MHM S Type? Likes and Dislikes...

[Parker 1]

I am press shopping and looking for input on the MHM E or S Syncroprint.  I would really like to hear input from the shops that run theese machines.

Why you choose to run MHM?
Parts and Service?
How long have you been printing with MHM machines?
What you like Most?
What you like Least?
If you could change something on your machine, What?
Who installed your press?
How was the install?
What type of flash do you have?
Anything you can think of from running the machine day to day.

I have been infront of the S type and E type, really liked the machine, but it was at a trade show and I really want to hear some input from owners and operators. 

If this is posted in the wrong place please move it, and I greatly appriciate any and all input.

Parker

[T Shirt Farmer]

Hi Parker

I have run Tas for the last 20 years but went to a S Type 3months ago. My understanding is the E Type is being discontinued. The S is a completely different machine than the E.

Why you choose to run MHM?
I felt it wast the most advanced and well thought out press for the money. The pin reg makes set ups a breeze. I was not sold on the Tri Loc system or the micros from M&R.

Parts and Service?
haven't needed them as of yet

How long have you been printing with MHM machines?
6 months

What you like Most?
Pre-reg system, pined frames, fast pallet change, super easy control over squeegee adjustments, micros are amazing

What you like Least?
you cant run a single  sample on the roto set up

If you could change something on your machine, What?
the control screen boom is to far out, wish I could have it arms length in between the load/unload station. They have it way out for safety reason.

Who installed your press?
Rodney, the guy breaths MHM and is a true gentlemen.

How was the install?
no issue, 3 days

What type of flash do you have?
2 quartz

Anything you can think of from running the machine day to day.
Yes wish i bought a 14 color, running 9 color sims on a 10 color press kinda sucks sometimes

The press is built like a brick house, every component is very high quality The press is very fast and smooth, I can put a qt of ink on the print arm and it will not move from vibration.

[ebscreen]

Why you choose to run MHM?

Initially print size and power/air requirements. Then I went to look at machines
and between it and an M&R in the same price range it was a no brainer.

Parts and Service?

Don't get me started. Action has you covered for any auxiliary stuff (pallets, squeegees, etc.)
Gaylen at MSI might be able to help, and Hirsch is hit or miss unfortunately. Many parts are
European manufacturers, most of which can be replaced with equivalents that are more readily
available. Things like prox. switches, cylinders, valves etc, that are common as dirt on other
machines can be a bear.


How long have you been printing with MHM machines?

I think like 4 years? I'd have to sit down and think for a minute. Just got a second one.


What you like Most?

They're an engineering marvel. Really. They're light and nimble and quick and just work.
Common functions (changing pallets, screens, squeegees, etc.) are extremely simple.
Plus they make really cool noises.

The S-Types heads flip up. I don't know if I could ever not have that on a press again.

Also, the pin system is the way to handle screens. Aside from the drying rack (and I'm working on it)
my screens never contact their edges. Not to mention the registration benefits.


What you like Least?

They're an engineering marvel. Compared to the Ford/Chevy machines we have like BMW's or something.
Good and bad. The indexing system is incredibly lightweight (aluminum) which means faster
speeds at less electrical requirement, but also sacrifices strength. Not that you should ever
be getting in the way of your pallets, but it just has that feeling of being kind of fragile,
whereas an M&R, Anatol, RPM feels like it could withstand several explosions nearby.



If you could change something on your machine, What?

Who represents the company in the US.



Who installed your press?

Yours truly. Thrice (1 move with the 1 machine)


How was the install?

Piece of cake.


What type of flash do you have?

Calmats. Wish I had the MSI. Medium wave carbon emitters are sure nice
(and fast for single phase) but at $700 a lamp I could stand the standard
(readily available) Ushio bulbs, especially now that I have three phase.


Anything you can think of from running the machine day to day.

Feed it good dry air and that's about it. Very little maintenance required.

