Who has the best bang for the buck in autos?

[Prosperi-Tees]

1)8-10 colors
2)ac heads
3)servo driven
4)easiest to use
5)easiest/fastest setup)
6)best price/ feature mix

[GraphicDisorder]

1)8-10 colors
2)ac heads
3)servo driven
4)easiest to use
5)easiest/fastest setup)
6)best price/ feature mix

Just went through this myself not even a year ago.  M&R won my business and id make the exact same choice today.  Given a local competitor that went with another brand and another public person that was installed at the same time as me with yet another brand and both of those are unhappy, yet I am happy just reinforces my choice.  BOTH are now looking at M&R.  So keep that in mind. 

[Prosperi-Tees]

My plan for the next 2 years is to prepare to move to a larger shop and to upgrade my press. M&R is on the list for sure. What does a Sportsman run with ac/servo?

[Fluid]

Just a thought.

If you are thinking of getting an 8 color auto because you have the money for a 8-clr, I would wait, hoof it for a little longer and get the ten color.  The moment you get that 8 color you will be cursing yourself for not getting more heads.  I did this with my 10-clr. I should have waited until I could get a 12 color. 

With an 8-clr auto you will actually only be able to print 7 colors. Realistically ONLY 6 colors due to the NEED for a cool down station unless you run your press extremely slow.

With a 10 color you will at least have the option for TWO flash units which I guarantee you will wish you had on a lot of jobs so as to not have to revolve which ultimately adds a lot of time to your production.

[GraphicDisorder]

My plan for the next 2 years is to prepare to move to a larger shop and to upgrade my press. M&R is on the list for sure. What does a Sportsman run with ac/servo?

Hit up Rich for a quote. 

Just a thought.

If you are thinking of getting an 8 color auto because you have the money for a 8-clr, I would wait, hoof it for a little longer and get the ten color.  The moment you get that 8 color you will be cursing yourself for not getting more heads.  I did this with my 10-clr. I should have waited until I could get a 12 color. 

A 10 or 12 color would have been nice for sure.  But I wanted to stay within a budget and I did.  I haven't had a request for a job I couldn't print yet, could more stations have made a job easier, for sure. 

With an 8-clr auto you will actually only be able to print 7 colors. Realistically ONLY 6 colors due to the NEED for a cool down station unless you run your press extremely slow.

Context though, extremely slow on a Auto is often still much faster than a manual.  I assume he is coming from a manual press.  It's not the end of the world to have a job here and there not be able to run at full speed.  I think of course if he has the coin buy as many colors as he can.  I don't think that someone shouldn't automate because of being short money for 2 more colors. 

With a 10 color you will at least have the option for TWO flash units which I guarantee you will wish you had on a lot of jobs so as to not have to revolve which ultimately adds a lot of time to your production.

We use 2 flashes at times to save a trip around on some jobs.  But yes it does limit colors you can put in that job if you do that. 

[blue moon]

1)8-10 colors
2)ac heads
3)servo driven
4)easiest to use
5)easiest/fastest setup)
6)best price/ feature mix

MHM will hit the first 5 better than any/most presses on the market, but at the expense (pun intended!) of the 6th. One could argue that for the features you get it is a great price, but their entry level press is still more then double what the other charge.

There is a time and place for most presses out there and most of them are pretty darn good. You should look at  where you are going and which one will fit you the best. The problem is, when you go auto, things change and the direction you had in mind sometimes does not really work out. . .

pierre

[Prosperi-Tees]

From what I have read on the MHM it does fit the bill but it really is double the price?

[squeegee]

A loaded (fully featured) Sportsman vs. E-type new is very comparable cost wise, especially if you're talking monthly payments.  E-types are "loaded" by default.

#5, easiest/fastest set up:

--Remember how pre-registration plays into this.  Personally we would not consider a press manufactuarer that doesn't have an integrated pre-reg system. 

Or at least press that could be *easily* adapted to a proven professional level pre-reg system.

We do lots and lots of small jobs and pre-reg is indispensable for this.

[Fluid]

M&R is the best in my opinion all around from quality to service. Definitely upgrade to A/C heads as you will not need a huge air compressor and will save money ultimately. A/C heads run smoother and the press in extremely quieter than pneumatic heads. 

As far as my suggestion on waiting to get the ten over the 8. everyone I have worked with that rushed to automate and got an 8 color wished they had a 10, like I did with my 10 wanting a 12. 

Indeed you can slow the press to compensate for cool down and yes ultimately an auto will speed the shop. If you try getting into NFL Hot Market printing you will need to be able to print 7-9 colors or they will pass you by for the shop with more color capacity.  I saw this first had with a couple competitors when printing Jaguars as well as Toyota Gator Bowl apparel.

Right now you might not feel the need for more heads yet I know when I got my 10 color I started seeing all sorts of more business including more colors.

Not trying to get you to NOT get a 8 -clr.  Just trying to bring more info to the table for you to think about.

Also as mentioned, Go directly to Rich.  Richard or Tim Foreman are the ones who will give you the deals and honestly all this info I spoke of was given to me by both Richard and Tim when I was thinking of purchasing my auto and at the time I was in the same boat. Had the money for a 8-clr and waited till I could save to get the ten. Luckily for me it only took about 7 months to save the extra money. 

I did have two 6 color chameleons and employees running both at the time which helped.  We were both custom and Contract printers, printing around 15-20 jobs a week at the time. Our average orders were 150-300 6-clr left chest & 6-Clr full backs manually. 

[Prosperi-Tees]

Great info. What Manus have a pre reg system, the only ones I know of are M&R and MHM, any others? Like I said the upgrade is in my 2 year plan so no rush I just want to buy right when the time comes.

[bimmridder]

I believe you can buy a larger press, say a ten color, but only get eight heads. If money is a major concern now, you can do it this way and add one or two later. If money is a huge concern, it may not be the right time either.

[GraphicDisorder]

I was going to buy a 6 and bought a 8.  Sure would I love a 10 or 12?  Hell ya, but I am a small timer.  We run our auto 1-2 days a week many weeks a year.

Most of our jobs are 1-2 color front, 2-4 color rear.  Fluids advice is good there, if your already doing 6 colors per side like him, I would have got a big dog 18/20 or something.  I figure by the time I need a press with that many colors buying it wont be a problem. 

[JBLUE]

I have ten and would like twelve. I would definitely not go below ten having owned a six already.

[Fluid]

Also with set up the M&R tri lock is awesome. The hardest part of this is the little bit of extra time in the pre press area with the carrier sheets and all. Yet once you instill this into your production, set up on press for multi color jobs is minutes.

If you want more info David at Sun Screen print here in Jacksonville uses the tri-lock and wouldn't have it any other way. I am sure he would give you his opinion.  You can see his shop here on their facebook page.  I run all their seps and film output accept reorders form which Coudray Graphics used to do.
https://www.facebook.com/Sunscreenprint


Once you go Blue - You never go back!

[Prosperi-Tees]

Are there any differences in the MHM pre reg system and M&R triloc? How about Newmans Pre Reg system? Will they work with any auto?