Sparx Skate Sharpener - Is It Worth It?

After collecting 3 years of real world usage all tracked in my trusty spreadsheet... is Sparx Skate Sharpener worth it? Well... it depends how you use it! This is my full report on all of the accessories, all of the sharpenings, and all of the money I've made with the machine.
• Sparx Skate Sharpener ...
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0:00 - What's Up Dawgz
0:44 - The Investment
4:09 - The Usage
8:27 - The Return
11:17 - The Verdict
#SparxHockey #HockeySkates #SkateSharpening
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[@erikamaclean4230]

The data you kept from the onset of buying this machine is outrageously informative. Your video production quality is top notch. Your math is impeccable. I am planning on buying a sparkx machine for my multi child household and was looking to find a handful of reviews to make up my mind... honestly I can stop here, this is the only review I needed.

[@SeenByYosh]

Thanks for watching, I'm glad it helped. And thanks for leaving this comment. Ones like these are nice to read after taking the effort to make a more involved video. It's a solid product, pretty confident that you will love it!

[@einnickname]

So you bought it?

[@mikebowers5228]

An amazing analysis ! Thanks

[@2119rocky]

Definitely worth it. Best investment I ever made.I now get consistency and peace of mind. No worries that my skates are going to be messed up. Love my Sparx man.

[@SeenByYosh]

Always feeling great 💪

[@joef2504]

great video, exactly the type of info i've been looking for, you have another sub!

[@SeenByYosh]

Thanks for watching, glad it helped!

[@Desmotwin]

Thanks for taking the time to record and share the data. Much appreciated. Cheers

[@SeenByYosh]

Thanks for watching!

[@TrevorThill]

Fantastic video - thanks for creating it!

[@SeenByYosh]

Thank you for watching!

[@360Imports]

Thanks for the objective and subjective approach! Just ordered one for myself and my 2 boys. 3 skater household with a few friends that will use it, will pay this sucker off in no time!

[@SeenByYosh]

Yeah I think that's a prime use case. Even if you all skate infrequently, the convenience factor is something you'll love.

[@Gmanalex64]

Excellent video. Dare I say the definitive Sparx sharpener vid. Kudos

[@SeenByYosh]

Thank ya, means a lot! I’m glad it’s still holding up!

[@johnvanzelm2307]

Had to come in and say I really appreciate your review. I have been hovering over purchasing this sharpener and have been asking shops that use them as well as some players and families that have them. This review sold it. I bought in on the holiday deal as a gift to my son. He's no doubt going to be thrilled over this, but one of the major factors is that my local pro shop is such a terrible place to get skates taken care of and now their prices are up to $15 for a sharpening.

[@SeenByYosh]

Thanks for watching, and glad it helped! I'm finding that many more are starting to get them, it feels like a big uptick in the last two years since I put out the video. $15 is crazy, and you'll like having the control.

[@jeffbegley5647]

Really good video, im gonna buy one for myself and my kids. Great info.

[@SeenByYosh]

Thanks, you will all love it!

[@l8knight845]

Hey, great video. Thanks for the info.

[@SeenByYosh]

Thanks for watching!

[@Broxty]

Your video convinced me to purchase the Sparx V3 as I have 3 skaters in my household all with spare blades and each being on the ice 3+ times a week. (Yea, it's a nightmare) Thanks!

[@SeenByYosh]

Lol yeah… that’s a lot of skating, once you get the hang of it, I think you’ll wonder how you lived without it. Enjoy the v3, hoping to get my hands on one soon 🤞

[@nathannettik455]

I have two competitive figure skaters in the house and given our local pro shop has a revolving door on employees I'm seriously looking at this. Thanks for your time and content.

[@SeenByYosh]

No problem, thanks for watching!

[@USMC1137]

Thank you for this review

[@SeenByYosh]

Glad it was helpful, thanks for watching!

[@Marley-ii6ls]

Great video!

[@SeenByYosh]

Thanks!

