Work Horse Quartz conveyor dryers... worth it?

[spencer_L&KC]

hey all, I am building a brand new multi-purpose building, split between my print shop and living space, getting ready to break ground on the property in about a month. we will be getting about 1,600sqft for the shop/studio and will be upgrading to a new conveyor dryer when we move in. we currently have a BBC Big Buddy 24"x8' conveyor and the business is growing. I am tired of having to be creative with how to load garments onto the belt and also with how the outsides of the belt are not getting as evenly heated as the center. I know BBC is known for their even heat distribution, but this dryer has a good 20-30deg difference within just a few inches. it drives me nuts to be honest.

needless to say it is time to upgrade to a 36" or even 40" wide dryer, and a longer one as well. we really want the BBC Aeolus 36"x12' dryer, but that $18K price tag is just nuts. BBC is local to me too, about a 40 min drive away, so picking it up directly from them is a plus. anyway, because of that insane price we are obviously considering other options. we have been looking at Anatol and Work Horse as well and the WH dryers just seem too good to be true. their Quartz 40"x13' dryers is listed at $8.6K, which is almost $10K less than the comparable sized BBC Aeolus dryer. how can there be that much of a price difference?

so I suppose I am looking for any feedback from anyone here who has run jobs on a WH Quartz conveyor. see questions below:

how is the overall build quality of the dryer?

will the quartz lamps run my electric bill up?

how accessible are the replaceable lamps and will we need to worry about this lamp type being fazed out in 5-10 years making replacing them impossible to obtain later on?

we are just looking to avoid upgrading to a dryer that we will regret later on. i know WH makes quality equipment, but any feedback that could help us make more informed decision would be greatly appreciated. my apologies for the long winded post, but just wanted to explain where we are at currently in our research. I will do some more searching on this board to see if these dryers have been discussed in any detail, but what I have seen so far is just questions from users whos threads have not been replied to. if you have any info/opinions on these dryers, let it be known!

thanks for reading!

[ericheartsu]

This doesn't answer nearly any of your questions, but if you're looking for a different solution, I have a Workhorse Series 2 3190 dryer that we will move pretty inexpensively in Phoenix.

[Hemi]

You should look at Ranar dryers. Either their Redstar or if you want forced air then the Turbo Jetstar. They have lots of different size options and all the pricing is on the website.

[Homer]

Gas. electric sucks

[Hemi]

The cost to operate gas equipment in my area is expensive. It’s around 2 bucks a therm. What’s the typical gas dryers daily usage of therms?
Yeah maybe it’s a more effective way to cure your prints but is it more energy efficient at that rate? Obviously depends on what electric dryer you would be comparing it to

[spencer_L&KC]

This doesn't answer nearly any of your questions, but if you're looking for a different solution, I have a Workhorse Series 2 3190 dryer that we will move pretty inexpensively in Phoenix.

I appreciate the offer, but thats not much bigger than my current BBC conveyor. we are looking to go bigger.

You should look at Ranar dryers. Either their Redstar or if you want forced air then the Turbo Jetstar. They have lots of different size options and all the pricing is on the website.

yeah that is a name i see every now and then, but do not know much about. I will check them out though. def want to go forced air as it is time to take WB ink seriously.

Gas. electric sucks

considering running gas into the new space. we are also considering using a heat pump and convection stovetop, and eliminating gas altogether (this is a dual purpose building split between the shop and our living space). the cost of gas vs the cost of electric might force our hand to go with gas though. havent decided yet. what MFGs gas dryer should I be looking at if we decide to go with the gas option. and how hard is it to move the dryer around the shop if new/more presses move into the shop? would have to move a rigid gas line around making it more of a pita.

The cost to operate gas equipment in my area is expensive. It’s around 2 bucks a therm. What’s the typical gas dryers daily usage of therms?
Yeah maybe it’s a more effective way to cure your prints but is it more energy efficient at that rate? Obviously depends on what electric dryer you would be comparing it to

I am in St. Louis MO and the cost of gas is cheaper than electric.

[Evo]

def want to go forced air as it is time to take WB ink seriously.

If you are upgrading and planning for growth and even *remotely* considering WB ink, get a gas dryer with the longest tunnel you can fit in that 1600 sq ft. Anything shorter than 12' and you will be pulling your hair out balancing proper cure and production speed. 16' is even better if you plan on an auto.

A decent condition used Sprint (or even a mini Sprint) will spank every electric dryer on the market.

[Evo]

Also, just a general note - moving around equipment, gas lines and power drops is just a given fact of running and growing a shop. Plan on it and locate utility drops where they can easily be accessed for repair, upgrades and relocation even with the equipment in place.

[scott316]

Sent you a message I have 3 dryers.

[spencer_L&KC]

def want to go forced air as it is time to take WB ink seriously.

If you are upgrading and planning for growth and even *remotely* considering WB ink, get a gas dryer with the longest tunnel you can fit in that 1600 sq ft. Anything shorter than 12' and you will be pulling your hair out balancing proper cure and production speed. 16' is even better if you plan on an auto.

A decent condition used Sprint (or even a mini Sprint) will spank every electric dryer on the market.

thanks for the heads up! ill check them out.