Stahls Hotronix Auto-Open Clam Heat Press

Heat presses are intriguing artistic tools to bring into your home or small business, and the Stahls Hotronix Auto-Open Claim Heat Press is no exception.

In fact, this press takes a step beyond others of its kind and prides itself on the ability to conserve space while providing the same quality work that can be found with presses twice its size.

In this Stahls Hotronix Heat Press review, we’ll explore the details of the press and help you determine, based on its many features and abilities, whether or not it is the best heat press for you.

Whether you want to integrate it into your daily work as a small business owner or you prefer to keep it in your home, let’s dive into the details.

Stahls Hotronix Auto-Open Clam Heat Press: The Details

Specs

• Dimensions: 29 inches x 17 inches x 17 inches.
• Weight: 87 lbs.
• Wattage: 1800W maximum.
• Temperature Range: 205° – 420°F.

There are also a number of extra features included, such as:

• ¾-inch thick non-stick-coated upper platen.
• Interchangeable lower platens.
• Platinum RTD heat sensor.
• Cast-in tubular heating element every two inches to ensure the absence of cold spots.
• Over-center pressure adjustment.

Features

 Lifetime Warranty

Let’s start with the kicker. While the Stahls Hotronix Auto-Open Clam Heat Press comes with a number of nifty accessories, one of its most notable is the lifetime warranty.

There aren’t a number of companies that are willing to place such confidence in their products, but Stahls is determined to let its customers know that it means businesses.

There are deadlines to having some of the folks from Stahls come out and give you in-home help, of course, but this lifetime warranty is, in fact, lifetime.

So long as the Auto-Open Clam Heat Press is operational within your home, you’ll have the option to reach out to the folks at Stahls and have some of the press’ components replaced. How’s that for customer service?

Magnetic Auto Open and Lock Down

An interesting feature of the Auto-Open Clam Heat Press is its ability to automatically open (naturally, as the feature is part of the title). This is all possible by the magnetic design of the Hotronix.

The magnet that keeps the heat press closed not only ensures that little, prying hands can’t accidentally burn themselves on the heat press, but that your projects will remain secure while you transfer the design.

This kind of automation and security perfectly represents this device’s commitment to taking care of your projects and making sure that the work that it delivers is of professional quality.

Lightning Latch

Stahls has lightened the load on crafters with the inclusion of their ‘lightning latch’. This latch makes it so much easier to replace the lower platen and reduces the time it takes to do so by – a lot!

Instead of using tools and precious time to remove the platen, this latch allows users to swap it out in just fifteen seconds.

Whether you’re a beginner or have been crafting for years, an addition like this really makes all the difference.

Digital Controls

Easily program and keep track of your projects with the digital controls and screen included with the Hotronix.

Use these controls to set everything from temperature to time, and you can even program a twin timer so you can make multi-tasking look like a piece of cake.

You won’t have to second guess where you’re at it, and it’ll be all the easier to control your settings by going digital.

How Does it Work?

To begin using a heat press, you’ll want to print the design (that you’ve either created yourself or downloaded from a shareable site) onto a sheet of transfer paper.

Once this is complete, you place the object you wish to print your design onto in the heat press, ensuring that none of the edges run off of the press.

Luckily, a Teflon coating ensures that the material you’re using won’t stick to the heat plate, and that your design won’t melt.

Once you have all of these elements lined up, you press down on the plate and let the pre-heated machine iron your design onto your chosen material.

This will take a few minutes, but take care not to let your project overheat! Once the design has been transferred completely, give your project a few minutes to cool before removing it.

Stahls Hotronix: The Company

Stahls Hotronix is the definition of the homegrown business. Founded in Detroit, Michigan, in 1932, the business started in a garage and now prides itself on the ability to serve anyone who wants to customize what they wear or display.

While the primary audience of the company appears to be athletes and small-time sports teams, the dedication that employees show to folks of all stripes is as commendable as the variety of the products they sell.

Stahls Hotronix Auto-Open Clam Heat Press Review

The Positives

Consistent Project Quality

One thing that Stahls Hotronix prides itself on is its quality, and the Stahls Hotronix Auto-Open Clam Heat Press does not fail to meet its company’s production standard.