[@StillAliveAndKicking_]

My gen 1 unit is over 4 years and six months old. I currently give my skates one pass each week, which keeps a consistent edge on them. It is an incredible machine. After getting it, I examined my blades and realised they were flat from repeated hand sharpening. I’ve gone through several blades since, and the Sparx maintains the profile. It has paid for itself. Yes it is big and heavy, and fiddly to clean. But it sits in the spare room, ready for use. I hope it lasts many more years. I haven’t read about any failures apart from one that needed a new spring. I could have bought a manual machine, but with one sharpen a week, I’m not sure I could maintain enough skill to use it, and it would be messy indoors.

[@SeenByYosh]

Long, long ago I used to sharpen rentals on an old machine. And I definitely never got good enough to try my own 😅 A great alternative to that. I hope it'll last you at least another 4 years!

[@repoman016]

great video. Ive been on the fence for years about a Sparx. The new price point really makes me interested, but one of my bothers is you cant even use the machine out of the box. You have to add an "accessory" with the grinding wheel. It should come with a wheel of the users choice so they can use it right out of the box. Otherwise, the $699 price tag is misleading

[@SeenByYosh]

Agreed. Those things annoy me about Sparx, and generally, but I will say they have a GREAT product so I think putting up with those little things is just part of the process.

[@ppean01]

I'm really debating if I should get one for my son, 8U. But he plays on 2 teams one a AAA team. I won't be going to his old rink as much because he joined a new team. So thats our location for sharpening his skates. We are single skater househould (until my 4 year old daughter starts skating lessons this summer) and all the skate sharpening places are far from us. I figured we could charge for use in our area. But this review is very informative. I've been really on the fence about this. Input appreciated.

[@SeenByYosh]

Thanks for watching! I think for a family of yours, the convenience is going to be worth it. If your son and daughter keep skating, you won’t think twice about where you are in the payoff period 2 or 3 years down the line. If they stop skating earlier than you expect, I imagine one of the parents on the teams would be interested in trying it second hand.

[@goaliego8203]

Really interesting!

[@SeenByYosh]

Are you looking to pick one up?

[@goaliego8203]

@@SeenByYosh Never know ;) Thanks for his video!

[@SeenByYosh]

🤞🏻🤞🏻

[@jasonfsmitty]

Hey Yosh, nice video. Really appreciate the time you put into the data collection to come up with the $2 estimate per sharpening. Another question .. how much dust/dirt is generated external the the machine itself? I'm curious if it'll be ok to use one in the house or if better to have in the garage. Thanks in advance. Jason

[@SeenByYosh]

Hey! If I had a garage it would be in there, but it's pretty contained. Every once in while, I'll grab a vac and suck out the shavings off of the tray. And then usually a bit deeper clean when swapping the filters (lift the tray out, etc.). If you let them build up for a long time, you might get some shavings that fall out near the door area. Or if you move it around a lot, this may be a bit bigger nuisance. But for me, having it largely in the same place with the cover on it, I hardly worry about this at all. Hopefully that helps!

[@BWT599]

@@SeenByYosh you the man

[@chrisjohnj30]

I play goalie 4 to 5 times per week and love sharp edges. I use a 3/8" hollow to attain quick movements and strong pushes in the crease. Would you recommend this machine? Our rink charges an insane $15 per sharpening and I have to get the GM to sharpen my skates since he's the expert with goalie skates. I can take my skates to Scheels, but the quality varies each time and it's at least a 2 hour waiting period.

[@SeenByYosh]

You sound like you fit the ideal Sparx customer profile! I think it you're able to afford it the Sparx will make your life a lot easier, especially assuming you sharpen weekly given that weekly play. Otherwise, given how much that costs locally you could try sharpening by mail for around the same price with much less hassle.

[@martyfisher8042]

Great video! Love the detailed data! What is your take on getting the 1 year or 2 year service plan? Have you heard of a lot of warranty issues? Didn't see any mention of that in the comments, but could have missed them. It's me and my son, plus occasional son's teammates who will need sharpening. Estimating 60-70 sharpenings a year.

