3 Best Budget Pickleball Ball Machines

Posted by:

|

On:

|

I have owned a small handful of pickleball machine ball launchers, and I have constantly looked for the best budget machine.

Unfortunately, my search for the best budget launched it has taken me on a lot of twists and turns, but I finally believe I found the best budget ball machine.

After we cover the best budget launchers, I’ll go through factors to determine whether pickleball machines worth it?

1. Best Budget Pickleball Machine: A11N Automatic Pickleball Launcher

A11n has some of the best portable pickleball nets, so I was enthusiastic when I found out that the company created a budget pickleball machine. Let me just tell you that this machine was awesome!!

Here’s some pictures of the machine. Follow along as I will plan to release videos I just shot about the experience.

Check the various levels of oscillation and lob, which were impressive.

Next, there are three ways that you can get power to your device.

  1. 4 D Batteries
  2. Power Charger
  3. Plug In

Thankfully, A11 equips you with what you need for each of these charging options with the exception of the actual batteries.

I searched a LONG time and found what I believe is the best power charger for this pickleball launcher if your court does not have access

Playability

In my opinion, the most important aspect of a pickleball launcher is the playability. How well does the machine place the ball?

This is where I left the most impressed.

First, I found that the machine was hugely consistent, meaning that it would place the ball near the baseline consistently even when oscillating the ball. I am not sure if I even got that consistency when playing with the Ernie.

Although the batteries did not work well with the A11N pickleball launcher, the machine worked fantastic when plugging the machine in.

I appreciated that the machine has a low and high setting, and that the machine has a low and high setting in oscillation.

For example, the machine has 4 settings for the lob factor of the machine. So, the machine can provide higher shots and also lower shots.

Finally, I appreciated that the learning curve is not nearly as high as it was for the Ernie. It took only about 5-10 minutes to setup, and probably around 15-20 minutes of a learning curve.

Value

Finally, this machine is a fantastic value at under $200. The fact that it provides oscillation random from left to right was fantastic, and potentially even a better work out than my $1800 Erne machine.

Unfortunately, the machine is currently sold out on A11n’s website, so I am hoping that they restock. That said, you may want to check the link below to see whether the machine is back in stock.

You can also purchase this machine on Amazon, but I am not sure whether that is in stock.

2. The Budget Machine I Did NOT Like: Furlihong 681PBH Pickleball Machine

When I first researched budget machines, I stumbled across the cheapest machine out there: Furlihong 681PBH Pickleball Machine.

I wrote an entire review covering my experience, but here’s what you need to know.

Firstly, when you unbox the machine, I found that the machine felt very light and cheap. It doesn’t have to be heavy to be a quality machine, but it just felt inexpensive.

Picture of the Furihong pickleball machine I could find

Next, I didn’t love that adding batteries did not allow for me to use the highest 2 settings to shoot the ball, the most powerful settings.

In addition, I did not like that it took 17 seconds for the pickleball launcher to shoot the ball.

Finally, here’s a video I shot showing the machines performance.

So, overall, this pickleball launcher felt very budget after all.

3. Best Overall Pickleball Launcher: Ernie Pickleball Machine

The Ernie pickleball machine is the absolute best pickleball machine in my opinion. I have compared the Ernie to the Titan and other top models, and it is just an amazing machine.

I waited almost 2 months to receive my Erne pickleball machine, but it was so worth it.

After receiving the Erne, I published this unboxing video.

After unboxing the Ernie, I decided to test the Erne in multiple sessions.

I wrote an entire review covering my Erne experience, but after getting through a learning experience, the pickleball machine is amazing.

I use the phone app to program how I want to play. Sometimes I practice third shot drops, and sometimes I practice a random mode that hits the ball around the court.

Picture of the Erne pickleball machine phone app.

It’s a fantastic machine, and I am really excited to play with it for years to come, but it is not a budget paddle.

After the discount code BEN100, the Erne pickleball machine is still around $1800.

That is an expensive machine.

So, that brings me to the last question whether a pickleball machine is worth it.

Are Pickleball Machines Worth It?

Yes, in my opinion, pickleball are often worth it.

That said, two questions you may want to ask yourself to understand whether

1. How often do you practice pickleball alone?

In my opinion, pickleball machines are best for those who are practicing alone because it allows you to act as if you are playing against someone else.

If you practice with a partner, you may be able to get more accurate practice as a pickleball machine is a well, a machine. You will get more predictable variability.

2. How much will you use the pickleball machine?

If you get a premium pickleball machine such as an Erne, you will probably want to use it quite often.

For example, if you spend $1800 on the machine and only use it 3 times, you are paying $600 per time you play with the machine.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *