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43 of 43 found the following review helpful:
 Backyard Pitching Machine Mar 17, 2006
By jimfresh86 (the over-indulgent dad)
I bought this for my backyard to be used in a cage I have set up. I opted for this model for two main reasons. Cost and safety. It's one of the cheaper models from Jugs. Compared to the ones that throw hard baseballs or the hard dimpled pitching machine balls besides being cheaper it is also much safer for my 7 and 10 year old. I don't have to worry about them getting hit with the balls. There are cheaper options out there (mound monster, hitting streak) but this one feels like it is built to last as compared to some of the other pitching machines in the under $400 range. It is a good weight (35lbs) and feels very solid.
It comes with two separate bags. One smaller bag for the legs and one for the head unit that throws the balls. The storage bags are quality and seem like they will last. It comes with only one sample Jugs ball of each of the types of balls it will throw. 2 different baseballs (1 poly and one spongy) and 2 different softballs (1 poly and one spongy) for a total of 4 balls. Expect to add some money for the cost of at least a couple dozen of Jugs balls.
It was relatively quick to setup. With just a brief look at the instructions you kind of understand where everything goes and in about 10 minutes you are ready to go. While takedown/setup is relatively easy it is still not so easy that you want to do it everyday. Since its just in my backyard I prefer to just leave it setup and have a cover for it for rainy days as it is not supposed to get wet. I guess if you wanted to travel with it allow 10-15 minutes each for setup and takedown. You would also probably need the optional battery.
You have to calibrate the pitches by moving the head unit around. It has knobs you can loosen to move the head unit up/down left /right. It may take a couple of pitches to get it throwing within the strike zone. Fastballs are pretty consistent within the strike zone. Since the balls are so light the wind does have an affect on the ball flight. One thing I don't really like is that when you want to change from fastballs to curveballs or sliders you have to recalibrate once again. The hitter also knows its coming when you throw a curve or slider. It's obvious you are going to throw a curve or slider since the head unit is tilted and you have to recalibrate it to throw a curve in the strike zone. It's kind of a pain to change the pitch types so for now we have mainly just stuck to changing speeds off of the fastball. While my 10 year old can calibrate it, its not easy to calibrate for younger kids. Now that he is familiar with it my 10 year old can probably use it with little supervision.
One big plus is that my son doesn't complain about his hands hurting after hitting like he might after going to the cage and hitting the hard balls. Since these balls are soft there is no sting. He can swing a hundred times and his hands dont hurt at all. Because of the lack of fear of being hit it can also help the young hitter learn to bunt a fast pitched ball.
Other criticisms include the use of only Jugs balls. At $20/dozen the balls are a little expensive but really not much more than other sponge ball options out there. I have only really used the lite flite sponge baseballs with it. I haven't tried the poly balls.
Also, I wish it came with the optional auto feeder w/remote. You can't really practice alone with this machine. I might get it when it becomes available.
It is listed @ 30-50mph. I find when it's a slower pitch at the recommended distances the pitch tends to end up much lower than the max fastball which tends to be higher. I have it setup approx 30 ft. away. Which gives me the ability to get a good range of speeds of pitches in the strike zone without calibrating it over and over. (The manual says @ 40 feet the max fastball speed is equivalent to a pitch @ approx 60-65 mph. At 35 feet it is 70-75 mph)
I would definitely recommend it to those with younger children for safety reasons but I could see them using it through high school as well. I think the quality for an under $400 machine is very high. It is built well and serves its purpose. Would I get it if my kids were playing high school ball? While I can see it being used with high school age kids I'm not sure I would buy it. While it is a good machine I think I might have to spend a little more and get a Jugs one that throws real baseballs.
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Great pitching machine for kids!! Mar 29, 2010
By Stephen C.
