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screen printing => Equipment => Topic started by: LoneWolf2 on September 24, 2015, 02:22:20 PM
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Been pondering on this here lately as I'm trying to figure out what route to take when it comes to upgrading and getting new equipment for our new location, and wanted to see what everyone's opinions were.
For you/your shop, what was the best purchase you made that benefitted yall the most? Whether it be increased productivity, making folks lives easier, increased quality output, anything like that.
Now the opposite side of that, what's left you scratching your head and wondering "why the hell did I do that?"
Just genuinely curious to hear of everyone's experiences!
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Pad Printer, now the printer was great work just fine, just didn't do all my homework, so it's another dust catcher.
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Pad Printer, now the printer was great work just fine, just didn't do all my homework, so it's another dust catcher.
Equipment will only make you money if you have enough work for it.....As I recall there are a couple folks here with pad printers that do quite well.....If you have equipment collecting dust you need to get out and "knock on doors" and make some sales....
PS....Looking to buy my own pad printer soon as I have a "niche" product that can be brought in house....
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Best will always be first auto, it allowed me huge growth and allowed us to hire/expand. Worst probably our heat press, used it 1 time so far. Just not something we needed and its 2k just wasted sitting there currently.
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BEST:
1) Automatic
2) Starlight
3) DTS
WORST:
1) Number Printing jig..dahell was I thinking on that. JV knows what I mean
2) panelframes :-\
3) leased copy machine. not what I expected, huge let down.
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Pad Printer, now the printer was great work just fine, just didn't do all my homework, so it's another dust catcher.
Equipment will only make you money if you have enough work for it.....As I recall there are a couple folks here with pad printers that do quite well.....If you have equipment collecting dust you need to get out and "knock on doors" and make some sales....
PS....Looking to buy my own pad printer soon as I have a "niche" product that can be brought in house....
we have had our 1 color pad printer for about 8 months - so far we have only printed inside neck tags, but plan to use it for other things as well... we have too much tag printing to do anything else on it.
best equipment purchase: its a tie between our first Gauntlet 2 and the i-Image st. the Gauntlet 2 is our first press that didnt break down every week, and the i-Image saves us about a dollar per screen in just material/supplies cost.
worst: our Digikote. it would work fine, but we dont do enough screens at a time to keep it moving all day. we coat by hand in batches of 20 or so screens. cleaning out the troughs after 20 screens is stupid.
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WORST:
1) Number Printing jig..dahell was I thinking on that. JV knows what I mean
You are so right on that thing... LOL... POS... trying to pay that one forward to someone else and nobody wants it.
Best:
- As much as I hate to admit it, our beater Javelin. Without that press there's NO way we would be where we are at this quickly.
- Sportsman perfect upgrade from where we were at, faster, more reliable, and more consistent.
- DTS -- setups are now unbelievably fast.
Worst:
- all of our non-Smesh screens and panels (I know-- we can restretch, but it's hard looking at 50+ frames that are still in decent condition that I just don't want to use).
- all the junk pressure washers we bought before we smartened up.
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Vinyl cutter.
For years, I got used to having a buddy cut for me at no expense (though I kept my own materials at his place)
Even though it may take six months of cad cut jobs to pay for it, the convenience of having it right here and ability to crank out stuff without driving cross town to pick it up is sheer joy!
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I forgot to mention the best equipment, you would think I would say our auto, but believe me the best equipment was the pocket pallets I bought from The Grendel (Douglas Grigar) years back. We print a lot of pockets and yes I know I can print them on the auto now, but the pallets ain't cheap and the pocket pallets have paid for themselves many times over. :)
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Best Purchase/Upgrade
36" Electric Fusion to 38" Gas Mini Sprint
Flash Red Chili-D
Unikote Screen Coater
AWT Drying Cabinet
Gagne Porta-Trace Light Box
Worst Purchase
Ioline CrystalPress
Newman Roller Frames & Stretcher
iDot DTG
I am sure plenty of arguments can be made about how the Roller Table and Frames should have been the best thing since sliced bread but it just doesn't work in our environment. We print some amazing prints on statics and the time, training and care for the roller frame setup just couldn't be justified.
The iDot, although converted to all CMYK (No White) just keeps clicking along. I can't tell you how many times that thing was close to being put on the dolly and rolled out to the trash dumpster. It has no resale value and just sits in the corner sucking $165/ltr ink and it gets to print about 30-40 shirts a month. When it's sitting there idle, I just can't bring myself to throw it away. I don't know why.
