Hi Guys.
Looking for advice on these 2 stringing machines. I do travel about 20 weeks a year and portability is important but I also need to deliver a consistent tension.
What would you suggest? Pros and Cons of both etc.
I assume you are a Saffer from the RSA moniker. I think you know the PS founder is from SA. And their PSX system is assembled in SA.
I think you have answered your own question, especially on portability on planes. We've had our PS2.0 machine since '20, strung over 3-5 racquets almost every week 46 weeks a year, travelled 4 continents many times, with the PS2 in cabin luggage, even in JNB/CPT/DUR, and only twice had curved needle nose pliers confiscated once by overzealous security officers, but fortunately leaving). I always keep a backup in the checked bags. This means the machine will arrive and won't get lost. If you drive, then it's a non-issue.
The PS also saves on non-gut string wastage, since it pulls on the frame. My tennis shop stringer uses 5.7-8m of string for mains and crosses, because the pull is significantly further away for the last grommet. Eg: for a 200m reel, thats 35 half sets or less depending on racquet. With our PS2, we get an extra 1-3 extra sets, depending on racquet, especially on cross strings.
As for Stringway, we looked ML100 fixed clamp, but the weight and size put my wife off as she would be lugging it when we travel with the kids. You really can't beat the portability of the PS system, compared to other table top fixed clamp machines. The MS140 I believe uses the flying clamps, which defeats the purpose of a tabletop machine since you will have to string the same way as the PS.
The Stringway does have a 5 pt mount system, which depending on what you believe, is superior and essential, or unimportant and extraneous.
You may also wish to do a search on the mods for the PS mounting system. It will help a lot with the cross stringing speed even with 2cm height addition. That is the weakest point of the PS system. Their new X system is better but heavier, and more finicky.
Since you are asking about the PS1, I assume you are buying 2nd hand? I would suggest you get a digital luggage scale, and do various pulls at different tensions to test. Which brings us to one of the other limitations of the PS design, tension range limitation. My PS2 is from 38.6lbs to about 68lbs (didn't test any higher).
The biggest caveat, in my experience, is if you deal with natural gut quite a bit, you will need to approach Pro Stringer for newer 3D attachments which make it much less likely to break, especially if you string at 60+lbs/27+kg for the mains with gut. For those higher tensions, it overlaps on the gut on the throat pulls, due to the elasticity of gut, and the length of string due to the butt pull. On rare occasions, it does damage the gut, and for me a couple of times, snap the gut, when I was testing for 65+lbs pulls on leftover string. So for me, stringing gut takes an extra 5-8 minutes to make sure the throat mains are done correctly.
Get as set of PS Claws or Stringway Clamps to solve this issue.
I agree tension consistency is easier with the latest PS Claws 2.0, and also depends on technique and maintenance of those clamps. I have the Stringway triple and double, and find them to be less accurate than the PS Claw 2.0, because the dial is looser and does lose the setting easier. It also does not fit the gap between the strings, being fixed width, whereas the Claws have a wedge shape to fit the gap easily.
