# Speed Treater Initial Review



## Printzilla (Mar 22, 2007)

Sorry for the delay, but it has been crazy around here for the last two weeks.

I uncrated it yesterday. The crate was nicer than my first apartment. The only thing I did not like was that they used staples instead of screws, so that made it a bear to unpack. I understand that is being changed.

I played with it all day today, and so far I am very impressed. I treated and printed with different settings, speeds, etc.. I have done about 50 shirts so far, and as of yet no issues to report. It is built like a tank, and incredibly easy to use. You could train an employee in less than 10 minutes, including maintenance procedures.

My initial impression is that shirt quality still matters. I will say that so far on my preferred style of shirts, all I do is load the shirt, press the button, unload the shirt, heat press for 15 seconds and then print! No pre pressing, or rolling or brushing of the PT. It is really FAST!

I will have a complete review with videos up at dtgworkshop.com the first of next week for everyone to see.

Zilla


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## zhenjie (Aug 27, 2006)

Sounds awesome. Finally getting some user views of this Speedtreat makes it very tempting to buy!


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## Printzilla (Mar 22, 2007)

After another day of use, I can say that i am still very pleased that I made the purchase. I have it dialed in to the settings that I like and it is running great. 

The only issue is that the edges of the garment get more coverage than the middle, but it has proven to be a non factor in the 100+ shirts I have tested. I spoke with some other users, and they have not had any issue with the extra coverage either.

I am certainly using less PT than I was before, not to mention that the system has a reclaiming feature to capture and reuse the overspray.


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## abmcdan (Sep 14, 2007)

Do you have a rough guess on how much less Pretreatment you are using?


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## Printzilla (Mar 22, 2007)

I will have a better idea after a couple of weeks. I want to test the numbers over a longer period than just 2 days. I am not sure how much recycling the PT is going to help yet either.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

Can you tell yet if it is applying the pretreatment "properly".

Meaning, have the shirts that you've pretreated with the machine held up in washings?


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## Printzilla (Mar 22, 2007)

So far I have had no washability issues, but I think that has more to do with the other production steps than the actual spraying.


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## fdsales (Jul 1, 2007)

What other production steps do you use other than the proper pretreatment?


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## TahoeTomahawk (Apr 12, 2006)

Does it come with smaller platen sizes for ladies and youth shirts?

Did you order the table top model or with legs?


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## Printzilla (Mar 22, 2007)

One platen that does not seem to be changeable, but you just lay the shirt on top, so that should not matter. You can control the spray pattern to fit the size of the shirt, by lowering and raising the nozzle.

I got the legs, as it would take a decent size table to hold he unit, plus the legs have wheels, so it is easy to roll around if need be.


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## Printzilla (Mar 22, 2007)

fdsales said:


> What other production steps do you use other than the proper pretreatment?


Things like pressing with quillon paper, proper curing after printing, etc....


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## sunnydayz (Jun 22, 2007)

Hey Mark, I wonder if you could make like different size cutout templates with something like plexiglass, that you could lay over the garment for different sizes, so that the spray would only hit on the open area of the cutout. That I would think would probably work well for smaller size print areas and smaller garments. What do you think? Is there enough space above the platen to make that plausible? Thanks so much for your input on this machine mark, it really is great to see something out there and getting first hand feeb back on it.


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## zhenjie (Aug 27, 2006)

A stencil or cutout template would be a interesting idea. But I could imagine it getting dirty and sticky very quickly. Wouldn't want to be handling and cleaning it after every spray.


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## sunnydayz (Jun 22, 2007)

Yea I will have to think on that one a bit, but I could probably come up with something  I think it would work well for short runs maybe.


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## martinwoods (Jul 20, 2006)

anyone else have this machine


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## rhl (Jul 2, 2008)

What speed setting are you using?


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## raise (Apr 11, 2008)

Pushing this thread back to the top to add my review.

The SpeedTreater is an excellent addition to our shop. The machine is quick, quiet (for having an air compressor running) and effective. The configuration is very simple and the machine is simple to operate.

We are into our 2nd month running the SpeedTreater and after a short testing period to determine the best settings for our area, we have been running without error.

I read about the new pretreatment units shown at SGIA and if all of the machines do the same thing (apply pretreatment solution to a shirt) then you should 100% pick up a SpeedTreater. The biggest impact to my purchase of the SpeedTreater has been the service provided by Alex and Harry at EquipmentZone.com. Both gentlemen have been supportive of any questions, concerns and issues I have had as a new SpeedTreater owner. EquipmentZone.com has excellent customer service and that is just as important as the good engineering that built the SpeedTreater.

