I was telling my driller last night about the Soaker coverstock. He's a PBA and probably the best fitter I've had to date. Anyway, when I told him some about the Dyno equipment, he says, "Don't believe everything you read, they're no more durable than any other ball. And I never clean any of my equipment, just wipe it off after each shot". Basically he's saying the Soaker is just hype.

Well, I know the balls soak up oil, and I know that cleaning them periodically keeps them looking better, and reacting better than most other people's equipment, or is it all in my head?!?.. Any way, he says the same thing about Elixir too. Of course he doesn't want to say I know anything he doesn't know, maybe that's part of it too.
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kendog
avoids spare shooting at all costs
just throw strikes

I knew I could count on gettin' some good counselin'... whew! I feel a lot better now. LOL

I may just do the lane oil test with him to see what happens. I may also bring along my Blueberry treated with Elixir, I've already done that test.
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kendog
avoids spare shooting at all costs
just throw strikes

Ken, I've tried balls with almost every coverstock on the market.  Your driller is flat wrong.  The soaker does last substantially longer and perform at an acceptable level longer than reactive or particle coverstocks from Columbia/Track/AMF/Morich, Ebonite/Hammer, Storm/Rotogrip and Visionary.  It seems to last somewhat better, though the difference is not as clear, than Brunswick coverstocks -- which can be more easily revived than the Columbia, Ebonite and Storm family reactives (whose particles just flat go blah).  It does need periodic cleaning and, in my experience, resurfacing after about 120-160 games (it begins to lose some reaction).  After a resurfacing, in my experience, the performance comes back to near new (which is where you want it anyway for this coverstock) for another 140 or so, before it needs another resurface.  So far (and I bowl about 30-60 games a week) I haven't seen one come to the end of its useful life.  

Perhaps what your driller is referring to is "new ball" reaction.  Well, the Soaker does lose that reaction after about 20-30 games.  But, quite directly, the new ball reactions on the soaker are not nearly as good as the reaction once the coverstock is broken in.  From my experience, the soaker has longer top level performance than almost any other coverstock -- probably any other, though some of the Brunswick coverstocks (not my favorite on performance) seem extremely durable and long-lasting if maintained properly.
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"I don't mind if you don't like my manners. I don't like them myself. They're pretty bad. I grieve over them on long winter evenings."