Making the switch to MHM

[JJPrint]

Anyone willing to share their experiences with switching to MHM?

[jsheridan]

What would you like to know

I have a 16 color 4000 and a 14 color Xtreme on the floor

[Sbrem]

We have a Synchroprint S-Type, a 10/12, getting on to 10 years old. We love it. I think you'll find that all of the MHM users like them very much.

Steve

[TCT]

Killer pre reg system. The only negative things I have heard have nothing to do with operation or characteristics of the machine. Think you will be hard pressed to find a unhappy owner.

Sorry that is nothing technical, but that is what I found when we were considering one!

[JJPrint]

Does the use of bushings at the ends of the screens create any issues?  We use a dip tank in the cleaning process.  On that Extreme press (newer model I believe).  How do you like it compared to the 4000?  Any issue with getting parts in the US?

[blue moon]

if done right, bushings are not a problem with the dip tank. We put a little bit of epoxy on the frame before screwing them in. Easy peasy!

99% of the parts are readily available in US and can be had the next day. I've only run into one part not being available that could have held up the press so far. At the same time, I don't want you to think that they are M&R, not even close, but they'll keep your press running.

now for the ugly part. . . dealing with Hirsch can be a nightmare. There is zero good will extended to the customers. Once the press is on your floor, you are on your own (and problem resolution can take months). If there wasn't for Rodney (head tech who is readily available even on the weekends and odd hours) I would not consider buying a press from them! And this is from a die hard MHM fan!

Also, I would look hard into the S-type rather than the Xtreme.

pierre

[jsheridan]

Also, I would look hard into the S-type rather than the Xtreme.

The Xtreme IS an S-type, a different version but still an s-type at heart.  This is the machine to have if you only have 1 press or are looking to move into MHM as it's amazingly universal, will hold a jumbo screen and allows you to print sleeves with ease. Very easy to set and run for all your fill work.

The 4000 is the production beast that is best suited for bigger run stuff in both image size and quantity. Need to print from collar to seam at 21" wide, this is the machine to do it. Want to print a 1 color left sleeve, this is not the machine you want to use for that.

As for parts and maint.. no this is not the M&R 24/7 parts network and never will be. If something breaks, you call tech and they ship if that day. If you live 3000 miles away, then you're looking at a couple days to ship. Same holds true from M&R and just like them, if you need it tmrw and want to pay for the shipping, then your mhm part can be there at 8am also.

[TCT]

JJ where are you located? SPSI is also now selling these(due to some EXTREME dislike for Hirsch from what I understand) so if they are in your area they also may be a option. Unfortunately I assume they probably report back to Hirsch, but at least you have a go between to ride...

We have tabs on our screens(not MHM ones) and maybe 20 of the first batch began to corrode a bit from the dip tank. It actually did not effect the registration or the function, just looked poor. I am not sure if the MHM tabs are made out of the same thing or if corroding is a issue, but from my experience the few that had a negative reaction it was only a cosmetic issue. 

[blue moon]

Also, I would look hard into the S-type rather than the Xtreme.

The Xtreme IS an S-type, a different version but still an s-type at heart.  This is the machine to have if you only have 1 press or are looking to move into MHM as it's amazingly universal, will hold a jumbo screen and allows you to print sleeves with ease. Very easy to set and run for all your fill work.

The 4000 is the production beast that is best suited for bigger run stuff in both image size and quantity. Need to print from collar to seam at 21" wide, this is the machine to do it. Want to print a 1 color left sleeve, this is not the machine you want to use for that.

As for parts and maint.. no this is not the M&R 24/7 parts network and never will be. If something breaks, you call tech and they ship if that day. If you live 3000 miles away, then you're looking at a couple days to ship. Same holds true from M&R and just like them, if you need it tmrw and want to pay for the shipping, then your mhm part can be there at 8am also.

you are correct, S-type is the Xtreme! I had it confused with the other X named press. . .

pierre

[GraphicDisorder]

MHM was the first press we ever saw when shopping.  Hirsch was enough of a turn off we took them off our list. 

