stringing machine

Of course some stringing machines are more user-friendly than others, but in relation to your first stringing attempt, i think you'll have to go trough the whole stringing-learning process no matter what machine you will buy, as stringing technique itself is very important.
So maybe it is better to make your decision which machine to buy on aspects as budget and time you want to spent on a single stringing job.

 

check out the eagnas website www.eagnas.com
although they are selling their own product, they do have a fairly large comparison chart with competitor makes and models.

for stringing technique, it's not rocket science. if you are able to work with windows, you can easily master stringing a racquet.

as a suggestion, from ages ago a few things to look for in your first stringer:

1. if you are considering to string primarily badminton racquets, ask the company how the racquet is mounted, and badminton tools supported. most stringers, especially the portables are originally designed for tennis, and some of the mounting hardware might not fit most badminton frames. i found this out with my first unit, where i had to do some custom grinding work to get the post to the proper thickness.

2. a 4 or 6 point mount is slighter easier to set up for high tension, although most 2 points will also be able to handle high tension with adequate racquet preparation. the 4 or 6 point will give you a bit more peace of mind.

3. get fixed clamp, single action if possible. dual action requires an extra movement. flying (or floating) clamps are cheaper but some clamp systems are not the secure. also check out the warranty and support on the clamps. clamps do wear out (well, like 3 or 4 years of continuous) and you don't want to have to search for parts as your unit gets older.

4. get a crank tensioner instead of drop weight. drop weights are actually very accurate, but they take a bit more work and technique to ensure a proper tension each time. a crank tension takes the guesswork out, but some tensioners are better than others.

 

same as my buddy's

my friend who sold me his Prince stringer because it was too large for his small apartment, bought this portable directly from Klipper. Of course dropping down from an upright electric to a drop-weight portable was something considerable, but after a month or two, he got the hang of the unit. He is content with the unit, it does the work he needs to do (roughly 2-3 badminton racquets a week). And takes up almost no room at all except when he is stinging. (Currently my Prince takes up a corner of the basement whether i am using it or not).

His most notable concern was that he did not know how to start the mains. For float clamp systems, there are a number of techniques to start the first string. The one that i am used to from my first stringer machine is to pull both ends and then clamp off both ends. then you can get started with each line.

With the portable unit that i had, i initially had to grind down the post, because it was too thick for a badminton spacing. And I had to create a plastic shroud around the post so that it would not damage or crack the racquet head. Although not very difficult, it took some time, and i had to borrow a grinder from a friend to do this.

Personally speaking, most portables you buy are relatively comparable. I think buying a smaller portable unit now, you will find you can recover the cost pretty quickly (ie. let's say you do 6 string jobs for yourself, then say a couple dozen for friends at the clubs - $20 each: That's roughy $400 there in a year - relatively conservative). Then when you do want to upgrade and buy a better model, you have gained the experience, and the old unit - you can sell to another newbie, with little depreciation.

Think about it...

 

string job without a machine....

you may have already read through kwun's thread about speed stringing. this is much in the same line, and i thought was rather cool....

one of my friends just showed me last night what he uses to string up his own racquets. he has two flying clamps, a leather wrapped handle, and an iron bar, with a couple of adjustable 'hooks'. This is an old method of stringjob, but seems to do a very decent job for him and his small group of friends.

He free strings all the mains and crosses, like in Kwun's description. Then he uses the iron bar to secure the head from distortion. Then he simply starts tensioning the strings by using the wooden handle. clamps with the floating clamps and goes to the next string. interesting enough, after the stringing was complete, the tension sounded pretty close to one of mine strung at 23 pounds. It took him roughly 45 minutes, but that was because he was also having a beer and talking to me at the same time.

he told me that he had only recently bought the floating clamps. in the past he used a couple of awls, but at those times, he could only get max tension of around 20 pounds or so.

i guess, the point being that you can string up racquets a number of different ways. there are a number of real nice machines out there on the market, or just having simple tools can get you there as well.