ProSharp Home sharpener?

[Leif 161]

Does anyone here have the above, and how do you find it? I've decided to buy a machine, but reviews of the above are scarce, a few on YouTube of course. The alternative is the Sparx, maybe half the price although no European dealer yet, but wheels last nowhere near as long. 

[jimmy 194]

On 12/10/2017 at 5:01 AM, Leif said:

Does anyone here have the above, and how do you find it? I've decided to buy a machine, but reviews of the above are scarce, a few on YouTube of course. The alternative is the Sparx, maybe half the price although no European dealer yet, but wheels last nowhere near as long. 

Yes. The Prosharp Skatepal is an excellent machine. Not a cheap imitation like the Sparx, which basical copied proshops design. The Skatepal is a very durable machine and they've been making them for over a decade. They are the same Swedish quality as their proshop versions, just scaled down and simplified for the home user.  Their diamond wheels can sharpen up to 1000 skates, as opposed to 40 for the Sparx.  I would strongly recommend the Skatepal.

[Leif 161]

Thank. The Skatepal is a much more expensive machine, I'm not sure how it differs from the Home. Nice to hear you like it though.

[jimmy 194]

11 hours ago, Leif said:

Thank. The Skatepal is a much more expensive machine, I'm not sure how it differs from the Home. Nice to hear you like it though.

The Home is a Skatepal too . I think they are on sale for like $1500. May seem more than the Sparx which is $900 but Sparkx case is another $400, Skatepal comes with case and a wheel that will do 500 pairs of skates vs 40 for Sparx. To do 500 pairs on the Sparx, the wheels needed to do that would cost additional $500. So, the price difference isn't really what it seems.

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

31 minutes ago, jimmy said:

The Home is a Skatepal too . I think they are on sale for like $1500. May seem more than the Sparx which is $900 but Sparkx case is another $400, Skatepal comes with case and a wheel that will do 500 pairs of skates vs 40 for Sparx. To do 500 pairs on the Sparx, the wheels needed to do that would cost additional $500. So, the price difference isn't really what it seems.

Slight correction: the ProSharp HOME is $1,799.00. And depending on how many sharpenings you do on an annual basis, you may not reach that $500 amount for a while. To your point though, the ProSharp looks like a unit that hold up better over the long haul. 

[IPv6Freely 2092]

I just moved the post that Russ made in this thread into the Sparx thread here: 

There was a bit too much promotion of the Sparx in the post, but it also had some good points regarding comparing the two units so we didn't want to remove it completely. So, we either edit the post or we move it. I chose to move it.

[Leif 161]

On 12 December 2017 at 11:26 PM, jimmy said:

Yes. The Prosharp Skatepal is an excellent machine. Not a cheap imitation like the Sparx, which basical copied proshops design. The Skatepal is a very durable machine and they've been making them for over a decade. They are the same Swedish quality as their proshop versions, just scaled down and simplified for the home user.  Their diamond wheels can sharpen up to 1000 skates, as opposed to 40 for the Sparx.  I would strongly recommend the Skatepal.

When you sharpen your skates on the Skatepal, how many passes do you need, assuming you're not changing the radius of hollow? 

[mojo122 535]

On 12/14/2017 at 3:04 PM, 215BroadStBullies610 said:

Slight correction: the ProSharp HOME is $1,799.00. And depending on how many sharpenings you do on an annual basis, you may not reach that $500 amount for a while. To your point though, the ProSharp looks like a unit that hold up better over the long haul. 

ProSharp US has them listed as a Christmas special for $1490.  Looks like you have to shell out another $150 for a carrying bag. 

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

I guess it would be helpful to be at the right website haha. Not a terrible price especially if it holds up well over time.

[mojo122 535]

Not advocating for one machine over the other.  Haven't tried the Sparx fire so I can't compare it to FBV, but I have skated on Z-Channel and felt it had identical glide to that of FBV, but less bite than FBV.

[Stewie 721]

is that the included "case" Jimmy was talking about? looks about as protective as a pizza delivery bag. 

marketing the wheel to do 500 pairs seems pretty unreasonable to me. Not sure, maybe I just lack knowledge in sharpening, but it seems like whenever I get mine sharpened they do more than a single cycle per blade. Also, real world, my blades get nicked up often due to rink conditions etc. 

All this said, as a home user, and in an era with pop out blades, the Sparx seems like a better design to me over the skatepal. you can set the number of cycles needed based on how bad the blade looks, vs the simple single cycle button of the home. the unit seems easier to align for a home user, unit looks better in a home setting, and appears easier to clean. With more than 2 people in the home, maybe you will make up the money of the grinding rings in the long run, but as a single user, that's beyond my life time, and also having the money now is most often worth more than the same amount in the future. 

[jimmy 194]

On 12/18/2017 at 3:26 PM, Leif said:

When you sharpen your skates on the Skatepal, how many passes do you need, assuming you're not changing the radius of hollow? 

Depends if edges are just dull or damaged. One, two pass cycle on the diamond wheel can sharpen nicely. More might be needed if there's deep damage. This is one area over the Sparx where the SP has an advantage, with Sparx you could burn up a lot of wheel life trying to get out damage. Yes, they have a so-called crossgrind wheel to remove deep nicks, but it takes out all the edges so even when the finishing wheel is put back on, you'll have to do many passes to get the hollow back in, so either way, lot's of wheel use. The Sparkx wheels are their weak link.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

How is doing more passes on the Sparx different from doing more passes on the Skatepal? 

