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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2019
Size: MediumStyle: 26 Inch LengthVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2015
—We've used these launchers in all their incarnations over the past twenty years or so and the basic concept's great, in fact, a life-saver when tiring out our 3 hyperactive standard poodles. They're clearly ball-chasing addicts at this point.
—There's been a definite degradation in the product over the years, primarily in the cup's ability to grip/pick-up the ball.
—I'm no materials science guy but it seems there's been a change in the composition of the plastic such that it's lost much of its elasticity—the cup simply fails to grab the ball in a relatively short period of time (a couple months of use) where it seemed to last for over a year previously. Notice in one of the pictures how stretched out the cup gets—needless to say, it no longer picks up the ball!
—Our last 4 Chuck-It's (pictured) all suffer from the same malady to one degree or another, perhaps the orange (smaller one) slightly less so.
—Such mysterious loss of elasticity in subsequent 'newer/improved' models reeks of 'planned obsolescence'. Unfortunately, it worked! We've bought at least 10 over the years!
—Out of desperation, we tried another brand, also purchased here on Amazon, the Hyper-Pet Throw-n-Go® (the two black launchers to the left of the Chuck-Its)
—The Hyper-Pet is nearly identical in price but has held its cup's 'grab-ability' much longer. To be fair, it *is* shorter than the 26M, requiring you to bend over a tad more. It features a more flexible neck region, which may slightly limit maximum throw distance, but which is still great for our hyperactive standard poodles and which has the unexpected benefit of saving your wrist and forearm/elbow; I've not re-experienced humeral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) since switching (yeah, we use them *a lot*!). On the down side, the Hyper-Pet comes only in black and its circular 'extra-ball storage' in the handle is gimmicky.
~
In sum, I feel slightly used and abused by the phine pholks at Chuck-It what with my 'engineered obsolescence' concerns and the fact we've been such good customers. Topping it off, I wrote to them about my observations a month ago and have yet to hear back.
And so, since Chuck-It seems to have 'thrown the match', I've decided to 'throw in the towel'. Buh bye, now.
~
Size: MediumStyle: 26 Inch LengthVerified Purchase
Planned Obsolescense....?
By Amazonymous subPrime on July 14, 2015
Some (pointed) thoughts on the Chuck-it!® launcher:By Amazonymous subPrime on July 14, 2015
—We've used these launchers in all their incarnations over the past twenty years or so and the basic concept's great, in fact, a life-saver when tiring out our 3 hyperactive standard poodles. They're clearly ball-chasing addicts at this point.
—There's been a definite degradation in the product over the years, primarily in the cup's ability to grip/pick-up the ball.
—I'm no materials science guy but it seems there's been a change in the composition of the plastic such that it's lost much of its elasticity—the cup simply fails to grab the ball in a relatively short period of time (a couple months of use) where it seemed to last for over a year previously. Notice in one of the pictures how stretched out the cup gets—needless to say, it no longer picks up the ball!
—Our last 4 Chuck-It's (pictured) all suffer from the same malady to one degree or another, perhaps the orange (smaller one) slightly less so.
—Such mysterious loss of elasticity in subsequent 'newer/improved' models reeks of 'planned obsolescence'. Unfortunately, it worked! We've bought at least 10 over the years!
—Out of desperation, we tried another brand, also purchased here on Amazon, the Hyper-Pet Throw-n-Go® (the two black launchers to the left of the Chuck-Its)
—The Hyper-Pet is nearly identical in price but has held its cup's 'grab-ability' much longer. To be fair, it *is* shorter than the 26M, requiring you to bend over a tad more. It features a more flexible neck region, which may slightly limit maximum throw distance, but which is still great for our hyperactive standard poodles and which has the unexpected benefit of saving your wrist and forearm/elbow; I've not re-experienced humeral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) since switching (yeah, we use them *a lot*!). On the down side, the Hyper-Pet comes only in black and its circular 'extra-ball storage' in the handle is gimmicky.
~
In sum, I feel slightly used and abused by the phine pholks at Chuck-It what with my 'engineered obsolescence' concerns and the fact we've been such good customers. Topping it off, I wrote to them about my observations a month ago and have yet to hear back.
And so, since Chuck-It seems to have 'thrown the match', I've decided to 'throw in the towel'. Buh bye, now.
~
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2017
I have a burly 92lb. pit bull mix with highly developed prey drive, and she will chase the glow ball for hours if I let her.