The CrystalPress.....where do I start. I could ramble about it all day and it would still be running the one design. That thing, in comparison, is the slowest stone setter on earth. I can almost hand set them faster than that thing.
I am sure both these lists will grow as time goes on. On a good note, that M&R Red Chili-D flash is the cat's meow. You CAN'T scorch stuff anymore. It's just awesome.
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Best was all of our M&R stuff, period. Our CH3d or our Iimage ST, toss up between those 2. I couldn't go without either. Worst was an Anatol Manual. Bought new when we opened as a backup to my dback, but the dback never broke down and the manual has been collecting dust since the day we bought it.
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Best is the CTS, Sportsman upgraded to from a Dback and Mini Sprint upgraded to from a fusion and a squeegee sharpener.
Worst is I'm right there with some of you and that was the numbering system that we've used once "what a pain" and messy. Next was a TJET Blazer Pro or should I say Blazer Poor, we lost big money on that one but even losing our pants on it, I was glad to see it leave on a trailer. Not that it was a bad purchase but I bought a Newman roller stretching table and 25 used and I mean used 25x36" M3 frames, I just don't have time to fool with it "so I've used the table twice in 3 years", I always stick to the shurlocs because of how quick it is.
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For us, and we're older, the first auto, then the second, then the third (upgrade to the first one). Going to ink jet positives after 30 years of film in a darkroom was also a game changer for us. Worst, for us anyway, was a used Brother GT541; it was good at first, then we just didn't have enough work for it and it turned to you know what, now simply not worth the repair cost, according to the tech person. She could not in good conscience, do the work and take our money. 1 other piece back when I was somebody's screen guy, I picked up a used stretcher at an auction that I never could get to work, and once I realized what a load of crap it was, and that it couldn't work well (which I should have been smart enough to recognize) I just junked it. Whatever you buy, you want it to make things go faster/more efficient to be able to get more out the door for the labor costs...
Steve
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Best 3: Starlight, upgrading from an ElectraPrint to a Sabre, and Tri-Loc.
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Best
Starlight
Anatol 10c auto
Worst
Brown drying cabinet
Ingersol compressor with Chinese head
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Best:
- Upgrade- From 6 color air Javelin with 2 stationary flashbacks to a 8 color Sabre with 2 roll in flashbacks... our efficiency went through the roof!!!!
-Going from a PC's to Apple
-Epic PC color matching system has been amazing.
- Epson 1430- Xante Screen Writer 5 just died on us, we went and got a 1430 and downloaded accurip free trial and were up and running film the same day our Xante died. I am amazed at how easy and clean it prints, 100% black, and clear films are much better than the frosted vellums. I should of made the switch after the ScreenWriter 4 and saved about $1500!
Worst:
-SWF Single Head embroidery machine- absolute lemon, I will never buy SWF ever ever ever again!
-All the PC's that would crap out in less than a year!
-Xante Screen Writer 5
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Best: TAS auto; simple and super reliable
Worst: Xeikon digital printer;
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This is a tough one. So many things were the best upgrade at the time.
I'd have to say the best:
Sportsman EX2020
Tri-light
Sprint dryer
Dip Tank.
Good Pressure washer.
Winged Floodbars.
Quartz flashes
Action EZ clean squeegee holders
The worst - Let me say, I don't think these products are bad. Just didn't end up being right for us:
Shurloc Squeegee cleaner. We've had it for over a year and it's gathering dust.
Action LOC gauge. We have so much of their other stuff and love it. The LOC gauge I've spend countless hours with it. Never got it to work correctly.
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Best - Computer to Screen
Worst - USED screen print numbering system
~Kitson
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Geez, some of the stuff was here when I bought the shop, so I'll not count that.
Best:
RPM(used, but runs damn well)
Barudan 6 head
Interchange oven
I-image
Worst:
Stahls Air Fusion Heat Press. Worst touch screen ever and it's just frustrating to use.
inksoft
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Best- S.Roque ECO
Worst(don't laugh)- Xpressscreen system/exposure deal
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This is a tough one. So many things were the best upgrade at the time.
I'd have to say the best:
Sportsman EX2020
Tri-light
Sprint dryer
Dip Tank.
Good Pressure washer.
Winged Floodbars.
Quartz flashes
Action EZ clean squeegee holders
The worst - Let me say, I don't think these products are bad. Just didn't end up being right for us:
Shurloc Squeegee cleaner. We've had it for over a year and it's gathering dust.
Action LOC gauge. We have so much of their other stuff and love it. The LOC gauge I've spend countless hours with it. Never got it to work correctly.
