[WANTED] Used Auto - Bottom of the Barrel

[mimosatexas]

More and more I have been finding it hard to keep up with my usual workload (and growth), my new baby and my relationship with my wife, and new directions my business is taking.  My body is also starting to hate me for manual printing.  Generally speaking, I need to make an efficiency change, and I do not want to farm out work.  Most of my business relies on hand holding and quick turnaround, neither of which work with contract printing.  In an ideal world I would continue to save up for an M&R, but right now I just need anything that speeds up my actual printing and keeps me on track.  Saving has been a lot harder with the new baby, so setting a getting an ideal auto is looking like a longer term goal than I had hoped.

I'm looking for a bottom of the barrel auto to get over the hump and to keep me sane.  I have seen maybe half a dozen for around $5k or less in the last year, usually old Americans or small Lawsons or ancient presses of a variety of brands, but currently I'm not seeing much of anything out there for this price.  I would like to stay at or under $5k honestly, especially considering the cost of moving, installing, fixing, peripheral equipment, etc.  It would be great to be able to actually move the thing myself, and I am fine driving 10-12 hours to handle that part of the process.  Honestly I would prefer it. 

Anyone out there know of literally any working or refurbishable auto out there in that price range range?  I honestly don't care about brand, number or working heads, etc.  It will mostly be used for 2-4 colors, I dont mind using my current flash, etc...honestly if it moves a squeegee and can hold registration, I'm interested.

Thanks!

In summary, I would like:
-ANY automatic press ( colors/brand/age are less important than it pulling a squeegee and holding acceptable registration)
-within 10-12 hours of central Texas
-$5k or less

[blue moon]

$5K in cash might be enough to get a downpayment and auxilaries for a lease on a nice press.

pierre

[Prosperi-Tees]

Be a little patient and you can find a nice Javelin. My first auto was a real clean/maintained 6/8 with two flashes for 4K

[mimosatexas]

honestly at the moment I don't know if I would qualify for a nicer machine.  I would have to qualify on my personal credit, and my wife and I aren't looking so great there (medical bills/credit cards/student loans) and I already have a lease on the manual (my first attempt to build business credit) so while I have steady and growing business on the books, my debt ratio etc may doesnt look that great.

I'm also not sure I would want to get into a lease for a pricier machine I am not 100% happy with in the long term.  I'm really looking at this as a sort of temporary option to keep me on track.  I also kind of figure for this price I can probably make minor upgrades and clean it up and use it for a while and still get back a fair amount of my initial investment when I am in a position to upgrade to an ideal machine.

edit: a 6/8 javelin with 2 flashes for 4k would be FANTASTIC right now.

[blue moon]

what about hiring a printer?

pierre

[mimosatexas]

I've thought about it, but the training time, liability, and additional costs just don't justify it vs getting a cheapo auto.  If I was truly overwhelmed or having issues with prep/finishing eating into production, I think a second pair of hands would make sense, but really the only issue is the time it takes to print shirts to meet deadlines and fit print sessions into the rest of my schedule.  One issue I'm having currently is larger jobs where I am having to split it into 2 or 3 sessions due to other obligations, and having to wait for flashes, dryer, pallets, ink to heat back up and get back into rhythm is just so inefficient.  I also print a lot of waterbased, when taking breaks is a giant pain in the ass...

Even when I have had an extra set of hands loading/unloading or helping with peripheral stuff (folding/tagging/etc) the time savings just isnt there compared to even a low end auto, especially as you add colors to the design.  A 4 color single sided shirt on my manual (6 color/4 station) takes me about 40-50 seconds to print on average over a long period of time, and im exhausted at the end of the day.  I'd assume based simply on the fact that an auto prints all colors at once that this would be basically cut in half on even the slowest machine with a single operator.

[Printficient]

I would look for a Precision Oval.  There are a few in GA in that price range.  Also there was a shop in Columbus MS that had 3

[blue moon]

I would look for a Precision Oval.  There are a few in GA in that price range.  Also there was a shop in Columbus MS that had 3

I can get you one of those for few hundred if you are interested. It's in DC area so would be a haul. . .

pierre

[Printficient]

I would look for a Precision Oval.  There are a few in GA in that price range.  Also there was a shop in Columbus MS that had 3

I can get you one of those for few hundred if you are interested. It's in DC area so would be a haul. . .

pierre

If you go this route you want Winston to install it.  He actually built these new.

[mimosatexas]

I don't mind a trip AT ALL if its only a few hundred bucks, works, and holds regi.

What kind of shape is it in?  Colors/stations?  Electrical/air requirements?

I know the ovals have gone out of style or whatever, but honestly, if it works I don't care if it is slower or requires some extra finesse, etc...

[sweetts]

I was struggling like you and was thinking of going with an auto, bigger dryer and so on. Then a couple people here suggested I try out contractors. It was hard starting but it's working out. I limit myself to only print 250 shirts a week or three jobs, anything else gets contracted out. Printing is cool but ordering shirts, emailing a file and cashing checks, way cooler. I have another job and this has been my second income so my time is real limited. So I use contract print companies or bring in pressmen and pay them price work. It's working out for now.


RT Screen Designs

[mimosatexas]

It really wouldnt work for me unfortunately.  A large portion of my business relies on quick turn around and there are lots of fluctuating variables up until printing.  I am more accomodating than most when it comes to that stuff, but it is what keeps my customers happy, often despite me being more expensive.  For example, many of my clients are schools who need playoff shirts, or have small re-orders right after the original order, etc.  I only have those clients because many of them were told no by their past printers when it came to a deadline.

I also am printing an increasing amount of stuff for my own brand, so having a machine that lets me balance that with my wholesale work is important.  Contracting would maybe save me having to print two or three jobs a month where it actually made sense to not print them in house.

I also really love printing and want to continue doing it rather than simply being a middle man, no offense intended.

[ebscreen]

In order of preference:

Gauntlet
Javelin
Auto-Rototex
Multiprinter


All of those should be available in about your price range. They are all indestructible
for the most part and will bang out shirts easy peasy. Look for air locks on the screen
clamps if at all possible. The last two never had them.

Go for it. You know you need to, just get it done. Get whatever you can afford and get it in your
shop quick, things will change dramatically and you can start building towards a better machine.
If you are going to go auto do it now the sooner the better and don't look back.
Not all of us have trust funds or inheritances or are independently wealthy or willing to take on
a boatload of debt. Working up from the bottom is admirable.

[Printficient]

In order of preference:

Gauntlet
Javelin
Auto-Rototex
Multiprinter


All of those should be available in about your price range. They are all indestructible
for the most part and will bang out shirts easy peasy. Look for air locks on the screen
clamps if at all possible. The last two never had them.

Go for it. You know you need to, just get it done. Get whatever you can afford and get it in your
shop quick, things will change dramatically and you can start building towards a better machine.
If you are going to go auto do it now the sooner the better and don't look back.
Not all of us have trust funds or inheritances or are independently wealthy or willing to take on
a boatload of debt. Working up from the bottom is admirable.

Having had the pleasure of running the four mentioned I would still prefer the oval.  easy to repair and though it does eat a lot of pellons we ran 4cp on the one I ran with no issues.  ole man has it now and it is his goto press over the "normal" one he has.

[ericheartsu]

i think there is a multi printer in dallas and houston. check craigslist!