EXP 1000 by Simron Int'l

[db]

I first stumbled across the website for the EXP1000 by SimRon International in November 2007 around Thanksgiving. AFAIK they have been available from several dealers since Jan 1, 2008 and will likely become more widely available as more distributors start carrying Simron products.

Like the Premiere Excel the EXP1000 is constructed mostly of plastic and is smaller than typical tabletop machines. Unlike the typical crank-style machines, it is a 2-stage design, meaning separate mechanisms (with 2 separate grippers, one at the back, one in front) are used for the compression & cutting stroke and the injecting/stuffing stroke. RYO Magazine says it "may likely become the most successful single design in injector history." Apparently this is due to it's compact design and the claim that it's impossible to overstuff/jam.

The new machine is essentially identical to a model called the "Corona Cigarette Machine" that was sold by RJ Reynolds in Canada years ago. Simron claims over a million of them were sold in Canada and that they are virtually indestructable. Why they weren't marketed in the US is a bit of a mystery to me, although historically Americans have been resistant to RYO since the early 20th century when pre-mades became the most popular method of tobacco consumption. We like things Convenient and Now! Although many DIY markets have exploded over the last 20 years due to cost savings and the satisfaction one recieves from completing a task independently with complete control over the finished product. I think this mentality could spur great growth in RYO cigarettes once the millions of smokers who still smoke reach the tipping point and if RYO can lose it's social stigma. But I digress...

The EXP1000 certainly seems ideally suited to travel, and the glowing early reviews are frankly a little suspicious, sounding more like marketing-speak and a little short on specifics about the internal machine operating mechanisms.

At a suggested MSRP of $24 and with a 2 year warranty, it's significantly cheaper than the SuperMatics and TopOMatic. But it's priced nearly identically to the Premier Excel, which is also a highly regarded machine that has been available for years and has many satisfied owners. I see the EXP as a middle-ground machine, probably not the best choice for someone looking to be able to crank out a carton of smokes in under an hour and the lifespan of a machine with plastic internals raises a yellow flag in my mind.

Some things to consider if you're thinking of buying an EXP1000 as your first or only injector:
• Is the slightly faster operation and claimed consistency over a variety of tobacco types and moisture levels worth 2 to 5 times the price of a good quality single or double chamber Hand Held Injector?
• If you're spending that much on a machine and plan on making hundreds of cigarettes per week, would you be better off purchasing a full size tabletop crank-style machine for an extra $15 or so.
• Do you need the ability to make 100mm or "cigarette size" sticks?

At least one forum member currently owns an EXP1000, and I'm sure more will purchase them as they become more widely available. I'm looking forward to reading your comments and reviews here.

['B']

When i ordered a 14 oz. pound of ramback a few weeks ago I also bought a simron exp 1000, and have played around with it for about a couple of weeks. I will wait for someone else to give a comprehensive review, but here are a few of my impressions:

1. It is small. much smaller than i had expected. Smaller than three HH injectors sitting side by side ( smaller than 2 zig-zag precision pros).

2. Very few metal parts, A very light spring for the tube release bar (it exerts very little pressure, but is necessary), compression lever, pin and i-link to the cutter, and a non serrated spoon.

3.Light gray plastic cutter, looks similar to the material used in c-supermatic. Tube holder and slide seem to be nylon. The body of the unit is a heavy plastic with quite a bit of ribbing and is quite rigid. I don't see any way to hot rod this machine, no user serviceable parts, except to maybe change the spring or glue new rubber pads on the removable white plastic base.

4.Tobacco chamber is smaller than an o'matic, but bigger than any slider I've seen. ribbing around the chamber catches and holds bits of tobacco that should go into the chamber (small quibble). The small chamber does keep me from forcing too much tobacco, resulting in very uniform sticks.

5. I initially wondered if it would be too inconvenient or slow, having to do two steps instead of one. Well, the o'matics also compress the tobacco and inject it in the tube, but it takes a big arcing pull on the crank to do it.
With the exp1000 you just pinch the compressor handle closed and move the slider to the left then back to the right and flick the handle back open with your index finger and you are ready to load another tube. Much less energy expended than pulling and returning a crank. It is slower than the o'matics (at best,I can stuff about18 smokes in six minutes with it) I know i can beat that with my TOM or SM, but all 18 don't have any voids or soft spots,all are packed as firm or light as I want.
The machine has not jammed (not to say it couldn't be deliberately overloaded), tolerates some shake, moisture or lack of don't seem to matter, and can alternate between kings and 100s with no adjustments. The nozzle is slightly too big for Rizla cig size tubes.

Will the EXP1000 replace my other machines? In a word, no (at least not right now). It will be my new travel machine, and I'm using it a lot in working up small batch blends.

First impression....Favorable.
Gotta go.


B.

[db]

Thanks for the review, very informative!

I don't see any way to hot rod this machine, no user serviceable parts, except to maybe change the spring or glue new rubber pads on the removable white plastic base.
...
The machine has not jammed (not to say it couldn't be deliberately overloaded), tolerates some shake, moisture or lack of don't seem to matter, and can alternate between kings and 100s with no adjustments. The nozzle is slightly too big for Rizla cig size tubes.

Will the EXP1000 replace my other machines? In a word, no (at least not right now). It will be my new travel machine, and I'm using it a lot in working up small batch blends.

First impression....Favorable.

