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by ccclady
on Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:33 pm |
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I've been MYO for a couple of months now, having started with one of those little hand-held machines before "graduating" to an Excel Premium which I liked alot for it's ease and speed of use as well as with it's good results in stuffing my king-sized tubes...
Having heard alot of good reviews about the Top-o-matic machine, though, I decided to try it out and so I purchased one and brought it home. This afternoon, I sat down and tried making a few packs of cigarettes, and I'm dismayed to say that I'm not nearly as pleased with it as I was with my Excel. I have to wonder, though, if I'm not doing something wrong with it, as there are so many folks out there who have raved about this particular machine? Hence, this post to describe the problem and to see if there's something I should be doing differently with it.....
Setting the tube in place, filling the tobacco chamber and bringing the handle to the initial locked position through the completion of the first stroke (where the injector initially enters the tube) there is no problem. However, upon returning the handle to it's original position (where the injector withdraws back from the tube and is supposed to leave the tube filled with tobacco), I'm finding that this action invariably drags the tube OFF the nozzle (instead of following the injector smoothly back), usually leaving me with only about half the tobacco in the tube and the rest of it falling all over my worksurface. It's almost as if the tube isn't fitting over the nozzle portion securely enough to hold it throughout the completion of the injection process, yet I can't seem to find any sort of defect with the tube clamp portion of the machine.
I am not using a particularly slim tube...they are Premier menthol tubes and I never had a problem like this while using my Excel machine. Nor does it seem to be a problem caused by either over-filling or under-filling of the chamber. I would ~like~ to like my new TOM, but my experience with it today was both frustrating and disappointing to say the least!
Can anyone offer help or suggestions? |
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ccclady
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Joined: Apr 10, 2009
Posts: 7
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by Camelgirl
on Thu Apr 23, 2009 3:40 pm |
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| I have a top o matic and sometimes I have the same problem. I just hold the tube with my other hand when releasing the lever and it usually works fine. If that doesn't work for you, you might try taking it to a tobacco shop that sells them and see if they can trouble shoot it for you. Good luck! |
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Camelgirl
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Joined: Apr 22, 2009
Posts: 20
Location: NYC
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by Slearwig
on Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:38 pm |
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If your tubes are 100's then you need to remove the silver-colored "King-Size" plate at the tobacco fill chamber by loosening the thumb screw, then pulling out the plate and put it in a safe keep.
If your tubes are Kings, then you need the "King-Size" plate mounted to the tobacco chamber.
It happens to me if I don't use enough tobacco or, depending on fine cuts or dry tobacco crumbs, when I don't pre-compact the tobacco several times with the crank. It can also happen if the tobacco isn't evenly distributed along the chamber.
The way to think of the amount of tobacco to use is to consider the tobacco chamber depth as being half the diameter of the finished cigarette, so fill the chamber accordingly.
The initial lock position of the crank should be at or around 4:O'Clock. Look in the empty chamber and move the crank so you can see the slide plate (the tobacco compactor plate), then return the crank all the way to start and fill the chamber evenly up to the compactor plate.
Then crank to the 4: O'Clock. There should be enough tobacco in the chamber to produce a slight to moderate click at 4:O'Clock. At this position the chamber should be completely closed by the compactor plate with a few shreds of tobacco sticking out around it. Return the crank to start and repeat to 4:O'Clock several times until the "click" is minimal to compress the tobacco into a uniform roll as much as possible, although some of this is dependent on how the chamber is filled.
Then return the crank to the start position, add the tube making sure it is seated all the way with the edge of the tube against the case and return the crank to 4:O'Clock, then pull all the way down and through with a smooth quick motion.
If you use too much tobacco you should notice a spring sound at 4:O'Clock. That's the spring overload protection, and if so, then decrease the amount of tobacco in the chamber.
You can pack a loose smoke with an easy draw, but be sure to do the above to pre-compress the roll, though too-little tobacco will fail to inject or will inject only partially.
Otherwise maybe there might be something wrong with the one you have and it needs an exchange.
If you get it working, let us know later on which of the machines uses less tobacco or fails more often, the Top or the Premier. I bought the Top-O-Matic because I read the Premier uses plastic parts while the Top uses all metal, though if the metal rivets in the Top are too small they can break the same as plastics. |
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Slearwig
Enthusiastic Smoker
Joined: Mar 28, 2009
Posts: 205
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by ccclady
on Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:07 pm |
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Thank you all very much for taking the time to offer the help and suggestions...it was very much appreciated! I will try doing what you suggested and post again with the results  |
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ccclady
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Posts: 7
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by gilster
on Fri Apr 24, 2009 6:07 am |
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I've recently pulled the 100 plate off my Top for shooting Kings - works really good.
I have been short-shooting sticks too much lately - I am using lots of different tobacco from my stash from my buying spree last month and the differences in texture and moisture levels is amazing.
Taking the plate off has made a big difference and the machine runs a lot smoother.
I had to retire my old Top recently that I have been using for well over a year - the metal rolling plate that releases the tube just wore away. [Time to order parts] |
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gilster
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by Mr. Mxyzptlk
on Sat May 09, 2009 9:39 pm |
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I don't want to start a "machine war", but I had a TOM that got really odd on me after about 100 sticks. LBSS replaced it, but I bought a Gambler, and I love it to death! My replacement TOM is soon to be sold (check pending).
The round design sucks, so I glued/taped it to a 1/4" board (for now) that fits into a baking pan. [Eventually, I plan to use some bolts and T-nuts to fit into the recessed screw holes in the bottom.]
With Zen King Size FF tubes, it puts out a perfect stick *every freakin' time*! There are no underfills/"tube gaps" or carrot tops. I couldn't break "the three-minute barrier", but I did manage to put out a pack in 3:20 with ideal conditions. This machine totally rocks! And it's cheap - $25 at pipesandcigars.com.
I stuff while watching the idiot box, so I mostly used my EXP1000, but now I almost exclusively use the Gambler unless I just want to stuff a few sticks - like an experimental blend I'm trying out. One nice thing about it is that it's so effort-free. I can fill the chamber "by touch" and I only have to glace down to slip a tube on. BTW, the nozzle is "hidden", and that's actually a good thing. You don't get flakes of 'baccy around it. And the tube gripper is outstanding. Note that it hates Gizeh tubes though. Zens or Windsail/Ramback Prestige tubes, it's quite happy with.
-TJ |
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Mr. Mxyzptlk
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