The tiny sport launcher (Sport 12M) is the best, because you can still throw the ball really far, but you can also slam the ball down a few feet away from yourself so it bounces up in the air and your dog has to jump to catch it, or you can throw it up really high so it bounces 15' away or so and your dog can jump to catch it. We sometimes have to play fetch in a pretty small area, so it's nice to have the small launcher for these games. The larger launchers aren't as fun in small areas. You can play the same games but it's trickier to throw the ball correctly.
Also, the small launcher is a lot easier to carry. The small launcher fits in my dog-walk-stuff backpack (with the ball in the launcher so I don't have to dig for it later), but the big ones don't easily. The launcher also has a hole in the end so you can hang it from your bag or whatever with a carabiner. The big ones are too long for that in most cases, and swing back and forth.
Also-also my dog loves to ask for the launcher, then when I give it to her she plays keep-away and it's adorable. The big launcher I have is harder for her to balance in her mouth, so she just lays down and chews on it until it gets taken away. She's chewed on all of the four Chuck Its we've owned, but she's only broken one (a big one), but that's because she got ahold of it when no one was home. The little one in my bag is totally chewed up but still works great. I think they're sturdier than the big ones. Except for the launcher she chewed into pieces, which was our fault, the only reason we've had to replace anything was because we lost it. Usually we keep the launcher and ball in the backpack so she can't get to them and so they don't get lost, so we rarely have to replace them. There is just not a better value in toys, and the startup price is really low.
Once again I really recommend the glow ball! It doesn't get soggy no matter how wet the grass or the dog mouth is. It is fun to chase because it is slippery and it collapses when it's squeezed, so it pops out of the dog's mouth and flies away if they bite it at the wrong angle; it's really bouncy, and stays bouncy because it can't be popped; it whistles so you can usually hear it even if you can't see it; and it really glows enough for nighttime catch, even if you only have your cellphone flashlight to charge it up!
UPDATE:
I should have said, we have the 12M launcher, which means the handle is 12 inches long and it uses a medium-sized ball. The medium ball is 2.5 inches in diameter, so the launcher will fit regular tennis balls, too! But my dog won't play with regular tennis balls anymore because they aren't anywhere near as fun as the glow balls, and I think she doesn't like having gross sloshy muddy tennis balls in her mouth.
I lost my short launcher awhile back and could only get a long one locally to replace it, which reminded me that you have to lean over a lot further to use the short launcher. So if you have trouble leaning over to the point that your hand is a foot above the ground, this may be hard for you to use.
I wish Amazon would let us choose colors, because my old one was green, and the big one is orange, both of which are bright enough to see in the grass from far away, even at night.
Still, best toy!
Size: MediumStyle: 12 Inch LengthVerified Purchase
Best toy, the end
By wild animals on May 18, 2017
Combined with the Max Glow ball, this is the best dog toy available on modern planet Earth.By wild animals on May 18, 2017
I have a burly 92lb. pit bull mix with highly developed prey drive, and she will chase the glow ball for hours if I let her.
The tiny sport launcher (Sport 12M) is the best, because you can still throw the ball really far, but you can also slam the ball down a few feet away from yourself so it bounces up in the air and your dog has to jump to catch it, or you can throw it up really high so it bounces 15' away or so and your dog can jump to catch it. We sometimes have to play fetch in a pretty small area, so it's nice to have the small launcher for these games. The larger launchers aren't as fun in small areas. You can play the same games but it's trickier to throw the ball correctly.
Also, the small launcher is a lot easier to carry. The small launcher fits in my dog-walk-stuff backpack (with the ball in the launcher so I don't have to dig for it later), but the big ones don't easily. The launcher also has a hole in the end so you can hang it from your bag or whatever with a carabiner. The big ones are too long for that in most cases, and swing back and forth.
Also-also my dog loves to ask for the launcher, then when I give it to her she plays keep-away and it's adorable. The big launcher I have is harder for her to balance in her mouth, so she just lays down and chews on it until it gets taken away. She's chewed on all of the four Chuck Its we've owned, but she's only broken one (a big one), but that's because she got ahold of it when no one was home. The little one in my bag is totally chewed up but still works great. I think they're sturdier than the big ones. Except for the launcher she chewed into pieces, which was our fault, the only reason we've had to replace anything was because we lost it. Usually we keep the launcher and ball in the backpack so she can't get to them and so they don't get lost, so we rarely have to replace them. There is just not a better value in toys, and the startup price is really low.
