report back if the base popping continues to happen.
  • Tension head might be a hair slow. I have found myself releasing the clamp a fraction of a second before it's done pulling just by muscle memory/rhythm. It's something I've noticed a couple times, but hasn't caused me much grief yet.

Overall, still very happy with this machine. It is noticeably nicer and better built than most all mid-range machines you can get for the same price. At the exchange rates at the time I purchased the machine, I snagged this setup for less than you'd pay for a Gamma 6004 + WISE( not including shipping!). I think it's a much better deal and overall package than competitor offerings, and compares well against machines that are +~$1K more. Machines are pretty expensive these days, though, so I'm not sure how much that says about this machine vs. the value of other machines...
 
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MaxSwing

New User
Thank you again for clear and concise information. From what I have read I agree that the machine appears to punch above it's weight. My only other options were going cheaper with the Pros Pro hornet or 7600 with a Wise and I feel happier paying more for something that is better quality.

I also have an amazing ability to snag string on the most obscure items - even the corner of a table cloth is my current favourite! So I am sure the brake will be caught

As for the timing on the pull - I am currently on a drop weight that I almost gave to use both hands with. Therefore I am sure it will feel like lightning to me and my muscle memory well learn from it.

Again thank you for your time to write up and answer my questions
 

MaxSwing

New User
Keeping it short but I have finally got my machine! It was out of stock for quite a while but eventually I was able to place the order and a few weeks later I have it all setup and have done my first stringing job. It is such a jump in quality and capability from my drop weight and so happy I decided to go with this machine. I have to have the tabletop version due to space as the wife wouldnt let me have it standing in the corner all the time...

Overall impression is it feels lovely, very precise and coming from my drop weight I can see a massive speed improvement - specifically because I normally had to use two hands with the drop weight and therefore had to let go of the string more times than not, whereas now its so easy to use I can try and focus on being more slick with my process.

Everything was very well packaged, the UK customs passed the first box through within minutes but the second box waited 3 days with no obvious reason (didnt look opened etc so just assume it was delayed). Only payment was the UK VAT and no customs duty as sports equipment is mostly exempt.

My only comments would be that one of the holes drilled in the base unit to mount to the turntable was a little jagged and deeper than the other three but looks purely cosmetic, the auto unlock on the clamps it a bit stiff but I also didnt really try using it as I am used to releasing base clamp first anyway.

For your concerns DD I also found the button on the tension head to be very sensitive with a few double clicks early on but got used to it fairly quickly, the brake handle I dont think is going to be much of a problem as I have the tabletop version the string is normally off the end of the table and never really traps around the base unit itself - but that in itself makes it hard to engage, however I never had one before and didnt feel the need to use it whilst stringing.

Overall very happy! Now to start trying to get more customers than the handful from the club to hopefully prove to the wife I can pay it off :-D
 

diredesire

Moderator
Keeping it short but I have finally got my machine! It was out of stock for quite a while but eventually I was able to place the order and a few weeks later I have it all setup and have done my first stringing job. It is such a jump in quality and capability from my drop weight and so happy I decided to go with this machine. I have to have the tabletop version due to space as the wife wouldnt let me have it standing in the corner all the time...

Overall impression is it feels lovely, very precise and coming from my drop weight I can see a massive speed improvement - specifically because I normally had to use two hands with the drop weight and therefore had to let go of the string more times than not, whereas now its so easy to use I can try and focus on being more slick with my process.

Everything was very well packaged, the UK customs passed the first box through within minutes but the second box waited 3 days with no obvious reason (didnt look opened etc so just assume it was delayed). Only payment was the UK VAT and no customs duty as sports equipment is mostly exempt.

My only comments would be that one of the holes drilled in the base unit to mount to the turntable was a little jagged and deeper than the other three but looks purely cosmetic, the auto unlock on the clamps it a bit stiff but I also didnt really try using it as I am used to releasing base clamp first anyway.

For your concerns DD I also found the button on the tension head to be very sensitive with a few double clicks early on but got used to it fairly quickly, the brake handle I dont think is going to be much of a problem as I have the tabletop version the string is normally off the end of the table and never really traps around the base unit itself - but that in itself makes it hard to engage, however I never had one before and didnt feel the need to use it whilst stringing.

Overall very happy! Now to start trying to get more customers than the handful from the club to hopefully prove to the wife I can pay it off :-D
Nice, share more thoughts as you get more time on the machine. I'm curious if my nitpicks are shared. Would be especially interesting if you feel the same way from the upgrade POV.

What did you think about the push-down bases in general? How are you releasing the base clamp, btw? You can karate chop the front near the shaft with the palm of your hand, or you can lift the rear lever. I end up lifting the rear lever, but I don't think that's actually how the designer intended it to work...

I'm also going to bet that you get some string snags even if it's hanging off the table :)
 

MaxSwing

New User
Yup I will badger the others I play with to get theirs restrung now that our league season has finished so hopefully get a few strung on there over the next month. I will try and do a proper writeup once I have a few more on there along with some photos of anything of interest - the clearest difference to me was speed so far but also mounting (old one is 6 point but individual controls not self centering like this one).

The push down is nice clean click, felt a little stiff at the beginning but got used to it very quickly, previous machine had lever twist (and one was slowly working loose all the time!) so sometimes the clamp would twist slightly as I clamped - where as now its just push down and the clamp doesnt go anywhere. As for releasing I use one hand and push down on the front near the shaft with thumb and lift from the back with fingers which together feels slick but I think I need to play a little more.

Yes string will always snag, I am very good at finding anything - even managed to snag the edge of the tablecloth many times! Just hoping I dont get the brake lever but I could definitely see it happening and echo your concern. I'll do a picture at some point about the ability to use the brake when on a tabletop but there is only an inch or two to reach through to get to it so not sure how practical to use it would be. Maybe some sort of hinged extension bar towards the front but then it would probably snag even more... something to ponder!
 
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