What stringing machine fits my needs?

RF_PRO_STAFF

RF_PRO_STAFF

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In April, I've posted that I want to buy my first stringing machine for good reasons (wanting to learn, experimenting, cost). I'll be stringing for myself and a few friends. I asked some questions and received a lot of good answers and information. With that information, I did some more research and now I've narrowed down some things that I'm looking for in a machine. As I've found it difficult to search for ones that fit my needs and are available where I live, I hope some of you might be able to help me.

-Electronic tensioning
-Fixed clamps
-Preferably on a stand but not 100% necessary
-New/used are both fine if a certain used one would still work flawless.
-Budget around €1300 max. I'd like the most machine for my budget. If there are good reasons to stretch my budget a little bit, I might. Also tell me when this budget is too tight for my needs.
-Important: I'm based in the Netherlands so I'd appreciate suggestions that are available to me here.
-Storing is not a problem.

I've read that it's also possible to upgrade a non-electronic machine to an electronic with a Wise Tension Head. I suppose that this does not fit all machines?

By the way: I see a used Pro's Pro V-500 on a Dutch marketplace but when I look that model up on the internet, a new one sells for the exact same price (€1250). The seller also sells a few more good-looking used machines but I'm not sure if they're good. A used Tyger T-630 for €850, a Tyger T-410 for €750 and two more Pro's Pro machines for €950 and €1250. Don't know the model names.

Any suggestions for me?
 
If you can’t pay for your machine within 1 year don’t buy it. Electromechanical machine are going to break that’s a fact. I recently had a machine break after about 7 years of use. Turned out to be and easy fix but who know when it will break next and what will be required to fix it. I was told by Babolat they break about every 6 years. I told myself no more used machines for me. I string about 500 - 600 rackets of year. My new machine has been used to string about 100 rackets in the past 2 months. That and the money I receiver from the sale of my old machine and almost paid for my new machine.

You should have the a very good idea what your needs and wants are, so buy the machine that you like/want best that fits your needs and budget. A few years down the road when the warranty runs out, or you find you want something different sell it and buy what you want. The better the machine you buy, the easier it is to string, the more consistent your work is, and the less time you have to string rackets.

EDIT: If your working on your machine your machine is’t working for you. If you‘re spending a lot of time trying to level a DW arm, bent over a table top machine, or trying to figure out what the DT of the string bed is too low. You’re doing more work than the machine. But if you’re only stringing your racket once a month and a couple rackets a month for your friends it’s not economical to buy a Baiardo either.
 
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I also wrote an inquiring email to Stringway. Heard and read a lot of good things about them and the brand is also in the Netherlands. Among a lot of useful information, he suggested me this machine:
www.stringway.com

Stringway ML120-T92 (single action clamps)

Stringway stringing machine ML120-T92, single action fixed clamps, semi-automatic constant pull dropweight tension system, 5-point direct racquet support
www.stringway.com www.stringway.com

I still need to read through a lot of information but he suggests a good mechanical constant pull machine is more accurate, more reliable, faster and much cheaper.
 
RF_PRO_STAFF said:
I also wrote an inquiring email to Stringway. Heard and read a lot of good things about them and the brand is also in the Netherlands. Among a lot of useful information, he suggested me this machine:
www.stringway.com

Stringway ML120-T92 (single action clamps)

Stringway stringing machine ML120-T92, single action fixed clamps, semi-automatic constant pull dropweight tension system, 5-point direct racquet support
www.stringway.com www.stringway.com

I still need to read through a lot of information but he suggests a good mechanical constant pull machine is more accurate, more reliable, faster and much cheaper.
Click to expand...
He is selling the machine. What would you expect him to say? That’s a good product I’m sure but look into all your options. One thing great feature of a good mechanical machine over an electromechanical is there is less to break.
 
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Irvin said:
He is selling the machine. What would you expect him to say? That’s a good product I’m sure but look into all your options. One thing great feature of a good mechanical machine over an electromechanical is there is less to break.
Click to expand...
I'm definitely considering all options, that's why I also started this thread. Hopefully some people can suggest some options to consider that are available to me, as I'm having a hard time finding some.
 
I started out with a drop-weight machine by LaserFibre (US version of Stringway). It included floating (flying) clamps, their constant-pull mechanism, and essentially two-point mounting. It was also a table top machine that was very easy to break down and stow without much fuss.

When I started out, my needs were limited to my own racquets along with the kids on the high school teams I had started coaching, but my circle of "clients" has slowly and steadily grown over the last 15+ years of stringing. I still consider myself to be a hobby stringer, but I catch bursts of business where I'll occasionally need to do 4-8 racquets over the course of a busier week.

Perhaps eight years ago, a piece of the mounting system on that machine (mounting system rather similar to the ML120 in your ad above) broke on me. LaserFibre was out of business, so I shopped out an electric Gamma machine for myself. I had the opportunity to string on a premium electric Gamma at the club where I was working in the summers and that made me more confident about the idea of getting an electric.

