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Author Topic: Mean Machine  (Read 14164 times)

admin

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Mean Machine
« on: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM »
Coverstock: Fang LS Control
Weight Block: Robo core
Ball Color: Black/Pearl
Ball Finish: Smooth
Hook Potential: 7 (Medium-High) on a scale of 1-10 Low-High
Length: 8 (High) on a scale of 1-10 Low-High
RG Differential: 0.050 (Medium-High Flare) on a scale of .000-.080 Low Flare-High Flare
RG Average: 2.52 (Medium-Low) on a scale of 2.43-2.80 Very Low-High Break Point
Reaction Shape: Strong Flip
Recommended Lane Conditions: Heavy Oil

 

Dwight Albrecht

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Re: Mean Machine
« Reply #16 on: September 16, 2006, 02:04:05 AM »
Track Mean Machine:

Ball Specs
The ball being drilled was a 3” pin out with 3.00 oz top weight.
Drilling: Pin 4" from PAP and Mb 45 degree angle or 4 1/4" from my pap. Pin is above ring finger, 3" above grip midline. Weight Hole on my axis. Initially Factory Sanded at 1500, later sanded to 1000 Abralon.

Bowler Information:
Track diameter is 10 1/2.
PAP is measured at 5 1/4 over and 3/8" up.
Average ball speed (foul line to head pin) is 17 mph.
Axis rotation is typically 90 degrees
Initial rev rate is typically 300 rpm, "Tweener"
Lane Condition and Pattern:
AMF Bowlero, HPL 9000 Panel. Oil Pattern: Medium Heavy Oil and slightly clean back ends. House Shot Tapered Block, dry outsides oily insides.


Review. In a few words: A hooking ball with Angularity. The ball hooks in oil and it is also very angular on the back ends. The ball came for me semi shiny and initially was a touch under/over. Took it down to 1000 abralon and now it really macthes up well for Bowlero's heavier oil.

I have my Machine at 2000 and the Mean 1000. The Mean is 3-4 boards more hook with an earlier breakpoint but still has wonderful backend reaction.

I think all styles of players will like this ball with proper drilling and surface tweaks.

Just a great ball, WAY TO GO DEL!!
Thanks for reading my review.
Dwight


RDS

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Re: Mean Machine
« Reply #17 on: September 18, 2006, 02:34:50 AM »
Mean Machine 2 inch pin out. 4 X 5 X 5.5MB (pin to right side of ring finger)
The Mean Machine is a very deceptive ball, it has this incredibly smooth roll, never jumpy or skiddish. Carry down seems to have little to no effect on this ball. When I got it too far right it came back, inside would look like to heavy of a hit but it would still strike.  My only problem is speed as far as this ball is concerned. When I keep my speed under 17/18mph this ball is an absolute monster. On fresh oil or later with carry down this ball excels. I believe anyone with lower ball speeds will fall in love with this ball especially, because the hit and carry is just amazing. I have yet to find a house with enough oil to really test the upper oil limits, but I seriously doubt that with the amount of energy this ball saves for the hit in the pocket if there is such a thing as too much oil for the Mean Machine. Track has yet another hit in their outstanding line-up this year.
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Track amateur staff

Big-T

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Re: Mean Machine
« Reply #18 on: October 13, 2006, 01:47:19 PM »
I'm just gonna say that it's finally nice to have a ball that ignores the oil and comes back to the pocket nicely.  In fact, while forgiving, it can come back too much.  And I'd rather solve that problem than the reverse.

Great ball!

800

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Re: Mean Machine
« Reply #19 on: November 16, 2006, 09:08:25 PM »
JUST GOT IT TODAY, HAD IT DRILLED AND ONLY HAD TIME FOR 1 GAME,,235 OUT OF THE BOX. TERRIFIC BACK END AS DESCRIBED. PRETTY DRY HOUSE SHOT BEFORE OILING TOOK PLACE, STOOD AS FAR LEFT AS POSSIBLE SWUNG IT TO GUTTER AND IT CAME RIPPING BACK. WILL USE IT TOMORROW IN LEAGUE PLAY WITH FRESH OIL. WILL LET YOU KNOW

minimum_Bob

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Re: Mean Machine
« Reply #20 on: December 01, 2006, 10:51:10 PM »
Another SWEET piece from Track. Unless your in soup...oil is no issue for this ball. Beautiful roll....nice strong arc on the backend....awesome carry. The mean machine and the Power Machine are a VERY effective combination. In fact Ive gone from lugging 4 balls around to only these two. Again...Mucho Props to Brian Krantz at Garden Spot Bowling Center for turning me on to Track equipment.

Big-T

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Re: Mean Machine
« Reply #21 on: February 07, 2007, 06:35:33 PM »
One of my first series with the MM was a 721.......ok the Thursday afterward I didn't break 500 but hey....it happens.

Anyway I loved this ball at first.  I have never stood so far left, thrown a ball so far right only to have it return far left.  Great carry, great reaction...but like ever other heavy oil ball from Track I've owned it eventually died.  My Slash was a great ball and is still being thrown by a friend of mine but it's not the hook monster it was new.  My Animal hooked great new and after that died.

Now, after less than 3 months with my Mean Machine hooks less than my Monster Bruiser and Bully.  Me and another gal on my Tuesday night league are having our pro shop replace them due to an untimely and early death.  My team partner's Mean Machine still works great.  The only Track ball that I own that still works like a champ is my Crunch Time.

I hate it too.  This ball when it works is a beautiful thing.  So I won't say not to buy one but I will say  make sure if you buy it from your local pro that he'll stand behind it if it dies.

