Nite Ize MTLP-08-10 MeteorLight K-9 Led Dog Ball, Red

My brother in law bought us one of these. It did bite the dust eventually, but I sure feel like I got his money out of it :) I just bought 2 more of these because they are fantastic for running my dogs at night. No more lost balls! Real handy in the snow! I would loose balls left and right when they go plop in the snow while my Labrador wasn't paying attention, but now it makes a glowing halo in the snow which is hard to miss... even for my goofy dog.CONNS:1) I will admit that replacing batteries is a challenge. but I use a small thin flat-head screwdriver to assist + some grunting and cursing, seems to work better that way. Remember: this ball stands up to slobbery dogs and tough chewers... you can't expect something that resilient to be easy to open.2) Battery life is OK, but that’s it. Once they die you're back to problem number one.3) Smaller than a "large" size chuck-it ball, but I still use the launcher with this ball anyway.4) LED circuit board thing will fatigue, rust and require a little coaxing at times when changing batteries, and will eventually die.5) Be sure to leave the ball to air-dry before you put the LED circuit back in (when changing the batteries), otherwise you'll trap moisture inside the ball and kill the LED thing that much quicker. I know, I learned the hard way.PROS:1) I don't loose it!2) I can buy batteries real cheap in bulk (on Amazon)3) LED circuit thing is the same (or almost the same) as the one they use in the blinking dog tags by nite-ize so you can grab one of those for a replacement... or change of colour.4) Lets me run the dogs before bed time (so we all get to sleep).5) Goes REAL far when using a chuck-it (BTW, if you don't have a chuck-it, you're missing out).6) Resilient as heck. I throw this ball at least 35' in the air and it comes crashing/ bouncing down on hard frozen ground. I routinely miss and hit a tree much harder than I would like, but the ball puts up with it.Bottom Line: I don't expect them to last forever, but I'm pleased and my dogs are pleased. Fair price for a good product. Pick one up, your dog will love it :)**update** bought another ball since I lost my last ball (not the ball's fault) and this one malfunctions. I e-mailed nite-ize and the response is quick and helpful. They do stand behind their product for at least 2 years, so they want to send me spare parts to remedy the situation. I'm very happy with their customer service and feel confident when buying their products.

SECOND UPDATE: Deleting a star because tonight the dog chewed on the ball briefly in the park and managed to get the plug and battery out before I knew what happened. I tried for two days to get the plug out and couldn't but he managed in less than a minute. If I could train him to do it when it was time to change the battery that would be useful. As it is, luckily I was right beside him and found the now unlit and invisible ball a few feet away, otherwise we would have lost it in the park like all the other balls.The plug is surprising - it has a big skirt on the end that goes inside the ball and looks too big to fit back in. Maybe it was because the dog had made it all slimey but actually it went back in easily but first I had to try to put the light and battery in and make sure they still went on and off. At first they didn't - the mechanism is pretty sensitive.When this ball works, it is actually wonderful. I had just been enjoying so much having a lit ball that I could see when the dog drops it and wanders off somewhere. But it is so complicated and difficult to get it turned on and too risky if the dog can chew the plug out that I can't rate it more highly now.UPDATED REVIEW: I'm updating this to increase my rating from 1 to 3 stars. After trying to pry the plug out with a screw driver, I got the idea to remove the removable head from the screw driver and use the shaft to press on the ball. This actually worked and now I can turn it on and off, although it is still hard and takes several tries. You really have to press hard with some kind of tool. It makes a soft click and flashes for a few seconds and then becomes a solid light. Do the same to turn it off again.Once lit, it is really nice and bright. Just as I hoped, I can see it wherever the dog drops it in the park. I can also tell he is watching it as I throw it and has a better idea where to find it. He's been a lot more excited about fetching the past few days since I got it to work.I think they need to sell this with a tool to turn it on and off and to remove the plug when you need to change the battery, which I'm still not looking forward to, but if you can get it to light up, it does a good job of serving its purpose.ORIGINAL REVIEW:So far this is super annoying. I need a light up ball for these dark winter evenings in the park. We are always losing tennis balls.So the balls arrive and I can't turn them on. I press down and hold like it says. I've tried pushing it against the corner of the table. Nothing.Next I tried taking out the rubber plug so I could see if it's the battery. The instructions show a screw driver. Well I'm using a screw driver and yes, it kind of opens up the sides and in fact at some point the screw driver hit something inside and the ball light up briefly, so I know the batteries aren't actually dead, but I can't get the plug out and I still can't get the light to just turn on and stay on.So far it's useless. I hope to figure this out and update this review soon.