Hi Jamie:
The LOC pallet is under redesign as I write. Please let me give you our UPS number to return the one you have. We'll give you a full credit. I never want one of our products to be on that list.
Erik
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Best- S.Roque ECO
Worst(don't laugh)- Xpressscreen system/exposure deal
You actually admit to having Xpresscreen?? I must come out of the closet myself, we got duped into buying Xpresscreen. In all fairness, they know they make a crap product, we just didn't do our homework. Lesson learned.
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Best- S.Roque ECO
Worst(don't laugh)- Xpressscreen system/exposure deal
You actually admit to having Xpresscreen?? I must come out of the closet myself, we got duped into buying Xpresscreen. In all fairness, they know they make a crap product, we just didn't do our homework. Lesson learned.
Here also
Sent from my SM-N915T using Tapatalk
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best
sportsman auto
msp3140 from old flo tubes
worst
used harco 4 col press
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Maybe not worst, and I think Tony will agree, an air operated solvent slinger, AKA Blade Runner.
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Best:
- Upgrade- From 6 color air Javelin with 2 stationary flashbacks to a 8 color Sabre with 2 roll in flashbacks... our efficiency went through the roof!!!!
-Going from a PC's to Apple
-Epic PC color matching system has been amazing.
- Epson 1430- Xante Screen Writer 5 just died on us, we went and got a 1430 and downloaded accurip free trial and were up and running film the same day our Xante died. I am amazed at how easy and clean it prints, 100% black, and clear films are much better than the frosted vellums. I should of made the switch after the ScreenWriter 4 and saved about $1500!
Worst:
-SWF Single Head embroidery machine- absolute lemon, I will never buy SWF ever ever ever again!
-All the PC's that would crap out in less than a year!
-Xante Screen Writer 5
We had the ScreenWriter 3 when I visited another shop to check out the MHM press we eventually bought. They were running inkjet and I was blown away, just had to know how to do that.
Steve
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This is a tough one. So many things were the best upgrade at the time.
I'd have to say the best:
Sportsman EX2020
Tri-light
Sprint dryer
Dip Tank.
Good Pressure washer.
Winged Floodbars.
Quartz flashes
Action EZ clean squeegee holders
The worst - Let me say, I don't think these products are bad. Just didn't end up being right for us:
Shurloc Squeegee cleaner. We've had it for over a year and it's gathering dust.
Action LOC gauge. We have so much of their other stuff and love it. The LOC gauge I've spend countless hours with it. Never got it to work correctly.
Hi Jamie:
The LOC pallet is under redesign as I write. Please let me give you our UPS number to return the one you have. We'll give you a full credit. I never want one of our products to be on that list.
Erik
Let me clarify for everyone. We have a LOT of stuff from Action and it's all been incredible. Erik and his team have always provided excellent support. Some of the best support in the industry. They make incredible products that make our shop more productive and profitable.
The issue with the LOC is we're a busy shop. We have two autos that run all day every day. The only down time they get is at night or on the weekend. This is the only time available for doing pallet / head levels.
Obviously the Action staff isn't working at midnight on a Wednesday night. So if i run into a problem I have to put everything back and call / email Action the next day. Then try what was suggested to by Action the next time I have some free time. Rinse and repeat.
The problem isn't with the LOC. The problem is with us and our available time to work on this. The leveling the pallets and heads is a long tedious process. I'm sure I'm goofing something up.
But the times I have available to tinker with this isn't conducive to getting real time support. It's not a pallet, or a flood bar. It's something that needs the press offline for a while to have this done.
I'm sure the LOC is good, otherwise Action wouldn't be producing it. The issue is me and the available time to use it while getting support on it. This is why it isn't a good product for us. Not that the product is bad.. It just wasn't working for Ink Brigade.
Same thing with the Squeegee cleaner. We bought it, but haven't found the time to put it into production. That's a good problem to have. Being to busy to correctly implement a new product. The problem is we spent money on it and haven't gotten a benefit from it yet. Which makes it not a good investment for us. But that's our problem, not the manufacturers.
Shur-loc and Action make great products! That's why we're customers! For whatever reasons we're just not getting the benefit from those products yet. Which made it a poor decision on our part. To be honest, I probably shouldn't have listed those products at all. But I felt I had to participate in the idea of what was great for us, and what has turned out to be not so useful currently.
I hope that clears things up for everyone.
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Best- S.Roque ECO
Worst(don't laugh)- Xpressscreen system/exposure deal
You actually admit to having Xpresscreen?? I must come out of the closet myself, we got duped into buying Xpresscreen. In all fairness, they know they make a crap product, we just didn't do our homework. Lesson learned.
