This review is applicable to both, Gamma X-ELS and Gamma Progression II ELS. These are identical machines, with only difference that Progression has a red base without side drawers while X-ELS has a blue aluminum base with two small side drawers for tools. All essential for stringing parts and components are identical. Price is the same. Everything written in this review applies to Progression II ELS, except discussion of the size of the drawers.
I received my new Gamma X-ELS today. Since information on this machine (beyond manufacturer's description) is fairly limited, I decided, for community's benefit, provide details which go beyond the standard description.
Please have patience, it will take me a few days to finish the write-up and upload pictures. There will be several consecutive posts.
I got this machine today, unboxed it just 2-3 hours ago, so in this post I am sharing the very first impressions, which will without doubt be forgotten and replaced with more substantial impressions further down the road. I am writing them down before I forget them because, as we all know, the first impression is oftentimes important. Pictures will come later.
1. ORDERING PROCESS.
Order was placed through Tennis Warehouse, $1199 for the machine with free shipment. The machine was ordered on August 23. I expected that it will be a drop shipment from the manufacturer, and it was. Despite the note on TW site that the machine was "In Stock", it turned out to be backordered. TW send me an update on Aug 24 that it was scheduled to ship on Sept 8. There was no further communications, but unexpectedly the box arrived on September 7, earlier than expected. No complaints here. Gamma did not do a good job communicating the ship date nor did they send the tracking number. Oh well... Good that we were not out of town when the package showed up.
The price was almost the same everywhere, those online retailers who offered a lower price would offset it by charging for shipment, so I went with the TW. TW has excellent customer service and I like them.
2. BOX SIZE AND WEIGHT.
The machine arrived via UPS. Carton size was Length: 37.5", W=17.5", H=17.5", weight indicated on UPS label was 52 Lbs. The box says "Made in Taiwan", Gross Weight 23.9 kg, Net Weight 21.2 kg.
Hence, the weight of the machine itself is 21.2 kg.
3. UNBOXING.
The machine arrived completely assembled, with the exception of separately packed clamps which just slide into the bases and four feet which are screwed into the base. It was neatly packed with Styrofoam. I will post some pictures in the next couple of days.
4. MANUAL.
Manual is almost OK - but really, Gamma could have done a better job. What do you do when you get a new sophisticated tool out of the box? You look in the manual for assembly instructions, to make sure that you do everything that needs to be done before turning it on. You expect that you might need to attach some parts and perhaps tighten some bolts. The manual has nothing on it. This is not rocket science of course, you open all plastic bags and by trial, error, and with the help of a parts diagram eventually figure out what they are and where they go. It is not hard to find how to attach legs and where the clamps go, but is it hard to include a "getting started" two-page leaflet with well documented assembly instructions and with a list of what is in the box?
Let me elaborate why I brought this up as a concern. As you will see from the pictures which I will post later, this machine comes with a bunch of tools and multiple plastic spare parts which for me, a totally inexperienced aspiring stringer, initially made no sense. I had no idea what these parts are and if they should be installed on the machine somewhere, or put in storage. Also, the extensive selection of allen wrenches implies the possibility that I may need to use them for some purpose before turning on the machine.
The manual has "assembly instructions" on page 2 where it is explained how to remove transportation screw and install clamps. It does not describe how to install legs, which brings up the possibility that they may have forgotten to describe some other necessary steps.
To be fair, aside from assembly, all functions of the machine are adequately and concisely described.
5. STORAGE SIZE.
This was an important question for me before purchasing - how much room do I need to store it away from the focal point in the room. Will it fit on a shelf? Can I make space for it in the garage?
Here are the storage dimensions: Length 35 3/4", Height 14 1/2", Depth 14".
6. FIRST IMPRESSIONS FROM UNPACKING.
The
first positive impressions(before even using the machines, only from unpacking) are two.
First of all, the machine looks nice, shiny, and high tech. It does have a professional feel and look. It makes impression of a fairly serious tool. Not a space age Babolat Star, not a Wilson Baiardo with its style clearly touched by a professional designer, it does not have quite that impressive look, but it still has a look of a high tech, functional, and professional tool, with all those shiny parts, buttons, and LED lights.
The second positive impression is that it came with more accessories and tools than I expected from the manufacturer's description available on TW and all other retailers which sell this machine. As luck has it, since flush cutter was not on the list of included tools, so I ordered a Xuron one from elsewhere... just to find that a flush cutter actually did come with the machine. Also, bent needle nose pliers were not in the factory description, but the did come with the tool. While writing this review, I discovered that description on Gamma web site is shorter, but more accurate. It lists all included tools correctly.
The
first negative impressionsare also two, fairly minor.
Gosh, this thing stinks! Seriously. Out of the box, it had a heavy rubber-like smell. I found that the most smelly part was a rubber tray liner. I temporarily moved it into the garage until the smell wears out. I was impressed by the amount of outgassing from it - a couple of hours later, the smell in the garage was akin the smell which is usual when new tires are installed on a car. There are several other rubber parts on the machine which also have some level of smell, but to a much lesser degree.
The second "first impression" was kind of a disappointment with the storage space. This is the case when reality did not meet the expectations derived from pictures on the web. In pictures, I really liked the two storage bins which slide into the base. This was the main reason why I opted for X-ELS instead of almost identical (except shape and material of the base and lack of drawers) Progression II ELS. Well, it turned out that these drawers are quite tiny. They are only 10 inches long, 1 inch deep and about 3 1/4" wide. They are too small to hold all the tools that came with the machine and all those spare parts for the clamps. In fact, at least one of the tools (a T-shaped hex wrench) would not even fit inside of these drawers since it is wider than the drawer.
I think Gamma's reasoning was that these tools were only intended for storage of basic stringing tools which came with the machine, with perhaps one or two additional ones. For these tools only, trays are sufficient. But there is no way to store in them all other tools and accessories provided with the machine. They have to be stored elsewhere. This, in a way, defeats the purpose of the drawers because if I need to get a tool box for spare parts and accessories, I can as well store my stringing tools there.
7. COMMENT ON THE "ART OF PACKAGING"
Back in the early 1990s, I very much liked the way how Dell packaged their computers, with "getting started" sheet on top. I never needed it, but I thought it was a great idea for first time users. Apple took the art of packaging to the new level. The reason is clear, if the customer enjoys the process of unpacking, if everything he needs is in clear sight, this increases the perceived value of the product and helps to get rid of buyers remorse. Apple had to do it to be able to charge a hefty premium for their product. This trend is getting more and more standard, recently I got a USB hub which was packaged like an Apple product! This leaves a lasting impression and really helps to get up and running.
Gamma is still in the 1980s with their presentation and packaging. They do nothing to make the first impression positive and memorable. They do nothing to help their customers to get started quickly and easily. No getting started sheet, no list of included accessories, incomplete assembly instruction, out of date version of the manual - it just does not sound right. Don't get me wrong, first impressions from the tool itself are all positive (about this later), it is just it is not a $50 purchase and we are no longer in the 1980s. First impression does matter.
(to be continued)
