Windmill GT gripper made in China

Does anyone tested these grippers?
eBay has propositions ~160$ for one gripper.
AliExpress has few sellers with 30$ for each of them. I thought may be someone has a positive experience with 30$ gripper. What to expect from them?

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I’d look for an original used. They don’t make anything exact. China junk, why support it.
Google it, do yourself a favor.

That’s a pretty unfair response, Theo. Others might regard it even more seriously.
I recently bought a platemaker from China and it is the first machine, having bought over a million dollars of European and American plant over several decades, that has worked perfectly the first time without the need for calibration or adjustment.

I think it’s a very fair response. I am sure MaMaDx wants his problem fixed the first time. Glad you have good luck with China. China will never compare to German engineering. With a German made press, no one should be thinking of substituting quality parts with look-a-likes. I am sure they won’t last or act like the original would. There are many sources,
http://www.whittenburginc.com/parts/ is one of them.
I am sure China would appreciate you defending their products, MaMaDx doesn’t need bad advice.

MaMaDx Theo Bell is giving good advice,, unless your in China, I would not substitute parts for a German made press any money saved will be used in time and aggravation to get the part to fit…

Gentlemen, of course it makes sense and it’s always good policy to use original parts. You miss the point.
The generalist label of “China junk” is the issue. Like saying that all Germans are Nazis or all Americans from the Southern States are members of the Ku Klux Klan - neither right nor fair!

if Heidleburg grippers cost $600 each and you get one from China for $30, I’d be a little careful. I have heard from several people that the China made heidleburg parts don’t work very well, I’m with Theo.

I say buy the Chinese parts and find out for yourself. I bought rollers made in China saved about $50.00 on each one but had to spend a few hours on each filing and grinding so they would fit. If I was to do over I would not have bought the Chinese rollers.
good luck and I hope they work for you

There is a good chance the price difference is a good indicator of quality, nationality however rarely is.

I’ve had to put money and time into making US or European parts fit too. It’s a risk when dealing with aftermarket parts for older machinery that was produced over a significant timespan.

Chinese grippers might not be using metal alloys as flexable as original ones, they might be more brittle and more prone to breaking. That’s the advice I got when I ask the technician who help fixing my presses.
I come form Hong Kong by the way. Chinese plate makers are good enough for making letterpress plates. But it may be a difference case in grippers.

Thank You all for Your comments.
The interim conclusion - nobody ever ordered Chinese Windmill grippers here.
I really don’t think that nowadays this gripper for Windmill is a state of art, complicated mechanism. My humble opinion is that it’s aluminium body with long clamp attached through the rod. And few springs. I guess China can handle this gripper. (I’m surrounded with the well-known worlwide brands actually made in PRC.
Though may be I’m wrong.

MaMaDX I follow you logic. These days almost everything is made in China. They can make quality items, but the quality depends on how much the buyer is willing to pay for it. That is how it works everywhere in the world: you get what you pay for it. I did purchased stuff from Ali Express. Somehow I feel that they are selling off the manufacturing rejects. ( every company has them ) Items that did not go trough the big purchaser’s quality control and they are just not disclosing it.
Just like Mike Conway, I also purchased the Chinese rollers from the local supplier. Mildly put: they are crap! On one of them the bearing got stuck half way. The supplier took it back, chuck it in the garbage and give me an another one. Looks like quality control on cheap Chinese items is done by the Final Customer!
Yeah, I heard that the original grippers are $700 each. So I purchased a whole press for spare parts!
The Chinese made die-cutting jackets don’t fit as tight as the original, but I can live with that. And probably they won’t crack because of that. The originals used to crack, about 1” from the bottom horizontal edge.
No, I did not ordered Chinese Windmill grippers.

Louie
http://eagleprint.ca

2 years on Chinese grippers seems OK. Noticed some rubber degrading on the inner side of gripper. But it’s Ok since my old original ones had no rubber at all.

full 4 years on Chinese grippers on my windmill.Rubber is ok but I only run 60-350 gsm