Once again I really recommend the glow ball! It doesn't get soggy no matter how wet the grass or the dog mouth is. It is fun to chase because it is slippery and it collapses when it's squeezed, so it pops out of the dog's mouth and flies away if they bite it at the wrong angle; it's really bouncy, and stays bouncy because it can't be popped; it whistles so you can usually hear it even if you can't see it; and it really glows enough for nighttime catch, even if you only have your cellphone flashlight to charge it up!
UPDATE:
I should have said, we have the 12M launcher, which means the handle is 12 inches long and it uses a medium-sized ball. The medium ball is 2.5 inches in diameter, so the launcher will fit regular tennis balls, too! But my dog won't play with regular tennis balls anymore because they aren't anywhere near as fun as the glow balls, and I think she doesn't like having gross sloshy muddy tennis balls in her mouth.
I lost my short launcher awhile back and could only get a long one locally to replace it, which reminded me that you have to lean over a lot further to use the short launcher. So if you have trouble leaning over to the point that your hand is a foot above the ground, this may be hard for you to use.
I wish Amazon would let us choose colors, because my old one was green, and the big one is orange, both of which are bright enough to see in the grass from far away, even at night.
Still, best toy!
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Roberticus
Accepts 2 inch ultra balls
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2019Size: SmallStyle: 14 Inch LengthVerified Purchase
Accepts 2 inch ultra balls
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2019
Bought to replace one I lost. I have small dogs (Boston Terrier and Shih Tzu and French bulldog). It comes with a 2inch tennis type ball- fluffy coating. It is also ideal size for the 2inch chuckit ultra ball (not supplied) that is made from a durable orange & blue rubber. Practice the correct technique and it will serve you well.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2019
Photos for size comparison and also to show the 2inch supplied fluffy ball and the 2 inch ultra ball that you can buy separately.
Images in this review
GeekyPixie
Genius design, a complete game changer!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2021Size: MediumStyle: 25" FoldingVerified Purchase
Genius design, a complete game changer!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2021
I've just had a baby and I needed to find a way to hang all of my dog's walking gear on my belt (including my ball thrower as I need to avoid bending to pick up balls) as my little girl goes out in a sling with me so I can't wear a bag. This is just the most amazing, innovative design ever and the quality surpasses all other ball throwers I've had.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2021
Pros:
• Obviously... It folds! Which is the reason I wanted it. I can just slip the handle behind my waist belt and have it hang. It sits comfortably against my hip and I can just pull it out, unfold it and voila and it isn't heavy
• The little plastic slide cover in the centre just clicks into place and it's easy to change it from folded to unfolded; when straight it is solid and never unfolds by accident
• When you get the hang of it, with a little wrist action you can throw the ball extremely far - my dog is knackered!
• Super long so you can easily pick up balls without bending over
• Fits medium sized chuckit balls and has one provided (with a hole in)
Cons:
• Not really a con, but with the "teeth" design on the ball bit, you can't just throw the ball as it will end up aimed at the floor - you need to sort of flick your wrist when launching
This is one of the best purchases I've ever made for dog walking. It wasn't easy to find either - people need to know this exists! What a genius idea from this company. The plastic is durable and far better quality than standard ball throwers and the design is unique and a complete game changer. My dog and I are loving it and I wouldn't be without it - I can't recommend it enough to any dog walker needing to be hands-free or needs a compact solution for throwing balls.
Images in this review
Amazon Customer
The ball is a waste of time and money, sell it with the rubber ones!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 19, 2018Size: MediumStyle: 12 Inch LengthVerified Purchase
The ball is a waste of time and money, sell it with the rubber ones!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 19, 2018
The ball split into half within first 2 minutes! I have a small Cavachon, totally don’t recommend to anyone with a dog of that size or bigger. Maybe it’s suitable for the ones that won’t fit it into their mouths??Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 19, 2018
Really disappointed chuck it! You should be selling those launchers with your other durable balls which so far lasted me 9 months and still going! And not the 2 minutes tennis balls with your logo on it... you’re doing yourself more harm selling this product than good...
Anyway, will use the launcher with Chuck it rubber balls as they also fit - luckily! Otherwise I would be returning it. Really guttered that I couldn’t get a launcher with the rubber ball instead.. this one is going straight to the bin, waste.
Ah, there was no chewing on the ball, happened while fetching when pressure applied - wow!
Images in this review
TheBigYin
Great ball launcher you will never buy a £ shop 1 ever again.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 28, 2016Size: MediumStyle: 12 Inch LengthVerified Purchase
Lana
Great for hyperactive fetchers
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 15, 2016Size: MediumStyle: 12 Inch LengthVerified Purchase
