Screen Printing Forum

Based on your experience if you have to set up a brand new shop what equipment would you use and why. Let's vote!

We currently have a Workhorse Mach 8, and I can't stand to print on it, lots of manufacturing "problems". If I was going to buy a new Manual Press I would go for the M&R Chameleon, with the aluminum shirt boards. Better Quality.

I have a Chameleon 6/6 that I just love working with. Quick and easy to set the job and the machine is SO smooth...Registration is perfect from the first shirt to the 550th. Although on THAT job I should have contracted it out (5 colors front and back )

M & R has the quality I look for in a press, weather it is an automatic or a manual press. Our shop has M&R's and one Workhorse. The Workhorse was purchased by the previous owner, and now sits off to one side, only used for jacket printing and some single color designs. The biggest problem we have is the pallets. I HATE wooden pallets. As they heat up, they warp up on the sides or in the middle. And the screws holding the base on seem to strip out all the time. You cant beat the light weight aluminum pallets from the M & R and being able to swap them out between the Auto and manual is great.

Evo

M & R 6 color Sportsmen here!!

purchased a 10c / 8s sportsman year & a half ago.
just placed an order for a 8c 6 station
m&r machines are great.. though i havent worked with anything else

I grew up on the Arrow Multi & M&R's. Bought a used 8c/10 station TAS when I started my biz and it's held up nicely! Now if I can a younger buck to run it and get my ass outta the shop, life would be peachy! ~Inky

We use a Lawson HD-Max 6/4. It's not the greatest, but it works. We really hate the micro-registration. We've gone back to good ol' tapping the screen ever so slightly for "micro registration."

shawks wrote:We've gone back to good ol' tapping the screen ever so slightly for "micro registration."

Heh. I was ripping apart a wooden shipping pallet the other day, and asked our shop foreman where I could find the "micro-registration tool". Without a word, she handed me the hammer.



We run 3 Hopkins/BWM manuals, and a Tuf Javelin. I like 'em, but who really knows if there's anything 'better'? I'd have to spend a heck of a lot of time with any press before I could judge. Looking at the showroom or tradeshow just isn't enough. You learn to work with what you've got.

:shrug:

I'm sorry to all those who whine because "M&R's are too expensive." I have worked on there Manuals, Blue Max and Chameleons along with Gauntlet I and II and Challengers. These are the best out there. I also worked on a TAS, and currently work at a place that still runs old oval Elexons. I have never seen things that breakdown so much. And for some reason the big dogs don't care that my people end up, "finding something to do" on average 4 hours a week. Which to me seems like a hell of a lot of wasted production time when my experiece with M&R's tell me that we would be down for no more than 4 hours every month to two months. That seems like it would save money over a year. Sure these Elexons can carry more flashes, 3 or 4. But hell if the artists could understand that yellow and red make orange, so we really don't need the orange screen.

Sorry venting, But I'll take M&R any day of the week

For me hands down Vastex.

I have owned a Tuf freedom for over a year now and so far so good. Has not failed me yet and I saved $$$$...

We had been looking for a long time and finally decided on a M&R Diamondback. It's a 6 color 8 arm auto press. We haven't set it up yet so we are still mani's until we finish our renovations in the barn to set it up. Can't wait to graduate from the manual to an auto.

Andrea

Tas....I've also worked on M&Rs, which aren't bad. I prefer the Tas Presses because of their durability and they are simple to maintain.

I would without a doubt recommend the Real Performance Machinery Rhino machine. It has way more capability then any of the M & R presses and is listed at the same prices. I have a 14 Color Rhino, and I am purchasing two more 8 Colors in the fall. The digital features and modular specs on the machine can not be matched by anyone in the industry. Great machine.

monkeyinadryer wrote:Can't wait to graduate from the manual to an auto.

You will be so glad you did. And then you will kick yourself for not doing it sooner. Then hopefully you will want to run 2 or 3 more.
Good Luck

Anyone familiar with HCB Package # 6 - 6-color 4-station + Maxi-Conveyor?

http://homecashbusiness.com/index.php?m ... ducts_id=6

I learned to print on Vastex, and have seen the quality and hard work that goes into making the equipment, and I can honestly say, I will never own any other piece of equipment.
Shawn

My screen printing company have used quite a few pieces of equipment but the Vastex as always seemed to remain as a staple...Im no expert but like anything it might depend on the kind of job

Cheers guys

well in my point of view, Anatol is one of the best press i have found .....just telling you after my personal experience with them.

grubb13 wrote:I'm sorry to all those who whine because "M&R's are too expensive." I have worked on there Manuals, Blue Max and Chameleons along with Gauntlet I and II and Challengers. These are the best out there. I also worked on a TAS, and currently work at a place that still runs old oval Elexons. I have never seen things that breakdown so much. And for some reason the big dogs don't care that my people end up, "finding something to do" on average 4 hours a week. Which to me seems like a hell of a lot of wasted production time when my experiece with M&R's tell me that we would be down for no more than 4 hours every month to two months. That seems like it would save money over a year. Sure these Elexons can carry more flashes, 3 or 4. But hell if the artists could understand that yellow and red make orange, so we really don't need the orange screen.

Sorry venting, But I'll take M&R any day of the week

Thank you so much for the post. It's really informative!


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We as of now have a Workhorse Mach 8, and I can't remain to print on it, loads of assembling "issues". In the event that I would purchase another Manual Press I would go for the M&R Chameleon, with the aluminum shirt sheets. Better Quality.

I am using the Model F1 from Systematic Automation. It is extremely easy to use and will print my whole product line from glassware to signage. They have a nice vacuum table attachment that turns on and off with the actuation of each cycle and changeover between different cylindrical tooling is like 2 minutes.

Vastex and Antec works great for me.

I would recommend M&R