Bat Rolling Machines - How To See Through The Sales Pitch

If you've ever been in the market for a bat rolling machine I'm sure you've found that there are several sites out there that other similar products. Each one of them trying to sell you their product and of course they all point out features of their roller that are different (and better) than the competitor. I'll try to clear the air of some of the important features you need to be concerned with and those that really don't matter.

Perpendicular or Parallel Rolling Machine?
I've been rolling bats for over 5 years now. The first bat rolling machines (in their current design) were developed about 5-6 years ago. All of the first bat rollers were of the Perpendicular style and roll the bat lengthwise up and down the barrel. A couple years ago the Parallel roller was developed and now everyone has followed suit. Listen clearly here.. The parallel roller was ONLY designed to speed up the rolling process. It DOES NOT do a better job rolling. You'll read that parallel rolling is needed in conjunction with perpendicular rolling because it hits spots that the where missed by the perpendicular roller. Simply put, it is NOT TRUE. I've been rolling bats for 5+ years and we've rolled bats every possible way and Perpendicular rolling gives you the same results that Parallel rolling or a combination of Parallel/Perpendicular does. There is really no need to spend the extra money on an already overpriced parallel roller.

Roller Sizes - What is the optimal size?
This paragraph only applies if you've made the choice to go with a parallel roller. From what I've seen there are 3 different designs of Parallel Rollers on the market. The roller sizes range from 6-7 inches in length. Most slowpitch and fastpitch softball bats will have at least a 10" barrel. With this being said, it DOES NOT matter whether you use a roller with a 6 or 7 inch roller. Either way you will still be able to adequately roll your bat. You'll read that the 6" rollers are better because then allow the composite to flex more than the 7' rollers. Again this is NOT TRUE and should not be factored in when making your decision on which roller to purchase.

Bearings - What type is the correct type?
This information may be more than most people will understand but I'll include it anyway. You'll see many different terms thrown around when it comes to the type of bearings that each machine uses and how their type is better than the next. The truth is that you should be looking for a unit that uses good quality sealed bearing that is lubricated. The last thing you want to get is a unit that requires you to lubricate your bearings in order for smooth operation. I recently came across a site that claims their new higher priced rollers have special bearings. They use big names like "Thrust Bearings" and "Radial Bearings". It doesn't matter. These big names just give them a reason to be able to charge you more money for something that you don't really need.

Roller Materials - What's the deal?
Again you'll see some different material claims being offered by different manufacturers. Most manufactures will use a high impact Polyethylene material or nylon which has a hardness of Shore D 68. These are roughly the hardness of a golf ball. This material provides great wear resistance which equates to little need to ever replace them because of wear and tear. Some claim their rollers are precision machined for more consistency. Again this is just a sales pitch and gives them another reason to charge you more money. If you can find a reputable company that offers you a lifetime warranty and is willing to work with you then there is absolutely no need to worry about what type of roller material is being used.

Bat Roller Patents - What's the truth?
I'm only including this information because it's being used by some as a deterrent to convince you to purchase their unit vs. others on the market. The truth to this is that most likely a patent will never be issued on this type of product. There are a couple reasons it will be rejected. The main reason is that the company that applied for the patent is not the first to market a bat rolling machine (or the control compression method). This has been around for many years in many different forms. Their patent application was submitted in early 2008 and one of the biggest reasons for rejections is that you CAN NOT have a patent for things that have already been on the market prior to the patent being submitted. Since this patent was submitted in 2008 and there are photos of "controlled compression" devices dating back to 2005 available for view on the internet. It would reason that these devices have been around long before any patent application was submitted. This will make it an easy decision to the US Patent Office. In fact I believe the company that submitted the patent request has already received the initial rejection to their request. If you want to take the time you can do some research yourself and find the status of the patent and see the reasons for the rejection. You have no reason to worry about support or warranties from other companies offering similar products as they WILL NOT be effected by these claims. Again it's simply a sales pitch to steer you into buying their units.

In summary, we recommend you purchase your next bat rolling machine from a company that gives you REAL information and not a sales pitch. If a company is charging you extra for this upgrade and that upgrade when in fact there reason is no measurable difference in product you have to ask yourself is this an honest company? If they aren't willing to give you honest information (regardless of what they offer) then what makes you think they'll be around when you have problems or questions. Most reputable companies will respond to your email questions in a timely manner and give you honest information.