Ditching the manual?

[TCT]

Wondering what people's thoughts and or I guess experience, is in terms of getting rid of our "main" manual press. I say "main" because we have a few 4/1's that we use for on-site printing. In our situation it is a space thing. It's been probably 9 months now the manual has been moved to a place where it is not feasible to use on our main dryer. It is actually up against a wall basically 10' past the end of the dryer out feed. We've used it maybe 5 times in 8 months, 2 of them being me printing a 1 off for my son and another time we used it for our open house.

I can see the easy answer is to sell it. I'm just trying to get any input of reasons why not to maybe? I tend to hold on to equipment(thank god we have a basement) for "in case". Plus, it's the manual I started out with....

Think I know in logical part of my brain(what there may be left of it) that I should just sell it and clear some desperately needed floor space. I just need a few seconds opinions maybe? 

[jsheridan]

always good to have a manual that works with all of the other tools in the shop.

If it doesn't share pallets or accept a reg system and doesn't 'fit' in the shop.. 

I buy Amplifier!

[Homer]

we use ours as a rotating lunch tray, ink  bucket holder and once a year some one off Christmas gifts..i figured if I sell it, I'll get 1500.00 for it, maybe. I'll have 1500 bucks a lot in the course of a year, but I'll only have the press once....as long as space allows, I'll keep it for the oddball stuff. But man do I hate using it. Plus you have to clean it,  take it apart, move it, crate it.... the hell with that I'll just keep it.

[Doug B]

  It's just like reclaiming a screen and getting a re-order. As soon as you sell
it, you will need it!

[3Deep]

Before we got our auto we had 3 manny's 2 4/4's and one 6/4, we still have the 6/4 because it works with the auto and still have one 4/4 which is now a 4/1 for very odd printing.  Now that press 4/1 I have thought about selling many time's but never would I sell my 6/4, we still get plenty of use from it, like I said in another post it's all about what you except for printing in your shop if you need a manual because all printing can't be done on an auto unless you spend some serious money.  We print odd size duffle bags that will not work on our auto and a few other crazy items that I can make one pallet for the manual and I'm good to go.

[Shanarchy]

We're tight on space here too, but I'm keeping mine.

My reasoning (which may or may not be valid):
-Oddball items that may not fit on the auto
-small runs of expensive poly I still print on the manual. 
-if my compressor, or auto goes down for some reason it is my emergency back up
-I occasionally print flat stock posters
-If I wanted to direct print numbers or hats not with heat press (which I probably won't)
-the option to print on the manual while someone is printing on the auto

That said the emergency backup is my main reason for keeping it. Fear of something going down and having to wait for a part or tech.

[Prince Art]

Wondering what people's thoughts and or I guess experience, is in terms of getting rid of our "main" manual press. I say "main" because we have a few 4/1's that we use for on-site printing. In our situation it is a space thing. It's been probably 9 months now the manual has been moved to a place where it is not feasible to use on our main dryer. It is actually up against a wall basically 10' past the end of the dryer out feed. We've used it maybe 5 times in 8 months, 2 of them being me printing a 1 off for my son and another time we used it for our open house.

Question for TCT & everyone else: Could you do all manual work on a 4/1? Or maybe I should ask, what's the smallest manual config you could get away with? (4/4? 4/2? 1/1!?) Would a downsized manual fit your space better & still work when you need it? Maybe that would ensure all bases are covered, while reclaiming some space.

I ask for TCT's situation, but also for manual shops like ours who want an auto, but simply don't have the option to keep even a 6/4 manual around. For us, it's either ditch or downsize the manual, or move to a bigger space. I know I don't want any 6-color+ jobs that can only be done on a manual!

always good to have a manual that works with all of the other tools in the shop.

If it doesn't share pallets or accept a reg system and doesn't 'fit' in the shop.. 

Good advice!

[kingscreen]

We still have 2 manuals.  One is still broken down on a pallet since we moved it.  The other, a Kruzer, is used very rarely for weird projects and specialty locations.  Like everyone else already mentioned, it holds more drinks and snacks than garments.   

[TCT]

We have 2 autos and our minimum is 24. We have 3  4/1 manuals that are easily moved and tucked away. The actual "need" to print a 5 or 6 color small run is zero. We'd have transfers made, or most likely just turn it away.

The 6/4 I just can't see a user for anymore.

You guys are split on advice, that's not helping me!!!

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[kingscreen]

My advice is to calculate the value of each option. 

How valuable is the space you'll open up be? 
How valuable is the money you'll make off selling off the equipment and how/if it will be reinvested?
How valuable is the equipment if you keep it?

Whichever option has the highest value to you and your business is the winner.

[Inkworks]

I'd always want a manual available, but in all reality could probably make do with a 1/1 if we could flash with it.

[bimmridder]

Sorry to be of no help to you Alex. We have four autos and zero manuals. Well I have an 8 color Chameleon torn down and stashed in different places in the building. There are times when I wish I had it available, but the times I'm thankful for the space far outnumber the latter. You saw my place when you were here Alex, now imagine that with a 22 station Stryker. Something had to give. Maybe someday I'll make a spot for it, but until then it will sit in storage. 

[alan802]

I printed 150 shirts on our manual yesterday to make a big customer happy.  1 job, a few hours of time and there was no way to print the job on the auto while still keeping another big customer happy.  This scenario may only play out a dozen times per year, at most, but I can't quantify the benefit of having ours and keeping a good customer from taking a small job somewhere else and then realizing that they could start taking other jobs there too.  9 times out of 10 the other shop won't live up to what we offer but the one time that it does it could cost thousands, tens of thousands, and so on.  Cost benefit bla bla bla.

Now if you have multiple autos and at least one of those autos sits idle on a regular basis then my scenario doesn't need a manual press to work, it simply needs ANOTHER press. 

[Sbrem]

We have 3, but only one works every day. The others are for convenience, and odd jobs...

Steve

[Shanarchy]

We have 2 autos and our minimum is 24. We have 3  4/1 manuals that are easily moved and tucked away. The actual "need" to print a 5 or 6 color small run is zero. We'd have transfers made, or most likely just turn it away.

The 6/4 I just can't see a user for anymore.

You guys are split on advice, that's not helping me!!!

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

With two autos I'd be less concerned about having a manual for an emergency back up. If one press went down you have the option to stay late which would obviously be easier than running it on a manual. Personally I'd try to get rid of the 3 4/1's and keep the 6/4. Maybe put it on wheels and roll it into a corner. But you know best which is more important, space or the better manual press.