has anybody purchased a used automatic press. im just starting to look at used autos. i probably wont purchase till next year some time but i figure i will start doing my homework now.
anybody got any advice good or bad about buying used. my main issue i guess will be delivery and installation. is there companies that will come and install a machine for you and maybe give you a quick rundown.
so far some issues i have to take into cosideration
1. placement
2. extra equipment, compressor, chiller, larger frames, a dryer that can handle its output, gas line if the dryer is gas.
3. possiblly needing a forklift to recieve and install
4. more customers to payback the loan.
im sure there is about another million things i need to consider. this is just some of the stuff that comes to mind.
Our biggest problem shopping for an auto has been power supply. We have single phase power, and the most dryers and compressors need three phase. I'm thinking about buying a phase convertor and a larger panel to up my max ampage for building.
Phase converters suck. Some people swear by them, but I wouldn't trust one to run
something like an automatic press. They are easily and cheaply built however, if
you decide to go that route. If you have to upgrade your panel anyways, you might
want to see if 3 phase is available in your area.
The Sportsman E is single phase. TAS and MHM both make single phase presses. And most 8 color all air presses can be run off a 7.5HP compressor, also single phase.
For the original questions:
Layout your shop in Illustrator/corel. Divide your workspace into clean (incoming garments,
dryer, press loading/unloading, shipping etc.) and dirty (ink, screens). Split the areas with the press. Give yourself as much room as possible around the press. Position dryer to coincide with load/unload, and consider the possibility of feeding it with a manual press as well.
You will need a forklift.
You will start going through black and white ink like nobodies business.
200 piece orders will start seeming like a walk in the park as opposed
to a wrist hurting nightmare.
Dryer upgrade is something you can lag a bit on. Any 8-10 foot dryer worth
it's salt will be able to handle moderate production. It will be your biggest
bottleneck, but it's not an absolute necessity at the git-go.
Another issue with phase converters is that they are power hogs. For many models, 20 percent of the power is used by the unit. I would recommend avoiding using one. It's better to buy single phase 220 equipment.
One way of dealing with a piece of used equipment that is 3 phase, is to call an electrician and see what it would cost and if it is possible to convert it to 220 single phase. This is possible if it's just a matter of a single motor, on more complex equipment, it might not be reasonable to try. When your at the point of buying an automatic press, it's time to start thinking about a commercial building in an area with 3 phase power.
If your not careful you can get yourself into something that is expensive or even impossible to get to work.
purchasing an automatic 
