Should I buy a Pro Stringer machine?

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Starbuckingham

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I am travelling and playing tennis a lot. I have been thinking of buying a stringing machine so that I can string my own racquet while traveling because sometimes it is not easy to get my racquet strung.

What is your opinion about the Digital Pro Stringer?

Is it worth it?
 
Starbuckingham said:
I am travelling and playing tennis a lot. I have been thinking of buying a stringing machine so that I can string my own racquet while traveling because sometimes it is not easy to get my racquet strung.

What is your opinion about the Digital Pro Stringer?

Is it worth it?
Click to expand...

I'm happy with my Pro Stringer Platnum, the new digital version has a number of improvements compaired to the Platnum version. I haven't seen the digita one in the flesh so are unable to provide any details about it. It looks good though.

Where are you located? It would be best to see one demoed in person to get an idea if it is for you.
As far as portability goes no other machine comes close as far as I'm aware.

TD
 
I posted some thoughts on the above mentioned thread. In a nutshell...

If you travel lots and need to take a stringer with you (as I do) then yes buy one. The portability is unbeatable. Just be prepared to deal with low quality construction, poor customer service and knowing that you paid a lot for it.

Sadly for the travelling player or pro there is little else out there for options.
 
Starbuckingham said:
I am travelling and playing tennis a lot. I have been thinking of buying a stringing machine so that I can string my own racquet while traveling because sometimes it is not easy to get my racquet strung.

What is your opinion about the Digital Pro Stringer?

Is it worth it?
Click to expand...
Wow, I never knew that a drop weight had low to medium accuracy and wasn't constant pull!
 
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I'd get one of the lockout machines from Brazil/SA.

The fact that the guys from Pro Stringer operate in disguise on these boards
is enough for me to never trust them or their products.

Proof? I have no proof, but I'm not effing stupid either.
 
struggle said:
I'd get one of the lockout machines from Brazil/SA.

The fact that the guys from Pro Stringer operate in disguise on these boards
is enough for me to never trust them or their products.

Proof? I have no proof, but I'm not effing stupid either.
Click to expand...

++1 - When someone tries to tell me gravity does not apply a constant force (constant pull) it makes it hard for me to believe whatever else they have to say. Maybe they just made a small mistake, maybe they just want you to believe their over priced tension head is better.
 
Irvin said:
++1 - When someone tries to tell me gravity does not apply a constant force (constant pull) it makes it hard for me to believe whatever else they have to say. Maybe they just made a small mistake, maybe they just want you to believe their over priced tension head is better.
Click to expand...

Irvin, Just a question for you. Do you really believe that a drop-weight machine pulls the same tension at a constant rate regardless of angle just because of gravity???

The Stringway machines can and do make that claim, but as for any other portable drop weight stringing machine I would argue the bar has to be horizontal in order generate constant pull-like results. And even at that there are some variables that come into play. How many times was the string pulled in order to get the bar to stay horizontal. Was it 2x on one string, 3x on another, just 1x on another? All of this can impact the final result.

If the bar is not horizontal it is indeed pulling constantly, but just not at the set tension. Based on the variables I suspect if the stringer was skilled enough to get the bar to be perfectly horizontal every time on a single pull, I would have to agree a drop weight is equivalent to constant pull. That's a big IF and even a highly skilled stringer might have problem achieving this with a string that has a lot of stretch/elasticity. However, if a drop weight stringer is not skilled enough to achieve a constant first pull being perfectly horizontal then the drop weight is constantly pulling at different tensions and that does not fit my personal definition of constant pull.

I would say that it would be difficult to argue with a person claiming a drop weight does not achieve constant pull results easily and consistently. I also could not argue with someone who claims to be skilled and able to generate constant pull results with a drop weight stringer. Either claim has instances where it could be considered correct. I would say the claim that a drop weight does not consistently produce constant pull results is probably more accurate for the majority of situations.
 
Tennis_dude101 said:
I'm happy with my Pro Stringer Platnum, the new digital version has a number of improvements compaired to the Platnum version. I haven't seen the digita one in the flesh so are unable to provide any details about it. It looks good though.

Where are you located? It would be best to see one demoed in person to get an idea if it is for you.
As far as portability goes no other machine comes close as far as I'm aware.

TD
Click to expand...
I am in downunder but travelling around. I see some of the demo guys are Aussies. I still think it is too overpriced.
 
Starbuckingham said:
I am in downunder but travelling around. I see some of the demo guys are Aussies. I still think it is too overpriced.
Click to expand...

