ZONESUN26x12cm Double Wheel Hand leather cutting machine

[Tinkerton]

Stumbled on this while browsing Aliexpress. Anyone have any experience with these or similar presses?

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/ZONESUN26x12cm-Double-Wheel-Hand-leather-cutting-machine-photo-paper-PVC-EVA-sheet-mold-cutter-leather-Die/32862462419.html?spm=2114.12010108.1000013.2.7a8d6cd2LIcTGm&gps-id=pcDetailBottomMoreThisSeller&scm=1007.13339.99734.0&scm_id=1007.13339.99734.0&scm-url=1007.13339.99734.0&pvid=77aa26ad-5a96-480a-91c9-d8b7ef6b40fb

[Matt S]

I haven't used that particular design but I use a hydraulic press for clicking, like this: 

I wouldn't be without it, but I find the enclosed frame to be the main limitation. I have 13" of daylight, slightly more than the press you show, and find that I have to cut a hide into strips to fit between the uprights, which eats into the time savings the machine gives.

Further, I don't know how much pressure you, as the operator, will be able to bear on that press. My one uses a 6 ton lorry jack and even though most of my dies don't need this much pressure the design allows me much greater mechanical advantage. In English that means it's easy to apply lots of pressure, but it takes multiple pumps of the handle. The little press you show, however, needs all the input power to be pressed or pulled down on the lever at once, and I think that the upper limit of what the press can press will be rather low.

[LetterT]

Matt S beat me to it but for what it's worth I will reinforce his words.

The two left-right metal bolts (at least that is what they look like) will limit the width of the leather you can place in the press at once - you will have to pre-cut it in wide strips to fit. That in turn will take time and could lead to more leather wasted if you are not careful about sizes.

On pressure, rather popular clicker press Might Wonder (found at Tandy) is a 4 ton press compared to Zonesun 1 ton. There are some good review of the Might Wonder on You Tube so you can see how those 4 tones of pressure work and can draw your own conclusion how 1 ton would work.

Edited September 13, 2018 by LetterT

[LeatherLegion]

 Zonesun is selling some small dies too. I guess this press would work for the  watch strap dies or the key chain dies he sells . There are few videos on YouTube showing this press in action . It seems to work ok on 3-4oz leather 

 CowBoy is selling a similar press "CowBoy 8160" ...they also have a video on youtube

Edited September 16, 2018 by LeatherLegion

[RockyAussie]

I think in some ways if you have a lot of small cutting requirements these presses would be quicker to use than the hydraulic bearing press and give good feel to the force application when doing embossing type of operations but in either case having to cut the leather down to fit in the machine is something to consider well before purchase. One reason I decided to say anything here is that the video shows a large knife being moved along twice to get the long cut. I do NOT find this is a good nor practical method as it does bow the knife in the centre and the cost of having the knives made is considerable. I know this from experience well as even with my large hydraulic clicker presses a poorly positioned or oversized knife gets quickly to the stage that it has to be repeatably moved around to get the cut done and soon is next to useless.