Unstrung Heroes: Five worthy stringing machines (Artikel, tennis.com)
Unstrung Heroes: Five worthy stringing machines
By David Bone
Other than the players themselves, the person who has arguably the biggest impact on the outcome of a match might be the often overlooked racquet stringer. A competent, or sloppy, string job could mean the difference between winning and losing. Just once it would be nice if after a pro player wins a big tournament he thanks his stringer during his acceptance speech. On the other hand, plenty of players blame their stringers if something does go wrong on the court that day.
Still, it’s not a pursuit people go into for glory. Most stringers get started because they break strings faster than they could afford to replace them. But this isn't the only reason a person should learn to string. By stringing racquets for friends or teammates, you have a chance to make a little extra money. It’s also a less expensive way to experiment with different strings and tensions. And you’ll always have a racquet ready for play whenever you need it.
Whether you’re thinking about buying a stringing machine and learning to string or you are just an avid player who wants to be able to play your best tennis possible, there are some things that you should know about stringing machines. Even if you don’t ever plan to string racquets yourself, having a working knowledge of stringing machines can help you to evaluate the equipment used by stringers in your area to find the person you believe can offer you the most consistent results.
In order to get a better idea what to look for in a stringing machine, let’s take a look at a handful of stringing machines in different price ranges and consider what makes them special.
Silent Partner e.Stringer - $249
This is the least expensive electric stringing machine available that still does a quality job. If you’re not up to pulling a crank, this machine can pull the string for you. It’s capable of stringing tennis, racquetball, and squash frames. It’s also very portable due to it's small size, light weight, and lack of a stand. This can come in handy if you are traveling to a lot of tournaments and want to bring your machine with you to string racquets between matches. You just have to find open counter space and an electrical outlet and you’re ready to string.
The Silent Partner features two-point mounting, which means it holds the racquet in two places. Two-point mounting is generally quicker than six-point mounting found on many other machines because there are less clamps to navigate around. It has a turntable lock, which means the part of the machine that holds the racquet can be locked in place to stop it from spinning. The turntable can also rotate 360 degrees, which can speed up stringing because it allows you to turn the racquet in any direction as you install strings on different sides and in different parts of the frame.
As you would see on much more expensive machines the e.Stringer continues to pull tension on a string as it starts to stretch and lose tension It comes with prestretch settings, which can come in handy when stringing with natural gut or some other strings that tend to lose tension a little too quickly. It’s rotational tensioner (the mechanism that pulls the string) can be a small inconvenience because it means you need a little more string for each racquet than you would on machines with linear pull. The e.Stringer’s biggest weakness, though, is probably it’s flying clamps. These clamps are used to hold the tension on each string until you have finished and tied knots in the ends of your string. The problem with flying clamps is they are not actually attached to the machine and use another string to hold a given string’s tension. Unfortunately, this makes them less reliable and consistent as fixed clamps that are attached to the machine.
Overall, the e.Stringer represents a great option for someone who is hoping to just test the waters of stringing without having to dive into the deep end by spending the kind of money it takes to get a more professional model machine.
Gamma 5003 - $799-$999
The 5003 is one of the least expensive machines on the market that would qualify as a truly professional model. It can string racquets for all of the racquet sports and it can be used anywhere because it comes with a stand included and does not require electricity. It pulls tension by turning a hand crank, which also helps reduce the amount of string needed for each frame. You can even adjust the height of the machine to accommodate for the size of the stringer.
Perhaps the most unique thing about this machine is that it offers the option of a two-point mounting system or a six-point mounting system. Two-point versus 6-point mounting systems have been a topic of great debate among stringers for years. Fans of the six-point systems are quick to suggest that six points of contact against the frame should be safer for the frame. But advocates of two-point systems insist that two points is more than enough to keep the frame safe during stringing because they offer more surface area contact at the most important locations. Plus, two-point mounting systems are generally a little quicker to use.
Just like a lot of the machines we’re looking at, the 5003 offers turntable lock, and 360 degree turntable rotation. This machine also utilizes a nosecone attached to the tension head which allows the tension head to grip the string more lightly while pulling tension, reducing the amount of crushing force applied to the string. You can set tension in pounds or kilos which should appeal to international players.