Hahahahahaha! Guy I sold mine to, has it on Craigslist 1 month later! :o
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Best- S.Roque ECO
Worst(don't laugh)- Xpressscreen system/exposure deal
You actually admit to having Xpresscreen?? I must come out of the closet myself, we got duped into buying Xpresscreen. In all fairness, they know they make a crap product, we just didn't do our homework. Lesson learned.
Hahahahahaha! Guy I sold mine to, has it on Craigslist 1 month later! :o
We sold ours and when I got done buying a new exposure unit, screens, emulsion an scoop coater we had $68 left over.
Sent from my XT1030 using Tapatalk
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BEST: Our first auto (used gauntlet)
WORST: A contraption to print discharge white underbase on the brother gt-541
Stahls fusion heat press ( I agree with mk162 the worst touch screen ever) I curse that pos every time I use it
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This is a tough one. So many things were the best upgrade at the time.
I'd have to say the best:
Sportsman EX2020
Tri-light
Sprint dryer
Dip Tank.
Good Pressure washer.
Winged Floodbars.
Quartz flashes
Action EZ clean squeegee holders
The worst - Let me say, I don't think these products are bad. Just didn't end up being right for us:
Shurloc Squeegee cleaner. We've had it for over a year and it's gathering dust.
Action LOC gauge. We have so much of their other stuff and love it. The LOC gauge I've spend countless hours with it. Never got it to work correctly.
Hi Jamie:
The LOC pallet is under redesign as I write. Please let me give you our UPS number to return the one you have. We'll give you a full credit. I never want one of our products to be on that list.
Erik
Erik: This is a great example of the commitment that you personally, and Action Engineering have to achieving complete customer satisfaction.
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This is a tough one. So many things were the best upgrade at the time.
I'd have to say the best:
Sportsman EX2020
Tri-light
Sprint dryer
Dip Tank.
Good Pressure washer.
Winged Floodbars.
Quartz flashes
Action EZ clean squeegee holders
The worst - Let me say, I don't think these products are bad. Just didn't end up being right for us:
Shurloc Squeegee cleaner. We've had it for over a year and it's gathering dust.
Action LOC gauge. We have so much of their other stuff and love it. The LOC gauge I've spend countless hours with it. Never got it to work correctly.
Hi Jamie:
The LOC pallet is under redesign as I write. Please let me give you our UPS number to return the one you have. We'll give you a full credit. I never want one of our products to be on that list.
Erik
Erik: This is a great example of the commitment that you personally, and Action Engineering have to achieving complete customer satisfaction.
Thank you very much for your kind words Peter.
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Best:
Automatic
Worst:
Panel Frames / green screens
Plasticharge - horrible product.
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Don't make me bring up the dreaded Bladerunner
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Don't make me bring up the dreaded Bladerunner
Nazdar has a used one up for sale on eBay if you are going for a pair..... ;D
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Don't make me bring up the dreaded Bladerunner
Nazdar has a used one up for sale on eBay if you are going for a pair..... ;D
If you were even half serious, you'd need quite a pair to even suggest that to Tony!
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My best and worst is the same thing.
10 years with the T-Jet 1. It worked well for us but I took more care then the all of our
other equipment combined.
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I'll throw mine in for a triple play
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Best: Everything with an M&R or Douthitt badge on it.
Worst: 2 different brands of CTS, whom I won't mention. But one is still being sold and the other just won't die...it keeps getting resurrected in a slightly different case with a different name.
One just wouldn't stay working without all sorts of electronic problems...and the other would mostly continue half working through problem after problem, the support was offensive (it was obvious to them that it must be something we were doing wrong.), the parts were insanely expensive and frankly the software was horrible and just got worse with each update...sometimes losing features, even previously working ones.
Not trying to throw anyone under the bus so names have been removed to protect the guilty. It's been a few years since, so, further development may have changed these stories.
When their replacements arrived we just threw the old ones away... We couldn't in good conscience pass that along to someone else, at any price.
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As someone who's thinking of going CTS Dan, Maybe you can PM the the makes/models to avoid the potential pitfalls you faced?
Or post it for everyone to see ;) The information age is about sharing good or bad, and perhaps it will help the guilty parties refine and repair their products.
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As someone who's thinking of going CTS Dan, Maybe you can PM the the makes/models to avoid the potential pitfalls you faced?
Or post it for everyone to see ;) The information age is about sharing good or bad, and perhaps it will help the guilty parties refine and repair their products.
sent a PM
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Thanks Dan! Super good info, and much appreciated.