Yep, only you can decide if it is value for money.
It's saving me $40-45 a restring for me and my wife so mine will pay itself off eventually. I'm actually restringing my racquets more often now(and experimenting with different strings) as it only costs me the price of the string. I'm pretty hands on so I've also enjoyed learning the stringing process.

My advice would be to arrange a demo, have them string one of you own racquets to your specifications(tension, string) for you while you watch.
Then have a hit with it and make up your own mind.

TD
 
The stringing demo video is too funny... a complete hack job. Check out the dude pulling tension against the O-ports... After watching that video anyone with even a smidgen of intelligence would stay far away from this machine.
 
lew750 said:
Wow, I never knew that a drop weight had low to medium accuracy and wasn't constant pull!
Click to expand...

Exactly!

F'ing crazy to believe that bs comparison table. That right there would keep me from buying their product regardless of price.

I hate blatant dishonesty.
 
eelhc said:
The stringing demo video is too funny... a complete hack job. Check out the dude pulling tension against the O-ports... After watching that video anyone with even a smidgen of intelligence would stay far away from this machine.
Click to expand...

Yes, some pretty large mistakes being made in the video.

I would not use a machine like this. Bracing with a small point against the frame is just a bad idea.
 
themitchmann said:
Yes, some pretty large mistakes being made in the video.

I would not use a machine like this. Bracing with a small point against the frame is just a bad idea.
Click to expand...

>> I would not use a machine like this.

Please don't use, it is not for the faint-hearted :-)

>> Bracing with a small point against the frame is just a bad idea.

Haha, that's call "close to 0 racquet distortion".
 
lefty_slicer said:
>> I would not use a machine like this.

Please don't use, it is not for the faint-hearted :-)

>> Bracing with a small point against the frame is just a bad idea.

Haha, that's call "close to 0 racquet distortion".
Click to expand...

Not sure what you're trying to say, here. Are you agreeing with, or patronizing me?
 
Tennis_dude101,

On the official website there is a table comparing other stringers to the pro stringer.

Tension Accuracy is listed in the comparisons.

For an standard electronic stringer like the Babolat or Gamma constant pull machines it says "High".

For the pro digital stringer it says "Extreme"

What does "extreme" mean? Like extreme weather? Like Wildly low or high with each pull? If so, that's a pretty, no way the opponent is going to be able to predict how the ball comes off your racquet.
 
^^ Perhaps the suggestion is that the pro digital stringer is more accurate than a Babolat or Gamma constant pull machine.

I have serious doubts - IF that's what they are suggesting...
 
I would just get a Klippermate with the travel case. It does a good job and is about $250 including the case. Really nothing to break, very reliable, case is made of steel, machine is legendary for being tough to break.
 
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onehandbh said:
Tennis_dude101,

On the official website there is a table comparing other stringers to the pro stringer.

Tension Accuracy is listed in the comparisons.

For an standard electronic stringer like the Babolat or Gamma constant pull machines it says "High".

For the pro digital stringer it says "Extreme"

What does "extreme" mean? Like extreme weather? Like Wildly low or high with each pull? If so, that's a pretty, no way the opponent is going to be able to predict how the ball comes off your racquet.
Click to expand...

Onehand,

I have to agree with you, I don't agree with some of the comments made in the PS table. Particularly the reference to dropweights not being constant pull and the accuracy/speed of stringing on an electronic machines.

All that aside that doesn't change the fact that IMO the PS is an awesome machine for its size.

TD
 
Tennis_dude101 said:
It also weighs in at 32lbs! :shock:

TD
Click to expand...

So does a suitcase.

One could put the Klippermate into a suitcase with wheels, wrap the machine parts in bubble pack and lose the steel case, plenty of room for string and tools, problems solved. (Broken down, the Klippermate should easily fit into a carry-on size suitcase with wheels.)

I hope the Pro Stringer machines work better than their website currently does. (It is down and out.) Edit: It is back up.

32 pounds (or around 20 pounds without the case?) would not bother me. I would want something I could depend on, isn't going to break, etc. Klippermate has been making machines forever; Pro Stringer since last week. They will probably be out of business next year like so many of these outfits. I would think the market for $800 mini-stringers is pretty limited.

I suppose if portability is your primary concern, then the Pro Stringer is a candidate. To each his own, I would just get a Klippermate or similar.
The weird thing about the Pro Stringer is that the unit itself doesn't mount to anything. I would think that would make accurate tensioning difficult but maybe it works okay?
 
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Get a US distributor with plenty of parts on hand and a kick ***** warranty and make the price point better.

Than I'd be willing to demo one.
 
struggle said:
Get a US distributor with plenty of parts on hand and a kick ***** warranty and make the price point better.

