OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hi all. First time posting in this area of the forum. In the near future, I hope to be building a house, and in it, I am definitely going to have space in the basement set aside for a table and a robot. Thanks to a lot of the advice I've read in the forum here, I feel like I have a good idea for the features I'm going to want, in terms of the types of drills, spins, and customization I will want to do. I also feel like, although they're more expensive, I will likely lean towards getting one of the models that uses an app to control it. I just feel like it would be far more user friendly, and give some leeway to be "expandable" in terms of future functionality. I don't mind paying up for a good quality robot with features, as long as it's going to be something that will last me for a number of years.
Which brings me to my question. Of the major brands, which are the most reliable in terms of not breaking down, customer service if there is a problem, ease of getting replacement parts, ease of getting service, etc.? The three brands I'm focusing on here in the U.S. are Butterfly, Newgy, Power Pong and Paddle Palace. I saw on the website that Power Pong has a new version coming out later this summer that uses an app, and I think the others already have one. Power Pong seems to have the best warranty, but I don't know a lot about them. And I've read some negative things about the Paddle Palace robots. Anyway, I'd love to get feedback, as this will be a big purchase for me and I intend to use it a lot.
Oh, and if the ones controlled by apps are a bad idea, I'd love to hear that feedback too. All the buttons and dials of the other models look like they could take some getting used to, and wouldn't be nearly as easy to set up custom drills.

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"Don't let a win get to your head or a loss to your heart"
USATT Rating: 1730
Blade: Stiga Cybershape Carbon
FH Rubber: Butterfly Tenergy 19 2.1
BH Rubber: Sauer & Troger Hellfire X OX

I can only speak to the older model of the Newgy robot (2050 I think?), but my experience has been very positive with it. I used it for years in absolutely horrible conditions (dirty outdoor garage) and never had any issues. Very reliable!

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Their latest model looks pretty nice, and has more options for spin options and programming. They are definitely in my consideration set.

_________________
"Don't let a win get to your head or a loss to your heart"
USATT Rating: 1730
Blade: Stiga Cybershape Carbon
FH Rubber: Butterfly Tenergy 19 2.1
BH Rubber: Sauer & Troger Hellfire X OX

Tennirobo?

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Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you'll start to see a big difference in your life.

Yoko Ono

Never heard of them, are they a Chinese brand? I'm trying to stick to the big names that would be easy to get and have serviced here in the U.S.

_________________
"Don't let a win get to your head or a loss to your heart"
USATT Rating: 1730
Blade: Stiga Cybershape Carbon
FH Rubber: Butterfly Tenergy 19 2.1
BH Rubber: Sauer & Troger Hellfire X OX

Was just reading some good reviews of the Paddle Palace robot that comes with a touch screen. Don't seem to know of too many people that have a Paddle Palace robot.

_________________
"Don't let a win get to your head or a loss to your heart"
USATT Rating: 1730
Blade: Stiga Cybershape Carbon
FH Rubber: Butterfly Tenergy 19 2.1
BH Rubber: Sauer & Troger Hellfire X OX

Hey!

The butterfly amicus model is solid - I've had mine for years and no big issues. I know it has lots of knobs and such but once you figure out how it works it's actually pretty easy to configure a series. As with anything just have to learn it well enough. It handles all types of balls with ease. I bet you it would handle 42mm balls with the way it works.

The only design flaws with those models is: the serial cables don't have any way to be secured, so when things go wrong it's almost always the loose cables.
It's possible to put stuff into the bottom ball 'box', my kid did this a few times. Just have to take it apart and remove the toy.
On mine, the balls dont funnel into ball grabber part all of the time, it's a super cheap fix: some printer paper allows the balls to slide down.

I would recommend the butterfly offering for it's ball versatility and customization. All robots have issues but at least this one is worth the small headaches it does give.

Butterfly support is pretty good. I had an issue but determined it was just...loose cables. They were responsive and I feel like everything on the robot could easily enough be repaired.

I don't know how many times I see busted robots sitting in clubs..."waiting for parts"

i just got a Tennirobo and sold my butterfly 3000. I have had no issues with it and it is very powerful as regards spin generation, speed and placement options. One wheel can go backwards giving it more spin options than most 3 wheel robots. It has a very simple construction and I feel any problems would be easy to fix and I have had excellent customer service.
Only issue, if you compare the Tennirobo to robots more than 3 times the price, is that it has no automatic ball feeding although it does holds a few hundred balls. It does not have a ball deflection plate like some butterfly robots and I feel that it is more realistic as you can see where the robot is sending the ball just before the ball leaves the robot.

Tennirobo looks like a solid pick, priced ~$690. The only downside seems no auto ball recycle. Anyone in the forum who has tried it? This review: https://pingpongbros.com/equipment/tennirobo-review/ has only good things to say about the robot? Is there anything missing because the price point looks spot on.

Wow that's a heck of a price for those features. I'd just be concerned that if something goes wrong, I just spent $700 for something that is difficult to get serviced.