[Parker 1]

Thanks, for the info.  Any of you runnin retesionable frames.  If so which pins do you have, Newman or other. 

What size frames do you currently run?

[Gilligan]

Honestly I don't see how anyone can have an MHM and NOT run retensionables... I know it's all relative and personal and I mean no offense... just if you have a sports car you don't fill it up with cheap gas.

[Nation03]

Is the e-type really getting discontinued?

[Prosperi-Tees]

Honestly I don't see how anyone can have an MHM and NOT run retensionables... I know it's all relative and personal and I mean no offense... just if you have a sports car you don't fill it up with cheap gas.

Pierre runs static's I believe .

[alan802]

I obviously don't know near as much about the MHM's as the guys that run them, but I think the S type is a really fine machine, and is much more machine than the E Type, which is one of the best in it's class as well.  The e and s type are quite a ways apart on price and features so you need to decide which one your shop needs.  If you're a one auto shop that is printing 1-2k shirts or less a week then the E will likely serve you very well. If you're printing a thousand shirts a day or more, doing a million in screen printing salesa year  then the S might be a better fit.  I think they'll both give you the same quality of print but the S is geared more for the larger production shop and is beefier in the areas that matter when running multiple shifts and a million imprints in a year.

[Screened Gear]

Why you choose to run MHM?

I did a lot of research and they just won on everything that mattered to me. A lot of the other presses looked and ran like a 30 year old car. The MHMs run smooth and are so easy to use anyone can do it. I have heard a lot of other presses are easy to use after you run them but the MHM operating system is intuitive and so are all the head adjustments. Many are self locking making them easy to use on the fly.

Parts and Service?

Unlike a few others I have never had a problem with service and parts. I have never waited more than an hour for a tech to call me. I have never waited more than 2 days for parts. (I could have had them the next morning but the shipping cost was not worth it to me.) Like any other presses on the market you can fix just about anything on the press. They are really simple machines. If you do get stuck a tech can explain it to you over the phone and send you the parts you need.

How long have you been printing with MHM machines?

Over a year on a 2006 E-type. I got it used. I owned it for over 2 years. (yes I put it in storage for a year)

What you like Most?

Easy to use and train someone else to use. Engineered like no other press on the market. Simple.

What you like Least?

This is a hard question since I have never run another auto. If I had to say something…it would be that no one you want to hire has run one. It’s really not a problem since they are so easy to use.

If you could change something on your machine, What?

Auto loading…well and auto unloading. They need to sell them with winged flood bars or something else that works better but other than that nothing.

Who installed your press?

Rodney installed mine. He is the best. I got my E-type used and I had to pay for the install. It was well worth it. I knew nothing about the press and Rodney did an amazing job helping me figure everything out. When you have yours installed make sure to be the one that helps install it. You will learn a lot.

How was the install?

Very smooth. Mine was installed in a day. It had a registration problem (caused by the previous owner) but it ran great. Let the tech spend as much time as they want with the press. They can change settings to make it run smoother. Have a list of questions for them.

What type of flash do you have?

I have the Calmat, they don’t make it anymore, I think. It’s not that bad. If you get one get a flash with a stand. Having the flash set in the head like a screen is a pain. Just taking it out you can break bulbs that cost over $100 each. I broke 3 just moving the flash when I got it. It would be nice to be able to just roll it to the next station or set it off center for a bigger side print.

Anything you can think of from running the machine day to day.

I can run up to about 450 shirts an hour loading and unloading by myself and not have a single problem. The operating system/ display is great. Very easy to use. The FPU is the best on the market.

If I had to do it over I would think about the S-type a little more. The S-type has been around a lot longer than the e-Type (I doubt it is being discontinued) So if looking for a used S make sure you know the age of it. The S-type is bigger in every way compared to the E. They both can print all day long at faster than you can load and do it every day. The only big difference between them it’s the Es table it much lighter and moves up and down when printing. The S has a lot stronger table, prints by moving the screens up and down and lifts the screen and squeegee / flood part of the head when changing them out (would be nice). Everything else is the same.

