I had this same debate with myself over the weekend. I came to the conclusion as many have said here. It’s an investment in the long run that’s well worth the cost. It will likely be after this season before I make any purchases but leaning heavily into the EZ Green myself.
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People that own a bow press
- Thread starter Andrew920
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2019
- Messages
- 8,170
It’s a great investment and opens up archery to you like never before. With more and more bows becoming less dependent on a press to tune, diminishing returns sets in sooner now; however if you are serious, you still need a press for peeps, cam timing and sync, peep rotation, cam lean for yolks, the PSE EZ 220 system and the Matthews Top Hat. If you want to change out your strings etc. a lot of utility with a good press. If I had to do it over again, for about $100 more I would invest in the portable EZ Green press that you can fold up and take with you plus it gets down to like 11” which will press most crossbows too. Here’s my EZ Green on a he stand that you can get for them. I just move it out of the way to use my bench.
I think I’ve settled on getting one. It’s just a matter of saving for it. It’s interesting when I first started going into shops the idea of working on my bow was fairly intimidating. But the more I tinker with my arrows, sight, etc. the less I think it’s some mysterious skill.
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2020
- Messages
- 1,606
Elkshape gets 10% off at black ovis and free shipping.
It teaches you so much. You may make mistakes. I may have damaged a few things tinkering. So don't buy a press and $1200 bow at the same time..
But it definitely makes you more aware of what your bow is doing.
If I didn't do what I currently do, an "at home" press AND draw board setup would be a necessity...
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2019
- Messages
- 1,210
Just ordered one really good deal!
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2019
- Messages
- 6,284
Here's some unsolicited advice:
Before you change a string, video tape the bow and take pictures. Take pictures of how everything is routed, even how the cables cross and go through the cable guard. I also will label my cables and such as "top" and "bottom" for the different sides (using masking tape) prior to removing them. It is common for people to go off memory and misroute a cable. I review the pictures/videos as I'm working even if I don't think I need to.
Get a notepad and write down everything you do to the bow so that you can undo it or do it the same way to the next bow. For instance, I know how many twists I added to each cable and string during my last string change and even what I did to get my peep sight aligned.
Before you change a string, measure everything: axle to axle, brace height, draw length, draw weight, and where your d loop, peep, etc are at on the string. Before my last string change, I put masking tape on a bow square and marked exactly where my old d loop and nock sets were in relation to the rest (marked a line on the tape).
Yes. This is sound advice.
Also, fully reassemble everything to the furthest possible point and check EVERYTHING over with a fine tooth comb prior to physically drawing the bow, even if it means some disassembly (again) to get it back in the press to make an additional adjustment. At some point in time we've ALL made mistakes, if not major ones, especially in the beginning stages (and the first stage of "full" confidence is worse than the "questioning" stage haha).
I will definitely heed this advice! I’m normally not much of a DIY person. Don’t have a single drop of talent for carpentry, plumbing or electrical. I am a Colt and Glock armorer and enjoy messing around with maintenance, etc on guns. I’m pretty sure working on my bow will bring me the same satisfaction.
Yeah it just took me several hours to restring a bow that came to me without. I assumed I had enough brainpower to figure it our on my own but was mistaken. Now that I've got it right I can't see how to get it wrong. The routing can be confusing to say the least. Having a press let me see that everything wasn't feeding off the cams right.
The other day, i put the new used limbs on my bow. Set it up kinda close to tune. Had two of them start peeling again. (Bad limbs from BT years). Took a chance on some used ones. Any way turned around and put these up dated used ones on. Different style. So after tearing my bow down and back up 3-4 times, it all really makes so much more sense to me how it is all working. I had a few frustrating moments where I wanted to throw it on the ground. But aftter doing that twice. And having to tweak all the cables, and string, and getting it all set. I bet I could almost do it blind fold now. The video thing @raisins said and getting any measurements you can will help speed it along. Write it all down, take a picture. Pay close attention to string gaps and distances from cams. Once it clicks how it has to go, you go. Oh yeah. I'm such a dummy. But I am a hands on learning. So it really is the best way for me to learn it. But I wish I would have documented more the first time I took it all apart.
But last night was shooting it with the boys and so much more enjoyable knowing I set it up. Expecially when you see it shooting darts down range.
But last night was shooting it with the boys and so much more enjoyable knowing I set it up. Expecially when you see it shooting darts down range.
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2019
- Messages
- 6,284
It doesn't have to do with brain power when some of the design decisions are arbitrary.
Nothing beats physical experience!
Following. Something I'm looking at for sure. My dealer does superb work, but he's 40 minutes away, along with highway tolls, and he's very expensive. No matter what he does to my bows or xbows its 25$ to press it alone. It might pay itself off relatively quick
I didn't listen to @MattMan81, I recently bought a 1200 dollar bow and an ez green press. I also talked myself into the LCA limb keeper/beyond parallel kit because I'm somewhat scared of messing up my new bow (and if I'm honest a healthy dose of enjoying buying toys/tools, because it seems people are pressing these bows just fine with the standard fingers). I look forward to using it even if it is just to install a peep for now, but I do plan on taking my old bow apart to experiment/learn with as well. I say buy it.
To play devil's advocate: unless this is something that you want to do and you don't have someone that you're comfortable dealing within reasonable distance, don't buy a press. If it's something that you want to do and have interest in, send it! I wouldn't justify a press bases solely on monetary effectiveness lol. All that aside, there are honestly very few phenomenal professional bow techs in a retail setting, most are good, not great...
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2021
- Messages
- 738
The press alone is worth its weight in gold, I have peeps in all sizes and different sights I’ve swapped out and tried out. It’s so easy to just run into the garage and knock it out.
Let’s be real, us saddle Hunters like to tinker, you’ll use it more than you’d think.
Let’s be real, us saddle Hunters like to tinker, you’ll use it more than you’d think.
Honestly, I already know I’m going to buy one. I know it really won’t save me money. Really it’s more about learning a skill. As I get older I place more and more value on adding to my skill base.