Bergeon No 5500 Crystal Press Review

[VWatchie]

After having struggled far too many times and for far too long with my budget Chinese eBay crystal press, I (after an interesting discussion here on WRT) decided to get myself a professional crystal press in the form of a Bergeon No 5500. I decided to video document my very first (and successful) attempt at using it and so for those of you interested you can watch it here. It's hardly an action movie but I reckon that for anyone considering buying this press the video could hopefully be useful and interesting.

 

[jdm]

To be honest I would prefer and recommend a Chinese 5500A type for less than euro 50 to a lever type which when bought original cost more than 100.

[VWatchie]

 

5 minutes ago, jdm said:

To be honest I would prefer and recommend a Chinese 5500A type for less than euro 50 to a lever type which when bought original cost more than 100.

I appreciate your honesty! With a bit of luck, I think the Chinese version could be just, or near as good. I paid £123 for the press (including tax and shipping from Spain to Sweden). The Bergeon 5500A from cousinsuk.com including a full set of dies (they don't sell the press separately) would have cost me over £500/€560 (tax and shipping included).

I guess as long as the seller permits a "return no questions asked", the Chinese option could be attractive, but I in my case I just didn't want to take any chances, and I'm happy I didn't.

[JBerry]

Nice video! I have the same Bergeon 5500 press with the A-set of aluminium dies, it's a very old set and the box is branded Favorite even though the tool pictured on the box is Bergeon. It's one of my favourite tools to use.

[jdm]

Lever Vs screw type could be a personal preference but in the end you have more feeling with the first,  better power and control with the second. The same happens with a lathe tailstock in drilling, in there normally lever type is preferred. But having set myself some tight crystal and bezels personally I prefer a screw type. For even more confusion there are even some expensive type which combines a screw-in case back opening function.

[jdm]

dup sorry

Edited July 3, 2019 by jdm

[Waggy]

I opted for the Robur set (link Here), do you think the Burgeon set can do anything the Robur set cannot, ie I mean are there any tasks where I would have the use the Burgeon set because the Robur cannot do it or vice versa? 

Edited May 4, 2023 by Waggy
Added link

[VWatchie]

1 hour ago, Waggy said:

I opted for the Robur set (link Here), do you think the Burgeon set can do anything the Robur set cannot, ie I mean are there any tasks where I would have the use the Burgeon set because the Robur cannot do it or vice versa? 

I think I'd prefer the Robur (I like the control aspect) and I don't think there's anything the Bergeon can do that the Robur can't. I was meaning to get myself a Robur, but considering its price, especially the dies, I never got around to it. Eventually, I found a vintage Robur-style press for little money with wooden dies for non-armoured acrylic crystals and it works surprisingly well. Here's a picture of it.

[Waggy]

I looked onlune at eBay too for a set before I got from Cousins, and even bid on a set. In horror once I checked out the Cousins web site I realised that a new set was far cheaper than the used set I had just bid on - fortunately someone (actually several people) came in and beat my bid and I saved a heap of cash by then getting the new set?!?! I also did the same with my Bergeon cannon pin remover tool, they are on eBay now (just looked) used for £174, but I got mine for £61.95 brand new from Cousins..... So now I always look at the new price before I assume the used ones is a bargain.

[tomh207]

45 minutes ago, Waggy said:

I looked onlune at eBay too for a set before I got from Cousins, and even bid on a set. In horror once I checked out the Cousins web site I realised that a new set was far cheaper than the used set I had just bid on - fortunately someone (actually several people) came in and beat my bid and I saved a heap of cash by then getting the new set?!?! I also did the same with my Bergeon cannon pin remover tool, they are on eBay now (just looked) used for £174, but I got mine for £61.95 brand new from Cousins..... So now I always look at the new price before I assume the used ones is a bargain.

Indeed, I was looking at bidding on a couple of JKA feintasters on eBay and they both went for nearly £100 more than a brand new one from cousinsuk.

 

Tom

[VWatchie]

33 minutes ago, Waggy said:

I also did the same with my Bergeon cannon pin remover tool, they are on eBay now (just looked) used for £174, but I got mine for £61.95 brand new from Cousins.....

Unfortunately, the current Bergeon cannon pinion remover can only remove rather large cannon pinions.

"Can lift cannon pinions diameter Ø1.20 to Ø1.80mm"

I got one of those from Cousins too, but at the time I bought mine (years ago), the ad said that it could lift cannon pinions of any size (which it couldn't) and when complaining about this Cousins, to my surprise, accepted a return. Eventually, I got a vintage remover on eBay that can lift cannon pinions of any size and it's one of my most appreciated tools. Pictures below:

[Waggy]

Makes a little more sense now.

[Paul80]

It's a shame no enterprising engineer is making new 5 jaw collets to update the Cheap (never thought I would ever say that) Bergeon Clock Cannon Pinion tool with its 4 jaw collet

Someone would make a killing if they did.

Any of you enterprising dengineers up to the challenge   

Edited May 4, 2023 by Paul80