-
7/10
-
8/10
-
8/10
-
9/10
-
7/10
Summary
Bazook-9 is’n the flashiest or best-looking dog ball thrower, but it offers pretty decent value and throwing distance. The noise is pretty loud when launching and the packaging was insufficient for shipping. It can also hold 2 tennis balls at a time, which is nice.
Review: BazooK-9 Tennis Ball Launcher Gun
OxGord is a full-service manufacturer of various pet products and accessories including toys, bedding, carriers, and much more. OxGord introduced their version of an affordable dog ball launcher which competes with the Nerf Dog ball launcher. Coming in at just under 2 lbs and 24″ in length, the OxGord Bazook-9 dog ball launcher adds a fun twist to exercising your dogs. We are happy to say we got our hands on one to review – keep reading to see how it stands up to our tests!
Unboxing and Design
Inside the box you will find the following:
- Bazook-9 ball thrower
- Two tennis balls
- Shoulder strap
And that’s it! We were surprised to not even see a user manual or any product materials. Overall, our Bazook-9 ball launcher box seemed to be in pretty decent shape on the outside, albeit the contents were rather loose (when we tipped the box, the contents inside moved around).
After opening it up, I was surprised to see how the launcher just floated around inside this box without any padding or protection. As a result, the actual launcher came with a few marks and scuffs on it. You can see in the picture below one area where the box was rubbing against the product, leaving a scuff mark and also ripping the red sticker a little.
Apart from the packaging design (which needs a lot of work), the actual design of the Bazook-9 isn’t too bad. The ball thrower resembles a rocket launcher with its military green “gun” and included shoulder strap. A bright orange nozzle alerts that this is just a toy and a bright red sticker just above the trigger warns users not to launch without a ball as it can harm the device.
Overall the design of the Bazook-9 launcher is pretty nice but it also very closely resembles the Hyper Pet K-9 Kannon. Our only gripe relates to the product packaging which needs a complete overhaul. The current packaging may be good for retail sales, but online sales (and the associated shipping) may result in a potentially damaged product from a lack of protective packing materials.
Bazook-9 Features
At its core, the Bazook-9 launches balls at a pre-determined distance based on how far you pull the lever on the end of the device. If you only pull it a few inches, the ball will barely launch from the device. However, if you pull the lever all the way back, the ball launches about 50 feet!
Another great feature with the OxGord Bazook-9 is the ball holders. Most launchers out there have one spot to hold an extra ball while this has two. We really like having two extra as we can play for a little while with one ball, but when it gets too slobbery, we can swap in one of the extra balls.
Speaking of slobbery balls, another great feature is the hands-free pick-up. Every time your dog fetches the ball and drops it for you to launch again, you can simply place the nozzle of the launcher over the ball and it will securely hold it in place.
Bazook-9 Ball Size
You may have noticed that most automatic ball launchers for dogs use mini tennis balls which are only usable for small to medium sized dogs. Thankfully, the OxGord Bazook-9 launcher uses standard 2.5″ tennis balls instead of mini tennis balls. Our package also cam with two balls, but if your dog is anything like ours, you will go through tennis balls like crazy!
Bazook-9 for Indoor or Outdoor
We suggest using the Bazook-9 mainly outdoors to avoid any injury or damage, especially since there are no definitive markings on the spring-back launching mechanism to indicate how far the ball will shoot. We first tested it by pulling it half way back and had no idea what to expect. As a result, we highly suggest using it outdoors first until you have a good feeling of how it works. After using it a bit, we now use the Bazook-9 indoors by launching balls down our hallway. Remember, never point it at people or animals!
Bazook-9 Performance
The Bazook-9 performed well in the field, launching up to 68 feet! This launcher had consistently longer throws every other handheld ball thrower other than the Max Launcher.
We did measure the Bazook-9 to be slightly louder than other ball throwers though, so if you have a skittish dog you might want something like the HurriK9 instead.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the OxGord Bazook-9 dog ball launcher is an affordable entry-level fetching toy. The design is a fun take on a traditional rocket launcher which may appeal to some people more than others. We personally liked the multiple ball holders and shoulder strap; however, the launching noise seems quite loud and the product packaging needs work in order to prevent shipping damages.
You may find the Nerf Dog Ball Blaster more suitable for your needs at a similar price point, or step up to a more premium product such as the iFetch ball launcher.
Bought 2 through Amazon. JUNK!!! Pulled one up to 7. Broke spring in 1/2 hour. Only pulled second one to 6 and that broke in 10 minutes. Just prove old adage…you get what you pay for.
Hey Tootie – the Nerf Ball Blaster also held up much better for us than the Oxgord Bazooka.