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screen printing => Equipment => Topic started by: mimosatexas on June 29, 2016, 08:43:12 AM
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I just played with one of these for the first time, and admittedly it was a superficial amount of time, but I didn't really see what all the hype was about. I would still prefer any side clamping press over it (not sure if you can add them, but the one I looked at didnt have them). I also really didnt like the pallet system vs my kruzer. It definitely is light and easy to spin, but so is my kruzer and so are a handful of other great manual presses. Can anyone expand on why it is considered so good? Just curious from people who have used them for actual production.
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I'm with you on the pallet system, it isn't great, or low profile. They do have adapters now to accept M&R style pallets, but it doesn't make them lower profile so loading shirts is still not as easy as some other presses.
Side clamps can be added, but I've always used and liked rear clamps so I haven't added them. The press really shines in the micro system and the dual gate registration indexers. Antec's claim is that the press will never get sloppy with age due to that system, and I've been using our Legend for close to 10 years and the press is probably closer to 15-20 years old. It still does hold great registration.
Also, if you pop off the plate under the micro knobs, you'll see that it has a spring loaded micro system, which takes any of the 'play' out of the head. They turn precisely and stay in position when you go to lock them down.
I think 1 last feature people praise this press for is how well the all heads down feature works. I personally don't have a need for that since I print alone, but the floating heads work as advertised and it makes all heads down printing a breeze if you plan on printing with multiple operators.
All that said, there are plenty of good manual presses on the market. Those that plan on automating might be better off with a press that is made by the same manufacturer to ensure compatibility. I have a soft spot for the Legend though, it's one hell of a press. I may sell my 6 color and switch to an 8/4 model.
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The advantage for us is the floating all heads down system. We always team print with at least 2 people and on a rare occasion a 3rd. This has helped us really speed up production, manually speaking.
Registration always stays tight, even with all 6 heads loaded on bigger jobs.
I'm not sure if they offer side clamps, we just have the regular back clamp.
I'll admit though the pallet system is not great and can easily lead to crooked boards. We built a registration jig to load the pallets on in the same spot and dam close to straight every time, but we still double check them to make sure.
The pallets are also far away from the support arms and this makes it more difficult to get some smaller shirts on there fast and easy.
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I've had a Hopkins, R Jennings, Vastex V2000, Anatol Thunder previously to my Antec Legend.
There are a few upgrades that I think Antec could make to the Legend.
That said, best micros (on par with Vastex), lightest press to spin, and the dual registration gates with the floating heads (which I have never seen on another press).
Side clamps are available.
I do not have issues with shirts getting hung up when loading.
There are not many manual presses I have not really played with and I am willing to say that this is by far the best.
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Great info. I didnt setup a job and only barely played with the micros which seemed on par with any of the higher end presses. I didn't even think of the all heads down option, though that wouldn't be useful to me. It's a shame they haven't made a lower profile pallet system. That is one of the main things I like about the Kruzer (and the M&R manuals in general). I can fit youth small gildans on a 16" board.
There is an 8/4 for sale in Dallas right now for $2300 by the way. Seems like a hell of a deal. I played with a local one for a minute at another shop here in Austin just to see if it might be worth making the drive to grab it. Still up in the air on that one...
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I can fit youth small gildans on a 16" board.
Hell, you could probably easily fit a Gildan youth small on an average sixteen year old! ::)
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lol, probably true! but not on the same board as the adult sizes on the Antec (again, based only on my 10 minutes of messing with one).
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I had the Legend 6/6 until I could no longer print (multiple shoulder surgeries). While the platens DO sit high off the arms, the registration is ALWAYS perfect. The only thing I wish I had done was gotten an 8/8 or bigger.
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I have a couple of their side-clamp adapters for the my 6/4 legend. In my opinion they just aren't right for the press. They weigh it down too much, don't clamp with the same reliable force. I got them in the rare event that I need to print something from the auto roller screens on the manual. They work for that, but I hate them in general.
I also have the M&R pallet adapters which also add weight in both the adapter and aluminum auto pallets.
The legend is made for light aluminum rear clamp frames and MDF pallets. Any mods to change that and it becomes a cumbersome sloth.
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Except for clamping the bigger auto frames and possible in-out movement for name drops, side clamps on manuals are not the same bonus feature that they used to be when clamping and flattening the often warped wooden frames of yesteryear.
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I find them immensely helpful when registering jobs, but I am using a sort of DIY triloc with my Kruzer and that may not be possible on the Legend.
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I think the newer triloc might work with the legend if you have the bracket adapter. Looks like they put a groove in the back of the jig to accept rear clamp manuals. I use aluminum pallets on my legend and it is a little heavy when spinning but nothing terrible. I need new pallets soon and am considering action engineering's new honey comb aluminum pallets to make it spin easier.
