Don’t Buy a Hicks Heat Press. Great Heat Press-Great Big Cost! Get A Monkey Press Instead.

We’ve heard of Handmade Screen Presses, but how about Handmade Heat Presses?? What world are we on? How did this happen? Am I still asleep? How can a handmade heat press even be possible? It sounds like an electrical nightmare. Doesn’t this stuff have to be vetted by the UL certification process? Are these the descendants of the aliens who built the pyramids??

Possibly.

Anyway. It’s called the Monkey Press and it is an outstanding piece of handiwork. As an added benefit, for about $500 less than you’ll pay for a standard Hicks Press you can get a Monkey Press which works just as well for about $200 after shipping.

The heating platen (genius) is made from a flat griddle (used for cooking grilled cheeses for my daughter) which you can purchase from Walmart. It can heat up to about 450 degrees, and is 10″x15″ which will meet most of your needs.

It comes in four flavors, with the low end starting around $149.00, and the biggest press coming at around $220.00 before shipping. There’s also a version which doesn’t come with the locking cam, which means that you’ll have to brute-force the pressure onto the shirts yourself. This is fine if you’re strong and/or fat. Not so great if you’re scrawny (and fat) like me. Spend the extra $20 for the locking cam.

They sell their presses almost exclusively on Ebay. Here’s the link. Click on their profile and read the FAQ. It’s priceless, and one of the reasons I love these guys so much.

Check Out the Monkey Press.