[@SeenByYosh]

Thanks for the question! If you haven't seen it already, I just made an update this weekend, and am up to 400+ sharpenings with little issue: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIiTZ52Dha2Uoa8 I haven't heard much about the warranties either, and generally, am not much of an extended warranty person across the board other than Apple care (and even then, only for my macbook). It looks like it covers return shipping, so that might be valuable if you have an incident in year 2. And if you expect to need live/email support responses maybe it's worth further considering. I've interacted with customer support for a firmware update I had to make to this ES100 machine, and they were great. Otherwise, I'd bet that if you received a unit that had a manufacturing defect covered under warranty, you'd probably uncover it in yr1/first 60 sharpenings and could claim original warranty, but maybe not 🤷🏻‍♂ Haha not financial advice 🤣

[@chrissbanzai]

Duuuude.... thanks! :D

[@SeenByYosh]

Absolutely!!

[@RandoFactz]

Wish you knew your number better! Jk, Great video. Your numbers on the used prices I think are spot on. Thanks!

[@SeenByYosh]

Lol thanks! Looking to make a few more vids for the channel soon, will make a short update video on this

[@eddiearriaga3800]

Thank You for the video. What number do you set the height of the grinding ring?

[@SeenByYosh]

I *think* for my own skates, usually the setting that allows the most room or one less. It's been so long but that's 7 and 8 if I remember correctly 🤣 Will be FINALLY breaking it back out next month!

[@eddiearriaga3800]

@@SeenByYosh ok 👍 thanks

[@matthewgiragosian]

Yes I would

[@1paulgood]

Other factors… the rising cost of sharpening. In the last 5 years, in Denver Metro area, sharpening went from $7 to $10 to $12 in some places. So, if you use the Sparx for let’s say 5 years, expect the cost of sharpening to go up about .50 to $1 a year. In fact, I’ve seen figure skates sharpening as high as $20. My son plays high school hockey at a pretty high level. He can’t go without sharpening before every game. So it amounts to 1.5 sharpening a week for about 40 weeks a year… 60 X 10 = $$600 in one season. Not bad really. Plus, the biggest issue is having to drive to a place that can sharpen and the times they are open. Convenience is a big one

[@SeenByYosh]

"Convenience is a big one" - This. It's easy to focus on the payback period for this purchase, but the convenience is incredible. And it will be worth different amounts to different people given what regional prices, availability, quality, and distances are.

[@kgballou]

The rise from 7 to 10 dollars is why I just bought one after years of getting my skates sharpened. That extra $3 adds up.

[@ChrisJones-yt8zp]

This is an incredible analysis. Do you still use the same Sparx? You're closing in on having it monetarily worth it!

[@SeenByYosh]

Thank you very much, hope it was helpful! Still using the same machine, about ~150 more sharpenings since this vid. I should dust off the spreadsheet, update the numbers and make a quick follow-up.

[@ChrisJones-yt8zp]

@@SeenByYosh I'm really impressed. Even more so because you're a dirty Flyers fan (just kidding).

[@SeenByYosh]

🤣 being a flyers fan is its own punishment

[@vpolyako]

Sparx states 50-60 sharpenings per ring (1-2 cycles), pro sharp states 500 (1-3 cycles). is this a fair estimation by both companies?

[@SeenByYosh]

I have no clue about pro sharp unfortunately, but the Sparx rings do hit that ~320 cycles/ring number. Depending on how and who you are sharpening for, I was finding ~30-50 sharpenings. Especially with the lower price entry and the ease-of-use, the Sparx seems to be superior (but take that with a grain of salt given my lack of prosharp experience).

[@ta1ntv1lle39]

heres my question... every skate is different and every blade is different, does it automatically center itself on each blade? and if i have prosharp profiled blades will it screw up my profile?

[@SeenByYosh]

The clamp works, as far as I can tell, extremely consistently. So assuming you have it calibrated, you’ll be centered. It’s not going to be able to do anything for you if your blade is bent. For the blades I’ve done that I can visually see a bend, I’ve always ended up with a high and low edge in consistent areas (wherever the bend is pronounced). One of the main benefits of the Sparx is that the ring hugs whatever profile you have very evenly. They weren’t custom, but the pair of LS2’s I have that I’ve only ever sharpened on the Sparx, the profile looks the same as new. No banana blades. So you could probably profile half as much, or maybe only need to do it once, if you don’t get those blades hand sharpened.