Another feature that makes this machine fit for professionals is its dual-action fixed swivel clamps. These clamps are attached to the machine for more consistent tension holding and they can be turned in any direction to accommodate racquets with string patterns that are not just straight up and down or straight across. This is especially helpful with racquetball and squash frames. The clamps also feature diamond dust on their teeth, which allows you to grip a string firmly, but with less pressure to avoid damaging the string. Finally, it comes with a tool tray and all the basic tools needed to get started stringing right away.
This is a great machine to consider if you getting into the game of stringing and don’t want to break the bank but do want to offer truly professional quality results. A lot of stringers buy machines like this planning to just string for themselves and find themselves stringing for a lot of friends and family.
Prince Neos 1000 - $1,099
The Neos 1000 is probably the machine that can be seen in more pro shops than any other. It’s a true workhorse that has been available for about 15 years without the need for any improvements. Like all professional machines, it can string racquets for all the racquet sports and comes with a adjustable stand. It features a four-point mounting system that has been imitated by other machines. But, what is special about this machine’s mounting system is how quickly it allows the stringer to secure the frame. All you have to do is release a lever, pull the mounting positions into place and re-lock the lever. This quick-action mounting can save valuable time if you become a frequent stringer trying to turn out a lot of professionally strung frames in a short amount of time.
Like the Gamma machine, it pulls tension with a hand crank. But this machine allows you to put the crank on either side of the tension head, which makes it comfortable for lefty or right-handed operation. You can set its tension in pounds or kilos and it features fixed clamps.
But the clamps on this machine are different from any of the other machines in this review. These clamps are attached to movable bars called glide bars. This makes them a little quicker to use because you only have to lock one lever (instead of two) on each clamp to hold a string in place. The only possible disadvantage of glide bar clamps is that you have to remove the bars and reinstall them each time you switch from holding main strings to cross strings and back again.
Finally, the Neos 1000 comes with a tray to hold your stringing tools and a cover to keep nosey people from messing with the machine when it is not in use. This is a great machine to consider if someone wants to offer professional shop-quality results in a machine that seems to be almost indestructible.
Babolat Star 5 - $3,000
When the Star 5 was introduced a couple years ago, it was eagerly anticipated by those stringers who had been using the Star 3 for many years. The Star 3 was a terrific machine for traveling stringers, including those who strung for tour players, because it was a high quality and very durable machine that was surprisingly light and portable. Well, the Star 5 isn’t as light as the Star 3 was, but that’s not stopping it from becoming popular with stringers and their demanding customers. It offers all functionality of the Star 3 with several big improvements that make stringing even easier while still offering a middle of the pack price tag.
Obviously, the Star 5 can string frames for all the racquet sports and comes with an adjustable-height stand included. It utilizes a convenient six-point mounting system that can secure a racquet at just under the speed of a two-point system. It features turntable lock, 360 degree turntable rotation, a tool tray, and comes with a cover standard. The big improvements in this machine versus its very popular predecessor are in the tensioning and clamping systems. Where stringers had to press a button on the Star 3 that had a tendency to wear out over time, users of the Star 5 simply have to touch a small metal pad attached to the tension head that senses when you skin comes in contact with it and immediately starts pulling to the desired tension. You can also pull tension at different speeds for different types of string. A built-in pre-stretch feature allows you to pull strings to a higher tension and then drop down to the desired tension. This extra stretching can help many strings hold their tension better over time.
The clamps are dual-action swivel clamps and feature diamond dust, but the big improvement to the clamps is the spacing of the teeth. When you clamp the cross strings on most machines, it becomes necessary to move main strings slightly out of position to fit the teeth between them. Then these displaced mains need to be re-straightened after the racquet is finished. But the teeth on the clamps of the Star 5 seem to fit between the main strings on almost every racquet without needing to move the mains at all. This means a lot less string straightening is needed after each racquet is strung.
One other feature that makes this machine fairly unique is the fact that you can remove the whole tensioning system from the machine. This generally can’t be done with electric machines. So if anything goes wrong with the electronics, you don’t have to send the entire machine back for repairs. You can just pack up the tensioning system and ship it. Finally, perhaps the biggest advantage of electric machines that get into this price range and above is what I call the “Ooh-Aah” factor. When customers see you working on a machine like this they tend to say, “Ooh” or “Aah” because the machine looks like a space shuttle. It virtually makes customers want to leave you their racquet.
