Which ADKINS heat press to choose ?

[NikGrey]

I'm also interested in this thread as I am looking for a 'Proper' press.. Adkins was recommended to me.

[JMugs]

Also worth looking at http://www.pressmech.co.uk/site/index.p ... tion-press.

Janners

[pisquee]

With Janners on this one ... we liked the PressMech machines and so bought another!

[NikGrey]

I went to visit Simon today, whilst I was there he allowed me to use his press to finish a job I had intended to complete on the cheap press I just had to send back.

It's an Adkins - looks old, that is built like a Tank - I finished my job in no time... and it was a pleasure !

I was only there for Two hours but learned more than I probably realise about this business - his place of work was an eye opener for me, so much gear.. I could spend hours there and not get bored.

Anyway, I am in the market for a proper press as I have probably said somewhere - at today's prices a 38 x 50 is £900, Those posted above also look great but the price difference for a noob, (well for this noob at least) made the choice for me.

As usual I had many questions today.. I was surprised to hear that the Adkins had not needed a replacement heat plate in over a Decade (I think he said). I must confess that I expect anything that heats and contracts so often to fail fairly often but that fact alone I think makes the Adkins worth its money.

I will have one soon, question is - where from ?

[pisquee]

The more expensive presses for around the £1000 mark are all very solidly built and reliable - and an eye opener when moving from a cheap press. It's a dangerous one though, as it's hard to go back to a cheapy after using the real thing!
Thankfully, as they are so well built, and last so well, with good support and spares available from the manufactures, that you can pick up old used ones very cheap on Ebay which are still running as well as the day they were built - they just may look a little shabby, but work wise are fine. PressMechs rarely pop up on Ebay, but there's often Adkins and Insta (very similar USA press) on there.

[RogerC]

Nik.....keep an eye on fleabay........I got my Stahls max from there...almost brand new for less than half the price of a new one.

[socialgiraffe]

The more expensive presses for around the £100 mark are all very solidly built and reliable

Am pretty sure Pisquee means £1000

keep an eye on fleabay

My only concern and as mentioned to Nik when he visited is that you can not trust ebay sellers to tell the truth. You could end up with a bloomin lovely machine, hardly used etc like Roger did, however you could end up with one that has been used and abused to an inch of its life. Although the better built machines are designed to be workhorses there are still items on every machine that wear out. I would just be cautious about the description on auction sites and how much thye may or may not have been used.

I will have one soon, question is - where from ?

Adkins are sold by TMT and XPRES. Stahls are sold by Target Transfers. Not sure on Pressmech and I am sure Pisquee will be able to let you know.

[purpledragon]

I went to visit Simon today, whilst I was there he allowed me to use his press to finish a job I had intended to complete on the cheap press I just had to send back.

It's an Adkins - looks old, that is built like a Tank - I finished my job in no time... and it was a pleasure !

I was only there for Two hours but learned more than I probably realise about this business - his place of work was an eye opener for me, so much gear.. I could spend hours there and not get bored.

Anyway, I am in the market for a proper press as I have probably said somewhere - at today's prices a 38 x 50 is £900, Those posted above also look great but the price difference for a noob, (well for this noob at least) made the choice for me.

As usual I had many questions today.. I was surprised to hear that the Adkins had not needed a replacement heat plate in over a Decade (I think he said). I must confess that I expect anything that heats and contracts so often to fail fairly often but that fact alone I think makes the Adkins worth its money.

I will have one soon, question is - where from ?

i may know where theres a knight press going if ur interested let me know ill see what i can find out
Brett

[pisquee]

Yes, I did mean £1000 not £100 LOL (blaming dodgy keyboard!)

PressMechs can be bought direct from PressMech themselves. Richard/Dick/Dickie is the main guy, and if not in stock, will build to order. We've had/used Instas and Adkins along with PressMech, and they are all very good machines, as mentioned, built like tanks to be workhorses.
Some of the older Instas/Adkins have clockwork timer, and analog temp guage, which I do like, as there's less computery stuff to go wrong.
The PressMech I like from the point of view of it being easier to take apart for servicing/repair than the Insta/Adkins design, along with Dickie being at the end of the phone to talk me through things I couldn't work out - he knows his machines inside out from memory.
Definitely be wary with Ebay, and if you don't want to get burned, get a press close enough that you can go and have a play before handing over your cash. Even when factoring in the time/money of having to collect possibly some distance, you could still save a huge stack of cash, and get a great machine.

(I did a few months back see an old Adkins press which was very similar in design to PressMech's, but I don't know the history of both companies to know how this came about - did mean to ask Dickie at the time, but forgot. Equally, I've not found out the relationship between the design similarities between Adkins and Insta)

[socialgiraffe]

which I do like, as there's less computery stuff to go wrong.

That is exactly the reason why I did not go for the Stahls Fusion. Looks like a great machine, but touch screens, recoverable memory press times and pressures etc in my opinion is just more to go wrong.