Hi guys, I was wondering if anyone has experience of this machine? http://www.watdon.co.uk/wd-strings/acatalog/info_A064.html If so what are your opinions? I have recently sent back another brand which I found to be low in build quality and assembly so looking for another machine. Things were sticking out, overly tight, too loose, kept working loose, not adjusted properly..etc. I already have the dual clamps and custom side supports.
Hi, I actually purchased this last week and strung my first racket with it (but with the WISE 2086) http://www.badmintoncentral.com/for...our-stringing-machines!?p=2039294#post2039294 The only issues I had with this machine are the side supports where they would block the grommets, I'm looking for an alternative if you happen to know of any?
I was recommended Michal Ch by another member of BC. He makes custom side supports for almost any machine. http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/member.php/15028-Michal I have bought some and they have a nice large hole behind for easy threading and cushioning to stop the paint from chipping. PM him and he will help you out
Ah yes, I literally found the thread about Custom-Made Stringing Machine Parts and ordered a set from him couple of hours ago, thanks
3600 user experience Hi, been using this for 8 months or so. You get a LOT of metal for your money, and it's machined to a reasonable standard. I had to open out one of the holes in the side arms with a file before the side support would fit in, but that's all. The supplied side supports are fine, but that can't be said of the standard (tennis) fixed clamps which will destroy any badminton string you try to use. Robin at W and D will recommend the WA3242 clamps, but these are useless at gripping anything over 22lbs in tension. Over time I have waxed this and greased that to make things run smoother, and the overall solidity pleases me every time I use it. Because it is built for the higher tennis tensions it feels much more solid than those cheaper, entry level machines. And yes, I'd choose it again. (Without those blasted clamps !)
Thanks for the review I wouldn't use tennis clamps for badminton stringing as they are designed for higher tensions and thicker strings. Have you contacted Robin about the Penta clamps? He offers really good after sales service and will have some good ideas about the clamps.
He did - via me. I had a quick go of it (with permission), and I quite liked it. The clamp stems were a bit short for my liking, but it's built pretty solid.
I been using these WA3242 clamps and they grip the string perfectly fine, well they seem to hold 24lbs (haven't strung anything higher). Maybe you need to adjust the knob in the middle of the clamp for it to grip better. Not sure but mine are fine I been dealing with Frances at W&D, she is a delight!
You could take the springs off the tennis clamps, and use them on the badminton clamps, a bit short but still does the job
There's no need, really - the stringing plane is very low compared to most machines. The clamps sit on the bottom of the bases anyway, so I doubt the usual springs would even reach. She certainly is. In fact, they all are. I have the 3242 clamps myself, and they are fine to 32 lb at the very least.
WA3242 clamps No, I only tried the tennis clamps in desperation when the WA3242 clamps kept breaking sets of Ultimax 66 at 24 lbs. Thicker stuff at 22 or below had been fine. It seems that there has been several incarnations of the Penta badminton clamp. Mine are the most recent (summer 2012 ) 4 prong variety , of which Robin has received no other complaint . His suggestion - and I **** you not - was to take a file to the inner mating surfaces of those prongs....... Well, what did I have to lose ... he wasn't offering to swap them or take them back, so file I did. Which showed the problem straight away - only the 1st and 4th prongs were meeting flat together , the inner two prongs may as well never have been there. Much filing later I had all four prongs mating nicely , but they still wouldn't grip Ultimax at 24 . The final solution was to superglue 600 grit silicon carbide to those nicely flattened surfaces , and this bodge has lasted for around 40 string jobs so far. It won't last forever though, so I need to find an alternative . No, I won't be asking Robin . Anyway, are you still going to get this thing ?
Sorry to hear your experience wasn't the best. I bought the dual clamps and they seem to be working fine. I am thinking about buying the machine but wanted to know what others thought of it.
The clamps you bought were clearly faulty and you should of been offered a refund or exchange. Unless they state specifically no refunds/no exchanges on their site you should of persisted. Last resort would of been to contact your credit/debit card company and raise a dispute. Section 75 for credit cards / or Chargeback for debit cards (depending on value spent) http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/section75-protect-your-purchases Albeit my first contact with Robin wasn't the best, I called W&D and got through to Robin, explained the stringing tools were not dispatched, checking at least 4-5 times both boxes I insisted it was not there and she wasn't having any of it until I would hang up the phone and call back later. She kept saying it was packed in the box and that I should check again..... ridiculous! Called again and luckily I got through Frances who I've been dealing with, got the tools out the next day.
Being a complete novice at the time I didn't feel able to argue the toss with them. If only I'd ordered earlier in the year I might got the previous 5 prong version which every one seems to like..... As it stands at the moment, the clamps coming out of the casting mold will all have the same fault, so even though they ducked the issue with me it must only be a matter of time before others users notice and raise it with them.
They aren't in the current catalogue or website , but Mark A ( I think ) posted a picture of one of them - in a thread about clamps, would you believe - when he was looking for a companion for it. Yours, unfortunately, look like mine . You can find out if they are from the same inaccurate casting mold by clamping a piece of card between the jaws. Examine the pattern in angled light - if the centre two prongs are not making any impression then it is the same casting mold. If all four leave the same degree of indentation then they have fixed it .
I think I understand what you mean, I just ran a quick test with both my clamps and they hold up to 30lbs each no problems, didn't wanna go any higher just incase something goes wrong.