I like the Newman Yellow tape. I use a double layer on the print side of all my screens. This is permanent tape that's easier to remove. It tears on removal sometimes but not badly and doesn't leave those super goobers of adhesive behind as much as duct or polyken tape will. I've yet to have the yeller tape crap out before a screen does. We use a dip tank and all Franmar chem's. Those with more aggressive cleaners might have a different experience. Never tried the blue R-tape but I've pulled that crap off of old wooden screens and it doesn't look like a clean release to me.
I'm currently playing with taping both print and squeegee side, making a sandwich with the Newman Yellow. I'd then like to use that liquid tape stuff to permanently block out the rest of the perimeter/corners, coat over the edge of the liquid tape and try and and achieve something close to "tape free" status on screen making. Someone posted an awesome instruction thread on doing this with EZ frames here I think. The trouble with rollers is that you've got the corners to deal with, which are softened and you also need to get the wrenches in there from time to time.
The double tape/sandwich method allows for retensioning but you can't run the tape all the way, corner to corner, or it will get in the way of the roller master wrenches. You can run it along the length of the roller not including the hexagonal caps on the end.
I'm thinking a combo of yellow tape as above, the permanent liquid tape along the perimeter and into the corners and then four quick little pieces of tape on each of the four corners before going on press is the closest to tapeless you can get without restricting your ability to retension or the mesh's ability to do it's thing. {newman states that the wrong tape will mess with the screens snap}
We have a full set of mesh protectors. Half are a turquoise color and they're great- easy to pop on and off and fit like a glove. The other half are more blue in color and total crap for use on M3s and simply get in the way. I don't know why Newman changed the specs on this product, that was foolish. I think the protectors are necessary in some situations and not in others. We needed them on the Chameleon as the carousel is very heavy on that press. The Anatol we now have, they fubared the clamps so that we don't have room to add the mesh protectors. I was concerned that we'd be popping screens but so far they're holding fine without the protectors because it's a much lighter press and 2 less heads. The nature of your press's clamps and setup needs and your crew's ability to handle the screens properly will dictate if you need these or not.
You may also want to invest in the clamp adapters. I found them to help on the Chameleon with it's single flat bar clamp but not a need with the pad/foot style clamps on the Anatol.
Last off, I know you built a 3pt reg system but check out the pin lock if you're going all-newman. It's pretty bad-ass and could be very easily modded to not use carriers and use your existing glass alignment technique if you like. You'd simply need two tiny pins on the glass. There's a pretty screaming deal on a system on d-smith I think or at least there was.