Tecnifibre TF-7000 - $6,000
The TF-7000 is the most expensive of the machines we’re looking at here, but it does offer unique features you can’t get with the others. Once again, it can string racquets for all the sports and comes with an adjustable-height stand included. It offers a very convenient six-point mounting system, turntable lock, and 360 degree turntable rotation. It also has electric, linear pull with constant pull-tensioning in pounds and kilograms at multiple speeds and pre-stretch capabilities. One feature that sets this machine apart from the others here is the full keypad tension setting. All the other machines require you to turn a knob or push plus/minus buttons to adjust the tension. But this machine has a keypad like a telephone so you can just type the tension you want. This can save a little time for a frequent stringer.
Another feature this machine offers that we haven’t discussed is a knot tensioning function. Whenever you tie a knot at the end of a piece of string, there is a short section of string that does not get tightened. This causes the last string before the knot to lose tension. A lot of professional stringers like to increase the tension on the final string before a knot to compensate for this inevitable loss. On most machines, this requires changing the tension setting on the machine and remembering to change the tension back after this string is pulled. But the TF-7000 allows you to just push a different button and it pulls extra tension on that final string before the knot. This way you don’t have to worry about forgetting to set the tension back and stringing the rest of the racquet with the wrong tension.
The TF-7000 also offers clamps with pretty convenient spacing. Although they don’t seem to fit perfectly between strings on every frame, the teeth are so small that they require very little string movement. Like most professional machines, it comes with a tool tray and a cover. Its weight does not make this a convenient machine to move or transport, but these machines will generally be used in shops where it’s option built-in cabinet can come in very handy as well. The cabinet is great for storing extra tools, reels of string, and anything else you want to keep from prying eyes. Plus, it just adds to the “Ooh-Aah” factor of a machine that looks like something out of a science fiction movie.
Ultimately, this machine represents a big investment to show customers that you are sparing no expense to offer the highest quality and most consistent results possible. And, hopefully, this translates into more stringing work for your business.
Learning the Trade
Players usually assume that stringing a racquet is a very complicated procedure that takes years to learn. Well, that is partially true. I've been stringing racquets for more than 20 years now and I am still learning new things all the time. However, the basic concepts a person needs to know to string a racquet are not nearly as complicated as you might expect.
In fact, by studying the right materials, or working with the right teacher, a person could easily learn enough to string their own racquets in one day.
Try joining the United States Racquet Stringers Association. As the Executive Director of the USRSA, my suggestion is probably not very surprising. he USRSA offers every thing you need to learn to string and continue improving your skills and product knowledge. Our members include brand new beginner stringers all the way up to Master Racquet Technicians (MRT), the cream of the crop in racquet service professionals.
Our annual Stringer's Digest includes a how-to-string manual. We also offer a Racquet Service Video. Plus we have a team of MRT stringing instructors available across the country to offer private stringing instruction. Finally, we have recently completed a series of Instructional CDs that cover all the most important subjects in racquet service and product selection.
But if you still don't believe me, try talking with your local stringer or teaching professional. There's a good chance they are already a member and can tell you what they think.
David Bone is the executive director of the United States Racquet Stringers Association
------------------------------------------------
A Worthy Investment
The number one thing that scares most potential stringers off is the initial investment. Even the least expensive machines can cost as much as 8 – 10 string jobs. And professional model machines can easily cost in excess of $1000. Machines available today range in price from $95 to $8,500. With such a wide range in prices, there is bound to be a machine available today that would be right for you.
The great news is that a stringing machine is a very low-risk investment. If you buy an inexpensive machine, you may have trouble reselling it later, but at least you won't be out very much money. If you buy a professional model machine the market for used machines is very strong. You could buy a machine for $1000 and sell it a year or two later for as much as $800.
So, while professional machines may require a bigger initial investment, you really have almost nothing to lose because their resale values are so high. Then consider how much money you will be saving by doing the work yourself.
For example, if you string just 2 racquets per month at a savings of $15 each, you will save $360 each year. Then consider the fact that you could make a little money by stringing for friends or customers. As you can see, this is an investment you almost can't afford not to make.
