The Heater Jr. pitching machine is the most affordable & accurate pitching machine on the market today.  It is easy to setup, weighs only 16 lbs, can throw both leather and dimple balls and is rugged enough to withstand use from a little league baseball team or a whole neighborhood of backyard ballplayers. 

The Heater Jr. Pitching Machine comes with a 1/4 horse power DC motor for accurate pitching every time. The variable speed control adjusts ball speed from 15 to 46 MPH and the inflatable air filled tire cushions the ball for extended ball use. The rugged tripod stand is made of galvanized steel tubing and the durable nylon-fiberglass housing is both lightweight and high-impact resistant. Any player, from youth little league player through high school player, can work on their hitting with this machine because the Heater Jr.'s included auto-ball feeder delivers one ball every 10 seconds.

I have owned one of these baseball pitching machines for a couple of years and my kids have enjoyed it thoroughly.  I recommend that you purchase the yellow dimple balls with this machine.  We found that the machine had to work hard to throw the leather baseballs when they got a little wet when the kids could not wait to get out to hit after a rainstorm.  The dimple balls seemed to be a little quicker coming out of the machine, even when conditions are dry. 

The ball feeder rack on these pitching machines holds up to twelve balls and since it fires a ball every 10 seconds your players will get a little over two minutes of hitting off of perfect pitches.  This pitching machine is called the Jr model because it throws up to 46 MPH.  It is hard to throw a baseball this accurately at that speed so this machine is perfect for youngsters up to age 10 or 11.  Because of the slower speed I recommend that you do not get too far away from it, maybe 40 feet maximum.  At distances beyond that the ball has an arc getting to the plate.  For our older players we move it into 30 feet and they love it - it seems very quick at that distance.  Being a little shorter in distance provides training for the hitter as if the ball is coming in at a much faster pace.

The Heater line consists of two additional pitching machines that are also great products. If you are looking for a little faster machine, The Heater Pitching Machine will throw 50 MPH and is a little more rugged. The Heater Combo Pitching Machine will throw pitches up to 60 MPH with baseballs and 56 MPH for softballs.

Among true entry level pitching machines this product has no equal. The ease of use (kids can set this up for themselves) and the price of the Heater Jr make this a winning combination!