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Our shop has been using Antecs for 20+ years. We happen to be in the same town as Antec and know that group real well. As some others have said, ours are 12+ years old and probably older. We clean our Antecs exactly 1x per year (over our Christmas break). We scrub off the lint/adhesive, power wash them, and the re-grease... and they run like a champ for another 350+ days.
The all heads down is important to us as we have two printers on our 6/6 and then one person on our smaller Antec. The best is the registration system. Those springs keep everything tight so a 6-color stays no matter how long you're printing. That being said, we load the platens completely fine. We do have youth platens for all youth/toddler jobs, but load a Gildan youth S on our adult platens no problem - snug - but no problem. Again, super big fan of these presses.
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My personal opinion is that they have been around for 20+ years so that is an accomplishment. They were also extremely popular back in the day with a cheap price tag and quick lead time.
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The cheap price tag does not apply any longer
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LOL sorry I'm referring to to the 90's.
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The pallet system does suck, and I do wish they were more capable of handling auto sized/roller frames. But as a stand-alone manual that you can dedicate manual frames (preferably rollers with the square ends) there simply isn't a better option out there. I don't think it's light years above the other manuals on the market, but if you can get over the fact that it doesn't have interchangeable pallets and screens that can be used with an auto I will always think that it's the best manual on the market. We used to have a guy that worked for us that used to work at a shop in Cali that printed for Disney and most of what I know about the Antec comes from him and he had printed hundreds of thousands of shirts on a manual press in his career and simply told me that if I wanted him to print multicolored jobs on a manual that we had to buy the Antec Legend or we (and he) would suffer greatly. I do agree, just spinning one and playing with one briefly will probably not impress anyone. But, if you plan on being a manual shop for a while, or forever, and you don't want your equipment to hold you back, I honestly don't think there is a better option. But if you've got autos, or plan on having them and want everything to be interchangeable as possible, a Sidewinder is the best option, in my opinion.
A local shop close to us has a Kruzer and I got to play on it the other day. I've only seen them at shows and haven't printed on one and I must say that for an entry level press, it's not very entry level. It's a great manual and it didn't have any of the weaknesses that I thought it might with it being an entry level manual.
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Kruzer is my everyday press and I freaking love it. The only thing it lacks is stuff related to how the central shaft is designed, which means you can't use airlocks or things like that surevac system. Being able to use 25x36 screens on it would be a nice bonus as well, but not a big deal at all.
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Kruzer is my everyday press and I freaking love it. The only thing it lacks is stuff related to how the central shaft is designed, which means you can't use airlocks or things like that surevac system. Being able to use 25x36 screens on it would be a nice bonus as well, but not a big deal at all.
our manual press is a kruzer as well.. for a lightweight, 'entry-level' (I put this in quotes as there's really nothing entry level about it), it works awesome. Bonus that we can use it with our auto pallets and trilock.
fyi, we have been successfully using 25x36 aluminum (rollers would be too heavy) frames with it on every other head. It's a touch finicky to get setup, but it does work, and gives us the option when we're doing bandannas and other large prints.
just hang the screen holders a bit off the edges of the square bar (about 1/2" seems to be enough in most cases) and as long as your art is placed with tight tolerances left and right, you're good to go.
if I was spinning a manual press all day I'd likely want a sidewinder or chameleon with air-locks tho... but at the point of spinning a manual press for an 8 hour day, you should be considering an auto anyways, so the Kruzer fits a nice niche in our shop process.
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Yea I've made the 25x36 "work", but it definitely isn't ideal. You also start to run into issues with image placement vs the length of the pallet arms. I definitely think for the price it is the best press out there, which is why I bought mine to begin with.
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On the Kruzer other then the screen issue which really isn't a con at all to the press is there anything that you guys wish it had that it doesnt? Is that the only gripe? How are the micros? How is that lever that is used for off contact? Just curious of any cons or what you would have liked to see different?
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On the Kruzer other then the screen issue which really isn't a con at all to the press is there anything that you guys wish it had that it doesnt? Is that the only gripe? How are the micros? How is that lever that is used for off contact? Just curious of any cons or what you would have liked to see different?
I have the same questions about the press. Also, is anyone using a triloc with it? Does it work well without the airlocks? My old boss is going to end up asking 3 grand for his Legend that I've been using and it is pretty beat up and just not worth that price to me. I'd rather by a new Kruzer at that point. My only gripe is that it seems to be big process leveling the machine. I could be wrong, but it is something I never had to do so I'm not sure how difficult it is.
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No issues with using triloc, I use a diy version of one and rarely touch the micros. Micros are fine. Off contact system is easy enough to use, no complaints. Leveling everything is as easy as any other m&r press.