Discuss the various aspects of heat press technology. Transfer paper, inks, plastisol transfers, vinyl cutters, printers, commercial usage, durability, suppliers, etc.
With shipping, I still paid less than $250, and am going to give it a try as soon as it gets here.
I know, I know, I know....everyone advises to get a USA made press with the lifetime warranty, and if this press flops, then I'll be the first to admit it was a dumb move on my part.
BUT, I spoke with a forum member that owns this press and he said that given the chance, he would buy it again. That's reason enough for ME to give it a try, especially at the price I'm paying.
I will report back when I get the machine and get it set up for a test run. I plan to press a combination of transfers with it:
Digital Laser Transfer
Vinyl Transfers
Plastisol Transfers
I'll let you know how it works out. I'm heading out to the store today to try and find a temperature gun so I can calibrate the reading on the machine with the actual heat being produced.
I seriously doubt this machine will be a "final" purchase for heat presses, but it might just prove to be worth the initial investment for those of us who can't afford $600+ to get started.
My feeling is that if this machine lasts me at least ONE year, I'll have gotten my money's worth and every day I get to use it after that year, will be bonus money in my pocket.
I'll be back with info when the machine arrives....
When I think of the quality of the imports, two questions come to mind:
1. Does it work well - even heat, no cold spots, temperature at stated level, etc.?
2. Longevity? Will the heating element, digital controls, structural components, etc. last?
I too would like to hear the answer to #1 from any who have the import presses. I suspect that the latter question will probably take a couple of years minimally to be determined. And #2 may ultimately be more important, given little or no warranty and the cost of shipping if repairs can't be handled locally.
I won't knock Chinese presses simply because they're manufactured overseas. But I would be inclined to criticize them if they aren't built for durability, or are susceptible to platen and digital problems.
Funny as I was reading I said to myself maybe he should get a IR heat gun. And then I read you are. That is a good move. let us know how it comes out. I know a lot of people want to get into the business (Garment Decorator)in one way or another and sometimes they just don't have the budget and need to start soemwhere. We here just want you all to make the right moves so you don't waste funds. Good Luck.. And happy new year. Lou
__________________ There is a center to everything.. I found mine at.. www.heatpressessentials.com Tools to get the job done! www.tbiz101.com (New)Heat Transfer Education
I think the guys from sunie has a warehouse in Reno Nevada area, I think they have cutters also, hey to start and you are not under heavy production this will probably work just fine for you,, I am told that after you bring a press up to temp you should let it set at temp for at least 10 min before you use it,, this allows for the heat to be evenly distributed on the platen,, this maybe hog wash but it makes sense. Please let us know how it does for you..
I did a search this weekend on Infrared thermometers and found if you have a Harbor Freight store nearby, they had Radio Shack beat by a long $hot on the two models they carry. Those appeared to be the only two national retailers I could find that claim to stock them. Does anyone know of others?
I bought a Raytek laser temp. sensor off Ebay. I paid w/ shipping a little over $40. It's a great tool for testing platen temps. Many places sell it for close to $80, but it's much cheaper on Ebay.
I did a search this weekend on Infrared thermometers and found if you have a Harbor Freight store nearby, they had Radio Shack beat by a long $hot on the two models they carry. Those appeared to be the only two national retailers I could find that claim to stock them. Does anyone know of others?
I can only speak of the Harbor Freight one, I bought it last week (from my local HB) when it was on sale for a few days.
It's regularly around $59.95, it was on sale for $29.95, so I couldn't pass it up.
It works good, but my problem is, how do I know which temperature is the correct one? heheh
I did check my t-shirt element and it was a few degrees off in places, but it probably won't hurt a thing.
(I haven't used it yet on an shirts, I just checked the temperatures)
(Radio Shack is usually a LOT higher for most anything, [and their people don't seem to know what's up anymore] at least in my dealings, so I go down a few doors to HB)
So it's a thumbs up on the Harbor Freight one, and if you can find it at that low sale price, it's definitely worth it.
(Harbor Freight has changed the way they do business now though, you go online and then print out a coupon, take it to your LOCAL store, then buy it, I guess their online sales weren't too good)
Thats not the press I bought off of Ebay but the one i did buy for like $120 plus $100 shipping is on its way back. Complete JUNK. I ruined a bunch of transfers and a bunch of shirts. They would not adhere. I called my friend over who has a heat press and it was not user error. The press was a piece of crap. Thats a $105 loss. $60 to send it back and a $45 restocking fee. Thats if I get my refund that was promised. I read about not getitng them on ebay after it was already on its way.
Like I had mentioned...a forum member bought this press and has been having good luck with it. It's really the ONLY reason I went ahead and gambled. If I get burned, I'm not going to be too upset, I realize I'm taking a chance.
But...that said, I bought a USCutter Pcut plotter, and it's chinese made, has a limited warranty, and yet it works like a champ. Before anyone had purchased one and tried it for themselves, I'm willing to bet that there were alot of people cautioning against buying one of these too.
Come to think of it...nobody really cared much for Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai and Kia when they first came out either.....
Well, FedEX ground is doing a bang up job of delivering this thing. Now it won't be here until Wednesday night according to the tracking information. UGH.
I promise to keep everyone updated though when it does arrive.
(and to think, I used to work for FedEx express....)
I used to work for UPS, and after seeing how packages are handled I swore I'd never ship anything with them again. Well, I've backed off on that now, but they still scare me.
Good luck with this press! I really do hope it works for you.
New "Cheap" Heat Press Arriving Today 