The product works and the manufacturer provides great support, not much more can be said


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## TahoeTomahawk (Apr 12, 2006)

How evenly does the machine apply the pre-treat.
Out of how many shirts does the machine mis-fire, under or over pre-treating the shirt?
What are some of the issues (problems / questions) that you had with the machine in which you needed to contact Equipment Zone?

The appeal of a pre-treat machine for our shop is that even if it is not faster than manually pre-treating it, it's consistent. We can allow anyone at our shop to help pre-treat and not be worried about variation.

Thanks!


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## raise (Apr 11, 2008)

TahoeTomahawk said:


> How evenly does the machine apply the pre-treat.
> Out of how many shirts does the machine mis-fire, under or over pre-treating the shirt?
> What are some of the issues (problems / questions) that you had with the machine in which you needed to contact Equipment Zone?
> 
> ...



The spray is fairly even with two distinctly heavier bands on the outer edges of the platen. When you see it on a shirt you might get worried that the spray is so uneven as to cause you issues in print and color fastness. I have not experienced any bad effects so far due to this slightly heavier spray pattern.

I've also checked the spray pattern without a garment to see what the drop pattern looked like on the platen. There is indeed a distinct and mostly even layer of pretreatment being laid down.

I keep quantifying the quality of the pattern because it is not perfect. Spraying by hand however wasn't perfect either and this is far more consistent and quick. If you wanted to assure yourself that you were getting the best possible effect, you could try some of the hand spreading techniques using rollers and brushes after the SpeedTreater lays down the initial layer. Those caveats aside, again I haven't had a printing problem with the process of press, spray, dry, press, print.

The above is the result of several conversations with EquipmentZone.com staff at several different times as I worked through the first couple of weeks in testing the SpeedTreater. I was skeptical of the spray pattern being usable until I finished my wash tests. EquipmentZone listened to all of my issues and helped me correct minor things like the nozzle being jarred loose during shipping and helping me find the right speed settings and all the newbie questions that come from buying a $4000 machine and not really being sure if it is doing its job yet.

I would suggest handling a SpeedTreater like a new DTG purchase would be handled. Set time and shirts aside to spray, print and test until you either get the result you want or prove that it cannot be done. Our shop proved to ourselves that it does get the job done to coin a cliche "good enough for retail work".

The SpeedTreater is not a magic bullet but it does make pretreatment significantly more consistent and even without excessive training or practice. Once the settings are dialed in you really don't have to change it. The only exception that might come into play is if you run a number of significantly different fabrics that react differently to the pretreatment sprays. We only work with a few variations in brands and garment types so testing all of the fabric we use was no issue.


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## raise (Apr 11, 2008)

Missed one question regarding misfires.

There are 2 times when the SpeedTreater did not lay down the pretreatment correctly.

1. The nozzle was dirty due to dried pretreatment solution. Replacing the nozzle and setting the old one aside to clean fixed this issue.

2. I forgot to tuck the XXL shirt in on the left hand side and it got hung up on the overspray shield.

The error caused by the dirty nozzle was fixed with a bit of brushing with a paint brush to even out what liquid was on the shirt. The overall error was minor but it did leave a visible gap line prior to using the paint brush.

Aside from those 2 issues, we haven't had any other misfires since moving the unit into production.


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## rhl (Jul 2, 2008)

Have you had any problems with the nozzle rusting? I am on my second nozzle and it has now rusted as well. I clean it every night as directed.

I've also found the banding in the spray. It's slowly gets heavier and heavier as the rust builds up. I have tried everything to remove it but it doesn't come off and I do not have any spare nozzle parts. 

Any ideas? I'm going to have to switch to manual pre-treatment, which I have never done since I bought my printer with the pre-treater unless I can get this sorted out. If I can't get it resolved today I'll have to contact EZ and have someone out to replace the nozzle again. I wish I just had extras!


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## raise (Apr 11, 2008)

The nozzle is stainless steel so it shouldn't rust. It does get clogged over time I've found. I drop mine into hot water and gently scrub out the dried pretreatment. My pattern isn't as perfect as the first rounds of use but it is good enough to not have to purchase a new nozzle so far. Contact Alex or Harry at Equipment Zone and I'm sure they will help you out. Probably end up referring you to John for technical support so you might want to just ask for John to begin with.

Worst case, they can sell you a new nozzle and washer set.

rhl,

Didn't your speedtreater come with an extra nozzle, washer and filter? Did you try to clean your old nozzle? When my speedtreater got a bit of banding I upped the pressure in the fluid bottles a bit to 45 to get a more forceful dispersion and it worked. John at Equipment Zone suggested that to me.


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## BBProd (Oct 29, 2008)

What steps (if any) do you have to follow if you are going to let the machine sit idle for a few days?

Chris


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## equipmentzone1 (Nov 22, 2008)

BBProd said:


> What steps (if any) do you have to follow if you are going to let the machine sit idle for a few days?
> 
> Chris


Chris, 
There are two things you need to do if you're going to let the SpeedTreater sit for a few days. 

