Anatol Titan thoughts

[sweetts]

Anyone have any real life info on the Titan?


RT Screen Designs
www.rtscreendesigns.com

[Lonestarapparel]

I had one that I sold about 1 year ago.  PM me your questions or concerns and I will give you my thoughts.

[TCT]

I rarely have a nice thing to say about anatol, but I will hold back. I do have to say anatol seems to always re invent the entry level press and make it more "entry". Are you talking directly to anatol or buying through a dealer? My opinion is if you buy through a dealer and something goes wrong they may have more leverage than if you deal direct if something goes wrong. Plus you can have one call to a dealer and make them get a hold of anatol.  anatol is known for selling direct and while it saves you some coin, it may come back to bite you.  There are people out there that love their anatols and they have had good luck with the company so maybe they will chime in and give you a better view. I have a small all air anatol from like 7 years or so ago. I wanted to replace it, but for what I would get for it I decided to keep it and have it to use for 1 or 2 color easy jobs. I have learned how to fix damn near everything on the press so the downside of keeping it is minimal.

In the class the Titan is in it may be the only way to go. I don't remember if M&R has a press that is comparable or not. For some reason I thought they started at a comparable Horizon Mini.

What color/pallet set up are you thinking of?

[Prosperi-Tees]

M&R has come out with the diamondback C which is in direct competition with the Titan. I would look there first. Anatol changes sales reps like underwear. I get a call every few months from a new rep, makes me nervous.

[3Deep]

I would like to think I had something to do with the Titan being make as I had talked with them years back about getting a smaller press like my Mini to revolve both ways.  I've had my Horizon Mini now for almost 6 years and it has never been down no more than a few hours during production.  Since I've owned my press I've had nothing but good dealings with Anatol, yeah the reps may have changed over the years or months, but that has nothing to do with my press.  I really don't know what answers you want since the Titan is still kinda of new, but I know it is somewhat a replacement for the Horizon Mini which I can tell you all about.  What sold me on my press was I did't have to do alot of changing once I got it in the shop I could still use my same 20 x 24 screens same exposure unit, where if your coming from a manual shop to a larger auto your screens are bigger 23 x 31, bigger exposure unit, larger dryer.  To compare Anatol and M&R is like this M&R is 100% service there to hold your hand tons of techs to help you and that comes at a cost, which might not be bad and worth every penny, Anatol is there to guide you more or less in fixing your press which saves you money ( you kinda need to be handy with tools or have a little mister fixit in your blood), which is good to, you can always fix your own press in most cases and keep working.  My first choice in press's was an M&R but they didn't have anything back then to fit the space I had and Anatol did, which I'm very happy with.  I do think Anatol gives you more bang for your bucks on there entry level press's than anybody else right now, I hear M&R is building a smaller press now so what does that tell yeah, the market is there and Anatol knew it long time ago.  If you don't have any mister fixit in your blood, then M&R will be a better choice for you than Anatol, not saying your going to be always repairing your press, just M&R is service driving and have tons of techs vs Anatol is more phone service help.
  Now about this TCT cat!!! can't you tell that joker is a hater!!!! always quick to diss the big Red LOL ( really I'm just pulling his chain, he's a good guy and takes the high road instead of bashing)  the bottom line is to really look at all aspects of what you need and everything in between, don't be scare to compare and ask question's it's your money your spending.

Darryl

[Im-Magic]

I had one of the early ones and never had any problems with it. We decided to go in a different direction so I sold it a few months back but for a machine with a small footprint I could find no others that would fit in my shop.

[beanie357]

We had one. Nice little machine.
Bad set of prox switches. Sent us new set issue solved. They changed vendors for switch.
Did what was asked printing wise.
Did just trade it for late model 8 color sportsman, (Titan has not been picked up yet)but needed more heads immediately, and no room for keeping Titan. Used anything unfortunately is required when need heads today
Also have 10 color horizon. New this year. Air valve issue. Sent us new ones. Prints every day.
Yes, they do seem to change staff, we deal with mike j and he has been stellar. Insist on him.

[TCT]

Darryl is right,  I am a hater . I have had a lot of bad issues with the company. Their equipment is fine, when it works and it usually does.  They seem to usually come in right under M&R on price which gives them the bang for the buck stance.  But try comparing the companies, not the equipment. Things change there, and I am not a hardcore blue backer like a lot of these guys. My issue is more with anatol as a company.  They are VERY well aware of their issues and don't care to work harder to change. Anatol himself said he is fine with being #2 no real desire to push for #1. That to me says a lot.

I really want to go on rants(yes longer than this one) about them when I see posts about people wondering about them.  But I started to feel bad because people like Darryl are good people and like their press and I don't want to put them out. I am happy the press work for some people, it sucks when something you rely on doesn't work the way you thought it would.

Are the presses good?  Ya,  they will get the job done and sometimes very well. Darryl is no amateur,  he has posted some nice stuff. Who is the guy it in CA that does the all over prints and jumbo prints? I forget his name but he kills it also.  But there is a reason they are cheaper.

I myself have become a huge believer of some new guys in the states, that fly a green flag. But that is a whole different post with finger pointing, skepticism, and name calling!

Rant over.

[Donnie]

Had a Stratus for 8 years. Had very few issues.... except for an amp that went out. I must say that their support has not been as good in the past few years. I no longer deal with Anatol with support issues. I use Randy at OTS in California. He knows more about Anatol than Anatol. The jumbo guy is Dave Garrison at Spreading Ink.

[3Deep]

TCT is right I like Anatol and he is right compare companies is a great idea as all the equipment when working works about the same, if you know what your doing...I know I couldn't tell if a shirt had been printed on what press.  Yes Anatol like s to take the laid back approach to things, I brow beat them to get on the boards here and chat, which they did for a little bit.  Whatever you get just make sure it will help you grow your biz...

Darryl

[Gilligan]

To be fair Alex, what would it take/cost to TRY and be no. 1 at this point?

I don't think it would be worth it... Certainly not for anatol coming from their bad reputation/history.  Harder to work uphill already not to mention against someone like M&R.  Now if big green decides to make a run at it, sure it would be expensive and hard, but at least it wouldn't be rowing up stream for them.

Problem for guys like anatol is that soon they will find themselves fighting for no. 2 if they don't step up their game!

[GraphicDisorder]

Problem for guys like anatol is that soon they will find themselves fighting for no. 2 if they don't step up their game!

Are we even sure they are number 2? 

For the record I think Anatol makes a good machine. 

[mimosatexas]

When I think Anatol, I think craigslist spam ads since they are all over every city.  I actually have "-anatol" in my craigslist search queries...

just my 2 cents.

[Gilligan]

Problem for guys like anatol is that soon they will find themselves fighting for no. 2 if they don't step up their game!

Are we even sure they are number 2? 

For the record I think Anatol makes a good machine.

Who would you say is number 2 (no pun intended) in market penetration (in the US).

[Prosperi-Tees]

Workhorse maybe close to Anatol. But Anatol has a bigger presence in South America than the US I believe.