If you love bow hunting, whether in a professional level or just for fun, one of the most crucial tools you must consider buying other than the bow and arrows in the bow press.
This is a mechanical press utilized by the hunters or archers when working on the bow. You can use the bow press when changing the strings, repairing the bow or even when replacing the bow cables.
It is one all-round tool used in ensuring the bow is functional and consistent when working. The best part is that the device allows one to repair their bow without the need to hire a technician to do it. The following is a review of the top five best portable bow press tools on the market.
- Bowmaster Press G2 Portable Bow.
- Ratchet-Loc Portable Bow Press.
- Bowmaster G2 St &Ard Split Limb L Bracket.
- IVEKE 2 Quad Portable Hand Held Bow Press.
- Bowmaster 1.0 Bow Press.
Bowmaster Press G2 Portable Bow
This is a reliable bow press to carry when going for your day to day hunting trips. It is light in weight to allow comfort when moving it around. It can be compressed to a much smaller size for easy fitting in the pocket or even the backpack.
Ease Of Use: This bow press is only recommended for repairing minor issues on the bow and thus, it is quite easy to use including for beginners. You don’t necessarily need to remove major parts of the bow when using it.
Lightweight: The compression design and lightweight of this press ensure it fits well in backpack or pockets for easy access in case you need to use it while in the woods.
Versatile: This bow press can be used to tear down any bow, and this makes it is an all-round press to use when working on any bowstring.
Pros:
- Easy to carry around.
- Flexible in terms of functionality.
- Simple & straightforward to use.
- Quite affordable.
Cons:
- This bow press works best for minor repair services on the bow. And thus cannot work for full press purposes.
Ratchet-Loc Portable Bow Press
This is easy to carry bow press that does not limit you the areas to work with it. It is made of durable and robust material that allows one to use it on any bow.
Portability: You can carry this bow press on your pocket or backpack since it can be compressed to a smaller size for portability purposes. It is also packed with a bag for carrying it.
Long Lasting: This bow press features sturdy and durable aluminium materials created to prevent it from corroding.
Flexible: Whether you want to change the bowstrings, the cable or any other part, this press works magic in all these services. It can be used on the majority of bows.
Pros:
- Easy to work with.
- It comes with a carrying bag.
- Extremely durable build.
- Flexible usage.
Cons:
- Some customers have complained about having problems when fitting the press on broad bowtech realms.
Bowmaster G2 St &Ard Split Limb L Bracket
If you are looking for a pocket-friendly bow press that you can tag along when going for your usual hunting escapes. This is the perfect bow press to buy.
It is recommended for use with the bowmaster press for useful splitting when working on the bow. It can be used on the majority of the bows as long they have a range of 6 degrees parallel.
Easy to use: Although these brackets do not work well on their own, they facilitate the functionality of the bowmaster press if you want to split the bow.
Light materials: The brackets are crafted in small size and are super light for comfortable carrying around when working or packing.
Versatile: The brackets can be used when repairing a variety of bows with up to 6 degrees. They firmly clamp and hold the bow properly to allow you to work on the bow effectively.
Durable: The brackets are made of carbon steel material to prevent them from bending easily.
Pros:
- The brackets work perfectly.
- Comfortable to carry around.
- Can be used on the majority of the bows.
- Very affordable pricing.
Cons:
- The brackets have to be used together with the Bowmaster press.
IVEKE 2 Quad Portable Hand Held Bow Press
This is a sturdy yet lightweight device that allows you to work on your bow while still holding it. It is constructed with a metal material that is resistant to corrosion.
It is easy to carry the press since it is light in weight plus the small size makes it easy to slip in the backpack.
Portability: The lightweight and small design make it easy and comfortable to carry the bow when using or when transporting. Note that you can hold the device with one hand as you work on the bow.
Metal Construction: All the parts of the press feature durable and weather resistant metal material that does not rust or even corrode in case the tool comes to contact with wetness.
Adjustable: This press has an adjustable mechanism which allows the user to adjust its size when working on different types and sizes of bows. It comes with varying cables of stops to fit on different bows.
Extra accessories: This bow press is packed with two L brackets used together with the bow press when working.
Pros:
- Comfortable to carry around and hold when working.
- Solid & durable build.
- Can be adjusted to different sizes.
- Versatile in use.
- The bow press comes with two brackets to facilitate its function.
Cons:
- The bow press cannot w be used past the parallel limb bows.
Bowmaster 1.0 Bow Press
If you are looking for a high-quality bow press that you can use when changing the strings, adjusting the cable and other minor and significant bow repair services, this is the right tool to buy.
It features metal construction that is coated to ensure durability and prevent it from corroding when it comes to contact with wetness.
Multi-Stop Cable: This bow press can be adjusted to different lengths for effective fitting on different bows.
Versatile & Flexible: This is a versatile bow press ideal for people with different collections of bows because it can be used in most of the solid limp bows. Note that it comes packed with an adaptor to use when working on full split limb bows.
Build Material: The tool is made of durable and sturdy metal materials that do not rust or corrode.
Lightweight: It is super light for easy carrying when going hunting, or holding when working.
Pros:
- Easily portable.
- Adjustable for comfortable working on different sized bows.
- Extremely versatile.
- Durable & long lasting design.
Cons:
- This bow press is costly than other models.
FAQ
What is a bow press used for?
A bow press is simply a mechanical tool which is used to flex the bow’s limbs to take tension off the bow string and cable. This is extremely helpful when you are trying to fo your regular maintenance on your bow.
How to use a portable bow press?
Even though each portable bow press is unique in its own way, Most of them tend to be used pretty much the same way. Here are the steps for it:
- Insert the cable through each limb.
- With the jackscrew, pull the cable through the adjustable end until there is no slack in the cable.
- Slide the cable stop over to the end of the slot in the adjustable cable end, and make sure it is seated properly past the indents.
- If there is any sign of damage on the cable, you should replace it as soon as possible and never try to use the Bowmaster with a damaged cable.
- Fold the leather pads supplied in half and place them on each limb.
- Turn the jackscrew until you feel the tension is removed from the sting and cable.
- After the repairs are done, make sure everything is in the proper position before restoring the tension to the string and cables.
Note: Be cautious when working on the bow and make sure to keep the face of the limbs away from you at all times.
How often should you tune your bow?
A good rule of thumb would be tuning your bow or at least getting it checked once a year. One of the main reason for such a thing is to keep an ideal accuracy & speed.
When should I replace my bow string?
Just like tuning your bow, your string should be replaced every year or so depending on how much you use it and worn out it is. For hunting strings, every couple of years should work just fine since they tend to be made of higher quality materials which leads to them lasting longer than regular ones.
Conclusion: Best Portable Bow Press
If you are searching for easy to use and all-round portable bow press that you can use when repairing your bow collections, consider the above five reviewed bow presses.
They are made of high quality and durable material, and are light in weight for easy carrying and holding when working. Make sure you check out the compatibility power of the bow press to see if it will fit your bow before buying it.