what are these Chinese machines actually capable of ?

[gtd91]

Ok so basically I'm another fish in the sea looking to buy a heatpress just to get me started, im not going to be doing industrial production by any means. But need to get the small jobs done sufficiently.

Now i search on ebay and see a whole range of cheap chinese machines, im pretty realistic in thinking that these wont last in the long run, the instructions will be questionable and accuracy not spot on. But for a beginner just testing the waters is this a cheap and cheerful prodcut ? Or will it be completely useless :P

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/15-x15-digital-tshirt-heat-press-machine-new-uk-eu-/140572102538?_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D4%26po%3D LVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D1453354108693870736&_qi=RTM742988#ht_3452wt_1270


Theres an example of what im looking at. I'll just be doing casual group polo shirts etc, maybe some hoodies every now and then.

So basically my main question is, will this heatpress suffice for a couple of small jobs before i decide whether to buy a hotronix, adkins etc etc

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated :) ill be using a cut vinyl and plastisol

[Matt Quinn]

Many people seem to use these cheap presses with some success, indeed I have an inexpensive press here bought recently from a fellow member for just a few pounds. It was bought just for experimenting with and seems fine so far..

I think my main concern with products shipped in from China is electrical safety. We've brought various items in directly such as film lights fans, tools etc... And though all the necessary stickers have been present we've seen very high (in excess of 70%) failures in terms of earth bonding when we PAT test them...

Occasionally we've not even got as far as PAT testing before opening them up because we've had appliances that obviously SHOULD have an earth lead supplied with 2-core cable. Invariably these problems are more common with items that have a fixed mains lead. And are typically down to simple corner-cutting; if you're basically competent in electrical engineering they're usually very easily made safe.

With that in mind I would STRONGLY advise buying your little press from a reputable supplier such as you might find here rather than going through Ebay... The better re-sellers will PAT test and if necessary alter goods like this to comply with the law. Somebody just shifting boxes out of a Chinese container and sticing them on Ebay might not even know there's a potential issue!

[mrs maggot]

small jobs and then keep it as a back up press, seller looks like a renamed seller perhaps lovecut ish but for £150 you cant go too wrong i guess, you might find that plate a bit small, but like i said to get you started and then keep for a back up it would be fine. 90 days warranty is all you get though

[purpledragon]

Depends if you're a gambling man , i bought a lovecut press (lovecuts reputation leaves a lot to be desired look for the posts on here regarding them) i have to say my press has been fantastic i had a slight issue with build quality but overcame that , BUT i know a few on here will tell you tales of woe regarding lovecut presses and chinease presses in general so to coin a phrase "well punk do ya feel lucky"

[jennywren]

I agree with purpledragon. I brought a cheap press very large press and its the best buy I have brought. mind you this was before I had read anything about lovecut, but I found them helpful and it did what it said on the box, I have a small branded press and that does what it says on the box. So its up to you to take a chance, because at the end of the day, like me you probably not sure how its going to go and its a overcrowd market as it is, but you'll be surprised it is to find the niche market that suits you. The presses are pretty basic machines regardless how much they cost. But some have better reputation than others for reliability and some that have a crap reputation do just as well, all you can do is read reviews and ask questions, but at the end of the day it is your decision.

[David B]

Hi
I have a couple of presses from Love cut. Look cheap and nasty but perform very well

[bms]

I don't think there are much wrong with certain chinese presses. Just whatever you go for, make sure you have reliable support just in case of problems. Ask the sellers questions and see how quickly and informatively they respond which may give you an indication that they care.

[gtd91]

Thanks for all the responses!

From what everyone's saying, the gamble can either really pay off or just leave you with a 40kg paper weight....

For the money that is required i think im just gunna have to take the plunge and hope for the best.... I trained for 2 years as an electrical engineer so i will atleast be able to make it safe, thanks for the heads up on the dodgy earthing!

People are saying the 38x38 press might be a bit small, Thats the only size im really finding for the dirt cheap price :P what are you guys running for standard tshirts and hoodies ?

[bms]

38x38 is a popular size. Even with A3 prints this is only just under size on one dimension.

[Matt Quinn]

I trained for 2 years as an electrical engineer so i will atleast be able to make it safe, thanks for the heads up on the dodgy earthing!

Och you'll be absolutely fine then... Occasionally the IEC socket's ground pin isn't connected - quick continuity check will detect that. Watch the bonding beween panels - The paint's often thick and they're held together with nuts and bolts... So effectively bits wind up isolated from each other. - Not that obvious... But easy to sort; I'm sure you know the drill... If you're a practical type most things can be fixed on them I reckon.

[accdave]

For the money that is required i think im just gunna have to take the plunge and hope for the best.... I trained for 2 years as an electrical engineer so i will atleast be able to make it safe, thanks for the heads up on the dodgy earthing!



I have a duff swing press which I got a couple of years ago from an e-bay seller called Everest. Of course when it went I got no reply from any enquiry I made. It basically started overheating so it's possible a thermostat issue. With your knowledge you may be able to fettle with it. For the cost of the carriage ( probably about £20 ) you're more than welcome to it. It may even be that the control box is a generic thing and somebodyon here may be able to help if you can describe it better than me :). At worst you may have a £20 paper weight, with a bit of luck you might get a bargain. Have a think about it and let me know.

[paul 44]

press bought here from monster doodles, to be honest it has served me well although i'm on my 2nd plate and controller but it comes with a 12 month warranty, it's a 5 in 1 number but I use it mainly for tees and mugs, it has been ok.

[Mugshots]

I have a generic chinese swing away 5 in 1 press that says meat press on the sticker on the back. Been good as gold for over 12 months. I use it for water bottles as the heat blanket wraps tighter than the mug press's and small slates coasters etc. Never had a problem