[alan802]

I don't understand how Hirsch has had this bad rep for so long but no changes are made.  The MHM is unbelievable but if Hirsch is who you have to rely on then forget about it.  It has to cost MHM a lot of money but the top person at Hirsch has been there for a long time and the relationship is the same as it was 10 years ago and it's still terrible service and support from what everyone that has dealt with them says.

[bimmridder]

Alan, I dealt with Hirsch when we did embroidery. Can't think of anyone in this biz I had to deal with that has worse customer care. Seems like they are all on the world's longest coffee break. I'm only speaking of the company, not the equipment they sold.

[GraphicDisorder]

They basically talked down to us and sure we were small timers but that isn't how you earn customers now or for the future.  We were standing next to a 70k MHM and he acted like we'd never be able to buy one of those.  Our CHIIID cost a good clip more than that machine does....  jokes on him. 

[screenprintguy]

when we were shopping for our first auto, we had recently got a 6 head Tajima through Hirsch, that experience, I can say was great. The sales guy, who is no longer with them, and the tech who installed us, who is actually one of the brother's from Jaks Prints did the install, great guy, very thorough and helpful. That part was all awesome! We called our sales guy about the MHM's, we were looking at the 10 color Etype, he wasn't "allowed" to speak with us about the machines he had to forward us to the head of their MHM department. He called us, at first was very informative, but very heavy on knocking every single other brand of machine out there as all being garbage and the only way to go was with mhm. The way that came across was pretty sour in taste, since I had a friend point me to the TAS Florida contact information and this same guy was also the regional sales and service contact for them, but wait, everything but mhm was garbage hmmmmmm. Anyways, I know how it is selling a techy item, he was right in several aspects that what the mhm's had to offer was just not avaialble on other machines, but the way it was presented was sour. No biggy, give us a price. We see it, at this time we were also looking at the Diamond back, yep no where near as sophisticated, but in the end, with the 9 co options, we would be able to print 8 colors, and the price was half of what we were being quoted. Then a new guy comes to our door as a new addition to the mhm expert team,  he seemed to do nothing but talk about how great tas and MR presses were, "but he's the mhm guy"?? "HES NO LONGER WITH THEM EITHER". It was really squirmy. We looked over what we were doing business wise, and made the choice to go with M&R, we knew we needed service, and there were so many people that had M&R, it was easy to connect with other willing shops to give us tips and trick until we knew what the heck we were doing. 2 years later at another trade show, we "thought" we needed something bigger and faster and were doing contract work for an embroidery guy out of Orlando with ties to Hirsch who kept pushing us to look into an Stype. He said, come to the show this weekend we will talk to the man, and I'll get you hooked up. So we did, he totally talked to my wife and I like we were two derelicts not worth his time. A comment even came out that we were better off staying with what we had, as if we weren't even considerable to be a customer. Talk about pissin off my little lady, woooooooooo. Anyways, that was enough to make us say, no thanks. As we were still thinking we needed to swap out to something bigger, faster, in pops in Rich Hoffman, and Tim Forman. They spent the whole day digging into our press and sorting out a couple of things which made not only a big personal impression on us, but also showed how the owner of such a big company truly cared about the little guys as well as the big factories. Here's the guy who could call any tech and have them come out and re-level our machine, and he rolled up his sleeves and got greasy. Now on the other hand you have that other guy who, "works" for a "distributor" of MHM, and he didn't even want to "talk" to us, unless we had a check in hand. Rich knew he wasn't walking into our door to try and sell us a new bigger faster machine, in fact it was his opinion that we learn how to maximize the use of our DB and re-evaluate in a couple of years. He could have easily said hey here go for this or this, but honestly, his experience more than likely told him, these guys aren't ready yet and they just don't know it. We followed his advice and it got us here. So Rich thanks for that, truly!

Personally I feel MHM would sell more machines , as they are really  nice pieces of gear if the rest of the package was in proper order, but with all the years of these stories being out, they obviously don't feel the same way. This is just my experiences, not trying to dog anyone out, or pump anyone up, it is what it is!

[JJPrint]

Thanks for the input.  I guess the good news for MHM owners is that the machines don't break down much.