Than I'd be willing to demo one.
Click to expand...

I dont think they bother,
because it was mainly targeted to the Challenger/Satellite players,
not really for pro-shop/home-stringer like us,
so, it is buy @ your own risk
:)
 
I cannot comment on the quality of the machine, since I have personally never used one.

However, I just reviewed the website and video. In my opinion, that may be the worst example of stringing a racquet I've ever seen. It was hard to watch. :(
 
Audiophile said:
I cannot comment on the quality of the machine, since I have personally never used one.

However, I just reviewed the website and video. In my opinion, that may be the worst example of stringing a racquet I've ever seen. It was hard to watch. :(
Click to expand...

agreed,
I struggled to pick up how to use it,
they keep asking me to view the video,
for a newbie stringer, that's tough,
but I managed to master it though,
strung about 100 racquets now, after less than 1 year
:)
 
Nothing on that website has convinced me that it's a better option than traveling with a Klippermate. There are zero arguments in favor of that "pro stringing" machine.
 
Haven't seen one in person nor heard of anyone using them.


I'm not convinced of the mounting of it but would like to see it in person and in action.


However, for the money I would probably go portable klippermate as others have said.


Their chart on comparing their machine to "high end" electronic machines is laughable.
 
^^ LOL Cobra!

I'm with struggle - get the price down, make parts availability a non issue, and lemme see a bullet proof warranty and I would consider trying one out. I'm not holding my breath.

Also, if it is true this company is targeting satellite tour players...then IMO that is a poor business choice. This demographic is very much in the minority, compared with people who string at home. My experience with futures tour players is that most will use the tournament stringing service. And I doubt this machine is going to change that.
 
am1899 said:
^^ LOL Cobra!

Also, if it is true this company is targeting satellite tour players...then IMO that is a poor business choice. This demographic is very much in the minority, compared with people who string at home. My experience with futures tour players is that most will use the tournament stringing service. And I doubt this machine is going to change that.
Click to expand...

There have been some discussions about this on the PS FB page(it got quite heated there too!). The fact is a lot of players at the Challenger/Futures level struggle to break even on the tour.
If they use the tournament stringer they are out of pocket hundreds of dollars in restringing costs each week. eg 10 racquets x $30 = $300
At every tournament there are different stringers using different machines and techniques, thus a lot of variability in how their racquets play from tournament to tournament.
This is why Rubin Statham invented the PS machine. It gives these players the ability to to string their racquets consistently at a reasonable price. The PS pays for itself quite quickly thus is a sensible purchase.

As far as home stringers go, I know of only one other person at my club(140 members) that has a stringing machine(drop weight).
Most people use either their local pro shop or the club coach for their racquet restringing requirements. Most club players only restring when they break a sting.
I restrung a racquet for a club member this week and it was the first time it had been restrung in 6 years!

Most recreational club players I talk to barely know what tension their racquets were strung at(however long ago that was), let alone knowing anything about string types, gauges etc.

TD.
 
Starbuckingham said:
What is your opinion about the Digital Pro Stringer?
Click to expand...

Interesting:

"Shorter distance between tensioning head and frame significantly improves tension accuracy."

"Tensioning against the racket frame ensures the frame will not be placed under undue stress resulting in possible racket distortion. The racket frame remains stable and safe during the entire stringing process."
 
Imago said:
Interesting:

"Shorter distance between tensioning head and frame significantly improves tension accuracy."

"Tensioning against the racket frame ensures the frame will not be placed under undue stress resulting in possible racket distortion. The racket frame remains stable and safe during the entire stringing process."
Click to expand...

Shorter distance will result in a tighter stringbed, for sure. However, as long as the pull distance is consistent, an experienced stringer can produce a similar result with most machines.

I still don't like the idea of tensioning against the machine on every pull.
 
I'm lost on how a shorter distance will improve tension maintenance, accuracy or produce a tighter stringbbed.
 
Irvin said:
I'm lost on how a shorter distance will improve tension maintenance, accuracy or produce a tighter stringbbed.
Click to expand...

Less string to pull. Therefore, less material to stretch.

I didn't say anything about tension maintenance. I'm only referring to the actual stringing process.
 
I love my pro stringer-Digital is truly awesome. Use it all the time and I know through the grapevine of my friends that USC bought one because they didn't want to travel with a clunky suitcase that wasn't as efficient. Who wants to travel with an extra suitcase and weight? No one.