[@RightTwoOwn]

I'd pay $400. Sorry to be cheap but with a new v2 at $699 that I can travel with would be the way to go.

[@SeenByYosh]

I think that makes sense if you need to travel with it and only need a ring or two to start.

[@Skenry804]

I am 5’7, 150, and so far it seems easier for me to stop with 5/8, but I assume my posture isn’t correct😂

[@SeenByYosh]

I wouldn't assume it's wrong... there are some general themes among many people but ultimately it's your preference and whatever works best!

[@johndaltrocanto]

I'm really torn, having my skates sharpened by a shop is simply not an option for me, i'm left with two options, t-blades, or sparx. I like the t-blade concept, the thing is, i don't particularly like the idea of having some dude putting extra holes in my $1200 carbon fiber skates, sparx on the other hand a little too expensive for my taste. I'd appreciate any inputs

[@SeenByYosh]

I was thinking T blades long ago too. If you don’t want to go Sparx, I would test out some of the subscription sharpening services by mail. Up front way cheaper than a Sparx. Might be more expensive in the long term depending on how long you use it and how often you sharpen.. but it’s even more convenient in many ways as long as you have multiple sets of steel.

[@johndaltrocanto]

@@SeenByYosh i've looked into other options and i decided that if do end up going the home sharpening route i will buy a prosharp home, i'd much rather pay a higher price up front than having to constantly buy new accessories. It's much cheaper in the long run.

[@SeenByYosh]

@@johndaltrocanto I hear ya, but it depends on how many pairs you're sharpening for sure. Cost-wise, back of the envelope, I think they're about equal for the first 400-500 pairs before the Prosharp starts to really save you on the the Sparx rings. That's a LOT of sharpening. Multi skater households should consider that more seriously I think. For a single skater like me, playing low intensity but frequent adult hockey, I'm going Sparx and putting that extra up front cost into a pair of great skates in the meantime. Perhaps cynical (and obviously speculation) but I think Sparx will also be around longer, at least in terms of the home-centric market. Something to consider if you plan to have a sharpener for 5-7-10 years to hit that payback. I wish I knew someone that had one, I'd love to skate on both to compare!

[@hudakarli5512]

Whats the point of the probase? Or pro sharpener? And can you always buy it as an add on later?

[@SeenByYosh]

Largely it's just to use if you plan to leave your sharpener in one place more or less. And to have it operate a bit more like the original version. I haven't used it but it's probably skippable for most people in order to drive down the initial ownership cost. That said, it is 50% off right now.

[@mathewpiccioni5963]

Great video... I received mine this week. For a recreational skater that goes to The local rink once a week.... how many passes would you typically do? 2?3?4? Assuming that the edge checker read it level prior to sharpening.

[@SeenByYosh]

If you don’t have any major imperfections, 2 passes is probably fine. And depending on how long the session lasts, you might only need two passes every other week

[@ejwski3615]

Did you toss Peter forsberg flyers jersey

[@SeenByYosh]

Haha I did indeed, but I wasn’t actually using that jersey as my dust covering, only for show 😂 wouldn’t disrespect the man like that lol

[@goatsonapost]

Got the OG Sparx and overall it’s been ok. However, after calibrating I’d run a pass or two and it stays calibrated (check the runner with the edge checker and it’s both level and sharp) then run extra passes and at times the machine will no longer stay calibrated and, the previously level runner will be waay out of level. Hypothesis - that sometimes the wheel jams on the runner during the cycling process and it throws off the calibration. Has this happened to anyone?

[@SeenByYosh]

Interesting… hasn’t happened to me. Do you notice the calibration being off across the whole runner? Or just toe, heel, or mid? And when you referencing jamming, do you actually get an error code? A handful of times I’ve had the machine stop and give an actual error code in the form of button lights. If you think you have it calibrated as close as you can with the tool, my guess is the runner is bent. Are you talking about the same pair, and can you see any noticeable warping when laid on a flat surface?

