Choosing new equipment - £1000 grant burning a hole in my pocket...

[RuthWinchester]

Hi all

I've been given a business support grant of £1000 to spend on heat press equipment, and I'm agonising over what to get.

I want to print relatively small numbers (50-100 a week) of:

• fabric - aprons, clothing etc
• ceramic tiles (hence need for a swing-away rather than clam)
• several different sizes and types of mugs - mainly bone china and ceramic 10/11oz.

Up until now I've been using a halogen oven with mug wraps. It works fine most of the time but I do end up with a lot of rejects; the oven's thermostat is wildly inaccurate, the wraps are fiddly, and the same settings seem to produce hugely different results... :frown:

So, do I buy a single multifunction press like the Studio Versa that claims to do it all?

Or get a quality mug press (eg Adkins Studio) and a separate swing away? If so does anyone have any recommendations for each, for around the £5-600 mark?

I print both partial and full designs onto mugs so need something that will print up to top and bottom edges (straight sided mug) and fairly close to the handle...

The cash was hard-won and I don't want to waste it on something that doesn't do what I need (or creates its own headache!).

Ruth

[UK Printed Mugs]

Personally:
In stock soon apparently - https://www.printerowners.co.uk/hardwar ... -press.htm
https://www.printerowners.co.uk/hardwar ... -press.htm
Talk to Scott at BMS (Printer Owners)

[RuthWinchester]

Thanks - funnily enough I was just looking at that one and thinking that would spend the whole £1k very conveniently alongside an Adkins mug press.

Can I ask (based on your business name!) if you were pressing mainly straight sided bone china mugs, which mug press would you go for (given a budget of about £450)?

[UK Printed Mugs]

For straight sided 8oz bone china we do use that BMS press with the smaller mug wrap. For all other mug types we have a bank of Adkins Studio presses. We also have that heat press we mentioned above (as well as Adkins) but use the BMS for 90% of things we do.

[RuthWinchester]

Fab advice, thanks. Didn't spot the two links.

So, the HP3805 for ceramic tiles and fabric. I've asked to be emailed when it comes back into stock.

If you had to choose one mug press, which would it be? I was contemplating the multi-mug Adkins studio (based pretty much on the fact that Justin always recommends them...) but I've never laid eyes on one...

[UK Printed Mugs]

Adkins Studio indeed.

[Mugshots]

A "bank" of presses. That sounds imPRESSive!

Just looked at the mug press. Our old one is identical to that, even with the wavey part on the front panel, But I paid £40 for it? Cheap copy then?

[Disky]

i have also looked at the hp3805 as i need a new one,,, and to be honest, i find the price very attractive for a solid bit of kit.

can anyone that has this press please advise on the dimensions it takes up on the work surface when the swing is open ?

i have approx 700mm back to front space available with over 1 metre left to right.

Does anyone have a video of platen temp checks on this ? is it accurate and stable across the full size of the platen ?


many thanks

[technick]

I own the Dino Galaxy range- Auto open large 40x50, 3 x dino Galaxy pro mug presses and a Hobby. They are all solid and are reletively cheap in comparison to Adkins.

[Justin]

Put some money to your grant and buy a Pressmech, you'll never need another press. If you can't do that I'd buy an older Adkins around £500. Adkins Studio mug press also difficult to beat.

Call Xpres and see what deal they can do you as a premium member.