Not only is the heat press noted to be reasonably safe to use, but the transfer of homemade designs onto a variety of cloth, ranging from cotton to sturdier polyester, is considered exceptionally reputable.

You still have to be careful, of course, and follow the heat press’ restrictions on materials, but all the same, when working with the Stahls Hotronix Auto-Open Clam Heat Press, you can bet that your finished product will look professionally made.

This makes this heat press an excellent addition to a small business looking to expand its reputation or to any hobbyist’s studio.

Space Saving

Speaking of studios – a number of heat presses are exceptionally large, meaning that you have to set aside a purposeful amount of space in order to work with them.

That’s luckily not the case with the Stahls Hotronix Auto-Open Clam Heat Press. This device conserves the amount of space it requires, while still allowing you to print on materials of reasonable sizes.

It’s lighter than you think, making it easy to move around should you need to rearrange your space, and it’s designed to be scratchproof, opening up little spots to place it without worry.

If you are an at-home hobbyist, you won’t have to worry about rearranging your studio in order to make this heat press fit in. So long as the surface you place it on is heatproof, you should be able to work the press into any pre-existing space with little trouble.

Ideal heat-proof areas will be a metal workbench, or even your average coffee table if you lay out some towels to mitigate the heat.

Good for Beginners

Additionally, the Stahls Hotronix Auto-Open Clam Heat Press is pretty easy to manage for newcomers to the field of heat presses and DIY.

If you’re looking to get into heat pressing as a hobby, or if you’re trying to get your small business off the ground by creating original and unique heat pressed content, then this device can serve you well.

Not only is the smaller size convenient for ensuring that you can maintain control over your projects, but the aforementioned magnetic opener will help you keep your projects in line without having to fuss, thereby reducing the amount of stress your new hobby may bring you.

Great for Businesses

Those just starting out will have an easy time getting accustomed to the Hotronix Heat Press but professionals can make really good use of this machine too!

It’s speedy and produces quality prints which are important in building a reputable business. A slow machine slows down your entire process which can cause major overall delays, while a printer that lacks quality doesn’t show that your company cares about their product.

Thankfully the Hotronix won’t let business owners down. The fact that it’s easy to use makes it easy to teach others who may join in to help. Before you know it, you’ll be fulfilling orders lightning fast.

The Negatives

Pretty Expensive

Good for beginners or not, the Stahls Hotronix Auto-Open Clam Heat Press is still pretty expensive when you consider the rest of the products on the heat press market.

If you are just looking to get started with heat pressing, this machine does produce quality work, but it is also potentially far beyond a beginner’s budget.

There are other heat presses available that are more affordable and can produce content of comparable quality.

Fragile Structure

Additionally, some testers have commented on the delicacy of the Stahls Hotronix Auto-Open Clam Heat Press.

While the lifetime warranty will undoubtedly serve folks well in this regard, it can still be irritating if a machine essential to the functioning of your small business is consistently breaking down, or if its smaller parts frequently go missing.

It’s best to be sure to treat your Hotronix with care to avoid any unwanted issues.

Here’s a video showing what the Stahls Hotronix Auto Open Clam Heat Press looks like out of the box.

Overall Verdict

Generally speaking, the Stahls Hotronix Auto-Open Clam Heat Press is a quality device that will serve you well, no matter if you’re a hobbyist or a small business owner.

While it may be a little outside of beginners’ budgets, the quality of the work this press delivers does make it worth the extra cost.

Where to Buy the Stahls Hotronix Auto-Open Clam Heat Press

This isn’t Stahls’ first time in the heat press spotlight. They’ve produced a number of quality machines ranging in prices and sizes but the quality remains the same.

Stahls has a variety of other equipment available for a variety of niches, allowing them to be a popular brand for crafters, especially professionals.

Their innovative products have given them attention from crafters, enthusiasts, and experts, and customers have been satisfied with what this company has produced so far.

It won’t be hard to find Stahl products with items like the Stahls Hotronix Auto-Open Clam Heat Press available both in-store and online.

While it’s usually best to check crafting and specialty stores, you can kick-start your search with the following online retailers.

• US Cutter (from $1, 600)
• DTG Printer Parts (from $1, 600)
• Dura Fast Label Company (from $1, 600)

And of course, you can also find this heat press on Amazon.

That’s all for our Stahls Hotronix Heat Press review. Curious to give it a try?