Nicapa HTV Vinyl Projects Heating Machine

I don't have room in my little craft room for a full-size press, so I had been looking at the name brand versions, especially when offered on sale here on Amazon. When a full press was about $120 - $150, I felt that $129 for the name brand was still a bit steep. Then *this* little thing showed up for a Prime deal, less than $100.Having purchased the NICAPA tool set, I was impressed with the build quality and the performance. I've had very few issues, and I found the quality on par (or exceeding) that of the name brands. Based on the images, I expected something similar from this heat press. It looked fairly identical to the name brand, and I hoped the build quality was consistent. I am pleased to report that, in my week-ish of ownership, I have found that to be the case.The device has good heft to it, and seems solidly built. Buttons are firm, not wobbly. I've not been able to confirm temperatures, but it does heat up quickly (2 - 3 minutes), and heats evenly across the plate. Instructions in the manual are easy to understand; the booklet appears identical to the one that accompanies the name brand. Controls are easy to manipulate, following the instructions.I had a few issues with my HTV adhering, but reviewing my process, I realized that it was me, and not the press. A second project worked flawlessly, using the same materials, with issues corrected. I was able to press both designs with the 9x9 plate, rather than working my iron across the design, little by little. Saved me time and frustration, and I love that I can set the temperature accurately, rather than relying on "cotton/linen" or other general settings.Of note: I do work with a silicone-coated board cover and a vintage wooden ironing board at about hip height. This allows a solid surface; decent heat distribution; and decent down-angle when applying pressure. I used the included pad when pressing from the reverse.So, overall, I do recommend it -- if you can find it on sale.

OK so to the point why not 5 stars. Well it has some irritating "features". First is that it times off faster than I would like, though , that would not be a real issue except for my one real gripe. That is that it always starts up with time set to 30 sec. and temp at 250F. I'm looking at my list of times and temps for various materials and I do not see any with temps below 305F or over 20 seconds. So if it shuts down, and every time you turn it on you have to do a lot of button pressing to get the time and temp right.That is a bit irritating. It would be great if it remembered the last settings, but at least it should default into the range you will need to set it to.OK that is the -1/2 star. Other than that it works great and it's WAY cheaper than the big name model. And the big name model may have the same issues?It has worked flawlessly and I am getting very good adhesion, and well it just works.If I could change the default startup settings I would be solidly 5 stars, maybe the next model.

I bought this after debating whether or not I really needed a heat press. All my crafty friends swear by the big heat press machines, but I just couldn't justify the expense or the space. Then, this went on sale for only $85. I took a chance and ordered it. Right out of the box, I was able to use it to re-press a shirt I made with super cheap vinyl. Naturally, the vinyl had pulled off around the edges immediately. Using this press, I pressed the vinyl back down, and it is STUCK on there now! The instructions are simple and the press is easy to operate. I was afraid it would be terribly heavy to maneuver, but it isn't. If you use it on a fairly low surface, you can use your body weight to create the pressure. I couldn't be happier, and I think that for my occasional use, this is a perfect solution.

I just bought this product and only had a chance to use it once but it works so well!!! It heats up fairly fast and shows what temp it is at as its heating up. I love how easy it is to use. I just hope it lasts! It also came with a really easy to follow instruction booklet that even a beginner could master their first press project (me!) packaging was cute and it also came with a mat that I can press my fabric on without ruining my furniture. The only thing I’m concerned about it’s the openings at the bottom of the protective base (pictured). I feel like it’s going to warp up my wooden furniture. So I put it on the box while it was heating just in case.

I am very happy with this heat press. I don't have room for a big heat press, this is big enough to do the job and small enough to be put away. Some people said that they like some of the bigger presses because of the pressure. I found that by putting the pad (that comes with the press) on a night stand, I can easily use my body weight to apply a good amount of pressure without undue effort. I have made several shirts with this. It is much easier than using an iron. I would not recommend getting the smaller size because you could not cover an entire t-shirt design.

I am so glad I took a chance on this! I had purchased the 6x7 “name brand” from Joann but I hadn’t take it out of the box yet because I was considering exchanging it for the larger size, but the price was holding me back. When I saw this for less than I paid for the smaller one, I jumped at the chance! I’ve made 3 shirts so far and they’ve come out great. So much better than using an iron! It seems to heat evenly. It’s trivial, but I love the pretty teal color too!

The first one I received was defective however they quickly got another one to me and I love this press! It heats up quick, about 2-3 min and does the job. I have made a few shirts and the iron on vinyl from cricut, scisor, and various brands from Amazon have worked very well. I followed the directions to put the garment inside out and press for half the time and it really does set it in. I am really happy with my purchase.