Growing up my Dad bought me an ATEC pitching machine in high school and we built a 90 foot pro-style batting cage complete with Yankee stadium clay around home plate so I know pitching machines. This is NOT that kind of machine but if you have Little Leaguers or especially a child transitioning from tee ball to pitching this is THE machine for you. I just bought one used on craigslist the other day but bought the special "Lite Flite" balls here on Amazon. If you can't or don't want to pick one up used, Amazon definitely has a great price on it. I HIGHLY recommend you also pick up the JUGS Instant Screen as a back-stop at the same time. The great thing about the "soft" baseballs are that my son (8 years old) didn't worry about getting hit, even though I had beaned him a bunch of time the previous week trying to pitch to him. He took right to the machine and within minutes was honing his swing. It really allowed me to give instruction and watch his technique and not worry about pitching (or hitting him as the case had been!). Daddy even got a chance to hit a few balls the other day. The great thing is that the balls feel solid when hitting them and "pop" off the bat but really don't travel very far (I only managed to rock a few balls about 150 feet or so) so they are pretty easy to contain in your back yard or any decent size playground. I recommend 2 to 3 dozen "Lite Flite" balls and no more or you will lose track of them.
This is really a great training device for young up and coming ball players and even young teeanage hitters. It is money well spent (especially when you consider what they charge at a batting cage these days) and it is such a well built machine that when your kids outgrow it you will have no problem recouping at least 50% of it's price on eBay or Craigslist if you keep it in good condition.
It works off AC power so remember to have a long extension cord, a small generator or buy the battery pack (expensive at about $175). You could make your own battery system for about $75 with a simple DC to AC inverter (like they sell for your car cigarette lighter) at $30, a 12volt 18 amp hour battery pack (around $30) and a charger ($15)and stuff it all in a small carry bag.
Short of buying a $900-2000 "real" pitching machine, this is your best and only bet for the price, especially if you can find a used one. Good luck!!
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
The Best Pitching Machine On The Market For This Price Point, Period Feb 02, 2012
By Anthony G. Simonetta
"Anthony"
I don't particularly like given 5 star reviews because in my opinion, everything can be improved, enhanced, or simply made better. That is definitely NOT the case with this pitching machine. I am going to break down for you why this pitching machine is worth way more than the $399.99 price point. First I will compare and contrast a similar price-point pitching machine for those of you looking at other models. Then i will highlight the great things about the Jugs machine.
First, a little background. I have owned 2 different pitching machines prior to this model. Each and every one of the previous 2 machines was returned within 14 days. The most recent machine I had was the Mattingly HitMan Pitching Machine. I really liked this pitching machine because it included a ball feeder and it could throw curve-balls, sliders, etc. Something else I also liked about this machine was that each pitch was located somewhere slightly different. For example, if I aimed the pitching machine to pitch down the middle, belt-high; sometimes I would get a pitch 'right down the pipe', and other times it would be slightly inside, outside, high, or low. In extreme cases, some of the pitches were way-off and out of the strike zone. Some people may not like that, but I think it is a genuinely important aspect of any pitching machine. Hitting the same pitch over-and-over again may help develop some of the fundamental motions of hitting, but in my experience as a college baseball player, developing an eye for pitches, for location, and for speed is far more important than going through the motions. Being able to make last second alterations depending on where the ball is pitched is vital.
OK, so why did this get returned. Unfortunately, after 1 week of use, the ball feeder stopped feeding balls. Well, since I am not Bugs Bunny and I can't pitch to myself and hit the same ball, I had to contact the company. They were possibly the most accommodating customer service Department I have ever dealt with. I specifically had contact with Linda Shaw and she was incredibly helpful and understanding. They replaced the malfunctioning ball feeder, and sent the new one with 2 day shipping. Very classy in my opinion. Unfortunately, the second ball feeder stopped working even quicker than the first, and so I contacted the same representative again. She asked for one more chance to make it right and so I said sure. They even sent an extra pack of the balls for the machine (29.99 per dozen) for free. Again, very classy. Unfortunately, the third ball feeder did not work and I had to return the pitching machine because it was getting close to the last day of return.
Furthermore, the machine is made of a combination of metal and plastic pieces. The ball feeder is entirely made of plastic that houses a small motor. The legs and other metal construction seemed to be a lighter metal, maybe a reinforced aluminum or really low-grade steel? Or something in between? I don't know as I am not a metal smith; but the metal used seemed minimally sturdy.
