Final Stringing Machine Decision - Need help!

Discussion in 'Badminton Stringing Techniques & Tools' started by fishmilk, Aug 10, 2005.

  1. fishmilk

    fishmilk Regular Member

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    Many of you have already helped me out before, when I said I was going to get a stringing machine. Finally I am proud to say I will make my purchase this week. The problem is, I've looked at EVERYTHING there is on the internet to see, and I'm still confused and need help and advice. Thanks guys.

    I will once again state my needs and wants for my machine. The machine I'm about to purchase MUST be able to string both tennis and badminton racquets. My budget is around 400 dollars US. My biggest priority is the speed. I highly prefer my machine to have fixed clamps as it makes my tennis stringing a lot easier.

    My biggest question is the clamping. I have read many old threads. It seems that swivel clamps are very inefficient for badminton? Also kwun mentioned that the trend in HK is to use flying clamps? Does that mean they ONLY use flying clamps? Or do they use flying clamps along with the fixed clamps?

    Here are the machines I'm considering.

    Eagnas Flash 767 - For 359, I will have a 6pt suspension mount machine that includes tennis AND badminton swivel clamps. That sounds like quite a deal to me. Cons is that it's a dropweight so it will take more time to string than I'd like.

    Eagnas Flex 940 - For 400, I will have a 6pt susp. mount stand up crank machine. This is will save me lots of time. Cons I have to purchase additional badminton clamps and shipping will hurt.

    Eagnas Flex 840 - Same as above except table-top version. Not sure I want stand up or table-top

    Laserfibre MS200 ECO - Constant pull and Any Angle Tensioner. This will probably give me the ultimate quality of stringing. Cons are the mounting, and it'll be 400 dollars for a 2 pt drop weight machine!

    Gamma X-2 - THE PRICE. You all had so much fun with the M140, this should give me just as good if not better results. Also Gamma quality should be taken into consideration. Cons are the 2 pt mounting system, drop-weight, and flying clamps.

    Gamma X-6 - Well once again, Gamma quality is what I'm paying about 80 dollars for. Otherwise there is a similar Eagnas for cheaper. This one will give me a better mounting system than the X-2. Cons are the flying clamps, and stringing will be SLOW.

    Please give me your suggestion. If you can't pick just one, that's fine as well. MOST importantly, please give me a setup - as in what extra tools I will need to purchase.

    I know this is a LOT of info to take in, I owe you guys MAD respects for the help.
     
  2. fishmilk

    fishmilk Regular Member

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  3. Neil Nicholls

    Neil Nicholls Regular Member

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    How fast do you want to string?
    Do you have a target time per racquet?

    A lot of the time spent stringing is due to the stringer, not the machine.

    I have a Gamma 6-point drop-weight with flying clamps (same as X-6 but with different base) and have done a badminton racquet (2-piece) in 35 minutes, without particularly trying to do it quickly.
    I don't string very often, and I find that if it's been a while since the last one, then I'm slower. I'm sure if I was stringing several racquets a day, day after day, I would be quicker.

    I assume you are not intending to be stringing several racquets a day, day after day, or you would be spending more on the machine.

    I would concentrate on the mountings and clamps, particularly if you will be regularly doing tennis racquets.
    Don't worry too much about whether it is crank or drop-weight.
    Tensioning with a drop-weight isn't particularly slow.
     
  4. fishmilk

    fishmilk Regular Member

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    Well to be honest, I want to be able to string at 30 minutes or less. I really don't want to be stringing at 45 minutes a racquet. I'm not expecting to string everyday at all. Probably only once a week, but maybe 2 - 3 at once, so I'd like to be able to finish in an hour or a bit more. I know to some people an extra 15 minutes or so is so trivial but it really does matter to me. Time is money, and I don't mind spending money to save time.
     
  5. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    hold on for a week. I know a guy who might want to sell his machine, i have to check. His machine is less than 1 year old. HE LIVE IN TORONTO so shipping will be more like back of a trunk :p
     
    #5 cooler, Aug 10, 2005
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2005
  6. Battousai

    Battousai Regular Member

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    which machine does he have? im also looking for one too
     
  7. Quasimodo

    Quasimodo Regular Member

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    Strictly MHO, I think you'll find that "stringing once in a while" and being able to complete a racquet in 30 minutes don't really go hand-in-hand. To build up your speed, you'll need to be stringing at least 2--3 racquet a day, every day, especially in the beginning. It's no hard task, but there are a lot of little things you need to pay attention to and require deftness and dexterity that require time to learn.

    Don't be surprised if each of the first few racquets you work on, especially badminton ones with their dense patterns, take a couple to a few hours to complete. If you keep learning from experienced stringers and keep stringing, eventually you'll get down to 30 minutes. But, you'll need to get through those 10's of racquets first.

