Are all grommet machines created equal?

[HIKER Grommets]

Your base

Thanks a lot for posting the pics! I noticed the press is mounted backwards. If you turn it 180 degrees and re-attach, you'll get even better leverage! Take care!

I bought a Hiker a couple years ago, for a couple reasons..

1. Came on a base. Used to be wooden, but is now plastic. That sounds like a cheaper thing, BUT with the plactic base they have molded in grommet holding bins. On my wood base there is a flat area to put teh grommies, but they are always scattering all around. That will not happen with the new base.

2. Adjustable die to accomodate different thicknesses of substrates. With a regular #2 grommet you can just barely do a coro or fomecore without crushing it. Longer #2 grommets are also available.

3. For me, here in AZ, there is a local Hiker warehouse. I can buy grommets locally a little cheaper than buying them from "the Cowboy". I really like using local vendors.

4. It was cheaper than the Stimson.

So, I got a better press (see the Hiker guy's comparison), already mounted on a base, from a local vendor, for a cheaper price. What's not to love!

See pictures below to compare the old base to the new base and a close up of the adjustable die.

I can't imaging being in this business without it. Now I need to get busy enough for THIS

Oh Yeah... just noticed this after taking these pictures...
Reason #5: Cool paint job matches my silk screens & squeegees!

 

[HIKER Grommets]

Thank you!

Thanks for the kind words. Have a good weekend!

Bob you are such a bummer...it's Friday, cheer up!

Chris is obviously a man who know his product and takes great pride in it...I for one respect that and thanks for the tip on setting up the machine!

Happy Friday!!

 

[Mosh]

Stimpson here, had it a long time. We put 500 or so grommets a month and it is still going like new.

 

[TheSellOut]

Maybe next we can discuss a hammer or a screwdriver!@

First, a discussion on manners might be more valuable to some on this forum! :ROFLMAO:

 

[jiarby]

Thanks a lot for posting the pics! I noticed the press is mounted backwards. If you turn it 180 degrees and re-attach, you'll get even better leverage! Take care!

I'll swap that! it was always a little awkward schlepping it back under the table because teh handle stuck out so far! LOL

First, a discussion on manners might be more valuable to some on this forum!

That would be nice... I was just making a joke.

 

[HIKER Grommets]

Regardless of your prejudices all manual grommet presses do exactly the same thing in exactly the same way. It matters not a whit the length of the lever, what color it is, or whether it's screwed to a chunk of board.

If you're setting enough grommets that any of the micro differences between brands makes an actual difference in your life you probably need to step up to to some sort of automated mechanism.

As for myself, I worry over the brand of my manual grommet press about as much as I fret over what brand of scissors I might be affecting that day. It's a tool that I use anywhere from often to seldom and as long as it sets the grommet into the reeve, my lack of interest in it's finer points, if it has any, approaches total.

Hello. It appears our views are on opposite ends of the spectrum. I respect your opinion, but I think the logic is maybe a little too simplified. It feels something like the old cathode ray tube televisions do exactly the same thing in exactly the same was as new HD LED TV's. They both work on electricity and they both show you a picture. While this is technically true, there's a large difference in the quality of the customer/consumer experience.



I hope you and the rest of the forum members have a great weekend! Cheers!

 

[thmooch]

My "Hiker" arrived yesterday. I had quite a bit of Coro to Grommet & the hammer deal I have been getting by with would have been to taxing, plus time consuming. Dialed in the press, then knocked them out. So far, So good...

 

[scarface]

If i buy a stimpson 405, can i use any self piercing #2 grommets?

 

[smdgrfx]

I did the punch and hammer for about 10 years. Didn't bother me too much until I would get those jobs that required 250 holes in a day...

Bought a Stimpson a few years ago...never looked back. Looks as good as day 1 and works as good as day 1. My local vendors didn't offer Hiker, so I knew nothing of it. I did know that Stimpson is highly regarded and I have used other shops non-leveraged tools. I like my Stimpson..

I did enjoy reading the physics behind the different types of grommet machines though...on a Friday night....

 

[Jaime Rdz]

I want to buy a Automatic Grommet machine that feed the grommet and the washer and makes the hole, all in one cycle.
What machine do you recommend me?

 

[signrios]

thats a good start to a merchant member subscription!

good advice!!

 

[ProColorGraphics]

I have purchased 2 different ones off of Ebay. The first one, don't remember the name, but was green in color, the base cracked. The casting was made pretty poorly, but it worked great the year that I had it. The dies weren't perfect, but it worked.

After that one broke, I purchased my second one from Ebay. Sorry that I don't remember the names, but it was a blue color. There are only 2 that I have seen on ebay. A green one and a blue one. The blue one that I recently purchased has worked amazingly for only being $100 and included 1000 nickle grommets.

I saw that exact same machine at a supplier and for the machine only, it was $250. I can't say that they were the same, but they sure looked identical. If you are looking for it, just make sure that you get one that includes the #2 die, as there are 2 different ones, one has the #2 and one has the #4 die.

 

[Slamdunkpro]

I bought a Hiker today to replace / supplement my Fasnap style one.

First glance

The good:

• Better grommet seat (no turning) - I guess this is what really matters
• Less pressure required to seat.
• Quick Adjustment

The Not-so-good

• Cheap hollow plastic base - why? just,,,why? First time the press gets knocked off the table it'll be gone.
• Handle's a little narrow, could be wider to reduce fatigue.

I have to set about 250 grommets tomorrow so we'll see how it goes.

 

[twister]

I had a cheaper, knock-off from eBay for about a year until the casting broke. This was probably due to the downforce required to completely press the grommet which required almost all of my weight. I bought it because I wasn't sure if I would need it or not as I was used to the hammer and die method. After it broke I knew I would need a better quality unit and after researching I got a Hiker with the cam system. All I can say is it's a night and day difference in ease of use and now my tiny-framed co-worker can grommet without any issues or sore hands/wrists. I kick myself for wasting the money on a lesser quality unit and would not buy cheap again. I had a Stimpson for a while in my previous job and it worked well too but grommets would not stay on the die without me holding them in place. (Maybe the owner bought the wrong grommet brands?) Anywho, it was good too but I like added leverage of the Hiker more.

 

[Jackpine]

I do the same for many years.But I did help find a nice one for her to use on handbags and wall hanging, she's a sewer and quilter. I show her how to set up a cheap drill press for cutting holes with the hole cutter. She cuts through layers of fabric with easy now.

I have a simple hand and hammer punch and die. I don't have a machine
because I just don't set that many grommets. The guy who make my banners
for me uses the same thing. I ask him why he doesn't have a machine and
he said they don't make a machine that will set a grommet to stay as well
as his old fashioned one. Maybe he doesn't know what he's talking about, but
thats my two cents.

 

[rjssigns]

Hiker all the way. We put grommets in banners, coro, foam pvc. Never an issue. Wrists were taking a beating with the punch and hammer routine.

 

[jfiscus]

We had a hiker at the last shop I worked for, it worked great. When I started at the new shop there was no grommet machine; the old guy took them elsewhere to be grommeted... I thought "a grommet machine is a grommet machine" and bought the Fellers special.

I greatly prefer the ease of the old Hiker to the one we have here, much less force required to drive grommets; just the handle falling accidentally will take a circle out of a fingernail! I have no experience with the new Hiker plastic base, but I have yet to ever knock a grommet machine off of a table. The base shown that holds grommets in it would be AWESOME! I hate dragging them around the table with me.