If you are looking for a way to squeeze out rosin from your flowers, then a rosin press is what you need. Forget about homemade solutions, like hair straighteners: you will get inconsistent results with those since they lack temperature and pressure controls that come with rosin presses. They are simple machines: two heated plates are pushed against each other, usually manually or hydraulically. This combination of heat and pressure allows the concentrate to come out of your flower.
If you are on a tight budget, don’t worry. There are a lot of valid rosin presses on the market which are also affordable. In this article, I’m going to make your life easier and present the 7 best rosin press for under $500, then I will also tell you the reasons why I chose them. After that, you will find a buying guide with some more things to consider before making a purchase.
Alright, let’s get to it!
Best Rosin Press Under $500: 7 Rosin Presses you Should Consider
1) Dulytek DM800
It comes with 2″ x 3″ dual heating aluminum plates with heat insulators placed on top and bottom, to avoid heat losses. Thus, the max weight you can press is 3-3.5 grams. It also has a touch display placed on the back of the press that makes setting up the temperature and pressing time super easy (the maximum temperature you can set it to is 482° F).
The main advantage with this press is that it’s very lightweight (it weighs about 10 lbs) and compact, so it’s super portable. It even has a handle on top of it to carry it around like a bag. You can easily put it in a backpack to use it when traveling.
Obviously, you get what you pay. Its durability and results reflect its price. For example, when using the handle you need to be careful to not apply too much pressure because you could snap the bolts or the fulcrum pin easily. Furthermore, the amount of material it can handle at a sitting is limited. But if you don’t get too greedy with the pressure and the amount you load it with, you can get decent results.
I think it’s a great press for beginners to get started, but you might want to look elsewhere if you have higher needs.
2) YaeTek Heat Press
This rosin press comes with 2.4″ x 4.7″ dual heated plates. Thus, you can crank some more material at a time than with the DM800 we talked about before. You can also set the pressing time and temperature with the buttons placed on the front bottom of the press. The max temperature you can use is 491° F, pretty much the same as the DM800.
In the end, I think this rosin press can be included in the beginner pool. I suggest you get this one over the DM800 if you have a few more bucks to spend and you are looking for some more pressure and load capacity. On the other hand, it isn’t as sturdy as the DM800. You need to be careful with the hand crank to avoid bending the corkscrew, and you need to mount the press before use. So it’s not as portable as the DM800, but it’s still a good rosin press for under $500.
3) MyPress Gen 2
This little guy delivers 6 tons of pressure (which is about 13000 lbs). It’s an incredible amount for a little manual press like this, and its peers don’t even come close. Another great thing is that it requires a minimal amount of human force: once the plates are closed and locked, the press does all the heavy work for you.
Talking about the plates, this rosin press comes with 3″ x 3″ stainless steel plates. Both of them are heated to deliver it evenly across the material. A down point is the maximum temperature you can set, which is only 250° F. That’s not a necessary downside: it means that you will have to wait a little more for the rosin to come out, but at least you will avoid burned material.
Another good point in favor of this rosin press is its compactness. It’s easy to carry around (you can use the handle to hold it like a bag) and it’s very lightweight (it weighs 12.9 lbs, according to their site).
It’s a good press overall, probably the best manual press you can find for this price. It only requires a minimal setup, which consists of adjusting the pressing plates with a small wrench that comes with the press. One thing I don’t like about this one is the stainless steel plates. Stainless steel is inconsistent at heat distribution, so you often gonna get suboptimal rosin.
The only thing you need to remember is to not apply too much force on the handle. Apparently, there’s a security bolt that will shear on purpose so that your handle won’t break. You probably want to avoid that hassle, simply by using the press the way it is supposed to be used.
4) Dulytek DM1005
This is another great press made by Dulitek. It’s a manual press that can deliver a pressing force up to 1000 lbs. You can set it with the adjustable pressure knob placed on top of the plates. Another great thing about this piece of equipment is the locking lever mechanism: with it, you can adjust the pressure at the desired level, and then apply the force without having to use your manual force continuously.
This rosin press also comes with a touch screen display that allows you to set the temperature and the pressing time easily. The maximum temperature is 450 °F.
The plates are 3 x 5 inches, which let you load the press with up to 6 grams of material. Both of the plates are heated.
It’s in the same price range as the YaeTek heat press and it can deliver only half the pressing force (1 ton vs 0.5 ton), but it’s more durable and sturdy.
All things considered, it’s a great rosin press: it’s heavy-duty and well made. The construction is solid and durable. Furthermore, a lot of its parts are replaceable, so it will probably last you years if used properly. Unfortunately, its sturdiness comes with a downside: this press is heavier than other models (30 pounds). It’s still very compact, and easy to be carried around if you are not scared by its weight. You can use the handle to easily hold it.
5) Dabpress 4 Ton Heat Press
The plates are 3″ x 5″ inches, so you can load up to 6 grams on material per sitting. The heat insulation is guaranteed by bamboo layers. The temperature can be adjusted as needed. The maximum temperature is 400 °F. Some users reported that the plates sometimes get a few degrees hotter than what the display says. So you need to adjust it properly, maybe run some tests first.
