Reddit mentions: The best tennis stringing machines & tools

Let's see...

Question 1:

Do you mean face up vs. face down? This won't matter unless your racquet is asymmetric. An example would be the several of the Head/Ektelon racquets where the order of the crosses matter. In these cases, you would simply need to be aware of which side you start your crosses on. For these types of racquets, there are typically specific manufacturer instructions that can be found online (e.g. link; checkout the Head Black Widow for a specific example of mounting instructions). For racquets with normal grommet systems, you don't need to worry about the orientation so much.

Question 2:

Same as #1 above, this will depend on the individual racquet. These racquets tend to have fan-like orientation of strings at the throat (Think the Head throat design). Typically, the last cross will have a "hard weave," where if the first main to be crossed is "lower" than the others, your cross will start by going under that string. From that, you can predict how to begin your crosses at the head of the racquet. If you're ever worried, take a picture of the racquet's strings at the start of the crosses before cutting them out (just make sure they were strung properly to begin with!).

Question 3:

I've personally used one by Gamma (link it was basically the only one I could find when I was looking for one) and it has worked great for me. I've heard that others also really enjoy ones by Alpha, although those can be difficult to find and I haven't actually tried it myself. My method for starting the crosses is:

1. On the side opposite to your starting knot, weave the first cross (backwards)
   
2. On the emerging side, ensure you have enough string to reach the tension head. On this same side, add starting clamp to the string outside of the racquet and flush against the side of the frame
   
3. Using the other side of the string, weave the second cross, pull tension, then clamp
   
4. Weave third cross, pull tension, then clamp.
   
5. using the loose string near the starting clamp, pull tension, remove the starting clamp, and use your second clamp (previous on cross #2) to clamp this cross down
   
6. Tie the end knot.
   
   I use this method to avoid pulling tension directly against the frame to minimize stress on the racquet. Many people will argue different methods are better than others online, but you will find what works best for you/your racquets. However, your specific situation is different.
   
   One trick when mounting (since I've used the Gamma stringers before) is to first ensure that your mounting towers are far apart, then adjust the mounting points at 12 and 6 o'clock such that your racquet somewhat "floats" over the middle of the turntable just enough such that you would be able to fit your fixed clamps at the top of your frame for the first cross. If it's still not possible to fit them up there, then you'll likely need to simply use a starting knot (see the link the other poster provided), and weave the first cross, tension (to tighten the knot), weave the second cross, tension, then clamp with a fixed clamp. This isn't ideal, but would be unavoidable if your clamps can't fit at the top cross. Some methods exist where you could start by weaving your second cross first, and then looping around to your first cross, which then jumps to the third...etc. Personally, I think those methods cause excessive string contact on the outside of the racquet so I typically avoid them where possible unless a manufacturer directly recommends it.
   
   Question 4:
   
   You can use an extra shoelace or toothbrush moistened with some rubbing alcohol. With the shoelace, just rub it back and forth on your clamps/tension gripper. YouTube also has some videos on this, I think. Depending on the color of strings you've been using, you can sometimes see the residue that gets removed.
   
   Sorry this became another wall of text! What type of racquets do you own or expect to string most frequently?

i picked up a basic gamma x-2 machine last summer. i think it was a nice investment, since it costs about $16 per restringing at my local shop, and i had to restring frequently since i played about 5 days a week during the summer. there's nothing really restricting you from restringing your own racquets, aside from an occasional bad string job. but that comes with the learning process. learning to restring will ultimately save you money in the long run.

Buying my first stringing machine, Gamma Progression II, for $75, used with barely any wear. What a great buy, am I right?

https://www.amazon.com/Gamma-Progression-Tennis-Stringing-Machine/dp/B00502YGNA/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1506542029&sr=1-2&keywords=gamma%2Bprogression%2BII&th=1

Honestly I would pick one of these up: http://www.amazon.com/Gamma-X-2-Tennis-Stringing-Machine/dp/B0007R8MHE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459010806&sr=8-1&keywords=tennis+stringer

Learn how to string yourself and then when others in the area pop strings, charge $20 to string theirs. It will pay for itself

https://www.amazon.com/Gamma-Tennis-Stringing-Machine-Silver/dp/B002N1SMOU/ is the machine I have,
and you can see my review of it here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3205XPPJO2P7O/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B002N1SMOU

I haven't tried any other non-professional machines extensively so unfortunately I can't compare it to other brands.

I just picked up a Klippermate last month and restrung my racquet for the first time two weekends ago. It is a really easy process actually. It took me about 4 hours the first time through, but I was making sure to read everything 3 times over in the manual. I think I could knock it down to an hour in the future. Just something to think about, I got sick of paying 30 bucks to get my racquet restrung 3+ times a year.