I'm in the market for a new mug press and would like somefeed back on whats out there.

In particular if any of you have the Nova Chrome mug press pro, what you think of it.

I did read the reviews on presses at the DSSI site but they are 3 years old and would like some updated opinions on them.

Are there any issues that make it a less desirable press compared to the Hix M-550?

Those two presses are at the top of my list.

Are there any new presses on the market I should consider?

Thanks in advance.

Greg

I have the Mug Press Pro. My only complaint has been 'service'. As soon as I took it out of the box and plugged it in I couldn't get a 400 degree reading when set at 400. Called 'service' and their reply was just keep upping the setting until you get 400 (even though instructions say never set higher than 400). I have to keep mine set at 445 to get 400 degrees. I know what I'm doing, but it sure makes in confusing if anybody else uses it and knows - 3 1/2 mins at 400 degrees.

Zona
Zona's Engraved Creations

Zona,

Is there a way you can move the legend plate to align with the correct dial setting?? or is it a digital setting??

I have the ORG3 and it uses a dial.

John,

I'm not Zona and she's grateful. :-) 

The new Mug Pro has a digital readout. The previous model(s) had a dial, which had a "stop" at about the 320 degree mark, even though the dial could go further without the stop.

I think they ran much hotter than the reading on the indicator and had to be scaled back.

The true test, is to use an infrared heat gun, to see what the actual temps are.

David,

You had me going there....... I thought I had replied to the wrong person :S 

I have 2 heat presses and the mug press --- I should get a digital readout device but it's one of those things waaaaaaay down on the "to do list"

Do you know how they work as far as: Do you have to aim them directly & squarely at the heat source. The reason I ask, my screen print dryer has 2 elect. heating elements that I need to cure the ink on t-shirts a 365 degrees. I use paper heat strips now and maybe use that as an additional excuses to buy a new TOY! I don't have a lot of room to aim it squarely at the elements as they are inside of a tunnel with only about 4" clearance, so I would have to shoot it from an angle.

Geez, everybody answered for me, but they were correct. ;-)  I have the heat gun which is how I know what type of readings I'm getting. I 'cook' my mugs to 360 degrees inside opposite side of the handle centered from top to bottom. Great results every time - just ignore the digital readout.

Zona

Ed,
Have you ever uses mug wraps?

Cactus has a new one out that they claim is a much better way to go than with a press.

Seems to me the downside with them is that they take much longer to "bake" them than to press.

Up side is you can do multiple mugs at once, assuming that your oven can hold them. I'm in a store front so I don't have a full sized oven. I would need a toaster oven type oven.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Greg

One finished mug every two mins if you use a 4 min cycle with two presses. B-) 

Or one mug pro plus with a satelite...

In regards to mug presses I've heard most of the best results come from the Nova Chrome USA press. Call Tim or John at Nova Chrome to find out which of their presses that is.

I myself use "only" mug wraps, and have found it to work with better results.

David
The Hix press isn't the design all are based on, Hix just happened to pick up the patent after it had legally expired when Sal Aramini (who got the patent) didn't pay maintainance fees ??? Questionable transaction that has cost Nova Chrome, Cactus and others many $$ and added to the cost of what you pay for a mug press.
It is cheaper to pay royalties than fight a patent.
Mick

A "mug wrap" is a product used in the Dye Sublimation and "I think" OEM laser technologies, to heat transfer under pressure that is applied by tighting the "mug wrap" around the mug with the image on a transfer paper lined up inside of the "mug wrap" onto a mug. With the "mug wrap" tightened down, we place the mugs in our convection oven as the source for transferring the images from the transfer papers onto the mugs. You can read all about "mug wraps" from the experts like Mick at Cactus Equipment who frequents this forum, as well as the www.dyesub.org forum.

Mick / Dave - I hope I somewhat explained how the mug wrap works. Mick also has a new mug wrap out which I have not tried yet.