[Leif 161]

The ProSharp has the better warranty for the home user, three years or 5,000 cycles compared to one year or 10,000 cycles. Few home users will exceed 5,000 cycles in three years. The Sparx warranty is potentially better for a team. I suspect both are easy to clean. The ProSharp is quite a bit smaller so easier to carry, but the Sparx is significantly cheaper, and I've seen no evidence that it is less well made. That lower cost is a big advantage. 

[docar15 1]

Sorry to resurrect this old topic. With the damn virus we have been sharpening friends skates a good bit in addition to three family members. If anybody had the Prosharp Home for a couple of years how do the springs hold up? I am noticing on my Sparx that what used to take 2 - 3 passes now takes 4 or more. Ring does not put enough pressure on the blade. Anything hard (only tried step and massive) I tried 2 x 10 passes (max) on my SPARX and it barely made a dent before shutting down of overheating. Unit is two years old, just a little over. Like an old printer, looks like there is nothing to repair. They offered us discount on a new unit. We do sharpen primarily goalie skates. Thanks all. Stay healthy. 

Edited August 5, 2020 by docar15

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

41 minutes ago, docar15 said:

Sorry to resurrect this old topic. With the damn virus we have been sharpening friends skates a good bit in addition to three family members. If anybody had the Prosharp Home for a couple of years how do the springs hold up? I am noticing on Spare what used to take 2 - 3 now takes 4 or more. Ring does not put enough pressure on the blade. Anything hard (only tried step and massive) 2 times 10 passes (max) on SPARX and it barely made a dent before shutting down of overheating. Unit is two years old. Like an old printer, there is nothing to repair. They offered us discount on a new unit. We do sharpen primarily goalie skates. Thanks all. Stay healthy. 

I had to use for one of my players it was a couple years in when I got it. Was a solid machine but I only did the one pkayers skates. If I had to use one that would be my choice. 

[VegasHockey 1280]

1 hour ago, docar15 said:

Sorry to resurrect this old topic. With the damn virus we have been sharpening friends skates a good bit in addition to three family members. If anybody had the Prosharp Home for a couple of years how do the springs hold up? I am noticing on Spare what used to take 2 - 3 now takes 4 or more. Ring does not put enough pressure on the blade. Anything hard (only tried step and massive) 2 times 10 passes (max) on SPARX and it barely made a dent before shutting down of overheating. Unit is two years old. Like an old printer, there is nothing to repair. They offered us discount on a new unit. We do sharpen primarily goalie skates. Thanks all. Stay healthy. 

I've swapped out the spring in units for friends. It's not hard. Sparx does not recommend such. 

 

[docar15 1]

18 minutes ago, SkateWorksPNW said:

I've swapped out the spring in units for friends. It's not hard. Sparx does not recommend such. 

 

So good to know !!! Can spring kit be bought from Sparx or its a generic one that can be found on McMasters? Again, million thanks. Auto spells sucks. I need to go back and proof-read the original so Law Goalie does not make fun of me again :-). 

 

[VegasHockey 1280]

I'll have to check where I got mine from. I got the specs from a machine shop who took the a spring from a new unit and told me the spring rates and specifics. 

[docar15 1]

1 hour ago, oldtrainerguy28 said:

I had to use for one of my players it was a couple years in when I got it. Was a solid machine but I only did the one pkayers skates. If I had to use one that would be my choice. 

Thank you. I am hearing a lot about longevity that Prosharp home machines last. And springs stay strong. 

[docar15 1]

7 minutes ago, SkateWorksPNW said:

I'll have to check where I got mine from. I got the specs from a machine shop who took the a spring from a new unit and told me the spring rates and specifics. 

Thats my last hope. If I can't fix the Sparx and keep it tight, alas. Prosharp it is. I also noticed going from my 4mm goalie blades to my sons 3mm blades and back to mine seems to do a number on the stone. I gave up trying to adjust the height for kids' blades :-). Too many buttons for this old coach. 

[krisdrum 233]

My brother-in-law has the ProSharp Home for a few years now, and has 3 skaters in the house, plus the occasional sharpening for me or my son.  The grind wheels last quite awhile.  I definitely think you get better value from the ProSharp than you do from the Sparx.  If I was going to open my wallet, the ProSharp is where I'd be putting my money. 

[BenBreeg 493]

Over the course of their life, the difference in total cost per sharpen I imagine will be a minor factor.  If the quality of the sharpening is equal the ease of use would probably sway me to the Sparx.

[VegasHockey 1280]

7 hours ago, krisdrum said:

My brother-in-law has the ProSharp Home for a few years now, and has 3 skaters in the house, plus the occasional sharpening for me or my son.  The grind wheels last quite awhile.  I definitely think you get better value from the ProSharp than you do from the Sparx.  If I was going to open my wallet, the ProSharp is where I'd be putting my money. 

I agree. The cost of the unit and wheels is more but the cost per sharpening skates is less. I think it all depends on how much volume you're gonna do. I'd you're doing 1-3 skates a week the Sparx is better. If you're doing 10+ skates a week the ProSharp is likely better. 

[docar15 1]

Thank you !!! One thing I can't stress enough is aggravation I have been having with the Sparx sharpened blades after about a year and a half of non-commercial use. It's gotten to the point where I started taking our blades to a guru every couple of months to have them "doctored". All because after a while of continued Sparx use I started feeling flat spots, ringles, and other crazy things I remember from way back when when steel was crap and women were happy.  I can't put a price tag on that. Good to see MSH is very much alive and happy after some 4 - 5 years away :-). I will post a review of the ProSharp Home after we run it for a couple of months. Thanks again ALL!