Auto owners...manual still set up?

[Nation03]

I still use mine regularly. Anything I think will take too long to setup on the auto will go on the manual (Depending on the size of the order). Going to pull the trigger on some kind of a pre-reg system soon and hopefully that will mean 90% of the orders will go to the auto.

[zanegun08]

We have 8 manuals, 2 number presses and 7 autos, a flatbed printer and room for random flat printing with a table top hinge press.

We have staffed and scheduled daily 7 manuals, with some flex people who print transfers (truckers, interior branding, difficult placement garments) and can hop around to the number presses because we don't do a ton of numbers, but when we do they are typically for large programs.

I don't understand how you could not have a manual press in daily operation, either you are turning down business, or we say yes to way to much.

Our magical number is at around 100 pieces a job goes to autos, which I disagree with because we print a lot of things that I think would get better results on manuals, and a lot of jobs that could get knocked out much more quickly than on an auto, but it is how it is.

[Inkworks]

Our 6/6 is now a 2/3 and pushed up against the wall for more room, but we use it for the weird stuff, we probably build a new custom platen every week for it.

Everything that can go on the auto does, everything, it is sooo much faster to set up from 1 colour to 8 on it. I just wish I had a smart flash or even an IR flash for the auto, tired of burning Heather Charcoal shirts on it....

[dsh]

I use the manual as much as the auto when counting jobs.  I'm in a small town and built the business being willing to do a 12 minimum.  Yesterday I did a 4 color 12 piece job on the manual which I find much easier to set up - and clean up when finished using 20x24 screens rather than 23x31's

[TH Apparel]

We use both manuals a lot still...We just did a 700+ piece order that got 40 different one color backs(troop number for boy scouts)  Some had 1 piece, some had 30 pieces.
All the fronts went on the auto...all the backs went on the manual presses.

[3Deep]

I take that some of you that don't still use a manual don't except odd jobs that can't be produce on an auto or you have a butt load of specialty pallets for your auto, I just had a set of baby pallets made for our manual as we print for a lot of daycares, plus if you print any kind of sports uniforms I just can't see you without a manual press in the shop.

[Stinkhorn Press]

1 auto, 1 manual, 12 shirt minimum.
Both get used, almost evenly.
12 Polo left chests?
24 sleeves?
30 Black on light?
perfect filler for the manual. we probably make more money through the manual press still, just because of the large number of very small jobs we run.

[Admiral]

I take that some of you that don't still use a manual don't except odd jobs that can't be produce on an auto or you have a butt load of specialty pallets for your auto, I just had a set of baby pallets made for our manual as we print for a lot of daycares, plus if you print any kind of sports uniforms I just can't see you without a manual press in the shop.

We do onesies, koozies, hip prints, totes, and a few other things like that on our smaller auto just fine.  We don't do multicolor transfers in house anymore, and rarely posters both of which were better on the manual.