Bowling Ball Spinners

[JaxBowlingGuy]

So who else has a spinner? Which model/HP did you go with?

[foreverincamo]

I have the Innovative 1/2 HP spinner. Bought directly from them online for around $240, plus bought 7 Abralon pads from 180 to 4000 grit, Vise ball cleaner, Vise compound, Vise polish, and finally Vise Polish with Slip Agent. All in all, dropped around $330. Free shipping. Got it in three days. Absolutely love it.

[ytlas]

I have two ball spinners. Bought the first one new, a "Bizmar" from the guy who made them, Bruce Marberg. All aluminum, paid $180 in 1980. Has a 1/3 hp motor. The auction for one just ended on the major auction site a week ago. I think that one went for $198.50 plus shipping

The second one is an all aluminum Jayhawk spinner, probably 1/3 hp. I bought the Rockwell press, ball spinner, ball engraver, plug router, Rudell jig, and a bunch of odds and ends for $800 when "The Bowling Shedd" pro shop went out of business around 1987

[JaxBowlingGuy]

I started with the Vertex 1/2 some years ago. Had an issue with the unit slowing down when trying to burn in polish. Ended up selling that unit when I stopped bowling a few years ago. When I came back to bowling this season I picked up the Innovative 1/2 but now looking at getting a 2 speed. Looking at the Donkee which will run around $340 after shipping. Wanted to get the Innovative 2 speed but cant justify the $625 price tag.

I have heard the Donkee sometimes gets a wobble to it on the high speed, but not too worried about it. Plus it spins slightly faster than the Innovative

[JaxBowlingGuy]

Regardless of which model i get, I have to get a splash guard for it. While at home I have it in a sink, but I know the hotel housekeeping hates me when I go out of town.

[Mike White]

I started with the Vertex 1/2 some years ago. Had an issue with the unit slowing down when trying to burn in polish. Ended up selling that unit when I stopped bowling a few years ago. When I came back to bowling this season I picked up the Innovative 1/2 but now looking at getting a 2 speed. Looking at the Donkee which will run around $340 after shipping. Wanted to get the Innovative 2 speed but cant justify the $625 price tag.

I have heard the Donkee sometimes gets a wobble to it on the high speed, but not too worried about it. Plus it spins slightly faster than the Innovative

I have a 3/4 hp 2 speed Donkee that has been a work horse. (includes a flower pot)

I'm at the beginning of putting my house up for sale, so it's a "fire sale"

Any reasonable offer will be accepted.

Other bowling related items:

Determinator
Jayhawk (PAI) ball surface scanner
Innovative Personal Ball Revivor
Jayhawk Pro Measuring ball with 36 inserts and display case.

[bowl1820]

I started with the Vertex 1/2 some years ago. Had an issue with the unit slowing down when trying to burn in polish. Ended up selling that unit when I stopped bowling a few years ago. When I came back to bowling this season I picked up the Innovative 1/2 but now looking at getting a 2 speed. Looking at the Donkee which will run around $340 after shipping. Wanted to get the Innovative 2 speed but cant justify the $625 price tag.

I have heard the Donkee sometimes gets a wobble to it on the high speed, but not too worried about it. Plus it spins slightly faster than the Innovative

I have a Innovative single speed tub mount with the foot pedal.

In regard to the Donkee, the older ones had a rep. for vibration/wobble issue's. But the newer ones are supposed to have corrected this.

As for whether or not to get a dual speed spinner, this is from John Jameson of Innovative:

"I get asked this question often. A dual speed spinner is great for high volume pro shops. A single speed spinner will do the job just as good as a dual speed it just takes a little longer to finish the ball.

A dual speed spinner actual sands the ball faster at the low speed. Many people get this confused thinking the higher speed polishes the ball "better" while it is actually the low speed that sands the ball faster. Using a heavier grit at a higher speed, the ball does not cut as easily.

The finished product will be the same on either machine. If you are a high volume shop with a line of customers and limited time before league starts go with the 2 speed otherwise a single speed will work just fine.

[Stormed1]

I bought my Innovative spinner about 15 years ago. A couple of years ago the motor went out so I replaced the single speed with a 2 speed motor. If I remember correctly the motor was about $200.00

[got_a_300]

I have the Vertex 1/3 hp ball spinner with the flower pot / splash guard
I bought it in December 2014 and have put it through the paces and it
stills works great. I also stocked up on abralon pads from 180 to 4000
and stocked up on quite a bit of the ball cleaner, compound, polish, and
Polish with the Slip Agent.

[Stormed1]

I have put a few thousand balls tghrough my sxpinner azndc will be replacing the bearing for tghe ball cup over the next coupled weeks

[foreverincamo]

John Jameson was very helpful when I was selecting my spinner. Between the reviews on his site and his correspondence, he got me to switch from getting a Vertex spinner to an Innovative even though it cost more.

[Mike White]

John Jameson was very helpful when I was selecting my spinner. Between the reviews on his site and his correspondence, he got me to switch from getting a Vertex spinner to an Innovative even though it cost more.

You see it as being very helpful, but how is that different than just being good at convincing you to buy their product instead of the competitions?

[JaxBowlingGuy]

Vertex is an innovative company now I believe.

[bowl1820]

Vertex is an innovative company now I believe.

Innovative bought Vertex and they bought Vise Grip too.

[foreverincamo]

Mike White, looking at both spinners, one had over 20 reviews, which were all positive. Vertex had none. Innovative answered all my emails. Vertex did not. Innovative was $20 more and was an upgrade from 1/3 hp to 1/2 hp. After I bought all the Abralon pads and polishes, they cut the price a bit. Sounds all good to me. Customer service is still important.

[SAbowler]

I bought an older Innovative spinner from a friend of mine for 125 bucks. Well worth every penny, IMO. I'd have to look to be sure, but I believe it has a 1/2 HP motor.

[billf]

Vertex 1/2hp about four years ago. No issues, complaints or criticisms. I went with Vertex because it was cheaper while being made in the same plant as the Innovative. Even my receipt says Innovative on the letterhead.