Immediately upon returning the product I was heart-broken. I have a mini-batting cage set up in my backyard, a full array of wood and metal bats, etc. and now I had no pitching machine. I couldn't afford one for one thousand dollars and it seemed as if in order to get any machine made of quality I would have to spend that. That was until I more thoroughly researched the Jugs Lite Flite Pitching Machine. What turned me off from it to begin with is that you buy the pitching machine for 399, then, you need to buy the auto-feeder for NOT $99 buck, not 149 bucks, not even 199 bucks; but for $219 + shipping (roughly $240). I thought that was a grand rip-off and completely outrageous. That is why I decided to go with the Mattingly machine to begin with.
With the Mattingly machine returned though, I figured 'screw it', I am going to try it anyway and if it isn't God's gift to man I will just return this one as well. Boy am I glad that I bought this machine despite the outrageous price of the ball feeder. This machine is everything you could ever want in a model priced at $399.
1.) It is made of very noticeable heavy, durable, high grade steel that has serious heft to it. Furthermore, the entire machine is made of this heavy, durable material. No worries about those parts wearing down--ever.
2.) The machine throws both left handed and right handed curve-balls and sliders.
3.) The machine comes with a softball attachment! I have a 9 month old daughter who someday may want to do what daddy does. This was an awesome bonus.
4.) For some, this is seemingly unimportant, but it also comes with a really convenient carrying bag if you ever wanted to go to a field, bring it to a friend's house, or whatever.
5.) The pitches themselves are both consistent and sometimes vary. Meaning that most of the time (85% ish) the ball is in about the same location each time (varies by maybe an inch in any direction). The other 15% of the time it throws the ball a little further off-mark. Again, I love this feature. You can't really get in a groove which keeps you on your toes and developing an eye for pitch location. When it is windy out, the pitches do fluctuate a little more as far as location, but again, i neither mind nor dislike that at all--in fact I enjoy it because it makes me a better hitter.
6.) The balls are the most durable pitching machine balls I have seen to date. After just 3 weeks with the Mattingly machine, 3 of my balls were unusable. I'd like to say it is because I hit the ball like Albert Pujols, but unfortunately it isn't. At that rate, one ball per week would cost me $2.49 per week of upkeep, or, $129.96 per year to replace balls. That is kind of a bummer. So far, no issues with the balls at all.
7.) Easily adjustable. Unlike the other pitching machines I have used, this one is sooooo simple to adjust and I don't have to keep readjusting it. other pitching machines I have had, after about 15-20 balls I would have to adjust the pitching settings because the machines would shake so much that it would jar them loose.
8.) Two options of balls. The lite flite balls and the bulldog balls. This type of customizability is a great feature. For instance, at my house, I have a batting cage so i can use the light flight balls with no problem and not have to worry about them landing 100-200 feet in some neighbor's fence or hitting a neighbor's house. Whereas at my friend's house, his backyard is a little smaller but when we use the bulldog balls they don't travel as far. Thus, we are still good to go. This may not apply to everyone, but it is particularly convenient for me and if you want to bring it somewhere where space is more limited.
9.) I honestly was completely against getting a pitching machine that did not throw 'real' baseballs. I figured, what is the point? Well, this machine has made a believer out of me that hitting these balls is just as enjoyable and as fulfilling as hitting a regular ball without the fear of getting hit (for kids), without the fear of breaking anything (for homes without batting cages), without the fear of breaking/wearing down my bats (I play in wood bat league, broken bats are expensive--especially when broken in just practice).
This machine is heavy, durable, made with superior craftsmanship. I don't know why anyone would get any other pitching machine. If anyone on Amazon ever has any questions, please let me know and I will answer them. I may even upload a video in the near future to show everyone how awesome this is. It is easily a 5 star machine at a 5 star price.
Note: For those of you purchasing the ball feeder read below.
