[JoshEllsworth]

Both are good brands. The nice thing about a clam shell is that its only a two step operation, up & down. A swing arm has four steps, up, swing away, swing back over & down. Still a matter of preference. The main differences between the Mighty Press & The Hix are teflon coated (Mighty Press) or uncoated platen (Hix)? Floatational Heat platen on top (Mighty press) or floating platen on bottom (Hix). Over the center pressure adjustment knob (Mighty Press) or Pressure adjustment in back of the press (Hix).

 

[JoshEllsworth]

What is the coating on the platen for? And what is the benefit of having the pressure knob in the middle or back of press?

The teflon coating is just a non stick coating that allows you to easily clean the top platen. Just in case you use ink based transfers where the ink might migrate to the top platen or accidentally get something on it, you can get it off fairly easy. The advantage of the over center pressure adjustment is that you are able to get pressure from the center out, ensuring even pressure across the whole application. Also when locking down the press it levels out before hitting your substrate, so no risk of the "pinch effect."