I settled on the Gamma Progression II ELS and I can say that I haven't had an ounce of trouble with it through roughly eight years of stringing off and on. This brand might not be readily available for you, but if it is, I'd say look them over. I've found that while a drop weight machine can be fine for doing one or two string jobs here and there, I can definitely handle higher volume now using my electric machine. It's not that it's faster for me than my drop-weight was, but it's much less tedious when I need to string six or seven frames over the course of a couple of days.

Both can do a decent job depending on just how much stringing you expect to be taking on when you get going.
 
Hi @RF_PRO_STAFF , based in the Netherlands as well, have been using Tyger, Stringway, and now Tecnifibre. May gave you some advise, feel free to contact me. Most important question. How many racquets are you going to string? With your budget, I personally would nog go for a electronic machine (but he, that's me). I'll drop you a PM with my phone number, we can discuss if you like.
 
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Also available with Wise Tension Head.


That video shows an earlier Version. Some smal Details like curved Load Spreader has been aproved...
 
FWIW, I was considering alot of the options you are looking at but I ended up buying the Alpha DC+. It's a six point drop weight machine. I thought without having any knowledge that somehow a dropweight machine would somehow not be as accurate. After using/learning on it I discovered that this isn't the case at all. If I put a tension head on it I couldn't see it being much faster or that much more accurate.

For me it's weaving the crosses and threading through blocked/shared holes are the biggest time takers.

As far as accuracy goes it's more or less dead on accurate, as soon as you get a good sense of how much to lift the weight, and doesn't ever need to be calibrated. The nature of the drop weight more or less effectively makes it constant pull.

I saw you prefaced that you were looking for an electronic machine, so by all means buy what you want. I was too, but I am glad I 'settled' for a good dropweight machine, at less than half the cost.
 
Update: in the end, I went for the Stringway ML120con-T92. I discussed with @beepee1972 and he gave me great advice (and lots more after getting the machine). For my budget, it was probably the best one that's available to me. The machine was very well packed and easy to assemble for someone who has never closely looked at a stringing machine before.

Overall the machine feels very high quality and solid, like it's never going to break. I love the fact that the position of the tension arm doesn't matter. Whatever the position of the tension arm is, it's always pulling the right tension. That is making my life a lot easier than if I'd be having to deal with a standard dropweight system. I feel it also makes the tension of the string being pulled very accurate. Having to lift the tension arm each time will take a bit more time than having an electronic tensioner of course, but I prefer accuracy over speed. The lifting of the tension arm with my hand does make my shoulder feel a bit sore every now and then, since I have a shoulder injury. It's easy to lift it but doing that a lot (especially when I don't position/support my shoulder correctly) can really irritate the shoulder. Someone with a healthy arm shouldn't have problems at all.

Mounting the racquet correctly takes me a bit of time but I feel like that's mostly me. There are little felt pads on the table that the racquet lays on that came loose after a few string jobs, so I had to re-glue those. The clamps feel like fantastic quality, really easy to use. The rest of the table feels really solid as well. The feet of the stand are positioned perfectly so they never get in my way.
The machine does take up quite a lot of space, mostly due to the long tension arm, but luckily I got a dedicated room for stringing now so I have all the space I need.

Overall, I'm greatly satisfied with my machine and I'm looking forward to string a lot of racquets in the coming years. Big kudos to Fred Timmer from Stringway.
The stringing itself is going very well so far but there's a few things that I'm not really satisfied with + there's so many things I still want to learn. I'm looking to do a stringing course when I have time to fix some of the flaws in my technique and see what else I can learn.
 
I would say that any angle 60° or less above horizontal and you will be right on. Clamp as close to the frame as you can. Put a rubber band on your wrist to hold the end of the string. Or stick into a grommet. You may waste a lot of time looking for the tails.
 
The machine does take up quite a lot of space, mostly due to the long tension arm, but luckily I got a dedicated room for stringing now so I have all the space I need.
Click to expand...

I assume that you have seen the intention of storing the Lever/ weight in the frame.

(This picture shows the double action clamp system that we do not make anymore)



3rUac9.jpg
 
Steve Huff said:
Just out of curiosity, what made you opt for the weight bar over the foot pedal version of the T92?
Click to expand...

That was my question. Another good question is how good the marketing has to be to sell a $1,200 two point mount drop weight machine. ;)
 
WYK said:
That was my question. Another good question is how good the marketing has to be to sell a $1,200 two point mount drop weight machine. ;)
Click to expand...
From what I understand, the one with the foot pedal isn't really a drop weight. It's a coiled up spring, similar to that on an automatic garage door opener. The foot pedal is pushed down, and the coil tightens when its released. Maybe I'm wrong, but that seems to be the explanation I got 10-15 years ago when I was looking at new machines.
 
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I think the direct support is actually quite good. But of course it doesn't only have advantages...

Greetings
 
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