Good luck.  I hope my MoRich Awesome Hook (the replacement) does what it's supposed to for more than 3 months.

Mark T. Trgovac

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Re: Mean Machine
« Reply #22 on: February 10, 2007, 04:44:49 PM »
Layout - PIN 4" in ring finger - MB 6" ( all from PAP)

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=4345879

Surface - 500 Abralon

Reaction
The reaction on this ball is completly differrent from any normal reactive type of ball. The blend in this ball gives it such great length and backend reaction. Yet the solid gives it the traction you would need in the oil.
Rateng 10

Readabily
Normaly this cover type is my favorite to read the lanes with. However the reaction out of this solid/pearl blend is not a normaly reaction, So I dont feel for me that this is a good ball to read the lane with unless you have a even rolling layout on it with a smoother finish on the surface.
Rating 8.5

Versatility
The versatility of this ball is something I see as being something easy to do. The cover takes to changes nice and reacts the way you prep it to. OOB with the smoother finish it was long and strong. Now with the 500 abralon It is strong in the oil and very very strong on the backend off the dry.
Rating 10

Hit
All I have to say is this is a typical hit off of a track ball. I love this hit, yet not as much as my hit on the animal.
Rating 9.5

Overall comments
This ball is one of my lest used balls mostly because of its overall strength. I could see this being the heavy oil ball for someone with real slow ball speed. I wish I had more shots to use this ball on because I have yet to shoot under 234 with this ball when able to be used a complet game.
Rating 10

Overall rating
10 for reaction
8.5 for readabilty
10 for versatilitay
9.5 for hit
10 for overall comments
Final rating - 9.7


--------------------
Mark "scoot" Trgovac
C-G Pro Shop
Offical "Spokesman"
Youngstown, Ohio

(The fallowing is said in a larry the cable guy type voice) "You mean to tell me that if I drill a Mass bias Ba-all, that the cd dunt matter for anything other then wens you weight it up?"

"Freak Bowling Ball cleaner of the TRACK Revolution."
Mark T. "Scoot" Trgovac
Track Staffer
Bowling Ball Driller

Angelfire

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Re: Mean Machine
« Reply #23 on: April 09, 2007, 11:38:57 PM »
Mean Machine Layout:
PAP: 5 1/2"
Pin: 4"
Layout: Stacked Leverage with pin right of the ring finger, 4 1/2" from PAP. MB next and below ring finger. Weight hole drilled  1 1/2" below PAP.
Surface: OOB w/polish

This is the strongest solid/pearl reactive ball that I've thrown to date since the Action. Unbelievable carrying power and backend reaction. Had a bad experience with the Xception but I wanted to give Track another shot. Believe me, so far I'm impressed.

First 5 games I tried it on wood lanes after a mens league so the lanes were abit dried up. tried playing it my normal line (15 board to 8) and it simply reved up very quickly off the dry. Definitely needs head oil to get down the lane.

Then decided to try it for the first time during league play (also wood lanes) and tried the same time on fresh THS shot. Lanes had to have been oiled to around 38 feet or more with near heavy oil in the middle because of everyone's balls were going very long and very squirty at the pocket. But not the Mean Machine, it still had a great midlane read on the lanes and a very hard arc/flip on the backend. Left quite abit of 9 and 10 pins even though the pocket shots were on target. Really soaked up the oil the first two games and moved left the last game playing 18 board to 10-8 board. This is where I found the best prediction and reaction from the MM and found a more consistent motion playing that line. Shot 205, 194, and 277 that night even with the 7/ in the 7th frame in the last game kept me away from a 300 game. It's makes it way to the pocket smoothly but also very aggressively on the backend unlike anything I've thrown before.

Finally, I got to use it on synthetic lanes and seem to be abit more smoother but still very strong on the back part of the lanes. Still played my normal line but also tried to bring it out to around the 5 board at time. Ignores the carrydown pretty well and carry percentage is somewhat better than on wood.

This is a ball that I can find very useful to get first out the bag and have a good time throwing it. The margin of error is also exceptional but too much lift can send the ball flying way left. But I really like the way this one moves down the lane and gradually makes its move. But hey, that why it's call Mean Machine. This ball will take no prisoners.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx8hMgHMojo
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Xcessive_Evil

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Re: Mean Machine
« Reply #24 on: May 15, 2007, 08:58:19 PM »
I've had this ball for about 6 months now.  You can see the jist of my layout here:  http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=5210287.  For the longest time, the MM would only last me one game in league, before having to play extremely deep in order to keep up my scores.

After a while, I did some touch up of the surface-bringing it up to 2000 abralon, vice the OOB 800 Matte.  It now turns the corners much harder, but now I have the added length-and it shows now signs of dying.  Works best for me when the the shot is longer than usual.
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High game-300
High series-796

Current Arsenal- Track Power Machine, Ebonite Total NV, Track Phoenix, Track Mean Machine, Track Phenom, Track Equation, and Track Silencer.

freak761

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Re: Mean Machine
« Reply #25 on: September 29, 2007, 08:52:16 PM »
I've been getting every Track ball I can get my hands on since the Ebonite acquisition and after throwing them for awhile, I think it's time to review them. Mean Machine drilled 4 X 4 , pin between and below fingers, MB kicked out to the right, X-Hole on the VAL. I love the Robo core but I had a real tough time figuring this ball out. It is a very strong ball with good backend. I threw it on a lot of conditions and for me, this ball is best suited for a longer, heavier oil shot with fresh backends. There must be a lot of oil in the front and mids to get this ball to work properly. For me, a very condition specific ball.