Are cleaning machines a joke?

[The KingPin]

So outside of my local pro shop is a ball cleaning machine. It costs like 3 bucks and the machine cleans your ball. Pay more and get it "Resurfaced." Now I am not sure how well this is. I mean wouldn't a pro shop actually do a better job than a machine? I mean it may cost more, but wouldn't you get better results?

Just curious what everyone thinks of these machines. Are they mainly for surface scratches and rubber marks, or really a good things?

[kev3inp]

I saw the one from Storm in the proshop at Seminole. They use it rather than doing it by hand, and move it out to the concourse when the shop is closed. There's a video of it on Storm's site, I believe. I think it's a little pricey for a cleaning, but if you don't have a spinner it might be worth it for a resurfacing.

[Sylar1255]

So here in Chicago there is a machine outside the pro shop that will clean balls for $2.50.
So i do it, the ball comes out looking the same as before it went in.

So yea i beleive it was a waste of money

[nickcuban]

I always feltl like its a waste of money, so I stopped.

[Seamistlark]

I bring mine to the Pro shop once a month and pay $2.00 for a clean and resurface. The rest of the month I do it by hand on my workbench. Never even thought about using the quarter machines at the end of the House.

[Jord_84]

lol when I was in the pro shop getting my virtual gravity...a guy came in and asked about the machines. The guy in the pro shop said "It'll shine your ball up and make it not hook".
There's a trick my mom uses, she actually bakes her balls in the oven....I'm not sure of the temp, but all the oil seeps out of the ball. It's like taking it to the pro shop and having them put it in the revivor...only it's free!

[nickcuban]

I bring mine to the Pro shop once a month and pay $2.00 for a clean and resurface. The rest of the month I do it by hand on my workbench. Never even thought about using the quarter machines at the end of the House.

$2.00??? for a clean and resurface? Man I paid $25 for a resurface. Are these two different services or did I get mega ripped off?

[bowl1820]

I just about never use one, I have a spinner at home and do all my own surfacing work.

If I happen to use one , after it gets done I clean off my ball to get rid of any residue left behind.
I use some alcohol or hook-it etc. to make sure it's back to full tacky.

The thing to remember is that most of those machines, the Lustre King or the similar machines that most lanes have.
They are not ball cleaners or resurfacing machines, they are ball polishers.

If you use one of them, you should clean your ball first.If not it might look clean after it gets done, but the grit and grime
will be ground into the pores.

As for them making a ball not hook, yes they add length. But they can remain tacky and still snap on the backend.
But alot depends on the compound block used in it.

There was one type that would kill a ball dead. I want to say it was called "Green Genie" but I'm not sure.
But the others like "Blue genie" would still leave a ball tacky.

Now if you use it all the time, it can fill in the pores and over time it will hook alot less. You should have it sanded a little
to open the pores back up after awhile. But if your using the ball that polished that much, have the shine brought up on a spinner.
then maintain it by hand with some cleaner and polish.

As for the Storm Surface Factory I never tried one.
See Demo here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPdJ698vioQ

[Seamistlark]

Nick,
They spin the ball back to OOB finish and wipe it down with Cleaner for $2.00. Not the most extreme service, but keeps the ball hooking and the scratches to a minimum.