1. First, you need to clean all the pretreatment from the nozzle. To do this, turn the water valve on. Then run a spray cycle while holding a cup under the nozzle. Set the speed control to a low number until you see clear water spraying into the cup.

(You should actually do step number one at the end of every day.)

2. Turn the regulator valve counterclockwise all the way to let all the air out of the bottles. 

Then, just turn off the machine and your SpeedTreater is okay to sit for a while. I'll try to shoot a quick video of this procedure and post it up on YouTube tomorrow. Hope this was helpful!

-Alex


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## BBProd (Oct 29, 2008)

Well, that sounds pretty simple, which is good!

You're basically shutting off your compressor and bleeding the air from the lines, then cleaning the pretreatment from the machine?

Will you by any chance be demo'ing a Speed Treater at ISS Long Beach next month?

Chris


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## equipmentzone (Mar 26, 2008)

Yes, we will be showing the SpeedTreater at the ISS Long Beach Show.

Please also note that the SpeedTreater is self contained. It is 120 volt and plugs into a standard wall outlet. You do not need any external air compressors or air lines.

Harry


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## Johneledrew (Aug 8, 2008)

I do, and I am not that thrilled with it. There are a few issues I have. The nozzle does not spray evenly. The edges of the shirt receive way more pretreat than the center leaving an obvious build up. On mid colored shirts there is a stain until washed. I don't know about you all but I don't wash every shirt before I distribute. This uneven coating is driving me crazy because it is so visible on some colors. 

The Nozzle is not mounted properly and has to be above the cover for it to reach the edges of shirts that take the whole platen. I can not lower the cover because the top of the Nozzle is protruding to far. 

The platen is constantly wobbling. After a few runs the spray area changes, requiring manual adjustments. When you program the machine to spray between 32 and 15 on the board and it sprays way off or way to low you have to adjust the board by yanking on it to get it back in to alignment. If they intended for the board to move they should have made the ability to adjust it easier. The bolts are nearly impossible to reach.

Dose anyone use any other type of pretreat machine, like us screen's? I know they have a heat press built in, any feedback on that?

Speed treater is fast I'll give it that but it's not precise and it lays down an uneven coat that can be frustrating.


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## equipmentzone1 (Nov 22, 2008)

Johneledrew,
Please contact our support department as soon as you can. The issues you're experiencing aren't typical so we intend to get your machine back in top working order right away. Our technicians are standing by and ready to speak with you. Our phone number is 1-800-408-0040 or 201-797-1504. Thank you.
-Alex


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## Uncle John (Mar 11, 2007)

We've had a Speed Treater about 3 months and its great. The nozzle problem is minor there are other ways to get you spray pattern back other than just hot water. Take a single edge razor blade and insert it into the slot of the nozzle, move side to side, this can be done on the machine. The pretreatment dries clear and is very hard to see but this works for us. You can also get an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner from Wal Mart for $20.00 just use water and in about 5-10 min. its clean.
We set the pressuer regulator as high as it will go thats only about 45 psi before the pressure reliefe valve opens, when it does just decrease pressure till it stops. The speed that works best for us is 40-45 and have had no washablity problems.


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## kornitguy (Oct 17, 2008)

raise said:


> The nozzle is stainless steel so it shouldn't rust. It does get clogged over time I've found. I drop mine into hot water and gently scrub out the dried pretreatment. My pattern isn't as perfect as the first rounds of use but it is good enough to not have to purchase a new nozzle so far. Contact Alex or Harry at Equipment Zone and I'm sure they will help you out. Probably end up referring you to John for technical support so you might want to just ask for John to begin with.
> 
> Worst case, they can sell you a new nozzle and washer set.
> 
> ...


 
Stainless can rust depending on the liquid, normally water shouldn't but the other chemicals could.

What about making a new nozzle out of a nylon cap? I believe you can get a threaded nylon cap at the hardware store, then a little drilling / testing ?


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## equipmentzone1 (Nov 22, 2008)

BBProd said:


> What steps (if any) do you have to follow if you are going to let the machine sit idle for a few days?
> 
> Chris


Chris,
I just posted a YouTube video detailing the proper way to shut down the SpeedTreater at the end of the day. The whole process takes less than a minute. Once you shut down the SpeedTreater this way, the machine is okay to leave for several weeks.

Here's the link: YouTube - SpeedTreater Maintenance: Quick Look Don't forget to click "Watch in High Quality" or "Watch in HD".

This should give you a better answer to your question.

