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jerseyda6 · February 28th, 2007

Has anyone have experience with this press? It is a Geo Knight JetPress 12 Heat Transfer Presses. Model JP12. I know it might not be as good as some of the other press'es on the market but I can get one for under $300 and that's all I really has to spend on a press. Is it gonna be garbage and not worth it? or alright? I don't want to sacrafice my quality tooo much but I do understand it wont be as good as a $800 one.. thanks for the input here is a pic..

badalou · February 28th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerseyda6


	Has anyone have experience with this press? It is a Geo Knight JetPress 12 Heat Transfer Presses. Model JP12. I know it might not be as good as some of the other press'es on the market but I can get one for under $300 and that's all I really has to spend on a press. Is it gonna be garbage and not worth it? or alright? I don't want to sacrifice my quality tooo much but I do understand it wont be as good as a $800 one.. thanks for the input here is a pic..

My very first press and my very first mistake. I was lucky as I was able to re sell it after 6 months. You have to ask yourself what are you going to print. You might say.. Gee I am only going to do 8 x 10 prints so this is great for me.. yes I said that.. then you get an order for 100 tees, yes I did that. Then you try to press them, yes I did that. Then you want to know why is this so hard to align my tee shirts of different sizes on the small pad, yes I did that. Then your wife walks into the room and say "Didn't I tell you to get the larger press" No I did not do that.. Until later.. Not for $800 but for under $650.. yes I did that.. If I could give any advice and I have been known to give a bit here and there.. Wait.. borrow the money.. sell you dog or cat but wait.. get the bigger press and then you can say I listened to badalou.. no you listened to my wife "GiGi" as my grandson calls her..

Rodney · February 28th, 2007

I agree with Lou that a bigger press is better, but the Geo Knight is a good press and if you are just starting out, that might be at least a good "starting" point.

This thread might help as well:
GeoKnight Presses - Pros or Cons ?

Coyote · March 1st, 2007

I bought the JetPress 14. Which looks pretty close to this, just a little larger. And, well, it works... But, I wish I had held out for a better press. I didn't know these forums existed when I bought it, so I couldn't get sage advice from people like Badalou. It does work, but it's kind of awkward to use. I was (and still am) on a budget, so it was still probably the best press I could afford.

There comes a point where you have to decide if you can afford better, how long you are willing to wait until you can afford better, or if you are willing to take the loss if business picks up.

I feel I'm in the last catagory there. Business is still so-so, so this press still works for me. Anyway, for me, I'll end up buying a better press if the shirts take off. And I'll keep the JetPress in the garage as a back-up once I get anew one.

One problem with my press: The thermometer. The cheap one they put in it fell apart after about a month and I couldn't get a good temp reading. They sent me a new one, and it crapped out about a month later. The thermometers they put in these are just junk. I ended up putting the probe end of a digital oven thermometer on the top of the platen. Only cost me $20 and works great!

...Mat

OriginX · November 10th, 2007

I also am on a very tight budget and can only afford a press
like this one, so I think I may get it even though it may not
be the best. Sure I can wait and save for another year and
get a bigger and better press, but the time spent learning on
hands with an actual press dealing with the issues of temp
control and materials is worth it to me.

deChez · November 10th, 2007

I considered that press as well but, opted for the next larger press -- the JP14. I'm not sorry that I spent the extra $ for the larger press.

Even though I line up and tape my transfers before taking it to the press, I wouldn't want to try to line up an 8 1/2 x 11 transfer on the same size base.

This has been a good press for me -- but I do only about 100 - 150 shirts a month (embroidery is my bread & butter).

It's a good starter that you can keep for back-up and smaller runs when you get to the point where you need to buy a second, bigger press.

mrdavid · November 11th, 2007

I just got my new Transfer Presses. Model JP12 and I am very pleased with it I know I should have gone Bigger but I only had the money for this one and yes I will go bigger with the money I can make on this one . You will need to play with align ( tee shirts of different sizes ) this is the only problem I have with it

kippygirl12 · November 11th, 2007

Hi,

I have this model, bought it 8 months ago, I LOVE IT!!!I have not had any problems with it and have printed approximately 800 t's with it. For the price, just starting out, it's a good press!!

Gail @ MzTees.Com

[/quote]

Girlzndollz · December 6th, 2007

For those who haven't bought yet, have you thought about the Mighty Press Lite? Its 11 x 15, I got it from Specialty Graphics Supply (sponser here) and had it shipped to my house for $369.55 total.

