Equipment Talk Me Out of Buying a Stringing Machine
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
I’m looking to purchase a Gelinshi GLS-16401 drop-weight stringing machine.
It costs around $400 USD, including shipping and automatic clamps. Brand new.
I’m leaning toward a drop-weight because it’s relatively cheap, simple, and I wouldn’t have to worry much about maintenance.
The thing is, I have zero experience stringing rackets, so I’m not sure if I should actually go through with it.
My current costs
Stringing labour: ~$4 per racket
Diadem Pro X: ~$7 per racket
Solinco, Head, etc strings cost more: ~$15+ per set
I currently have 3 rackets and have them strung at least once a month.
I should theoretically be able to recover the $400 in 12 months or so as I’m looking to use those cheap chinese poly strings($30 USD/reel) which are quite good btw.
But I’m wondering if the learning curve and hassle are actually worth it.
Questions for people who string their own rackets:
How long did it take you to learn how to string properly?
Did you buy a machine first and then learn, or did you learn how to string before buying a machine?
- Roughly how many string jobs did it take before you felt comfortable stringing without constantly watching tutorials?
- For those who started with a drop-weight, do you still think it was a good decision?
What are the biggest reasons I should NOT buy one?
So… talk me out of it.
Is buying a $400 machine when I only string ~3 rackets a month actually a good idea, or am I just looking for an excuse to buy another tennis-related piece of equipment?