New to the sport, this is the first press I've owned, and it works so well it will likely be my last. I've owned this for about a month, and have used it a couple of dozen times with great success and satisfaction. The construction, made in the U.S.A., is nothing short of impressive. The main frame is solid and welded together, built to last forever. The pump handle has a stowage place on the unit, and the heat plate/press area is wide open, making it easy to access during use and for cleaning. The unit was well-packed in it's shipping carton, a rugged box with form-fitting foam packaging.
The control panel is straightforward and intuitive. It allows you to set the heating to a specific temperature (not high/medium/low or preset levels). It heats up quickly, within two minutes or so. It sounds a tone when the target temperature is reached, and the display shows the individual temp of each plate (upper & lower), and indicates when the heating units are active. The control panel has an integrated timer you can set for your preferred pressing time, and it emits a beep when the time is up. It's ready to go right out of the box. It has rubber suction cup feet you can put on, if preferred.
The unit appears to be very serviceable. It uses an hydraulic jack, as most do, to provide pressing pressure. The jack is a standard size and easily accessible on the wide open frame. The control panel and heating plates are modular units, which can be replaced in the event of failure.
Don't forget you'll want parchment paper and filter bags (also available as a cut-to-size roll which seems more economical). So far, I have only used the roll product (100 micron), and had good success. You'll want some rubbing alcohol to clean the plates if they get resin on them (though they usually stay clean using parchment paper). The stuff can be super-sticky, black, and non-soluble (can't clean up with soap & water), so it's best on a rugged countertop, or in my case I put it on a vinyl placemat which can be wiped with alcohol.
I have found no down sides to this machine. I can find nothing to critique or complain about. At this modest price point, I would recommend this machine to anyone interested in giving it a try. It's really easy to press your own resin, and the finished product provides improved flavor sensation, is concentrated, and doesn't seem to make one cough as much as leaf combustion. It's powerful, and produces a slightly more "intense" buzz which seems to last longer than other methods of smoking.
I chose this one over competitors primarily because of its design and construction, which has a wide open working area, easily accessible for use and cleaning. As a bonus, it happens to have a higher pressure jack than others, rated at 5 tons. I have no idea if 5 is better than 3, but if I had the 3-ton unit I might wonder if 5 would be better!
A great machine at a great price.
