Any opinions on Sanders UA vs VT models?

Anyone know if one of these was the budget model? I have both styles and the slots are weird length on the VT model.

huh?

jvo said:

huh?

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My searches came up with a sander or a small heater?!?

Terry S

Saunders

hmmm... from what little i've seen, the vt is a 2 blade, variable size easel... the ua is a fixed -size easel - 8x10, 11x14, etc.

The VT V track models are the best you can buy. The VT1400 and the VT2000, are the 11x14, and 16 x 20 easels I have two of the VT1400 and a single VT2000. I have a Saunders 20 x 24 professional easel as well but it's not as simple to use as the V track units.

I have the Sim-Track 11x14 easel (and others)--you can't go wrong with any of them in my opinion. I suspect the "budget" models were more a matter of lower cost manufacturing techniques than lower quality materials. As time passes, what was reasonable to do in manufacturing (in terms of cost) becomes less so, and so products get re-designed to reduce labor. It's not a bad thing, but rather good.

mshchem said:

The VT V track models are the best you can buy. The VT1400 and the VT2000, are the 11x14, and 16 x 20 easels I have two of the VT1400 and a single VT2000. I have a Saunders 20 x 24 professional easel as well but it's not as simple to use as the V track units.

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I got confused about the paper slots on the two different types. Looks like the VT series has about 1” longer slots than you need and the UA series seems to have slots just a bit bigger than the paper size.

sruddy said:

I got confused about the paper slots on the two different types. Looks like the VT series has about 1” longer slots than you need and the UA series seems to have slots just a bit bigger than the paper size.

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The UA1417 is Saunders' original, since 1946 product. It is an oversized 11x14 easel. 14x17 inch. It has slots for 11x14, 8x10, and 5x7 inch paper. Saunders made clutch drive professional easels up to 20x24. Saunders made a variety of single size easels, multi print easels one version would print 32 wallets, on one 16x20. The V track units were introduced in the 1999/2000 time frame, available in 11 X14 and 16 x 20 I suspect this was the last great effort by Saunders. The Slim Track version is another design, I suspect trying to hit every price point. All of these easels in factory condition is a great tool. The Original UA1417 was standard equipment for advanced amateurs and professionals through the 50's 60's and 70's. People like me started with a 2 blade Bogen, which was a decent easel.
I have 3 V Track easels (1 16x20) and a 20 x 24 professional easel. Plus too much other stuff that was too cheap to pass up.
As far as I know everything that Saunders made was fabricated and assembled in Rochester NY. Not sure what happened after roughly 2000, but everything I have seems to be from Rochester.
There are guys on here that know a lot more about the history of this stuff than I.
Best Regards Mike