DSF

Quite fancy treating myself to a nice heavy flat bed swing press, the idea being that on thicker items there is a better contact then with a clam press, so been looking at the obvious, then came across the europa press with a floating bottom plate. hmmmm any body used one?
http://www.europa-leisure.com/5100-spec.html

The idea is the base moves to align with the clam for thicker objects giving a parallel contact.

Any comments on this one most welcome.

Janners

Looks like my very first heat press (all be it without a floating plate) Worst purchase I ever made, gave up on pressing ready made transfers in the end....only bought again after a few years. I've heard of folk having good experiences with these but I can only tell you what happened to me. Mine was £600 many years ago. I don't know how much they are now but personally I'd buy elsewhere.

It did strike me as re-inventing the wheel but making it egg shaped!
The other point of concern is the cost of their spares, it appears even the Geo Knight spares are cheaper.

Janners

But this is a clam press? Some presses have a floating top platen. You need to check the max. opening as well if you're going to press thicker items. My rock solid Adkins press won't lock down on 20mm acrylic blocks for example but my £100 Chinese press will

You are right it is clam press, BUT with a floating bottom platen, max opening when I spoke to them is 30mm. The floating bottom platen means it should orientate square to the top platen as you close it.

See egg shaped wheel!

They did their best to assure me it was the answer ..... but I think not!

Asked though just incase somebody said "It's brilliant".

Janners

JMugs;70967 wrote:Quite fancy treating myself to a nice heavy flat bed swing press, the idea being that on thicker items there is a better contact then with a clam press, so been looking at the obvious, then came across the europa press with a floating bottom plate. hmmmm any body used one?
http://www.europa-leisure.com/5100-spec.html

The idea is the base moves to align with the clam for thicker objects giving a parallel contact.

Any comments on this one most welcome.

Janners

We had one of these online a couple of months ago as we bought a series of the Europa presses from a company and they were in mint condition. Excellent presses - but we had the 5500 and the 5100 available. Both excellent but for me the 5500 had the edge although didn't have the floating base you're after.

But what price Janners?

Europa wanted the same sort of money as an Adkins or Geo Knight DK20S, so I didn't see how it was going to compare, but always open to learning.

Need something to press multiple slates etc, hence need a decent lump of metal for the top platen to be a good heat reservoir, need its power to be high to recharge that platen after the heat soak into the slates.

I can do it with my clam press, but it isn't ideal and the pedant in me gets all narky!

Janners

We've used (and done servicing/repairs) on the Jarin/Europa's, Adkins/Insta, and Press Mech, and rate them in that ascending order of which we like - When the PressMech's element went, and I was waiting on a replacement to be delivered, I had to go back to using the other presses, and, well, let's say I saw only happy when I'd got the new element into the PressMech.

The pressmech looked good, just couldn't find one on the used market.
I have just bought a Schultze, German company so here's hoping it as good as I have been told it is.

Janners