The $240 I spent on the ball feeder genuinely pissed me off because I cannot justify how they could charge that much for it. After using the ball feeder, I still can't justify the 240, but it is made of extremely durable, steel/hard, durable metal, and does a flawless job feeding the balls through the machine. This product is definitely of high quality, it is just not worth 240. A more appropriate price would be 149.99 + shipping. Despite that though, I cumulatively spent about $640 on the machine, the balls, and the feeder. It was definitely money well-spent. For those of you thinking, 'well, for another $300 bucks I could get a better machine that throws 'real' baseballs'. Do it. If that's important to you and $300 bucks isn't that much to you. If you want to save some money though and get a quality machine that does everything besides throw 'real' baseballs--you need to get this machine. There is not argument. Side-by-side this machine destroys anything else I have ever used at this price point and it is guaranteed to last with generous warranties and a real good track record. You rarely find bad things said about Jugs products...this is why. They get it right the first time. Quality products are hard to find. I just did the work for you.
7 of 9 found the following review helpful:
This machine rocks! May 22, 2009
By Kealoha Tauaefa
The machine is wonderful. The first day we got it, we used it at softball practice. Girls that had never hit the ball before were actually hitting it because they weren't afraid of getting hit with the ball. I have no complaints about the machine whatsoever. I do want to mention that I ordered it on 4/19/09 and it was supposed to arrive on 4/25/09. The battery pack and balls arrived on 4/27 (already two days late) and the machine didn't arrive until OVER ONE MONTH LATER!!!! What's worse is the tracking number proved by USPS was good for nothing because it couldn't tell where the machine was! Although I love the machine, I will never order anything of importance from amazon.com again.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Solid Machine, Perfect for the Backyard Nov 21, 2011
By Stephanie Kennerly
"Stefaroonie"
We've had this for about a month now and have used it quite a bit. My son is 6 and loves baseball. He moved into a machine pitch league so we bought the machine for practice. The machine is well built and solid. It comes in two strong fabric cases (one for the machine and one for the legs) with 1 of each ball (baseball/softball wiffle, baseball/softball lite flight). It also come with 2 ball shutes for a baseball and softball. The whole thing is pretty top notch. Set up took about 10 minutes. This is mainly screwing the legs together. For baseball, I'd just leave the legs together when you take it down. That will save you 8 minutes right there. For softball, you only use half the legs so setup is pretty quick.
You have to setup the machine for the ball you want to use. There are four distinct setups that require you to unscrew/screw a pressure plate for each size and style of ball. So if you have a mix of wiffle and lite flight balls, you can really only use one without having to re-adjust everything. And really, after ANY change you make, you have to re-adjust and calibrate the machine. It's pretty easy to find the sweetspot though after any change. In about 3-4 balls you can find the zone for fastballs. Curveballs seem to take me a bit longer.
A lot of what makes the machine work for you is actually the ball you use. We have been using the lite flight balls almost exclusively. We bought 2 dozen at first but realized 4 dozen is the perfect amount of balls before we have to go pick them all up. They fly pretty accurately, usually in or around the strike zone. Sometimes in the wind they will get unpredicatable but never dangerous. I think it mimics a real pitching situation. The balls are foam, but dense, with very little weight. I got hit on a come-backer in the leg and while it didn't hurt that bad, it stung enough to get out of the way on the next one. Also, we were catching some pop flys with bare hands and that stung quite a bit too. My son also took a pop fly off the face that stung him pretty good but didn't leave a bruise. That said, my son doesn't fear the ball at all, even after getting hit in the face. The balls travel further that I thought they would. I don't have a huge backyard but he sends them into the neighbors yard once in a while. Whe he gets older we'll have to get a net.
It doesn't work well for popups as the the ball is so lite it just pops out of glove so when we practice it is more for footwork and positioning. You can launch the ball pretty high for popups. Also, the wiffle ball that comes with it is probably the strongest wiffle ball ever made. It is way nicer than the Nike ones I have (Which incidentally work with the machine but are not very accurate and tend to slow down right before the batters box). The only other negative of the machine would be the speed control. You basically have to guess what speed it is. The Jugs Jr machine we have at the baseball field has a digital speed display. That would be great on this.
So what about results? Well, he used to strike out almost every at bat and this weekend he went 5 for 5. I'll give the credit mostly to his superior genetics, but the machine helped quite a bit too.
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