The machine is not targeted just at traveling pro players, that was just the idea behind the invention as it states on the website. It's for anyone who doesn't want to rely on club shops who can be slow or want to go to variable shops (who let high schoolers string rackets anyways - at least in the LA area like at Racket Doctor). Sure, old country club players aren't going to go for it because they'd rather have lunch than string a racket, but yes, to each their own.

As for it's usability, it's easy to use, accurate, and fast...Sure you have to get used to it, but that goes for any new technology/technique as well. Readjusting your forehand feels weird at first, but you suffer through it, relearn, and can improve.

Just about your willingness to learn. So my vote is Yes
 
also in regards to watching videos, there are updated ones on youtube since I just trying to show one of my old teammates. Might be worth for you all to take a look.
 
themitchmann said:
Less string to pull. Therefore, less material to stretch.

I didn't say anything about tension maintenance. I'm only referring to the actual stringing process.
Click to expand...

If you think about it, you're actually pre-stretching the extra string with a standard tension head. So if you are pulling 6 extra inches before you clamp it, that string is being stretched twice. If that's true then less string being tensioned would result in less pre-stretch which would result in lower tension.

Assume that the tension head is ten feet away from the grommet and you are pulling tension on ten feet of string. The next time you pull tension you are stretching the same string again. The next time again. By the time you get to your last pull the string has been pulled many times. The closer the tension head to the clamp off point, the more the tension is closer to the reference tension. Nevertheless, as long as the length of string being pulled is not longer than width of the racquet the tension should be consistent because the same length of string is being pulled twice.
 
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Tennis_dude101 said:
There have been some discussions about this on the PS FB page(it got quite heated there too!). The fact is a lot of players at the Challenger/Futures level struggle to break even on the tour.
If they use the tournament stringer they are out of pocket hundreds of dollars in restringing costs each week. eg 10 racquets x $30 = $300
At every tournament there are different stringers using different machines and techniques, thus a lot of variability in how their racquets play from tournament to tournament.
This is why Rubin Statham invented the PS machine. It gives these players the ability to to string their racquets consistently at a reasonable price. The PS pays for itself quite quickly thus is a sensible purchase.

As far as home stringers go, I know of only one other person at my club(140 members) that has a stringing machine(drop weight).
Most people use either their local pro shop or the club coach for their racquet restringing requirements. Most club players only restring when they break a sting.
I restrung a racquet for a club member this week and it was the first time it had been restrung in 6 years!

Most recreational club players I talk to barely know what tension their racquets were strung at(however long ago that was), let alone knowing anything about string types, gauges etc.

TD.
Click to expand...

I am aware that many futures and challenger level players are struggling to break even. Which, could explain why this machine is not taking off in that market. If players are struggling with finances, where are they going to come up with an extra $790+ to invest in a stringing machine? Aren't they more likely to conserve...by spending as little money as possible each week? I get that, over the long haul, investing in a machine, they would save money. But, to have to come up with almost $800 up front, is a big ask for many minor league level tennis players.

I wouldn't go so far as to suggest the entire recreational tennis playing community "barely knows what tension their racquets were strung.." I would say there's a range. On one end of the range are players with a "who cares" attitude about their racquet. On the other end, are "control freaks" who string their own, balance, tweak, etc. I think it's fair to say that any tennis player would fit in somewhere on that scale, including recreational players.

I live in a small tennis community and I happen to know about 10 people (some of them are...GASP...recreational players!) who string at home. That's not a big number by any means. But it's a much larger number than local players who play in challengers and futures events.

It would seem, if you only know 1 person who strings out of 140...either:

1. Hardly anybody strings where you live
2. You don't know hardly anyone who strings where you live

If it's number 1, you have a significant business opportunity to consider.

"Amateur" stringing at home is a bit more popular than you suggest. This forum section in and of itself is evidence of that.
 
am1899 said:
I am aware that many futures and challenger level players are struggling to break even. Which, could explain why this machine is not taking off in that market. If players are struggling with finances, where are they going to come up with an extra $790+ to invest in a stringing machine? Aren't they more likely to conserve...by spending as little money as possible each week? I get that, over the long haul, investing in a machine, they would save money. But, to have to come up with almost $800 up front, is a big ask for many minor league level tennis players.
Click to expand...

Hi AM1899,

It's a bit much to say that the Pro Stringer isn't selling, where are you getting that idea from? :confused:

Here is a list of some of the Pros using the Pro Stringer(from their web site)
There are also many more players that aren't listed here using the PS.