[@ledlightskate8189]

Yep, happens to me. I use the edge checker and now I check in between cycles. That consumes more time, but then I can adjust in between (if needed) so that the edges stay level. If I don’t do that then one edge will be higher/lower for sure. The strange thing is that when I have done one skate (and this one is 100% leveled) the other skate can be way off (same pair of skates). You would expect that when the setting is 100% ok for one skate, the same setting would be 100% ok for the other skate. Tbh I cannot explain this and I have got the feeling that the ring is the cause, due to the fact it has a bit of a slack. Some rings can turn when holding the center part. But that’s my guess for now.

[@SeenByYosh]

Ahh that would be a pain to measure between each pass. I would push back on the same pair of skates thing. That might intuitively feel like a controlled variable, but the two runners could be significantly different. After dealing with some many pairs for many different people, most of the oddities I see were all from a bend. But keep in mind, I don’t move my v1 machine much, and thus rarely ever calibrate. I would reach out to Sparx directly perhaps… they would know of more calibration issues if it it truly the case

[@kole6146]

I don't think it's the machine. I have a og one also and I've found that stock steel is very inconsistent. They are usually stamp cut vs laser cut like step steel. I have zero issues with quality steel.

[@rjjones1106]

how do you change from radius to radius with the rings?

[@SeenByYosh]

On the Sparx you have to get a different ring for each different radius. And you swap them out with a simple hand-tightened screw.

[@rjjones1106]

Right, once you switch rings how many passes does it take to get the new hollow in the blade?

[@SeenByYosh]

Ohh, sorry, misunderstood. If you’re coming directly from another Sparx sharpening and only moving up or down an 1/8”, I usually do at least 3. You can draw a line across with a sharpie in a few spots to make sure. It might handle it in as few as 2. 4 would probably handle just about any change. For other people’s skates I run a few more, especially if they had a poor/uneven job from a regular machine

[@kristie1929]

Is learning the deburring process hard.

[@SeenByYosh]

Not at all, I probably should make a quick video on that specifically. For regular steel, you can use typical stones for the stubborn burrs and leather for a finer pass. The key thing to pay attention to is that you aren’t rolling the stone over the edge at an angle or you’ll dull the edge you’ve just created. For anything that is (or might be) coated I use Sparx’s rubberized stone. And I’ve actually even started using that on regular, non coated steel as well with good results so long as the burrs aren’t particularly large

[@MsPlaybook]

Coming from a division 1 hockey player, I just don’t see it worth it if you can find a good skate sharpener at a rink. Paying only 10$ on average for a sharpen, the return would take way too long honestly. Skate sharpening is important but not everything in hockey :)

[@SeenByYosh]

Yeah if you have a decent sharpen at your rink, probably not the play for a single skater household.

[@TerrysTwigReviews]

What accessories are a MUST HAVE??

[@SeenByYosh]

I’d say the Edge checker and Blade holder are my two big ones

[@TheLaterSkater]

The dust cover is the biggest rip off and should be included.

[@SeenByYosh]

Haha this indeed.

[@skynathan4674]

The woodblocks look like the biggest rip-off to me. I just can't. Who's buying a Tinkertoy with branding and velcro on it for 40 bucks?

[@SeenByYosh]

Haha I think these are new-ish, but they take the cake now.

[@CDN0128]

My good god. Might as well just pay the $8 at the pro shop for a sharpen.

[@SeenByYosh]

Pure hockey in our area is now using the Sparx anyway 😂

[@edj8724]

costs you $7 per sharpen! It costs $20 in NYC... 😤

[@SeenByYosh]

That's way too much 🥲

[@jameslentz9350]

are you intrested in selling this?

[@SeenByYosh]

I just moved into a smaller apartment than where this was filmed, so I would like to upgrade on size alone. However, not looking to do so yet and will likely sell locally.

[@loununezjr5856]

Too low on the resale. WAY TOO LOW.

[@SeenByYosh]

Maybe, but idk. I don't see a lot of used machines so its hard to judge, especially after the v2 came out. Also, it's going to be obnoxious to ship so I think most people that tried to sell would try to see to a teammate/local acquaintance. Limits the reach a bit.

[@DumbOrangeFrog]

Forgor