Roll Your Own Cigarettes? Try the TURBO-MATIC 1 Personal Cigarette Machine

My husband and I both smoke. We used to smoke premium brand cigarettes but found that to be getting too expensive with cost nearing $50.00 a carton by the time taxes are paid. We decided to switch to a very generic brand and found that even two cartons of those each week ran us a minimum of $60.00. So, when our son asked what I would like for Christmas last year, I told him I would very much appreciate a cigarette rolling machine. Since then, we have been using the TURBO-MATIC 1 Personal Cigarette Machine. We are now saving approximately $240.00 a month on our smoking habit and we are getting approximately 4 more cartons a month than we were paying full price for the premium and generic cigarettes.

The TURBO-MATIC 1 can be purchased at local tobacco shops or online at http://turbomaticmachines.com/products.php?cat=7. (Currently the site lists the item as Out Of Stock). For an initial investment of approximately $30.00 plus tax/shipping, you get:

The item itself is a nice compact size. Measuring approximately ten inches wide (including the handle hanging over the edge) by approximately seven inches long. It measures approximately four inches high at it's highest point being the knob on the handle. Ours fits perfectly along side a tray we keep the tobacco on atop a standard TV tray.

I urge all new users to read all the instructions that come with your machine. For maximum machine life and better quality cigarettes overall, it is advisable to read and follow all the instructions as they are specific to each machine. On this particular model, it reads right on top of the machine to use dry tobacco for best results. This is very important. We noticed that if the tobacco was the least bit damp, the machine jammed and was a real joy to learn how to un-jam the first few times around. We've also noticed that very finely ground tobacco (like what's left at the bottom of the bag) tends to jam this machine.

I must admit that we damaged our unit almost immediately because we lacked any guidance whatsoever in rolling cigarettes and we were trying to pack in entirely too much tobacco into the chamber that compacts the tobacco and then pushes it into the tube itself. The handle, which is metal, bent almost immediately, but again, we're sure this was due to operator error and not necessarily a defect in the machine itself. Most importantly, and fortunately, bending the handle did not affect the use of the machine in any way. We would urge anyone to experiment first before they sit down expecting to crank out perfect cigarettes.

Using this machine is like using any other machine, you need to learn how to best make it work. Start off with less tobacco for the first few you roll and judge from there about how much more you will need to fill the tube completely. Sure this results in a few smokeless cigarettes but if you're careful you can dump the tobacco and still re-use your tubes resulting in no waste. Another tip, cut apart a store bought cigarette and try to judge how much tobacco was inside of it and base your amount on that as a gauge. Wasteful but useful.

The machine has a removable rubber mat which is harmless to almost any surface you may choose to work from. When the mat is removed, it exposes the "guts" of the machine. We recommend that before you use the machine, you tighten all nuts and screws. This is just a suggestion because these items are shipped and jiggled and tossed under Christmas trees and the likes so some hardware may need tightening. Do Not Over Tighten!!!! Again, due to operator error, we broke one of the exterior mounting fasteners by over tightening the inside mechanism. Just didn't realize my own strength or the purpose of the type of fastener used. Check parts routinely for any tightening needed.

There are three cigarette "size" settings. They are 100 mm, king size and regular size. We use king size tubes. However, it seems that regardless of which setting we do use, we have a difficult time getting the tube to fill completely up. Still not sure if it is something we are doing wrong yet or if this is just as good as home rolling gets. We often produce cigarettes that when using the machine properly with the correct amount of tobacco and using one quick motion of the handle back and forth, they are filled to the end of the tube but there is a significant gap between filter and where the tobacco begins. This results in the very tricky need to "pack" the cigarettes down so the tobacco is closer to the filter, otherwise you will have a smoke that flops just below the filter and useless.

The packing required to get the tobacco closer to the filter then results in a short cigarette and the gap at the other end. On the other side, we have tried holding the handle in the back motion and slide the tube down on the slider until it touches the filter and then releasing the handle. This most times also results in a shorter cigarette because the tube doesn't quite fill up. It is easier to pack them when they are short on the end than when the shortage is near the filter area. We use this option most. It perhaps is harder on the machine itself as you aren't allowing it to move in one swift movement.

This isn't always the case but pretty frequently. To remedy the short cigarette problem, we just twist the end of the tube down to the tobacco line and snip when we're ready to smoke them. Twisting them also holds the loose tobacco in while they're toted around and such. I've been doing some reading on longer filters on the tubes. Perhaps this is the cure for the need to adjust the tube while filling and/or the "short" cigarette situation. For the amount of money this machine has helped us save, we will not complain about having to smoke slightly shorter less attractive cigarettes.

While we have had to modify our machine slightly due to the damages it received at our hands, the TURBO-MATIC 1 does come with a warranty, we know the damage to our unit was our fault and would not fall under the warranty. In order to use the warranty, you must ship it back to the manufacturer and pay a $25.00 fee for return shipment (I believe that is what the fee is for, cannot find my paper at this time). Basically, you're paying for shipping it back in addition to the $25.00 which we believe would be better spent on a new model. For about the same amount of money you can buy another identical machine at your local retailer and not be out the shipping time waiting for the company to return your repaired unit. Use the warranty at your discretion.

We are overall very pleased with the results of the machine. We were beginners to the roll your own market and still are learning the best techniques to use for maximum smoking pleasure. We would definitely invest in another one. I cannot compare the TURBO-MATIC 1 to any other machine of its type but I would recommend it to anyone interested in cutting their costs of smoking.

In addition, I would like to mention that the makers of the TURBO-MATIC 1 state that they are an "American owned and operated company" and in reading the web page for this machine, at the bottom it reads, "Made In The USA". This confuses me somewhat as the box our unit came in is labeled "Made In China". This issue means alot to some consumers and I would urge anyone with a question about it to contact the company. A contact us page can be found on their website mentioned before.

SOURCES:

http://turbomaticmachines.com/index.php