Highest Ranking
1 D Liezel Huber United States
65 Pere Riba Spain
68 D Michael Venus New Zealand
79 Nina Bratchikova Russia
96 D Alex Bolt Australia
108 Alex Bogdanovic Great Britain
109 D Dane Propoggia Australia
134 D Sadik Kadir Australia
135 D Maximilian Neuchrist Austria
137 Uladzimir Ignatik Belarus
142 Sandra Zaniewska Poland
146 D Adam Hubble Australia
174 Brydan Klein United Kingdom
174 Ryler Deheart United States
179 Greg Jones Australia
185 D Marcus Daniell New Zealand
186 Roberto Carballes Spain
187 Nick Lindahl Australia
190 D Chris Letcher Australia
191 Steven Diez Canada
199 D Nima Roshan Australia
200 Ti Chen Taiwan
202 Laurent Rochette France
204 Erik Chvojka Canada
215 Carlos Poch-Gradin Spain
217 Daniel King-Turner New Zealand
223 Enrique Lopez Perez Spain
224 Catalin-Ionut Gard Romania
228 Liang-Chi Huang Taiwan
229 D Ryan Agar Australia
247 D Sekou Bangoura United States
255 Sebastian Bader Australia
258 Jules Marie France
262 Vishnu Vardhan India
262 Artem Smirnov Ukraine
267 Michael McClune United States
269 Greg Ouellette United States
278 Lu Jia-Jing China
321 Roberto Ortega-Olmedo Spain
326 Daniel Yoo USA/Korea
332 Nick Van Der Meer Netherlands
389 Nikita Kryvonos United States
391 Claudio Fortuna Italy
394 David Estruch Spain
408 Andoni Vivanco-Guzman Spain
426 D Erin Clark United States
480 Jeff Dadamo United States
509 D Finn Tearney New Zealand
511 Manuel Sanchez Mexico
544 D Erik Elliott United States
546 Giulio Torroni Italy
550 Maverick Banes Australia
564 Joshua Zavala United States
578 Maciek Sykut United States
584 Marco Bortolotti Italy
600 Yuri Bezeruk Australia
627 D Logan Mackenzie New Zealand
652 Antonio Ruiz-Rosales Mexico
677 Adam Thompson New Zealand
713 Henrik Sillanpaa Finland
718 Daniel Glancy Ireland
731 D Alejandro Andino Vallverdu Spain
740 Marvin Barker New Zealand
814 Mark Vervoort Netherlands
825 Francesco Borgo Italy
854 Philipp Davydenko Russia
883 Jose Antonio Salazar Martin Spain
905 Vasco Mensurado Portugal
1002 William Boe-Wiegaard United States
1007 Javier Herrera-Eguiluz Mexico
1047 Javier Pulgar-Garcia Spain
1050 Mauricio Alvarez-Guzman Chile
1051 Scott Robertson Australia
1080 Karis Ryan Australia
1081 Riccardo Bonadio Italy
1105 Jake Eames Australia
1108 Marc Ferrigno Denmark
1170 Anton Bettink New Zealand
1183 Michael-Ray Pallares-Gonzalez Dominican Republic
1222 D Jason Taylor Australia
1297 Guillermo Gomez Chile
1381 Joel Kincaid United States
1530 D Nikki Roenn Great Britain
1658 Andreas Moltke-Leth Denmark
 
Calitennis89 said:
The machine is not targeted just at traveling pro players, that was just the idea behind the invention as it states on the website. It's for anyone who doesn't want to rely on club shops who can be slow or want to go to variable shops (who let high schoolers string rackets anyways - at least in the LA area like at Racket Doctor). Sure, old country club players aren't going to go for it because they'd rather have lunch than string a racket, but yes, to each their own.
Click to expand...
The only justification for the high price points that the 2 Pro Stringer models demand is portability. If you take away the portability advantage, then there are a ton of different stringer options at lower price points that perform just as good if not even better. So why would somebody want to pay extra for a Pro Stringer if they just want to string at home and don't need the portability?

Don't forget that portability requires use of flying clamps, an inferior solution to fixed clamps.
 
Tennis_dude101 said:
Hi AM1899,

It's a bit much to say that the Pro Stringer isn't selling, where are you getting that idea from? :confused:

Here is a list of some of the Pros using the Pro Stringer(from their web site)
There are also many more players that aren't listed here using the PS
Click to expand...
I'm sure the Pro Stringer has its niche market among travelling pros. The question is whether this niche market is big enough to keep the Pro Stringer stay in business or not?

I just don't see it taking off outside of this niche market. Not at those price points.
 
The Pro Stringer is in a business sense, a model for diminishing returns.

If the "pro" (since it is the name right?) uses it and starts winning more and more, they won't need to string their own racquets and won't need the pro stringer anymore! Ha.
 
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