HP-07 Ping Pong Robot Review
Expert: Kevin James, Last Updated: 5th Mar, 2022
Hello folks, today we'll be reviewing the HP-07 ping pong robot - a budget intermediate-level robot which comes with a host of competitive features.
A popular Chinese firm - Huipang manufactures the robot. But in the US, the product is sold under different brand names like CHAOFAN 36 Spins Ping Pong Ball Machine, YAETEK Robot, Popsport and Promotor Table Tennis, etc.
Priced under $250 and $100 over the closest rival iPong V300, does the robot justify the price tag? Let's find out.
In this review, we'll be taking an in-depth look at the features of the robots, quality, and who is it recommended for.
Let's start:
#PingPongBros Rating: 4.7/5
Recommended for: Casual to Intermediate players
Speed
Shoots the ball with good speed, decent enough for serious practice.
Spin
Can produce all types of spin - top, back, and side.
Accuracy
Very consistent and accurate ball throw.
Review Summary
{Value for Money, Suitable for beginners to intermediates}
At the price point of under $250, the HP-07 is truly a steal. The robot packs enough power to keep you on your feet and improve your ping pong skills.
What We liked: The robot can produce over 20 types of spins, comes with a wired remote, and the two powerful motors can impart sufficient speed and spin on the ball for serious practice. Additionally, the oscillating head can throw the ball at eight different locations on the table, helping you work on your footwork. And the best part is that the robot is compatible with both the new plastic 40+ balls as well as the old celluloid balls.
The robot can produce almost all types of spin - topspin, backspin, side spin (by rotating the head), and no-ball spin. The wired remote makes it easy to change the ball parameters on the fly.
What we didn't like: On the negative side, the robot does not come with a catch-net to collect the ball and auto ball feeder. However, if these features matter, you can opt for the more advanced robot from the same company - HP JT-A, which can produce 36 varieties of spins and comes with both the missing features.
Who is it for: If you're an advanced beginner or an intermediate player, spending $2000 on a robot would not be justified just yet. While going for cheaper robots like iPong v300 would not make sense because of the limited functionality and power. This is where the HP-07 robot comes in.
The robot is ideal for recreational to intermediate level players who're looking for a budget robot.
The simple design and sturdy build quality make the robot a durable purchase. Moreover, the robot has gone through multiple improvements over the years, and the robot in its current form is quite fine-tuned.
To summarize: The HP-07 is an excellent ping pong robot offering you maximum bang for the buck. With multiple settings to adjust the ball parameters, the robot can seriously help you train and improve your game.
Recommended products to buy along:
HP-07 In-Depth Review
The HP-07 table tennis robot has been in the market for well over four years, and the raving online reviews are a testament to the quality of the product. Also, as the manufacturer Huipang, deals only in table tennis robots, so you can be assured about the product quality and after-sale support.
Now, let’s dive into the features of the robot:
Features/Construction Quality
Specs:
- Net weight: 3.5lb
- Voltage: 100-240 V
- Power: 36W
- Spin: Top, back, No, left and right spin
- Serving Frequency: 40-70
- Serving Speed: 4-40m/s
- Ball holding capacity: 120
- Random: Point of fall only
Unlike the iPong V300, which is a tabletop robot, the HP-07 mounts on the edge of the table using the brackets. The robot can be mounted anywhere along the edge, but the oscillation feature works only when the robot is placed at the center.
The two-wheeled robot comes with a rotatable head and 100 balls holding capacity. The two wheels can rotate in the forward or backward direction to produce topspin and backspin, respectively, while the head can be manually rotated to produce right or left sidespin. For a no-spin ball, you need to set the topspin equal to backspin.
All in all, the robot can produce 20 types of spin.
The oscillation functionality can place the ball at eight different locations on the table – corner, middle, ¾ and 2/3rd distance from the edge. However, the oscillation is not random, and the robot follows the same series over and over again. But adjusting the other ball parameters can bring in the required randomness.
Also, the head can be tilted up and down at varying degrees to produce different levels of ball bounce. Tilt the head extreme down to emulate a serve.
Lastly, the robot is quite easy to operate.
Basically, there are four knobs to adjust the ball parameters:
- On/Off and Ball frequency – Increase or decrease the time delay between each ball throw
- Oscillation – Increase or decrease the speed of oscillation or ball placement
- Topspin – To increase or decrease topspin
- Backspin – To increase or decrease backspin
The Bad
No custom drills
The robot is not programmable. But that may be too much to ask from an intermediate-level robot. None of the robots below $1000 range comes with a custom programming option.
No Random play
Similar to the point discussed above, the robot does not offer random play. It can only throw one type of spin at a time, but the point of fall is random.
