HeadBanger Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Hey has any one used a sta-warm melting pot? good/bad? looks like a good unit though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimcline Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 I haven't used one but I did call them for pricing. Scared me off from the get go. About 600.00. I don't believe they have a stirring system. It is my belief that they make a very good product but at that price I'll stick with my Presto pot. If you're looking into a pouring pot you should consider getting a Presto. You won't be sorry. JIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delw Posted February 11, 2009 Report Share Posted February 11, 2009 I have serveral customers using them, they are the best commercial pots on the market a presto pot doesnt come close to comparing. your plastic wont burn or scortch. everythign is heated evenly. if your doing this professionally and want the best this is the way to go. but remember there is also a cost involved just like anything else you do or buy. they do offer mixers however they will tell you that you should by them elsewere ( I forgot the name of the place they reccomend) as they are expensive and for the needs that hand pourers need it isnt justifiable. I have also had customers make there own mixers using the motor that I listed a while ago on a page, I believe broggie1 is using that same motor or was. one thing to remember a presto pot heats from the bottom no where else 90% of your plastic is not on the bottom. The sta-warms have heat on the side. I have been told you can leave a stay warm on a pourable temp. with out a mixer all day and it will never burn plastic. one of my customers changed from lee pots to sta-warms last year and he loves them. the lee post were costing him alot over a period of time and the sta-warm will last for a very long time. I believe he said with the new thermostats they put in the lee pots last year or the year before they were junk and burnt out quite often, the onlder lee pots had a better thermostat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear21211 Posted February 11, 2009 Report Share Posted February 11, 2009 Del Saying a presto pot does not compare is a little harsh....if you are looking for something that you can turn on and leave your plastic in for a couple of days without it scorching then yes, maybe the sta-warm is superior in that aspect.We compensated the bottom heating with a paddle design that mixes the plastic very well and allows the plastic the heat itself . Is it perfect absolutely not. But as far as what we do on an everyday basis pouring our baits.........For the price and ease of use the presto pot will pour as many or more worms in a day than you can with even the sta-warm pot. I can take 30 cavity's of your molds and by my self pour over 400 baits an hour. and with 2 pots never checking up can continue that for several hours. I have let my pots run at 325 degrees for over 3 hours and not had my plastic scorch. Not downing the sta-warm by no means they are a great product and have there place but for my budget, the presto pot can be compared and will always have a place at my pouring station. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassan30 Posted February 11, 2009 Report Share Posted February 11, 2009 that is right bear 100 % Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delw Posted February 11, 2009 Report Share Posted February 11, 2009 DelSaying a presto pot does not compare is a little harsh....if you are looking for something that you can turn on and leave your plastic in for a couple of days without it scorching then yes, maybe the sta-warm is superior in that aspect.We compensated the bottom heating with a paddle design that mixes the plastic very well and allows the plastic the heat itself . Is it perfect absolutely not. But as far as what we do on an everyday basis pouring our baits.........For the price and ease of use the presto pot will pour as many or more worms in a day than you can with even the sta-warm pot. I can take 30 cavity's of your molds and by my self pour over 400 baits an hour. and with 2 pots never checking up can continue that for several hours. I have let my pots run at 325 degrees for over 3 hours and not had my plastic scorch. Not downing the sta-warm by no means they are a great product and have there place but for my budget, the presto pot can be compared and will always have a place at my pouring station. it doesnt compare nor is it harsh. look at it this way. chinese tools vs snapon tools pop molds vs alum molds rtv molds vs alum molds hand pour molds vs injection molds pressure pot vs zorn injection machine yugo vs porshe cheap cutting tools vs expensive ones canoe vs Ranger theres a huge difference. if your looking for quality and a temp sensitive pot then presto pots dont hold a candle, if your looking for something inexpesive then yes presto is the way to go. I know guys that have 5 gallon( they are actually a little smaller I forget the quart size) sta-warm pots and they did have preto pots while they cost a heck of alot more like 6 times the cost of a presto pot they say they are far far better. they never have to worry about temp from one day to the next or one batch to the next. Anything will do the job even a lee pot, nothing wrong with a lee pot/ or presto pot if you understand how they work and how to make them work. Theres another company ( I forget the name)that makes a pot like a sta-warm pot they are in the same class as a the sta-warm and have some better features. I have one customer that has 4 in the approx 2.5 gallon size. heres a good example: I have a 16x 40 hand lathe here in the back of the shop I rarely use, I think I paid like 15k for it. I wouldnt use it to run threads( that requiered a thread guage for checking dims) nor most aerospace stuff, if I was going to use it for that I would have boughten a cadillac lathe or something in that class for 30-40k (yeah hand lathe not cnc) . Why did I buy this one? I needed something decent that I could afford way back when for little odd jobs that I didnt want to set the cnc lathes up on. it fit my budget at the time and got the jobs intended for it ran freeing up my 4 cnc lathes for other work. I never knocked a presto pot nor did I intend to ( don't tell anyone but I have one ), you more than likely just read the thread wrong. Delw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassan30 Posted February 11, 2009 Report Share Posted February 11, 2009 your to smart del for the bait making business Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear21211 Posted February 11, 2009 Report Share Posted February 11, 2009 one mans opinion versus another .......kind of like the Ford vs Chevy debate. Everything has its place at one time or another and for what we do I feel the Presto Pot can be compared to the sta-warm. It heats our plastic , keeps it mixed, does not burn or scorch it with a tiny bit of user input and will pour as many if not more baits in a day. Who cares if it is just us rookies that make them and not a big company. This is not aerospace its pouring plastic worm. The presto Pot gets the job done for way less money. In my opinion it does compare. I am not debating if the sta-warm is a good unit, I know it is. I also know that they cost way more. I also know I can tighten a bolt with a craftsman wrench the same way I can a snap-on. If I read anything wrong I apologize. The 2 objects in question basically serve the same purpose, they are tools of our trade for pouring our baits. They are both great tools regardless of what they cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimcline Posted February 11, 2009 Report Share Posted February 11, 2009 I don't think anyone is trying to compare one to the other, at least I wasn't. If a guy is making a living selling baits and wants to spend the money, then by all means get as many Sta-Warm pots as it takes. But for the guys that are just doing this for fun or even to make a little money on the side, the Presto is the way to go. And it ain't exactly brain surgery making one work either. I don't think there are a lot of dunces on here. For what it's worth, I've poured a bunch of batches with a Presto and haven't scorched even a teaspoon full. JIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delw Posted February 11, 2009 Report Share Posted February 11, 2009 Jim I figured the guy knew what he was looking for when he asked about the sta-warm and didnt mention any other pot. we get people all the time and ask about them, I just point them to TU and my forum as there are guys using them. Other than what I am told by my customers and the conversations in the past with sta-warm for a customers project , I don't have a sta-warm pot, when I am asked about quaility pots I let them know about them ,yes even about presto and lee pots.They all have there place. your to smart del for the bait making business Naw its just common sence Delw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogbaits Posted February 11, 2009 Report Share Posted February 11, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robalo01 Posted February 12, 2009 Report Share Posted February 12, 2009 About how much will a zorn injection machine set you back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delw Posted February 12, 2009 Report Share Posted February 12, 2009 I think the single color start up ones will run about 15-17 k. a good one minus molds 25+ they are really cool people and if your interested call them up they will help you and answer all your questions. Delw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