(Quelle:http://www.tennis.com/yourgame/gear/...aspx?id=107764)
Voilà!
By David Bone
Other than the players themselves, the person who has arguably the biggest impact on the outcome of a match might be the often overlooked racquet stringer. A competent, or sloppy, string job could mean the difference between winning and losing. Just once it would be nice if after a pro player wins a big tournament he thanks his stringer during his acceptance speech. On the other hand, plenty of players blame their stringers if something does go wrong on the court that day.
Still, it’s not a pursuit people go into for glory. Most stringers get started because they break strings faster than they could afford to replace them. But this isn't the only reason a person should learn to string. By stringing racquets for friends or teammates, you have a chance to make a little extra money. It’s also a less expensive way to experiment with different strings and tensions. And you’ll always have a racquet ready for play whenever you need it.
Whether you’re thinking about buying a stringing machine and learning to string or you are just an avid player who wants to be able to play your best tennis possible, there are some things that you should know about stringing machines. Even if you don’t ever plan to string racquets yourself, having a working knowledge of stringing machines can help you to evaluate the equipment used by stringers in your area to find the person you believe can offer you the most consistent results.
In order to get a better idea what to look for in a stringing machine, let’s take a look at a handful of stringing machines in different price ranges and consider what makes them special.
Silent Partner e.Stringer - $249
This is the least expensive electric stringing machine available that still does a quality job. If you’re not up to pulling a crank, this machine can pull the string for you. It’s capable of stringing tennis, racquetball, and squash frames. It’s also very portable due to it's small size, light weight, and lack of a stand. This can come in handy if you are traveling to a lot of tournaments and want to bring your machine with you to string racquets between matches. You just have to find open counter space and an electrical outlet and you’re ready to string.
The Silent Partner features two-point mounting, which means it holds the racquet in two places. Two-point mounting is generally quicker than six-point mounting found on many other machines because there are less clamps to navigate around. It has a turntable lock, which means the part of the machine that holds the racquet can be locked in place to stop it from spinning. The turntable can also rotate 360 degrees, which can speed up stringing because it allows you to turn the racquet in any direction as you install strings on different sides and in different parts of the frame.
As you would see on much more expensive machines the e.Stringer continues to pull tension on a string as it starts to stretch and lose tension It comes with prestretch settings, which can come in handy when stringing with natural gut or some other strings that tend to lose tension a little too quickly. It’s rotational tensioner (the mechanism that pulls the string) can be a small inconvenience because it means you need a little more string for each racquet than you would on machines with linear pull. The e.Stringer’s biggest weakness, though, is probably it’s flying clamps. These clamps are used to hold the tension on each string until you have finished and tied knots in the ends of your string. The problem with flying clamps is they are not actually attached to the machine and use another string to hold a given string’s tension. Unfortunately, this makes them less reliable and consistent as fixed clamps that are attached to the machine.
Overall, the e.Stringer represents a great option for someone who is hoping to just test the waters of stringing without having to dive into the deep end by spending the kind of money it takes to get a more professional model machine.
Gamma 5003 - $799-$999
The 5003 is one of the least expensive machines on the market that would qualify as a truly professional model. It can string racquets for all of the racquet sports and it can be used anywhere because it comes with a stand included and does not require electricity. It pulls tension by turning a hand crank, which also helps reduce the amount of string needed for each frame. You can even adjust the height of the machine to accommodate for the size of the stringer.
Perhaps the most unique thing about this machine is that it offers the option of a two-point mounting system or a six-point mounting system. Two-point versus 6-point mounting systems have been a topic of great debate among stringers for years. Fans of the six-point systems are quick to suggest that six points of contact against the frame should be safer for the frame. But advocates of two-point systems insist that two points is more than enough to keep the frame safe during stringing because they offer more surface area contact at the most important locations. Plus, two-point mounting systems are generally a little quicker to use.
Just like a lot of the machines we’re looking at, the 5003 offers turntable lock, and 360 degree turntable rotation. This machine also utilizes a nosecone attached to the tension head which allows the tension head to grip the string more lightly while pulling tension, reducing the amount of crushing force applied to the string. You can set tension in pounds or kilos which should appeal to international players.