I loved this product to begin with. It is a great idea. I have a Springer cross who gets very upset if he can't take a ball on a walk. And with the dark mornings and dark nights at least one walk a day is bound to be in half light/dark. So when we first got this ball it was brilliant. A really bright light which you can see for a long way. Great fun in pitch dark where it looks like a shooting star! It works with your regular tennis ball thrower, and appeared fairly robust. However it is heavy. If your aim is off I imagine it could hurt anyone it hits! Consequently it also doesn't bounce well on soft ground. The on/off switch is hard to operate you need to press it VERY firmly. But this is also good because it doesn't switch off by accident. It says it's water resistant, and I'm not sure what this means it's covered for. But evidently we found out it isn't suitable for being dipped in streams. After about 2 weeks of use it stopped working and when we tried to change the battery (quite difficult) the inside was all rusty. Shame because otherwise I would have bought a replacement. I bought a glow ball instead which is much better.

I had no problems with this supplier and item was dispatched very quickly.I am very impressed with this ball. My Labrador loves tennis balls but she ends up losing many as she can't see them in the dark. This ball is the same size as a tennis ball and is made out of tough rubber so it bounces reasonably well. It is very bright and can be easily spotted a very long way off even in long grass or bushes. I haven't had to replace the batteries yet unlike some of the other reviews.Plus points:1. Very bright ball perfect for night time dog walking/play2. Made out of rubber so is not damaging to dogs teeth3. It is waterproof - I walk the dogs on the beach and I throw the ball in the sea. No damage.4. It floats5. It bounces6. It is entertaining watching your dog carry this back to you in the dark...looks very odd to see a glowing orb coming towards you.7. My dog can see this ball easily if it goes into the bushes8. The light doesn't go out if the dog mouths the ball. Turning the ball on and off requires a very firm press for approx 3 seconds. I would be amazed if a dog could do this.9. The ball is completely smooth with no jutting out bits where the battery compartment is.10. You can throw it a long way and it can be used in one of those tennis ball flinger things, without sustaining damage.Negative Points:1. Pricey for a dog ball - but it is brilliant! My dog loses loads of balls in the dark, not anymore though.Points to note:1. This ball is firm rubber so if you kick it hard with bare feet or very soft shoes you will probably break your toes.2. If you have arthritis or very weak hands you may have trouble turning the ball on and off.3. You will get asked by many other dog walkers where you got it from. Everyone is impressed by it and wants one.I have tried many balls for dog play in the dark and this is by far the best. I bought this blue one and have just ordered a red one.I highly recommend buying one so you can see for yourself.

I was actually sent the another ball as this was out of stock. However I was charged the same even though the other was more expensive. Brilliant ball , work well, easy seen and found. I bought two! Definitely recommend. It is heavier than a standard ball just be careful not to hit anyone!

Although the ball would not light up when received, I think the button had been pressed in, I was able to replace the battery. It does take a while with a long, flat, screwdriver to prize the bung/switch out but you just have to be forcefull as there is a circular ring at the base of the bung that needs to be freed.Once out I tested the two batteries supplied in another device and they were dead. I did not have two of the slim batteries so replaced it with one CR2032 as this is the same size as the two previous batteries (less than £1). Although it is less voltage i.e. only one 3V this is plenty to power the LED.Now play at night with my Lab who loves chasing the ball and can not turn it off when she chews it. easy to see on tall grass and seems very durable and hard waring, but yet to get damp or wet. If this happens I might wrap the LED in some clingfilm to make it even more water tight next time I replace the battery.Currently used for 3 weeks and battery still working.

I got this ball because I needed one for taking my dog out at night. At first it was fine but a week or so later the light started to go. So I changed the battery, eventually getting into the ball-if you have problems with your hands like I do then you will have a lot of difficulties doing this. When the battery was changed and the stopper eventually put back in the lights didn't come on, they were brand new batteries that was installed. So again got into the ball, tried another set of new batteries and got a faint light. It would be a good ball if the lights worked properly, and if you could easily get into the ball to change the battery for example if you could screw it shut so that its easier to get into. I have rheumatoid arthritis and found it next to impossible to get into, whereas if I just had to get my screwdriver and unscrew it would have been much better. I asked my friend to help me and it took him a while to put the stopper back in so it wasn't just because of my arthritis.It was delivered quickly but came in a box for bullets which was inadequate and I found a bit strange as I didn't expect to open the paper and see a box for bullets.