i'm planning to get an electronic stringing machine and i've got my eye on the pro's pro tx600a. similarly priced machines that i've seen are pro's pro challenger with wise 2086 and eagnas combo 3800 modified with a wise 2086. being a total newbie to stringing, is there anything in particular that i should be looking out for with these machines? the only obvious difference i can see is the wise tensioner. the tx600a is the cheapest but is it a good buy? i don't mind spending more if it gets me a better machine rather than buying cheap and regretting later. thanks for any advice.
Check out the Signum Pro S-6500, it's got a Wise guts tensioner. All the machines are pretty much the same, except for the Wise 2086 included packages. The Wise tensionhead is probably the best option and most relaible. In the US the diablo is included.
the signum pro s-6500 looks almost the same as the pro's pro and eagnas combo 3800 machines with wise tensioner, but at a higher price. i'm trying to understand the reasons for the price differences before i put my money down, e.g. is it worth paying extra for a wise tensioner, and if i get a wise tensioner then what's the difference between the pro's pro and eagnas combo (apart from £200). thanks.
I like the clamps on the tx600a, but not the tensioner. The difference between the 3800 and the Challenger are the base clamps. Though most of the Challengers, I've seen have switch action base clamps. Pro's Pro and Eagnas are made by the company, Lily Lee, but not all models are exactly the same.
challenger costs £518 + VAT = £621.60 eagnas combo 3800 costs £975 - 20% cash discount = £780 signum s-6500 costs £1123.40 all 3 use the wise tensioner so the only things that can account for the price differences seem to be the clamps, build quality and brand name. can you tell what's the difference between the 3 clamps? my untrained eye doesn't know what to be looking for specifically. i only plan to string badminton racquets, if that makes any difference.
this is an official website of Pro's Pro : www.arfaian.com you can see the price there .... also you may call Robin Ford of Watdon and discuss whether swivel-clamp-base of Challenger can be replaced with similar to TX600A. Wise2086 is a worth investment for sure ....
maa2003, do you mean that the tx600a has the best clamp out of the machines i've mentioned? in what way is it better than the others? i can call robin ford but i don't know what i'm trying to tell him.
They look like Prince String clamps and bases. Which are made by Toyo Zuoki, a Prince supplier and maker of Yonex machines. Here is a better picture: Here are similar clamp bases that can upgrade the Challenger bases. Most machines come with Tennis string clamps, so you may need to order badminton clamps.
TX600a swivel clamp and its bases is better. TX600a swivel clamp is a dual clamp, you can use for badminton, tennis and any kind of racket. The Challenger machine sold by Watdon maybe still using the old clamp and clamp-bases while the pciture posted by CovinaStringer is the new Challenger clamp and clamp bases. Tell Robin Ford : - whether you can buy Challenger but the swivel clamp and its bases similar to TX600a.
Some photos on the websites are old stock photos. They don't always show the update parts, unless stated in the description. It's best to call to find exactly what you are buying.
ok thanks, so the recommendation is to get tx600a clamp/base with wise tensioner if possible. covinastringer, what is it that you don't like about the tx600a's tensioner?
The tension head, it's a rotational gripper. Some people who it for Tennis regularly, complain it breaks down due to the higher tensions required, but it should be fine for badminton. If it weren't for the string and base clamps, I would not even consider this machine. I was thinking, if you find a good drop weight or even lock out machine, you can always add the Wise 2086 to it. Here in the US the Wise is sold separatly, and not combined with any other machine like they do in the UK or Europe.
actually Watdon also sells Wise2086 separately. I bought mine from them back in earlier 2009 (version 10), and happy with it. Now is using version-11.
Version 11 has the trigger/switch on the gripper head. The diablo is included in the US, not sold separately like in the UK.
watdon has a pro's pro challenger 6 with a wise tensioner for £606. what does a diablo do and is it necessary for badminton?
http://www.tennishead.com/diablo.html describes how the diablo is attached but not what it is or what it is used for.
The diablo is used so the string goes into the gripper straight, especially when pulling on angles. On soft string, like multi-filiment or natural gut, it helps prevent ghosting. Though optional it's nice to have.
thanks covinastringer. is there any negative effect on badminton stringing without using the diablo? here it's an extra £30 for the diablo. got confirmation from robin ford that challenger 6 has the same base and clamps as tx600a.
great info ... I will email Robin for the price of swivel clamp-base only. hope he has the spare-part to sell ...