Another feature that makes this machine fit for professionals is its dual-action fixed swivel clamps. These clamps are attached to the machine for more consistent tension holding and they can be turned in any direction to accommodate racquets with string patterns that are not just straight up and down or straight across. This is especially helpful with racquetball and squash frames. The clamps also feature diamond dust on their teeth, which allows you to grip a string firmly, but with less pressure to avoid damaging the string. Finally, it comes with a tool tray and all the basic tools needed to get started stringing right away.
This is a great machine to consider if you getting into the game of stringing and don’t want to break the bank but do want to offer truly professional quality results. A lot of stringers buy machines like this planning to just string for themselves and find themselves stringing for a lot of friends and family.
Prince Neos 1000 - $1,099
The Neos 1000 is probably the machine that can be seen in more pro shops than any other. It’s a true workhorse that has been available for about 15 years without the need for any improvements. Like all professional machines, it can string racquets for all the racquet sports and comes with a adjustable stand. It features a four-point mounting system that has been imitated by other machines. But, what is special about this machine’s mounting system is how quickly it allows the stringer to secure the frame. All you have to do is release a lever, pull the mounting positions into place and re-lock the lever. This quick-action mounting can save valuable time if you become a frequent stringer trying to turn out a lot of professionally strung frames in a short amount of time.
Like the Gamma machine, it pulls tension with a hand crank. But this machine allows you to put the crank on either side of the tension head, which makes it comfortable for lefty or right-handed operation. You can set its tension in pounds or kilos and it features fixed clamps.
But the clamps on this machine are different from any of the other machines in this review. These clamps are attached to movable bars called glide bars. This makes them a little quicker to use because you only have to lock one lever (instead of two) on each clamp to hold a string in place. The only possible disadvantage of glide bar clamps is that you have to remove the bars and reinstall them each time you switch from holding main strings to cross strings and back again.
Finally, the Neos 1000 comes with a tray to hold your stringing tools and a cover to keep nosey people from messing with the machine when it is not in use. This is a great machine to consider if someone wants to offer professional shop-quality results in a machine that seems to be almost indestructible.
Babolat Star 5 - $3,000
When the Star 5 was introduced a couple years ago, it was eagerly anticipated by those stringers who had been using the Star 3 for many years. The Star 3 was a terrific machine for traveling stringers, including those who strung for tour players, because it was a high quality and very durable machine that was surprisingly light and portable. Well, the Star 5 isn’t as light as the Star 3 was, but that’s not stopping it from becoming popular with stringers and their demanding customers. It offers all functionality of the Star 3 with several big improvements that make stringing even easier while still offering a middle of the pack price tag.
Obviously, the Star 5 can string frames for all the racquet sports and comes with an adjustable-height stand included. It utilizes a convenient six-point mounting system that can secure a racquet at just under the speed of a two-point system. It features turntable lock, 360 degree turntable rotation, a tool tray, and comes with a cover standard. The big improvements in this machine versus its very popular predecessor are in the tensioning and clamping systems. Where stringers had to press a button on the Star 3 that had a tendency to wear out over time, users of the Star 5 simply have to touch a small metal pad attached to the tension head that senses when you skin comes in contact with it and immediately starts pulling to the desired tension. You can also pull tension at different speeds for different types of string. A built-in pre-stretch feature allows you to pull strings to a higher tension and then drop down to the desired tension. This extra stretching can help many strings hold their tension better over time.
The clamps are dual-action swivel clamps and feature diamond dust, but the big improvement to the clamps is the spacing of the teeth. When you clamp the cross strings on most machines, it becomes necessary to move main strings slightly out of position to fit the teeth between them. Then these displaced mains need to be re-straightened after the racquet is finished. But the teeth on the clamps of the Star 5 seem to fit between the main strings on almost every racquet without needing to move the mains at all. This means a lot less string straightening is needed after each racquet is strung.
One other feature that makes this machine fairly unique is the fact that you can remove the whole tensioning system from the machine. This generally can’t be done with electric machines. So if anything goes wrong with the electronics, you don’t have to send the entire machine back for repairs. You can just pack up the tensioning system and ship it. Finally, perhaps the biggest advantage of electric machines that get into this price range and above is what I call the “Ooh-Aah” factor. When customers see you working on a machine like this they tend to say, “Ooh” or “Aah” because the machine looks like a space shuttle. It virtually makes customers want to leave you their racquet.