I didn't realize (or forgot) that it could handle 100mm tubes. Without any stroke adjustment or chamber baffle, you just pack the chamber more fully for the 100mm?

And if the nozzle is too big for the 'cig size' and isn't interchangeable (or could it be changed out?) that's a likely sticking point for fans of those tubes (and I'm a fan).

['B']

db,

I just stuffed six tubes on the EXP, 3 kings (Rizla) and 3 100s (Zen light). I tried to use the same amount of tobacco for each. I alternated sizes after each tube.
The kings were tightly packed with about a sixteenth of an inch overhang. One tamp and they looked like a factory smoke.
The 100s were evenly packed, but a little softer. There was no overhang, in fact the tobacco was inset about an eighth of an inch from the end of the tube.
I then packed the chamber very full (much fuller than I would consider in a crank machine) and stuffed another 100. The resulting smoke was as firm as the kings, but again there was an unsightly collar of tube (about a sixteenth of an inch) extending past the tobacco (once lit, however, it is not at all noticeable).

I had posted that the nozzle of the EXP was slightly too large for the Rizla cig size tube. I don't see any way to change out the nozzle of this machine.

After some patient (patience is one of the few vices I have not succumbed to) twisting and fiddling, I managed to fit a couple of the cigarette size tubes on the nozzle. The smokes were very firm with about a fourth of an inch overhang.

In light of this last development, I think it might be possible to take a strip of very fine grit sandpaper and....Must go. I have inadvertently mixed blueberry sparkling water (thinking it was club soda) with my scotch. THIS IS SERIOUS!

B

[db]

B, great info
I catch your drift, the nozzle sounds similar in size to a supermatic...
I'm LMAO ROFL, I think I need a new smiley
<edit>

[Slap Maxwell]

Must go. I have inadvertently mixed blueberry sparkling water (thinking it was club soda) with my scotch. THIS IS SERIOUS!

B

Ye Gods, man...step away from the machine and compose yourself. It's obvious the plastic body of this device has leeched unknown neuro-toxins into your system, resulting in the mis-fire of the synapses at various myoneural junctions related to eye-hand coordination.

My friend, Dr. Morris McSquane of the Quimby Institute, has been privy to secret documentation indicating that this could be related to a new terrorist threat by a previously unthinkable alliance between Islamic and Christian fanatics aimed at independent-minded and free-thinking Americans (just the sort of people, BTW, who are typically interested in MYO), seen as a big threat to their plan for world-wide religious hegemony. The Canadian connection has led the Department of Homeland Security to give creedence to this theory and to warn all MYOers of this potential danger.

Until this danger is past, Dr. McSquane strongly recommends wearting thick rubber electrical gloves when handling new MYO equipment until it has been soaked for 48 hours in pure grain alcohol. This alcohol should then be sent to the Slap Maxwell Testing Labs for testing. In the mean time, insure all top-shelf, single malt scotches and fine whiskeys are completely segregated from any unwanted contamanents which may be introduced into them because of this impairment.

[db]

Must go. I have inadvertently mixed blueberry sparkling water (thinking it was club soda) with my scotch. THIS IS SERIOUS!

B

Ye Gods, man...step away from the machine and compose yourself. It's obvious the plastic body of this device has leeched unknown neuro-toxins into your system, resulting in the mis-fire of the synapses at various myoneural junctions related to eye-hand coordination.

I swear to god I nearly ruined my keyboard when my coffee attempted to leave my mouth in a sudden outburst of uncontrollable laughter. I must ask you to refrain from such random outbursts of hilarity at such an early hour.

['B']

Slap,
Thank you for your concern for my wellbeing. Your post opened my eyes to dangerous forces I had not considered. It is indeed fortunate that I always wear thick rubber electrical gloves (it's a fashion statement).

The situation may have been saved by the fact that I was smoking Sagamore Canadian, stuffed by a Canadian machine (it is), into Canadian made tubes (Rizla), and when I switched to Seagrams VO gold I became much calmer.
Perhaps these terrorist are focusing their attention on subjects of the American Empire and the Canadian angle fooled them. Sadly, this morning I have new symptoms, blurred vision and a crushing headache. I have not attempted to roll my own, I'm smoking a pack of Rothmans I kept for emergencies (heresy or not, one can't be too careful).

To bring this post slightly back to the topic at hand, you can google:
CIPO - patent - 1039603
and view the patent drawings of the original version of the EXP. There are some differences, notably the tube release lever and lack of reinforcement ribbing, but it will give you an idea of how the insides look.

Also, Simron's online catalog now shows a translucent blue EXP2000 with 6.5mm nozzle, and says that it is coming soon.

Thanks again for your concern.

B.

[Slap Maxwell]

Always happy to look after a fellow MYOer's well-being!

I've gotta run to the lab now and begin analyzing the first batches of grain alcohol that have been coming in....

[admin]

After 3 weeks of glowing testimonials Capt Mike posted about ever increasing problems using his EXP1000. Apparently the machine has been getting progressively tighter as the linkage pin underneath has gotten looser and developed a lot of play. He had also ordered a 2nd machine and said it's much better than his first one was from the start, so maybe he got a pre-production model and the tightness problem he has with the first machine is atypical?

Read Capt Mikes reviews here

This is not the first negative comment about the machine, Al H posted that he was disatisfied with the quality of the sticks he was making last week here (same page as above)