Pitching machines as a long-term investment

Denny, Bear knows his machines. The best is clearly the iron mike, but it is essentially an fixed-location machine, i.e, it is not readily portable. If you have a need for portability, consider the others. I have a Jugs curve-ball pitching machine. I bought it last year when my grandson was 7 (after determining from his quest for improvement and love for the game). Technically, it is a portable machine, but at 61, I still need assistance loading and unloading it. You stronger Buckos shouldn't have the problem. Remember that power is an issue, and if you are going to take BP in a place with no power, then you will have to add a generator (which I did). I selected the Jugs curve ball machine which is near the top of the line. I perceived (correctly or not) that the REAL value of the machine would be for youngsters to be able to identify a curve ball and hit it. It is a two wheeled machine. It cost about $1800 plus shipping and the generator (from another source) another $250. I figure that my grandsson will probably play 10-11 years. Amortizing the cost makes it cost about $200/year. I should be able to sell it at 1/4 of the original cost; therefore it's true cost is about $150/year or about $12/month.

The Atec machine APPEARS to be idential to the Jugs, and is approximately the same price, retail. I have wondered if a disgruntled Jugs engineer didn't just do his own thing.

I don't know about the Bulldog machine.

It would be less expensive up front to buy a single wheel machine, but I wouldn't recommend it. Our league uses one (Jugs) for machine-pitch. It can only throw about 80 mph (max) and, of course cannot throw the breaking ball. I consider this to be a fatal flaw for my application. I didn't want to have to buy 2 machines! I am please with the Jugs, used it 2 years, and it is like new. I figure the worst case scenario is having to buy two more tires. I am sure that you can find a reasonable price on a used machine, but I (personally) would be a little wary of one unless I knew it's history. Kind of like buying a used car.

Good luck!

Cheers,

-b-