Best regards,
Alex


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## beobe13 (Oct 12, 2007)

Can you please give me your settings, times?
Thanks
Bob


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## equipmentzone1 (Nov 22, 2008)

beobe13 said:


> Can you please give me your settings, times?
> Thanks
> Bob


Hi Bob,
For Pretreatment #1, start with 40 as a speed setting. For FastBright, try 50 and FastColor try 60.

Everyone likes a slightly different amount of pretreat, which is why we give the numbers as starting points. 

Best regards,
Alex


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## Forry (Jul 7, 2008)

I've only had a quick look, so please forgive me if the answer is obvious. Can this machine be bought in Australia? IS there a distributor?


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## zhenjie (Aug 27, 2006)

I dont think there is a distributor yet, but you can import the machine since they can convert it to 220v. Shipping is a fair bit though.


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## Forry (Jul 7, 2008)

cheers. Yeah I think the and duties would be the deal breaker.


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## zhenjie (Aug 27, 2006)

Don't forget however that you are eligible for the 50% government tax rebate, even for equipment obtained overseas!


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## equipmentzone (Mar 26, 2008)

Forry said:


> I've only had a quick look, so please forgive me if the answer is obvious. Can this machine be bought in Australia? IS there a distributor?



We do ship the SpeedTreater Automatic Pretreatment System worldwide. Just shipped one today to Spain. A transformer is included so you can run the SpeedTreater at 240 volt.


Harry - Equipment Zone


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## sealove (Oct 1, 2010)

Wouldn't that be a good idea to have like 2 or 3 nozzles and replace the nozzle every end of the day so as to let the used nozzle in warm water for the night in order to have it cleaned nicely? If the nozzle is easy to remove of course.


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## raise (Apr 11, 2008)

sealove said:


> Wouldn't that be a good idea to have like 2 or 3 nozzles and replace the nozzle every end of the day so as to let the used nozzle in warm water for the night in order to have it cleaned nicely? If the nozzle is easy to remove of course.



Having used my Speed Treater constantly for 2 years now, the only difficulty with cleaning the nozzle each night is getting it to align straight when you put it back on. The time sink for our shop is not in letting it soak but rather getting the nozzle back on properly and testing the fire pattern until it is aligned with the platen again.

If there someone has discovered a way to easily get the spray straight without having to run test sprays, please share!

I would be interested to see if Harry and his team are going to release an updated version of the SpeedTreater or a retrofit to allow for more precise pretreatment of larger spaces than 13x22. We regularly print white ink on 14x16 and 16x18 and getting enough pretreatment to the edges horizontally by far has caused the most misprints.

EquipmentZone has done an exemplary job in keeping our SpeedTreater running as over the time we have had it and it is a key part of our existing business.


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## sealove (Oct 1, 2010)

How even does the treater spray garments? Are there any discrepancies in the amount of pretreat pattern sprayed?


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## raise (Apr 11, 2008)

sealove said:


> How even does the treater spray garments? Are there any discrepancies in the amount of pretreat pattern sprayed?


There is a defined pattern of vertical bands going light medium light heavy light medium light which pretty much matches the spray pattern of the single nozzle perfectly.

Is it perfectly even? No.

Is it even enough? Yes.


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## sealove (Oct 1, 2010)

Can this cause misprints?


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## raise (Apr 11, 2008)

sealove said:


> Can this cause misprints?


We double pass at 1/2 the speed/volume we want so that the end product is fairly even in coverage.

The biggest problem for misprints is the outside edge on either side as we print areas larger than the SpeedTreater was intended for.


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## sealove (Oct 1, 2010)

> The biggest problem for misprints is the outside edge on either side as we print areas larger than the SpeedTreater was intended for.


How do you solve this problem?


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## raise (Apr 11, 2008)

sealove said:


> How do you solve this problem?


We hand spray the sides of the garment. Adds a couple of seconds to the process but the alternative is waiting for a retrofit/upgrade from EquipmentZone or purchasing an entirely new unit from another manufacturer.


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## sealove (Oct 1, 2010)

Have you called Harry about this issue?


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## drestill23 (May 20, 2014)

Any new reviews for the Speed Treater? 2014?


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## equipmentzone (Mar 26, 2008)

drestill23 said:


> Any new reviews for the Speed Treater? 2014?



This thread is 6 years old and was about the original SpeedTreater model that we stopped producing in 2011.

Here are current Forum threads for our newest SpeedTreater-TX Automatic Pretreater:

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/epson-surecolor-dtg-printers/t410922.html

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/epson-surecolor-dtg-printers/t409762.html

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/dtg-pretreatment/t320881.html

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/direct-garment-dtg-inkjet-printing/t327425.html

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/direct-garment-dtg-inkjet-printing/t373361.html

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## equipmentzone (Mar 26, 2008)

drestill23 said:


> Any new reviews for the Speed Treater? 2014?



Here is another recent one for you:

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/dtg-pretreatment/t407882.html

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