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Palm Nuts · October 29th, 2009

Hi!

Can anyone recomend the best first time digital swing press for a firsttimer and where to buy?
Looking at doing rihnestone transfers and T's / Totes...
Any specifics I should look out for and ask the seller?

Also anyone know if those 6 in 1 Presses as seen all over e-bay are good?

Thanks a bunch for any pointers!

Oliver

affordable · October 29th, 2009

I have a hotronix and love it. I hear Knight is good to. Do a search for a slightly used one. The better ones are workhorses and last a good while so going used should be fine (I did). Check ebay and craigslist. Stay away from "value" no-name brands unless you research them for user feedback.

muledalton · October 29th, 2009

DO NOT buy a cheap heat press. I did and ended up sending it back before I even used it. It looked cheap and functioned even cheaper. Stay with the name brands. You will not regret it.

BigBear · October 29th, 2009

USA manufacturers HIX, Stahls', Knight and Insta have top of the line 16x20 all-digital, swing-away heat presses.

Knight has an unusual 14x16 digital swing-away press, the DC16, also called the Digital Combo, slightly cheaper than 16x20's. HIX has a 15x15 production swing-away press, the SwingMan 15, at about half the price of a 16x20, but it is not digital.

Depending upon needed features and budget, they are all good presses.

Palm Nuts · October 30th, 2009

Thank You Jack for the tips on best brands and price / value! It's kinda confusing when youve never worked with one...
Cheers, Oliver

BigBear · October 30th, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Palm Nuts


	Thank You Jack for the tips on best brands and price / value! It's kinda confusing when youve never worked with one... Cheers, Oliver

Thank you, but you are also to be commended for thinking of value and not just price.

I'll close with a quote from our Heat Press Basics article on the forum (Heat Press Basics - How to Choose the Right Heat Press to Fit Your Needs):
"It may well be that no one heat press (that fits into your budget) has every feature and benefit that you would like to have. In that case, pick what are the most important features that you need and get that press".

Palm Nuts · October 30th, 2009

I Like the quote!
May I ask you what the one major benefit of digital is? Constant even heat?
Have a great Halloween weeknd Jack, and thanks again.
Oliver

BigBear · October 30th, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Palm Nuts


	I Like the quote! May I ask you what the one major benefit of digital is? Constant even heat? Have a great Halloween weeknd Jack, and thanks again. Oliver

Not so much. Correct temperature is a function of the thermostat. Analog and digital presses have thermostats.

Analog (non-digital) presses employ one of two methods for temperature control.

One method is to use a dial calibrated like an oven. "Dial in" the temperature and when it is reached, a heat indicating light goes out. The other is to use a dial with numbers 0 to 9. The actual temperature is read off a small temperature gage.

The former method assumes the temperature will always correctly correspond to the numbers on the dial. The latter frequently requires constantly checking the (usually) small dial to see if your press is up to temperature.

One doesn't offer certainty, the other doesn't offer efficiency.

In my former 19 retail years, after I established a price range that I could afford, I looked for five characteristics in equipment purchases: would it do what I needed it to do, was it efficient (my time was too valuable to waste), was it dependable, would the equipment grow with me, if I needed help, would somebody be there; or be gone.

Just food for thought.

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