Anyone Recommend A Heat Press?

[mikeoooze]

Can anyone recommend a decent heat press for vinyl on t shirts. My budget is up to £750. I had a second hand Adkins, but it finally gave up...

[OurSchoolBadge]

It would be probably be worth your while getting the press repaired. They are not complex devices.

[pisquee]

Fix the Adkins - you can ship it to them to fix, or if techy minded, buy the parts and DIY

If you're wanting a different press though, get a PressMech

[socialgiraffe]

If all you are doing is vinyl then there really isn't any need to go overboard on the press.

For example, I have an Adkins which serves me well and has done hundreds of thousands of presses. I also have a cheap one from Signzworld which has (and is) also serving me well. Where the cheap one falls down is on overall heat consistency.

However that is not as critical when using vinyl and you will generally find the cheaper presses work just as well for vinyl.

Bear in mind that an A4 cheap press for SW is around the £150 mark, the same size in Adkins, Pressmech, Stahls etc. etc will probably be over your budget of £750

Having said that, I personally would favour trying to fix what you have. The Adkins support is excellent.

[mikeoooze]

I already sold the Adkins, and now beginning to regret it! :rolleyes:
I bought a Microtec from Signzworld for £315 which is poor. It just doesn't give a smooth flat finish on white vinyl that I am used to, and on colours, i.e. red, it just fell to bits whilst peeling the backing off the shirt. Same results after trying loads of different combinations of heat settings and pressure settings. I've been doing this now for over 5 years and never had these problems with any other press, so I'm sending it back. I'm thinking of getting a Stahls, rather than a Chinese press..

[socialgiraffe]

I already sold the Adkins, and now beginning to regret it! :rolleyes:

Doh!

I bought a Microtec from Signzworld for £315 which is poor. It just doesn't give a smooth flat finish on white vinyl that I am used to, and on colours, i.e. red, it just fell to bits whilst peeling the backing off the shirt. Same results after trying loads of different combinations of heat settings and pressure settings. I've been doing this now for over 5 years and never had these problems with any other press, so I'm sending it back. I'm thinking of getting a Stahls, rather than a Chinese press..

If you are not happy then send it back I was once given a Microtec to review... I broke it within two days

Stahls are a good make, the only thing that has ever worried me about Stahls is the amount of computer wizardry they are putting in their units. With an Adkins (and others) it is very easy and economical to repair, I have no idea if that rings true about Stahls.

[JMugs]

Hunt for a used Pressmech or Adkins. Just replaced the controller on one of my adkins, if my memory is correct that was only £140 and took about 10 minutes for me to do.

[JMugs]

Ring Dick at Pressmech, he sometimes has used / px ones around.

[pisquee]

We have some spare/used PressMechs in the warehouse, you'll prise them from my cold dead hands though - if that's an indication of how much we prefer them to other presses!

[mikeoooze]

We have some spare/used PressMechs in the warehouse, you'll prise them from my cold dead hands though - if that's an indication of how much we prefer them to other presses!

That's a shame - you're just down the road from me..