No Auto ball feed
Auto ball feed lets you practice uninterrupted without needing to pick the balls up after the ball runs out. While the HP-07 does not come with this feature, its next model, HP JT-A, comes with both auto ball feeder and catch net.
HP-07 vs. Rest
Under ~$250 price tag, the HP-07 is the undisputed leader — none of the robots in the same price range offer similar features.
While the new IPONG Trainer Motion ($199) is more portable and also comes with the oscillation feature but the head is non-adjustable, and it has limited ball holding capacity in comparison.
Recommended For?
The robot is perfect for casual to intermediate players who’re looking for a budget ping pong robot. The robot can accurately place the ball and can help you train various strokes and bring consistency in your game. Whether you’re looking to practice serve returns or you’re simply looking to have a physical workout, the HP-07 may be a perfect choice for you.
But as mentioned before, after each drill, you may have a tough time picking up the balls.
Alternatively, you can opt for the upgraded version of the robot instead, the Huipang JT-A which comes with an auto feeder, more spin options, and random play. The Huipang JT-A is priced roughly at ~$380.
Conclusion
No doubt, the HP-07 is an excellent robot offering a great value for money. The robot competes with the likes of top-end thousand dollar ping pong robots. I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find any better intermediate robot then this.
Still confused which robot to go for? Check out our complete guide to choosing the best ping pong robot.
Thanks a lot for this review. Please also let us know if the backspin produced by this robot is usable or if it is too fast. I have tried the newgy 1050+ and the backspin on it was too fast and spinny. Almost unrealistic
Hey Sumit,
What you’re noticing here is a drawback or design limitation of one-wheel and two-wheel robots. As a player, when you’re playing, you don’t necessarily produce pure backspin. This is because for that to happen, the paddle has to hit the ball perfectly horizontal, which in most cases is near impossible. So when a player does backspin, it does have a slight amount of sidespin to it.
But in case of one and two-motor robots, the way spinning wheel is mounted it hits the ball exactly horizontal resulting in more than usual backspin or for that matter topspin too.
This is where a three-wheeled robot has an edge as the motors are not perpendicularly mounted rather are on an equilateral triangle. Thus they are able to produce more natural-looking strokes.
Coming to the 1050+ vs Hp-07 – I have tried both the robots, and I feel HP-07 is better both in terms of performance and pricing. If you have a slightly higher budget, you can also look at the Jt-A model which comes with a net collection system along with better motors.
I hope that was helpful.
Cheers
Kevin
Kevin, thanks for the review. Can this robot produce a show ball with high spin? Or is the speed of the ball directly proportional to the spin?
Hey Andrew,
As with any ping pong robot, speed and spin (top/back) are related. Being a two-motor robot, due to design limitations, it can’t produce super slow balls or emulate real serves.
It has two knobs – one for topspin and one for backspin. Adjusting the backspin to 2 or 3 while keeping topspin to 1, will produce slightly slower balls in comparison, though.
You might want to look into three-motor robots where speed and spin can be decoupled, helping you emulate those super slow shots.
I hope this was helpful.
-Kevin
hi just bought one of these hp 07 robots had it for one week really pleased until it stopped working topspin and underpin in fact rotation not working either but I did not try that out. does anyone know anything about these machines . can I get replacement motors? does anyone have a website for forums on these robots. Can I take the remote controller apart is there a fuse in it. sorry for all the questions , reluctant to take it apart as only had it a week. I’ve been in touch with the supplier on eBay? but not heard back. I really liked the robot but need some help finding someone in the know who can put me in the right direction. huipang . com does not show this robot strangely enough on there website?
It looks like a faulty remote which should be covered well under warranty. The hp-07 robot that’s sold on Amazon comes with 6 months warranty. I’m not sure about eBay. Please check with the seller.
I hope this could help.
Regards
Great review Kevin. Do you know, is there a difference in quality, etc between the various brands selling the HP-07? Seems to be a $60-70 swing…
Thanks!
Hey Doug,
All sellers are basically resellers of the same robot sourced from china. So the quality would be the same. But do note there are two versions of the HP-07 robot. The newer one addresses the ball jamming feature and comes with a slightly better motor. Not sure which model you’re checking but it’s best to check with the seller beforehand. The price for the new variant is around $200 to 230 depending on where you buy it, which is about right. Because the same robot is sold in China for around $170ish.
If you’re planning to buy Hp-07, I suggest buying from the Zxmoto seller on Amazon. Here is the link: https://amzn.to/2FZl198. They’re the only ones who actually offer after-sale support and warranty.
I hope this could help. If you have any further questions, please let me know.
Regards
Thanks for the review. You mentioned that there are two versions of the HP-07 robot and now I found this robot off the market but I’m assuming the seller has no idea which version that is.
How could one figure out the version of the robot? Any specific model number on the package/device?
Thank you
Great info Kevin but how do you check the version?