Silent Partner Aria vs. Alpha Orbitor

[nbalagu]

I am still trying to decide on which machine to buy. I have been debating on SP Aria and Alpha Orbitor. Both seem to be good choice. Orbitor selling for about $2600 vs. Aria for about $1600, that's $1000 difference. Can anyone who is familiar with these 2 machines provide feedback on differences and whether it is worth to spend the extra $1,000 for the Orbitor? As most of the posts here state, the 2 main components are the constant pull and the clamps. How do these 2 compare in these 2 machines and do any other components make a big difference in these machines?

 

[Gaines Hillix]

I don't know of any Oribitor owners on here. David Pavlich has an SP Aria. I don't want to put words in his mouth, but I believe he has been happy with it. You might want to contact Mark Gonzalez at Alpha and compare notes; mark@alphatennis.com . I have had excellent support from them with my machines.

 

[David Pavlich]

I have the Aria and like it. I've done about 1250 frames on it so far without a hiccup. Good clamps, good mounting system, it uses a load cell to measure the tension, has a foot pedal, 6 speed choices, pre-stretch, knot button and a timer. There's a review at racquettech.com if you're interested.

Some are put off by the rotary head, but this one has a string gripper built into the head so you don't have to wrap the string around like the older split drum design.

Alpha makes a very good machine. The Orbitor has linear pull, which many stringers like. I haven't used one, so I don't know about the clamps, but Gaines has had good success with his Alpha. It uses a 6 point mounting system and is quite sturdy.

I would do as Gaines has suggested and call Mark at Alpha to get the details. He's a good guy and will give you the straight stuff.

David