    FWIW, HTH.
     
  8. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    I concur. If u use drop weight, u can forget about 30 mins job (unless u don't care about errors and mistakes)
     
  9. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    I really don't know why 30 min per week can cost/bother u that much. The quality of the job is much more important than the time. If it takes me 60 min to do a decent job, while not rush myself to get a heart attack, why bother to risk both just to save 15 min? :confused:

    Also, like others already pointed out, the main factor for time saving is the stringer's skill, rather than the machine itself. Regardless whatever machine u get, I am pretty sure the 1st several trials will take u hours (assume u never string rackets before), rather than counting in minutes. :rolleyes:
     
  10. Alexccs

    Alexccs Regular Member

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    From my experience, the first racket will take you one and half hours.
    Wanne save time and constant quality job, go get a Microprocessor controlled, electronic constant pull tensioning system.

    Now back to the machine, the Flash 767 will be your best choice of all 6. (because of spring-assisted swivel clamp base will save your time).
    Also Combo 710 is your top choice with your $400 budget. With this one, order 2 or 4 PN-3050 Badminton floating clamps. (my advise, Do not order PN-1013 Badminton . Use PN-1012 for main, floating clamp for cross)
    And Good luck with your 30 min.

    Note:
    With Eagna Machine you have to willing to spend couple hours to do a fine adjustment at the first time.
     
    #10 Alexccs, Aug 11, 2005
    Last edited: Aug 11, 2005
  11. fishmilk

    fishmilk Regular Member

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    Actually I am planning to get a crank... that way, I can save up for a Wise 2086 electric tensioner. I understand that the first few will take about 2 hours or so, but I do want to be able to get down to 30 minutes... I really want a machine that an average stringer can string at 30 minutes or less with...

    I just spotted the Eagnas Hyper 320. What do you guys think? It looks good to me as it has the same support system as Silent Partner Swing which got very very good feedback from everyone who used it.
     
  12. Quasimodo

    Quasimodo Regular Member

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    As they say, "The machine ain't the problem." ;) Your skill as a stringer and your familiarity with the machine you work on, IMHO, really determine how fast you can turnaround a racquet. And the only way to get there is to string racquets after racquets on whatever machine you have.

    BTW, from reading reviews of various stringing machines in this forum and elsewhere, I'm inclined to agree with alexccs regarding his comment on Eagnas machines. The general opinion appears to be that their finishing touches leave much to be desired and that the more mechanically adept you are the better off you are with taking care of various issues yourself, without having to talk to Maxline.

    One other thing, you may want to contact Herb Wise and make sure the Wise head can handle the tension range normal to badminton racquets accurately. I was told the reason it's called 2086 is because its tension range is 20lbs to 86lbs. As someone's mentioned in another thread, it just doesn't give you a warm fuzzy feeling tensioning at the lowest end of the range.

    Then again, you'll still have your crank head and changing them out is very easy to do.
     
  13. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    the guy in question is now leaning toward not selling. He gonna sleep some more on it. His machine is the Eagnas Hyper 320 ;)
     
  14. Alexccs

    Alexccs Regular Member

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    Take my advise, with Eagna Machine, select the one that come with Spring-assisted Swivel clamp base. (make your life much easier)
    You got 44 strings on badminton racket, so you have to move the base 88 times. Without Spring-assisted, soon you will discover what I mean here.

    For the standing one, your best choice with Eagna would be Hyper 480. You will love than mounting system and how easy the string pass through the side support when it is on your way. But you you got to pay $550 for that.
     
  15. Quasimodo

    Quasimodo Regular Member

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    Just curious, which part of the clamp base is spring-assisted?
     
  16. cooler

    cooler Regular Member

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    550US, that's like 1000$ to a canadian address FYI
     
  17. Alexccs

    Alexccs Regular Member

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    This one:

    [​IMG]




    Not this one:

    [​IMG] Without
     
    #17 Alexccs, Aug 12, 2005
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2005
  18. fishmilk

    fishmilk Regular Member

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    aww man! ARE YOU SERIOUS? GET YOUR FRIEND TO SELL ME HIS 320!
     
  19. fishmilk

    fishmilk Regular Member

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    I can't decide if I want the spring assisted clamps more, or if I want a crank more! If only I had an extra 150 to dish out, I WOULD!

    I REALLY want the crank and upgrade to a Wise 2086, but then the spring assisted clamps are really important too. I was on a tennis forum and it's the same thing, everyone thinks I need spring assisted clamps.

    HELP!
     
  20. Alexccs

    Alexccs Regular Member

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    A stringing machine is a toy to stay.
    It is better to be right at first,
    Than to regret every time it is used.
     

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