They are not the cheapest option, but they are not nearly as expensive as some may make you think. Talk to a sales person and you can get one for the same price as any other brands comparable press or very close. Someone told me once their MHM was cheaper than another well known brand after the deal was made.

If you want to contact me with any questions feel free. I will try to get back to you asap.




Make sure to check out these other posts.

AUTO WARS 1 - Micro Registration
http://www.theshirtboard.com/index.php/topic,2830.0.html

AUTO WARS 2 - Screen Holders
http://www.theshirtboard.com/index.php/topic,2868.0.html

AUTO WARS 3 - Squeegees & Flood Bars
http://www.theshirtboard.com/index.php/topic,2914.0.html

AUTO WARS 4 - Pallets
http://www.theshirtboard.com/index.php/topic,3018.0.html

[Sbrem]

Haven't got time to go through the whole list, but we're had our S Type for 8 or 9 years, and we just love it. I've run a lot of presses, and this just beats them all for ease of setup. Changing pallets in a couple of minutes is a plus for sure. We started with 2 Calmat flashes, and have just replaced one of them with the MSI, very nice. All features are engineered in, not add-ons. All in all, a great press.

Steve

[Frog]

Honestly I don't see how anyone can have an MHM and NOT run retensionables... I know it's all relative and personal and I mean no offense... just if you have a sports car you don't fill it up with cheap gas.

Many cars recommend premium gas, but show little improvement, if any, on performance and mileage, over regular. Often, not enough to justify the additional expense.

[Gilligan]

Honestly I don't see how anyone can have an MHM and NOT run retensionables... I know it's all relative and personal and I mean no offense... just if you have a sports car you don't fill it up with cheap gas.

Many cars recommend premium gas, but show little improvement, if any, on performance and mileage, over regular. Often, not enough to justify the additional expense.

Which is a PERFECT parallel to this... you are right.  If driven like a maw-maw a sports car does not need better gas because the advanced timing/tuning won't really come into play.  But when you actually drive that car like it's designed to be driven, like the performance machine that it is... that is when that better gas shines.  If you use the cheap stuff your car will pre-detonate and knock.

[Parker 1]

I understand the Reg. system in theory but not so much in real production.  Unable to find videos (via YouTube of the system in action). 

How much additional time, if any, will you spend in the dark room in set-ups and regestering films to screens?

What Registration marks are used, lay out of Reg. marks? (must the reg. marks be placed in the same location no matter the size of design) Lets say 13"W X 6"Ht. compared to a 4X4 Left chest design.

Do you have to zero the micros prior to loading screens into the press?

Thanks again for all the information.

[Parker 1]

I'll give a little back ground. 

We currently run an 8 color all electric press, with no Registration System. Will not mention manufacture, does not seem important to conversation. 

Average print run 100 to 500 pcs, that are now rangeing in 5-7 colors on an 8 color press, major PITA!
(We currently have 12 jobs in que that are all 6 to 7 colors)
Why we are looking to upgrade. 

Average 2-3 jobs daily 1 8hr shift with 6hrs of production time, 6 days a week.

Average production speed 45-60 dozen/hr.  This is while flashing. 

 

This is why we are looking to upgrade.   

[ebscreen]

FPU needs reg. marks for centerline only. Even on left chest you use centerline marks.
For designs up to about 7" tall (don't quote me on this) they will need to be placed in
accordance with the hash marks on the FPU. After 7" or so there's a slider for your bottom
mark to accommodate any length design. Easiest thing to do is make a template
for it in Illustrator/Corel and go from there.

The beauty of it is that it does not take any additional time or materials than it would
to just tape a film to a screen. Sure, you're a little more careful about getting it lined up
to the lasers but any press should have some sort of pre-reg system anyways.