Comfort-wise, it’s not as portable as other models since it weighs 32 lbs. But it’s still very compact and you can carry it safely by using the handle placed on top.
I think this press is worth the money it costs. What made this model stand out is the sturdy construction and high-quality materials. I am positive that this is the best rosin press you can get for around 300 bucks.
6) Dulytek DHP5
The aluminum plates are 2.5″ x 6″. They are both heated and insulated to avoid heat dispersions. You can load up to 14 grams of material at once. It has a digital control panel to set the temperature. Some users reported that the plates sometimes heat up some degrees hotter than what you set at. It’s a common problem amongst rosin presses. You can also set power conservation mode parameters with the panel. The power save mode is a great addition to this model.
There are a couple of other great additions to this press that are worth mentioning. First, the reinforced frame that can handle up to 12 tons. If you need more power, you can unscrew the 7-ton jack that comes with the press and replace it with another one. Second, the DripTek mount stand. This stand allows you to tilt the press forward (up to 90 degrees), so the oil will flow downward following the gravity. It makes it easier to collect the oil dropping from the plates.
The last thing to consider, this press weighs in at 42 lbs, which is in line with other presses in this price range.
Overall, it’s a great press. Sturdy, reliable, made with great materials. A solid alternative to the 4-ton Dabpress. In addition, you get the DripTek system, a reinforced frame that can hold even more force.
7) NugSmasher Mini
Despite its dimension, it’s still a powerful rosin press. It can apply up to 2 tons (i.e 4000 lbs) of pressure. It is a manual press, and you can adjust the pressure with the manual pump arm that comes out of the front of the press. The pressing plates are made of aluminum, and they are 2.5″ x 2.5″ They are dual heating, and they are capable of processing up to 3.5 grams of material in one sitting.
You can set your desired temperature with the panel place on the front side of the press. The temperature is carefully checked, to ensure you don’t burn the material.
According to their site, this press is perfect for the casual user. I’m not sure about the price, though. It is a cute press and all, but they are asking almost 500 bucks for it. I think there are a lot of better deals around. Although, if you are looking for the most powerful but compact rosin press, then this is the one for you.
Which Rosin Press Should I get Amongst These?
After all this talking, I think it could be a good idea to tell you why I chose these 7 rosin presses between all those available on the market. This should help you a lot if you still can’t make up your mind.
- Dulytek DM800: You should get this one if you are a beginner and this is the first rosin press you get. It’s pretty cheap, and it’s a good way to get you started.
- YaeTek Heat Press: This rosin press might be the right one if you are looking for a large load capacity press, but for an affordable price.
- MyPress Gen 2: You want a portable and efficient press, that delivers a lot of power and with great load capacity. Your pockets are deep enough.
- Dulytek DM1005: You don’t care that much about portability, you want a sturdy press that will last you for years.
- Dabpress 4 Ton Heat Press: Same as above, but with more (hydraulic) power for 30 more bucks. This one is my favorite, it has the best value for the money.
- Dulytek DHP5: You want a sturdy press, and you want to test the DripTek system.
- NugSmasher Mini: You want a compact but powerful rosin press. You have a large budget, though.
Best Rosin Press Under $500 – Buying Guide
Below you will find some additional considerations/questions to help you get the right press for your needs.
Power
The first thing to consider is the amount of pressure that the rosin press is able to deliver. What amount of force do you need? The higher the pressure, the higher the percentage of rosin you are going to be able to squeeze out of your material.
Plate Size
You also need to think about the plate size, since the load capacity of the press depends on it. The bigger the plates, the larger load capacity. That means you are going to be able to process more material in one sitting. This point is important if you are going to use your rosin press in more than just a casual way, so you want to reduce the number of operations to process a certain amount of material in order to optimize the total pressing time. Be careful, though: you always need to load the plates up properly in order to allow the rosin to drip from the edges. If you press too little material, the material won’t be able to come out of the plates, resulting in burned concentrate.
Another thing about the plates is the material they are made of. If possible, look for aluminum plates, since they are the best at distributing heat. This will guarantee you better results.
Portability
Are you going to carry your press around or not? If the answer is yes, then you need to carefully consider the weight and the compactness of the rosin press you want to get, especially if you need to squeeze your press inside a backpack or a suitcase. The presence of a handle to hold it might also be important.
Manual or Hydraulic
Last thing, but most important: the power output. If you are going to use your press every once in a while, a manual press is fine. If you are planning on using it more frequently, then it’s better to get a hydraulic press. A manual press can be tiring because it often requires you to manually hold the pressure onto the plates during the pressing process. Hydraulic presses usually apply pressure through a bottle jack: once they are set, they hold the pressure by themselves.
Conclusion
In this article, I gave you a broad range of possible choices of rosin presses under $500. I tried to think about the common user’s needs when buying a rosin press on a budget, and I hope you found the answer you needed.
One last thing to think about. You probably read about using a hair straightener or other things. The problem with these homemade solutions is that they can’t apply enough pressure. As a result, the yield is pretty bad: we are talking about one-third of what you would get with a rosin press. So I think it’s best to spend some money on a press instead of being cheap and end up wasting your material (and also your money). And you will also benefit from the temperature and pressure control, which will guarantee you much more consistent results over time.
That’s it for this article, see you in the next one!!
