Testrite #1450 Superior Studio Easel

Comments about Testrite #1450 Superior Studio Easel:

It looks like a great easel. Not too hard to assemble. It is not made to be collapsed quickly or in one piece. And it is possible that when all the bolts are loose for disassembly, the back support may suddenly collapse on some hands or fingers. The parts aren't heavy enough to really hurt. My kid liked similar model in the school class, but this is too big for my small home. Can't be easily made small and put away.

Comments about Testrite #1450 Superior Studio Easel:

My biggest problem was right out of the box. In pieces. Plan to spend some time putting it together. I'm an artist, not an MIT engineering grad. The pieces are not marked, and the instructions are not very good. Once done, it is sturdy, and works fine. No better than less expensive ones on the market. The wing nuts could be bigger and easier to use. I wouldn't buy again or recommend it.

Comments about Testrite #1450 Superior Studio Easel:

The best studio easel I've found so far. It is light and stable. Assembly is easy and does not take much time.

Comments about Testrite #1450 Superior Studio Easel:

I used an older version of this easel before, which is why I decided to purchase. These easels are light, sturdy and fold flat for storage. They will survive quite a bit of abuse and will probably last a lifetime. The price is incredibly reasonable for what you get.

I did have issues with some missing parts, but that was resolved to my satisfaction.

Comments about Testrite #1450 Superior Studio Easel:

I love the easel. I paint almost daily. The instructions were a little confusing, however, but I finally figured it out

Comments about Testrite #1450 Superior Studio Easel:

The item specs indicate that this easle holds a 86" high canvas. Well, maybe if you're a 5-year-old and the bottom edge of the painting sits on the studio floor. Here's a list:

1. The assembly instructions are barely worth enclosing in the box. Plan on a few hours...and make sure you can assemble it on a table or raised surface, or you'll destroy your back and knees in the process.

2. The upper and lower canvas holders are nice and deep, but the screws do not hold the lower canvas tray in place. If the canvas weighs more than a few pounds, it just slides to the floor.

3. If you have a large canvas (higher than 24") you have to change the intended assembly, thus compromising the stability of the easle.

4. Also, with a large canvas, you loose the forward tilt.

5. I've had to jerry-rig mine to hold a larger canvas (I have to rest the lower tray on a bench), but I sure do wish I could do something about the lack of forward tilt.

6. The only Testrite extension available ($25) is for the 500 model. I have an old 500 with an extension, which I tried on this easle. Unfortunately, it doesn't fit.

7. Bottom line: Don't buy this easle unless you paint small.

(Can you believe I bought TWO of these??? What a rip-off.)_

Comments about Testrite #1450 Superior Studio Easel:

No doubt this is a wonderful easel to work with. I just purchased it recently so I've only gotten to use it one time only but that one time was very pleasent. It's very lightweight and sturdy. It had wide legs so it stands quite stable. I can also raise up the back leg if I decide to store it in a closet or against a wall. The only complaint I have-that is the reason why I gave it four stars is because I was under the impression that it could freely tilt a canvas at a 30 degree angle like it's mentioned. I couldn't get it to do that. It is very hard to slide it enough to tilt at that degree and I had to loosen a couple of screws in the back. If someone knows the correct way or if I'm doing something wrong, please let me know. To tilt a canvas it was very tight and would not adjust the way I wanted. Or do you just slide up the back leg? Also the directions were hard to understand and the diagram was off a bit so I wonder if I put something together incorrectly. Other than that, I'm still happy with this easel and safisfied. At least I can work with it. Also I'm a marine life artist like Wyland so I paint as large as I can. My house was recently burned down so I lost my easel. It was a black colored, aluminum Winsor & Newton foldable easel. This time I wanted a little bit better easel that could also take a much larger canvas than the one I had. This one is just that. I don't see many aluminum easels that can take huge canvases. I think I made a great choice. I always like one that I can fold up and carry anywhere too!

Thank you!

Comments about Testrite #1450 Superior Studio Easel:

Love the easel. It is exactly what I wanted and needed. It is light weight and versatile. My only complaint is that the directions were pretty sparce. Finally managed to get it together though.