Tecnifibre TF-7000 - $6,000
The TF-7000 is the most expensive of the machines we’re looking at here, but it does offer unique features you can’t get with the others. Once again, it can string racquets for all the sports and comes with an adjustable-height stand included. It offers a very convenient six-point mounting system, turntable lock, and 360 degree turntable rotation. It also has electric, linear pull with constant pull-tensioning in pounds and kilograms at multiple speeds and pre-stretch capabilities. One feature that sets this machine apart from the others here is the full keypad tension setting. All the other machines require you to turn a knob or push plus/minus buttons to adjust the tension. But this machine has a keypad like a telephone so you can just type the tension you want. This can save a little time for a frequent stringer.
Another feature this machine offers that we haven’t discussed is a knot tensioning function. Whenever you tie a knot at the end of a piece of string, there is a short section of string that does not get tightened. This causes the last string before the knot to lose tension. A lot of professional stringers like to increase the tension on the final string before a knot to compensate for this inevitable loss. On most machines, this requires changing the tension setting on the machine and remembering to change the tension back after this string is pulled. But the TF-7000 allows you to just push a different button and it pulls extra tension on that final string before the knot. This way you don’t have to worry about forgetting to set the tension back and stringing the rest of the racquet with the wrong tension.
The TF-7000 also offers clamps with pretty convenient spacing. Although they don’t seem to fit perfectly between strings on every frame, the teeth are so small that they require very little string movement. Like most professional machines, it comes with a tool tray and a cover. Its weight does not make this a convenient machine to move or transport, but these machines will generally be used in shops where it’s option built-in cabinet can come in very handy as well. The cabinet is great for storing extra tools, reels of string, and anything else you want to keep from prying eyes. Plus, it just adds to the “Ooh-Aah” factor of a machine that looks like something out of a science fiction movie.
Ultimately, this machine represents a big investment to show customers that you are sparing no expense to offer the highest quality and most consistent results possible. And, hopefully, this translates into more stringing work for your business.
Learning the Trade
Players usually assume that stringing a racquet is a very complicated procedure that takes years to learn. Well, that is partially true. I've been stringing racquets for more than 20 years now and I am still learning new things all the time. However, the basic concepts a person needs to know to string a racquet are not nearly as complicated as you might expect.
In fact, by studying the right materials, or working with the right teacher, a person could easily learn enough to string their own racquets in one day.
Try joining the United States Racquet Stringers Association. As the Executive Director of the USRSA, my suggestion is probably not very surprising. he USRSA offers every thing you need to learn to string and continue improving your skills and product knowledge. Our members include brand new beginner stringers all the way up to Master Racquet Technicians (MRT), the cream of the crop in racquet service professionals.
Our annual Stringer's Digest includes a how-to-string manual. We also offer a Racquet Service Video. Plus we have a team of MRT stringing instructors available across the country to offer private stringing instruction. Finally, we have recently completed a series of Instructional CDs that cover all the most important subjects in racquet service and product selection.
But if you still don't believe me, try talking with your local stringer or teaching professional. There's a good chance they are already a member and can tell you what they think.
David Bone is the executive director of the United States Racquet Stringers Association
------------------------------------------------
A Worthy Investment
The number one thing that scares most potential stringers off is the initial investment. Even the least expensive machines can cost as much as 8 – 10 string jobs. And professional model machines can easily cost in excess of $1000. Machines available today range in price from $95 to $8,500. With such a wide range in prices, there is bound to be a machine available today that would be right for you.
The great news is that a stringing machine is a very low-risk investment. If you buy an inexpensive machine, you may have trouble reselling it later, but at least you won't be out very much money. If you buy a professional model machine the market for used machines is very strong. You could buy a machine for $1000 and sell it a year or two later for as much as $800.
So, while professional machines may require a bigger initial investment, you really have almost nothing to lose because their resale values are so high. Then consider how much money you will be saving by doing the work yourself.
For example, if you string just 2 racquets per month at a savings of $15 each, you will save $360 each year. Then consider the fact that you could make a little money by stringing for friends or customers. As you can see, this is an investment you almost can't afford not to make.
(Quelle:http://www.tennis.com/yourgame/gear/...aspx?id=107764)
Voilà!
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