Advice on Stringing Machines

Discussion in 'Badminton Stringing Techniques & Tools' started by rleejoyce, Nov 12, 2004.

  1. rleejoyce

    rleejoyce Regular Member

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    Hello There

    I know this topic has been posted many times but I still can't seem to be able to get it all.

    I am after a tabletop/portable stringing machine. An affordable one at abput $200.

    What are your reccomendations? Should I get a klippermate or Eagnas or ...? I've noticed that Eagnas has electric machines for under $200, are these recommended?

    I will also be going to Malaysia in Jan. Any leads there?

    Any sort of help would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks heaps!! :) :) :)
     
  2. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

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    I think some people on here have got a klippermate.

    I was going to buy myself an Eagnas, but I read about their poor customer service, so I eventually bought a Gamma from www.atssports.com
    I haven't had it very long, but I've been happy with it so far.

    You could look on some stringing forums like:

    stringforum.net
    www.grandslamstringers.com
    tt.tennis-warehouse.com
     
  3. rleejoyce

    rleejoyce Regular Member

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    Thanks for that. Am reading up right away.

    Cheers
     
  4. bluejeff

    bluejeff Regular Member

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    since you are not in USA, you might want to contact Klipper and see what the shipping fee is to your country. String machine is heavy....and it might cost you a lot on shipping.
     
  5. FEND.

    FEND. Regular Member

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    I did that earlier bluejeff and here it is

    Hello Edmund,

    Thank you for your reply. We can only give prices in US Dollars, however, we have listed below the available shipping options to Australia.
    Surface Parcel Post (8-12 weeks): $61.20
    Air Parcel Post (2-4 weeks): $124.20
    Global Express Mail (3-5 days): $133.60
    Insurance is included but duty, taxes and/or brokerage fees may be collected by the carrier upon delivery.

    As you will see, the cost is almost the same whether we ship to Brunei Darussalam or Australia. We look forward you hearing back from you.

    Regards,
    Klipper USA
     
  6. fishmilk

    fishmilk Regular Member

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    hey neil, i was wondering if you can share with us which model you got and the price? and the reasoning...please and thank-you!
     
  7. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

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    Gamma progression II 602 US$299.00
    2 Badminton Clamps US$24.00 (US$12.00 per clamp)
    Shipping from US to UK US$71.04

    the stringer, as you can see on their website, is a 6-point but floating clamps only.
    The stringer only comes with tennis floating clamps.
    You have to buy the badminton clamps seperate.

    The Gamma badminton floating clamps are plastic and seem to struggle when you get to 24lb+ tensions.

    I have read good things about the eagnas metal badminton floating clamps, and I think I will get some of those. They are only 13.95 USD.

    As I've said before, I don't have any others machines to compare to, but I think the 602 is well built. It is certainly heavy.
    Shipping to UK was prompt


    I chose this one because I wanted something nearer the bottom end of the price scale for my first machine. Also, there are upgrade options available if I wanted to change to fixed clamps. You could probably also fit an electronic tensioner onto the machine if you really wanted to.

    I am happy enough with the drop weight for now. The ratchet system makes it fairly easy to get it to pull tension with the bar horizontal. The tension markings engraved into the bar are pretty accurate. I got some scales from a fishing tackle website to check the tension.
     
  8. klc28

    klc28 Regular Member

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    Neil, Hope you don't mind me asking but did you have to pay any other surcharges on top of those already mentioned? I am thinking of custom fees etc. Those US prices look so tempting...
     
  9. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

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    yes.
    Right now, I can't remember what they were. I know I've either posted them here before, or PM details to somebody. I'll try to find it.
     
  10. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

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    It was Tomsk I PMed, but I have lost the details. Maybe Tomsk will remember.
     
  11. Disconbobulated

    Disconbobulated Regular Member

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    Have just bought an Eagnas machine from China.
    I tried the US office first but was really not impressed with the guy on the other end. Dealt with the China office solely via email & found them helpful, responsive and cheap.
    Machine arrived exactly when they said it would - it was complete, of high quality, took me 1 hour to build it & was stringing staight away.

    Incidentally, I bought the Smart 909 - a really excellent piece of kit. ($570 USD)

    Also looked at the electronic machines on offer (the one at @$200 USD) - it looked OK, but I was worried about what would happen if something went wrong with it.(spares / repairs etc).
     
  12. rleejoyce

    rleejoyce Regular Member

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    So Eagnas is all good?

    Am thinking about it. Maybe they have improved.
     
  13. Disconbobulated

    Disconbobulated Regular Member

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    Dunno about ALL good. My advice would be to try the China office & see what you think. Ask them loads of questions, make a bit of a nusance of yourself & see what you get back. My guess is that a large proportion of the adverse feedback comes from the US office. They seem to have spent an AWFUL lot of time on their web site mouthing off at other manufacturers. Perhaps more time should be devoted to real customers & brushing up on their telephone manner??
     
  14. rleejoyce

    rleejoyce Regular Member

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    Well what I am really more interested in would be the quality of the products rather then phone manners ...
     
  15. Disconbobulated

    Disconbobulated Regular Member

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    True, but personally I just wouldn't order from a company that was rude / didn't answer questions fully / slow to answer emails / return calls / weren't easy to deal with nomatter how cheap. If they are like that before they get my money, then it doesn't look good. What happens if stuff goes wrong - can happen no matter how good the product is.

    Have also read a lot of bad press about eagnas & needed a lot of reassurance before I made the order. 1 bad experience (including a snotty telephone manner) and I would have taken my greenbacks elsewhere.
     
  16. silentheart

    silentheart Regular Member

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    Hi,

    Just a thought. Make sure you can test the accuracy of stringer. I read on some webs that some Engnas stringers are off by 1~2 lb on badminton and up to 5lb on tennis. Makre sure you can calibrate or test your stringer before you buy it...
     
  17. Disconbobulated

    Disconbobulated Regular Member

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    Good Point. Eagnas do recommend this before stringing for the first time. Mine was actually 5lb over tensioning when it arrived. Fortunately I ordered a calibration spring with the pack. Adjustment takes seconds. Not sure if its to do with change in climate (its bloody cold here at the moment!). Most stringing forums recommend calibrating spring tension machines every dozen rackets or so anyway.
     
  18. Tomsk

    Tomsk Regular Member

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    PM from Neil - 3 Oct

     
  19. ryeung

    ryeung Regular Member

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    I purchase the Flex 740 from the US office about a year ago and I didn't really have a bad experience with them. They answered all my email inquiries (although it looked like they only check their email at the end of the day) and I found them generally helpful. There may be a bit of a problem if you call them. Depending on who answers the phone, you may get someone whose english is not too good. I ordered parts on the phone and it was fine.
    As for the machine itself, I did a lot of research and there were a lot of dissatisfied people with the service. In my case, I did not have any problem at all with the machine. It worked fine and was a lot better built than I anticipated. Everthing about it was solid and rigid. No complaints here.
     
  20. rleejoyce

    rleejoyce Regular Member

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    Hmm.. so it was more bad press then bad products.

    I do agree to some extent. If service is bad, it would do quite a it of harm to the brand name.



    Anyone has contacts in Malaysia?
     

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