I got my new bowmaster press in the mail a few days ago, and got to press my first bow with it yesterday. This is the first press I have used, and I have to say it was easy. The first bow I put it on was my daughters Martin Tiger (the older model, not the new plastic one). Her draw length was setup way too short for her by the shop, so we needed to change out mods and increase it for her. The Tiger is a solid limb bow, not split limb, so I didn't need the split limb adapters for hers. The first thing you do is place the fixed bar into the limb opening below the cam on either the top or bottom limbs. After that, you lay out the press cable and slide the other adjustable bar to the shortest length you can. Make sure that you can still slip it through the opening on the opposite limb. You will want to place something (a pair of leather scraps come with it if you purchase it new) in the crook of the limb opening to keep the cable from the press from scratching up the finish on the limbs.
Now you need to check to make sure that the cables for the press are running through it properly. It should be in the tracks for both rollers as well as the one for the press bar. If everything looks good, turn the press bar handle clockwise to take out all the slack from the cable. Before going any further you need to do a little safety check. Double check the press cable to make sure it is still in all the right tracks, and make sure that the bars are seated properly in he limbs to ensure they don't slip while pressing the bow. Once you are satisfied that everything is fine, continue turning the press bar clockwise slowly. Once your strings and cables (the ones on the bow this time) go slack enough that you could remove them from the bow STOP turning, your bow is now pressed.
Next step is to do what you needed the bow pressed for in the first place!! For me it was replacing those mods. Easiest thing in the world, remove to Allen head bolts and swap the mods out. Replace the two bolts, and viola!! Now that you are done working, make sure your bow is back in shape, and your strings and cables are routed properly. SLOWLY turn the press bar counter-clockwise to let the pressure off your bow. Keep an eye on your cables and strings the whole time to make sure they don't slip out of track. Once the cable on the press starts to go slack, back it out the rest of the way and remove the bars from the limbs. You’re done!!
I couldn't find any design flaws in this press. It worked great. You can't beat the price for your first press. It will get you started, and will last you forever even if you get a fancier stand press later on. I don't think I would ever get rid of it. I do plan on upgrading in the future, but this one will stay in my gearbox and go to the range with me, as well as in my pack when I start hunting (might even get a second one down the line so I don't have to remember to swap it around).
It is slightly more difficult to press a split limb bow, but only very slightly. You will need the adapters that span around your cam and attach at the end of the limbs. The difference being, that you slip the bars from the press into this adapter instead of through your limbs. The manual shows to different ways of setting this up depending on your cams. Also, before going past just putting tension on the press, you will want to double check the adapter to make sure it is positioned on the tips of your limbs evenly, and that it is not going to rub cams or cables. You will need to play around with this a bit from bow to bow to get the right fit, but once you have it, the process is as simple as before.
I got the whole setup (press and split limb adapters) for $35 dollars used, a great deal. You can get them new for $40 for the press, and $14 for the adapters. They even sell a leather carry pouch for the press for $13.
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