Lobster Sports Elite Freedom Portable Tennis Ball Machine (21x14x 20- Inch)

This was my first foray into purchasing a tennis ball machine.The first day using the machine was difficult. The only way I could get the machine to work was to start everything in the lowest settings, then after it started turn the speed and timing up.After about ten sessions, this no longer worked. I would start the machine, then it would cut out and stop working.I contacted Customer Service and was given two options. I could either pay for the shipping to have the Lobster serviced or I could try diagnosing the issues through Skype with one of their technicians, then have their technician, again through the phone of Skype, walk me through fixing the issue after the parts were shipped to me.I am not mechanically inclined and will not pay for shipping to have the Lobster fixed, as such I will be contacting Amazon to have it returned and get my money back for the defective product.My advice to anyone looking to purchase a Lobster: Tread carefully and know that any issues will be on you to fix with help over Skype. Those who are okay with this, the Lobster might make a decent purchase.

I bought this machine because I could not justify spending more, and I wanted the oscillation feature so I could get a good work out. I've had the machine for a year now, and I used it in the spring/summer months outdoors (USA,MI).There's a few things one should know about the machine before buying. If these are deal breakers for you, I wouldn't recommend:1. I personally don't feel comfortable using it unless I have at least a court on both sides of me empty. I'm usually a little cautious when it comes to these types of things though. It is mostly just due to balls hitting the opposite fence and rolling too far, or the occasional ground stroke that hits another ball on the ground and bounces. When hitting full ground stokes cross court with oscillation running, balls can manage to travel behind neighboring courts. It is also a little noisy. Luckily I play after work in the afternoon and I have courts where this is possible. One option if someone comes up next to you is to turn oscillation off and hit away from neighbors.2. For me, it is very difficult to use this machine on full speed. I have not been able to successfully place it to where it gets enough loft over the net and has full speed. It either flies past the baseline or is way to low and not fun to hit. It's not fun to spend a lot of time trying to perfectly place the machine (you have to pick up balls that you don't even hit and it takes a lot of time), so I personally gave up trying to use it on full speed unless the charge is low.3. A consistent battery charge level is key to quick set-up and consistent placement results. If you go out one day on a short charge, you will find yourself messing around with placement and loft to get same results as full charge. Just charge it fully or consistently before going out.Pros:- Pretty easily transportable - I own a 2012 Camry SE and it fits fine in the back seat. I easily carry it down a flight of stairs then roll it once on level ground.- Oscillation is pretty accurate on one speed below high. Other reviewers complain about it throwing balls out of bounds, but I have been able to set it up to successfully avoid that. One key is keeping the charge level as mentioned above in 3.- Ball holder has high ball capacity. I use 86 balls (pressure less) when I go out. Maybe I should increase this. I could see the 150 capacity claimed in the specs.Cons:- High speed setting is difficult to use, cannot get machine to throw balls in desired location (see 2 above).- Does not have a setting to spray balls in all areas of the court, front, back, left, right (like other expensive machines can). Must stick with one of the multiple available power settings.- Picking up balls is a pain in the arse (with all ball machines)I would recommend it to anyone as long as the first 3 points aren't deal breakers for you. I gave it 4 stars because it did what I expected it to do in the price range. It really helped me improve the consistency on my ground stroke. Also, running back and forth with the oscillation feature is a good work out. I didn't have time to join a league because of work, and only had one other person to play with at my skill level. We are around a 4.0 and he had joined a league so he was quickly surpassing me with consistency. After I bought the machine I was back to playing good matches with him.PS.Make sure your battery is connected when you first get the machine. When I first got it, I plugged it in to see no LED indicator action. Taking off the panel revealed the battery was not connected.

My husband and I LOVE this machine! you can set it to different speeds and different time intervals and you can either set it to lob the tennis balls straight or back and forth. My husband is a tennis instructor and uses it with his students now as well as for casual practice for him and myself. Super glad we made this purchase

The lobster was great for days and now the motor only lasted for 3 balls it is fully charge we have tried everything please help!!

Happy with performance so far. Machine bounced in transit, so I had to call Tech Support, and then remove control panel to secure battery and re-affix battery leads. Good battery life, and fairly easy to adjust.

used machine about 5 time, and it started to trip circuit breaker, when i reset it it keeps tripping, not worth the money sorry i bought it, don't waste your money not worth it, and i can't send it back after 30 days, real drag man

It does exactly what it is supposed to do, although I wish it could charge a little faster. This only a minor inconvenience, and can be fixed with a $100 accessory. Lobster support and service is really good. They replaced a dysfunctional battery that would not fully charge. Since the battery's replacement, the machine has worked great!

Great product. Prompt shipping . The pace of the ball is advertised ... It gives anyone a good workout ! It's not bulky and stores easily.