_________________
"Don't let a win get to your head or a loss to your heart"
USATT Rating: 1730
Blade: Stiga Cybershape Carbon
FH Rubber: Butterfly Tenergy 19 2.1
BH Rubber: Sauer & Troger Hellfire X OX

Hi,
I wish I had space for a table with a robot in my house
You are right, robots with mobile app have much more functions than usual simple robots. Usually these advanced robots use Bluetooth for communication between the app and the machine. However, even these Bluetooth controlled robots are quite different in the principle of operation. But not all of these robots are so expensive…
May I recommend you another model, which hasn’t been mentioned in your list? My name is Sergey and I am the developer of TenniRobo table tennis robot (690$ http://www.tennirobo.com ) - it is a Ukrainian startup. I think it is the most customizable robot, as I know. This is really powerful model uses true digital control over ball parameters and allows you to have the full control over your training – you can select different and independent settings FOR EACH SHOT: spin, spin incline, speed, trajectory, time before each shot (different pace). You can combine shots in a drill. TenniRobo has own internal memory to store 5 drills (up to 80 shots in one drill). Fast transition from top spin to back spin (or side spin) and visa versa.
It is compact, but stores up to 180 balls in it’s bucket – it is enough for 4-6 minutes of multiball session, (after which you usually have to take a break and relax). You can save space in your house when you are not using it. Tennirobo mounted on a standard tripod, thus unlike other robots it is able to simulate any shots – even from under the table and any far zone.
If you are interested in the real users’ feedback and some addition info, there are a few links below
1) https://tabletennisdaily.com/forum/show ... mpact-size Unfortunately not all users want to share their experience, but you can see that there is only good feedback about TenniRobo
2) https://www.youtube.com/Tennirobo
3) Review http://pingpongbros.com/equipment/tennirobo-review/
4) Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TenniRobo/
5) Another great review from Mark (he lives in the USA) - https://www.facebook.com/MarkECrum/post ... 7892032627

As maurice101 said (he owns one), Tennirobo has a really simple construction. If you have a simple screwdriver, it won't be a problem for you to replace any part on your own. Of course, we are located in Ukraine, but shipping from Ukraine to the USA usually takes about 2 weeks. It means that in about 3 weeks you will have any parts for replacement. Fortunately, all "child" problems have been fixed, now we don't have any reports from our users about problems.

I will be glad to answer any additional questions.
Sergey.

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https://www.tennirobo.com/

Awesome, thanks for the information! I will definitely check out more of the information that you shared. Your robot has all of the features I'm looking for, at a very attractive price point. Appreciate the help!!!

_________________
"Don't let a win get to your head or a loss to your heart"
USATT Rating: 1730
Blade: Stiga Cybershape Carbon
FH Rubber: Butterfly Tenergy 19 2.1
BH Rubber: Sauer & Troger Hellfire X OX

I had the Paddle Palace touch screen robot. It was rock solid for durability, but not great in the variety and realism. I also had an amicus pro, it was the reverse, some mechanical problems but more realistic.

I have never used the tennirobo but I read good things. IMO training with a robot long-term makes you play worse, so I'd be wary of spending > $1000 on either the PP or Bty robots. But YMMV.

_________________
Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you'll start to see a big difference in your life.

Yoko Ono

I certainly think there is a right and a wrong way to train with a robot. Used correctly, in conjunction with some good coaching and feedback from more experienced players, video analysis, and plenty of real match play, I think it can be a helpful tool. Especially if it's the difference between no extra practice at all and a couple extra hours of drills per week, I'd say it will probably be a net benefit. I certainly found it useful in my developmental stages.

_________________
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Personalized Online Performance Coaching for Table Tennis now available!

For me, there are a few reasons I'm interested in getting a very good robot. One, I'm not always able to get to the club on the days it's open. Having a robot would allow me to get in some practice in those times when the club isn't open or I have a conflict. I would still look to play with other players and get match experience in both practice matches and tournaments, but it would eliminate those times when my skills deteriorate due to lack of ability to play. Second reason is, it would be a nice workout for me, to help me get more fit and stay active. Third, it would allow me to work on specific weaknesses and drills to help both my inverted and my pips play. Not many players want to do drills to benefit my consistency with pips, and I could set up a robot with drills that focus on that. And another reason, I'm a bit of an EJ, it would be super helpful for testing different equipment and types of equipment without having to waste time (and losses) in practice matches.
Not being very mechanical or "handy", something that is reliable is a big point for me, and since it's a bigger investment, something that I can easily fix if a problem comes up and easily have access to parts if I need them are as big of considerations as functionality.
I don't know how "expandable" they are, but I might consider getting a mid-tier one if it can eventually be upgraded with additional functionality at a later time.

_________________
"Don't let a win get to your head or a loss to your heart"
USATT Rating: 1730
Blade: Stiga Cybershape Carbon
FH Rubber: Butterfly Tenergy 19 2.1
BH Rubber: Sauer & Troger Hellfire X OX