I have a 3/4hp Donkee 2-speed (580 & 850 rpm). ...the one posted on their site is now 450 & 650 rpm.
-It's very user-friend at home. Plug it in and it's ready to go.
User-friendliness: 8/10
-It doesn't come with a splash guard so I wouldn't know. It costs $25 to get the custom fit splash guard from Donkee. The Donkee splash guard doesn't seem all that big, but I don't know for sure. The splashguard would be useless for me; the following describes why. As a splash guard, I just use a big tub from Wal-Mart (can't remember how much I paid for it).
Splash-guard: 5/10
-The unit is not as durable as they claim it is. There's a bit of rust developing on the motor and on the belt-driven pulleys.
Also, on their website they say,
quote:
* Base made of unbreakable polycarbonate
The base of mine has some chunks that were broken during transportation. http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=11/30822432226.jpg&s=x11
Unit durability: 5/10
The motor is quite durable. I've had the spinner for a year now, and I've used it EXTENSIVELY the first month I got it, lol! I do notice though that the motor gets REALLY hot after 45+ minutes of use. It has not stopped on me yet.
Motor durability: 9/10
The spinner has very minimal shaking on the lower speed setting. There is a noticable amount of vibration, especially if the core orientation is unbalanced. It's acceptable and not bad at all on the lower speed. On the higher speed, the ball orientation migrates until it becomes stable. There is A LOT of vibration on almost all balls (except for polyester balls) unless the core is oriented in a stable position.
The pieces the broke off result in HUGE vibration and the spinner doesn't stay in one place. I made a styrofoam base in the tub to keep the spinner from wiggling all over the place. I cannot use the spinner outside of the tub ; it moves all over the place scratches whatever it's on (messed up one of my tables).
Performance: 5/10
-As far as pricing, I bought the spinner used for $130USD. I'd say it was well worth it. However, for the price of a brand new spinner ($265), I don't think it would be worth it.
Pricing: 6/10
-Regarding warranty and customer service, I'm not to happy. Here's a message I got back from them regarding the pieces that chipped off.
quote:
Sip it back and we will transfer over the components for $20.00
You will need to pay the freight back and forth
Ship to
Donkee Products
9422 Rush St.
S El Monte Ca 91733
Attention Keith
We ask that you pay by credit card
The spinner was less than a year old (even including the time usage of the previous owner). I was frustrated about me having to pay $20.00 on something that broke within the warranty period. On top of that, I can't pay the freight to there and back (because shipping to and from Canada costs too much).
Warranty and customer service: 1/10
-I bought the spinner used so it didn't come with instructional videos or such. There are instructions on their website (http://www.donkee.com/polishing.htm). There are also instructions on the Jayhawk website (http://www.jayhawkbowling.com/Pro_s_Corner/Resurfacing_Tips/resurfacing.html), the Vertex website (http://www.vertexmold.com/spinning.htm), and the Innovative website (http://www.innovativebowling.com/howto.htm). The way I learned is watching my ball driller use his spinner. I also played around with my spinner using really old balls after reading the instructions on all those websites.
Instruction matertial: 7/10
Overall: 6/10
The spinner is decent and gets the job done. Getting a spinner is one of the best things I've ever done (next to getting a coach 
). If I had to buy a new spinner, I'd probably go with the Vertex if money is an issue, but if not, the Innovative seems like it has A LOT to offer.
Hope this helps!
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Dino
Evolutionary. Revolutionary.
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