My take on the Aluball, and get ready it's going to be somewhat different:
When Chris1052 sold me his Squanch he included his Aluball which looks to me in almost new condition (thanks!) and naturally with my experimental bent I've been trying it out.
I find the Aluball is really useful, but not in any way as a replacement for trad prep.
1. Less is more. Using 2 TBS in 500 ml shaking for a minute gives something like a third wash of trad prep. Much better, I find, is use no more than 1.5 TBS and use less water, 350 or 400 ml max on the 1st wash and about 250 ml for the second. You can't really go lower than 250, though as you need water to cushion the ball from cracking.
2. Don't shake as hard, shake longer. In fact, what I have to do I wouldn't even call "shaking" it's more like sloshing back and forth, and you kind of get in rythm with the flow of the water back and forth, like I would in the bathtub as a kid. And I don't go by timing, I go by what the grog looks like. It's not ready till it looks like it's ready, till it is actually grog instead of a weak wash that looks like old dishwashing water.
3. Aluball can make good kava not as good, by making a grog that doesn't do the root justice, BUT, and there's a great big BUT here, a huge BUT ---------- Aluball is great for kava that isn't great kava! This is the best most useful thing about the Aluball I have found: Don't use it for making the premium grinds, it makes them lesser. Use it with the bidget cheapo grinds, it makes them better and you get more out of that cheapo root.
With the Aluball and budget root (Mood & Mind, Best Fji, Wakacon, etc) you can get more grog and I presume kavalactones than doing trad prep. And it's better this way, better tasting and better effects. My ideal Aluball mix for now is 1 TBS Mood & Mind generic Vanuatu root with 1/2 TBS Best Fiji Lawena or 1 TBS plus 1 tsp Best Fiji Waka with 2 tsp Best Fiji Lawena. And then gently sloosh for at least two minutes, more like three or four. Make 350 or 400 ml on the first wash, then 250 ml on the second, combine the two and ice it up. That's a lot of grog for 1.5 TBS and a nice bit of effect. Excellent for daytime kava drinking, and very very affordable, best bang for buck. Good for when you don't want a lot of kava, or for when you just got off work, or you're making some for an hour on the rowboat or a long walk. Or for when you want some grog to sip while doing a big bunch of trad prep. All sorts of really excellent uses.
The Aluball is a hit with me.
Oh, and after the two washes, I put the makas in a container in the freezer and when I have enough, I'll probably blend in a blender for a couple minutes then pour ina straner bag and knead for 10 minutes and probably get a nice litre of mixed stuff, good for making like mocha drinks with or whatever.
Especially being a newb, I lack confidence in my hand prep. skills. After I thought I had gotten everything out of the hand kneading, I transferred the wet kava (is that called makas??) to the aluball with some clean water and gave it a shake to be sure I had gotten enough out of the kneading and it was reassuring to see it coming out clear and knowing that I did an okay job kneading. The aluball will be handy for me while I learn and get the hang of the hand prep. 