I got an extra $19.45 off by using the 5% discount code in the offers from preferred vendors. just look at the very bottom of that page for discount codes. I didn't & had to call specialty graphics, they were nice and told me where to look.

Lifetime warranty on my heating element. And by the way, I lovvvvvvve it!

If you're looking at $300 for the smaller one, your less than $70 bucks away from an upgrade in size (and an awesome warranty)

angelic_endeavor · December 7th, 2007

I, too, started out with the JP12. What a mistake. I was/am doing children's shirts, so I thought the size was perfect for the work I was doing. Well, aligning the shirts was a disaster, even on small shirts it was difficult and many of my transfers were coming out crooked. In addition, my thermostat was broken right from the start, and would keep climbing no matter what I did with the temperature knob! I had to unplug it when it reached the proper temp, and it would still climb some more!

Trying to do adult shirts was next to impossible, and even though I never intended to do adult shirts, once your friends and family find out you can make shirts, you'll be doing those too!

I also had a few requests for stock transfers, which couldn't be done with this size press because it's too small.

I finally gave up with the JP12, and upgraded to the Mighty Press 15" x 15". What a pleasure to work with!!!!!!!!!! Easy to align shirts, has a built in buzzer that sounds when time is up, maintains steady temperature -- what a blessing!

All in all, I should have listened to Lou and others on the site right from the beginning! I guess sometimes we have to learn from our own mistakes sometimes!

Melissa

BigBear · December 7th, 2007

For the money, the JP12, JP14 and another in that genre, the HIX Hobby Lite are not bad presses. However, they are intended as hobby or light use presses. They are not intended as production presses.

In the trade, I define hobby and production presses by their heater block warranty.

The aforemention hobby presses have a 1-year warranty. Production presses have a lifetime (of ownership) warranty.

With a press, it really matters more how much the press has to be left on, rather than how much it is used. For example, it is much harder on a press to be left on 8 hours a day, to do 100 shirts in a month, than it is to be left on one 8 hour day to do 200 shirts.

I do, however, understand your conundrum, as a new entrepreneur. Do you wait to afford a better press or do you get something now, make money and then upgrade.

You will be the best to answer that question as only you know your entire circumstances. With care, the hobby presses will do your work, in the short term. Do, be aware, however, that they can have a great deal of trouble putting many of the hot-split transfers on correctly.

You may also want to refer to our article "Heat Press Basics" although it may have limited usefulness, because of budget constraints.

rrc62 · December 7th, 2007

Size is not the only limiting factor. A better clamshell or swinger will produce twice the pressure, and a lot of issues are pressure related. Heavy pressure on the JP12 is probably light to medium on the DK20S.

angelic_endeavor · December 7th, 2007

Ross, as a former JP12 owner, I agree with you strongly on your point. My Mighty Press 15 x 15 on medium pressure has many times over more pressure than the JP12. As a woman, I really have to use some arm muscle to open and close it, where as on the JP12, I just flipped down the handle. I'm sure with such a difference in pressure, it will show in my work.

billm75 · December 7th, 2007

This is the exact press that I own too.

Pros: Affordable
Works fine
Durable

Cons: Small platen size
Small transfer size, basically limits you to 8x10 prints
Manual - You have to watch it
Temps, may not be completely accurate, but if you play with it a little you'll figure out the differences and adjust accordingly.

I don't have ANY alignment problems, but I'm one of those people who can eyeball just about anything and it will come out pretty dang close, if not EXACTLY where I need it.

I did almost 200 tees for football fans of my son's pop warner team last season and they did just great, I think I scrapped about 6 total. Not bad in my estimation.

I feel that this press will at least get you started and give you a taste of the heat press biz, if not an entire meal's worth. I bought mine originally for hobby purposes, and plan to upgrade to a 15x15 or larger press next year.

BUT for now, this one still works great and takes up very little space in my 10x10 home office/shop.

HOWEVER, if you can get a larger one for not much more money, I would say to get the larger one, provided that you're in this for biz purposes, not hobby purposes.

Girlzndollz · December 7th, 2007

I was looking at these too, including hobby lite. when i figured in shipping, it was at about 325 - that's when i decided to go with the mighty light for a few extra bucks and get the lifetime warranty and 11 x15 size.

but hobby lite is on sale somewhere for $284 with free shipping. at least it was a few weeks ago. that's a great deal to me.

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