Last Chance Archery EZ Press Review: Worth Owning at Home?
Buy the Last Chance Archery EZ Press if you build and tune your own bows, swap strings and cables on a schedule, or work on bows for other people, because it is a full bench press rather than a limb-tip clamp and it holds a bow steady enough to do real string work. Skip it if your annual maintenance is one peep sight and a set of string silencers, because a pro shop will press that bow for the price of a coffee and you will never recover the cost.
A bench press for people who work on their own bows more than twice a year.
Last Chance Archery Last Chance Ez Press
Under $1,000
A bench-mounted compound bow press with a hand wheel drive and the LCA finger system.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Type | Bench-mounted compound bow press |
|---|---|
| Drive | Hand wheel for fast, smooth travel |
| Bow retention | Last Chance Archery finger system, stated to accommodate most compound bows |
| Intended use | Home and shop use |
| Budget | Under $1,000 |
Specifications above come from Last Chance Archery's published product features on the current listing. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- A hand wheel drive rather than a ratchet, so limb travel is gradual and you can stop exactly where you want.
- The LCA finger system supports the limbs near the tips, which is the compression method most modern parallel limb bows are designed for.
- Bench mounting means the bow is held still while you work, which matters more than raw pressing force for string and cable jobs.
- It is a serviceable machine from a company that still sells parts, so a worn component does not turn the press into scrap.
- One press covers string changes, cable changes, cam swaps, peep installs and limb work rather than one narrow job.
Where it falls short
- The price is the honest problem. At under $1,000 this is a shop tool, and most archers do not do enough work to justify it.
- It needs a solid bench and dedicated space. A press bolted to a flimsy folding table is worse than no press.
- The listing does not publish a limb width or draw weight ceiling, so if you shoot an unusual limb geometry, confirm fit with Last Chance Archery before buying.
- Owning a press does not teach you to use one. Pressing a bow with the fingers set wrong is how limbs get cracked, and that damage is rarely covered under warranty.
- Crossbow work needs a different tool. This is a compound press.
What owners report
Published owner reviews of the EZ Press are consistent on two points. The first is that the hand wheel is the feature people notice: it moves the carriage smoothly and lets you creep up on the point where the string goes slack, which is where a cheaper ratchet press feels crude. The second is that owners describe it as a buy-once tool, with several reporting years of use and parts still available. Complaints cluster on setup rather than on the press itself, usually a first-time user working out where the fingers should sit on an unfamiliar limb.
The recurring warning in owner discussion is worth repeating, because it is the part that costs money: a press is not a substitute for knowing what you are doing. If you are unsure how your limbs should be captured, have a qualified pro shop press the bow the first time and watch. The portable bow press versus pro shop comparison lays out exactly which jobs genuinely need a press and which ones people press for out of habit.
The other honest point is scale. A press of this class pays for itself if you change your own strings, because a string and cable set plus shop labour runs real money every couple of seasons, and it pays much faster if you maintain bows for family or a club. If it presses one bow twice a year, it does not pay for itself in any timeframe that matters.
Before you decide you need one at all, work out what you are actually trying to change. A great deal of what people press a bow for is really a tuning problem, and tuning starts with arrow spine and draw length rather than hardware. Our draw weight calculator is the faster first stop if the real question is whether your limb bolts are set where they should be, and the bow press guide covers the cheaper tiers in the category.
Who it suits
- Archers who change their own strings and cables, or maintain more than one bow.
- Club, family and small shop settings where several bows need work each season.
- Anyone who already owns a bench and wants one tool that covers the whole job list.
Who should skip it
- Archers whose yearly maintenance is a peep sight and a d-loop. Pay a pro shop and keep the money.
- Anyone without a solid bench to bolt it to.
- Crossbow owners, who need a crossbow-specific press.
Alternatives worth considering
SOPOGER Archery Compound Bow Press, Portable Hand Held
Under $50
A limb-tip clamp rather than a press bench. It costs around 5 percent as much and handles peep and string silencer work, which is the majority of what home users actually press for. The listing states that bows over 60 lb should be backed down before use, which tells you its limits honestly.
Check price on AmazonSHARROW Portable Hand Held Compound Bow Press with 2 Quad Brackets
Under $50
Ships with quad limb brackets, so it fits a wider spread of parallel limb bows than a single-bracket clamp. Take it as an occasional-use tool, not a string-building station.
Check price on AmazonSierra Archery Next Level Bow Vise, 3-Axis
Under $250
If what you really want is the bow held rock steady while you fit a rest, level a sight or set a nocking point, a vise does that better than a press and costs a seventh of the price. It cannot relieve limb tension, so it does not replace a press for string work.
Check price on AmazonKeep reading
- Portable bow press vs a pro shop press
- The best bow presses, by tier
- Draw weight calculator
- Hamskea Hybrid Hunter Pro rest review
- Easton 5mm FMJ arrow review
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a bow press to install a peep sight?
Yes on almost every modern compound. The peep goes between the string strands, and separating them without relieving limb tension risks the string and your hands. A limb-tip clamp is enough for that specific job on many bows, which is why the cheap portable presses sell so well. A full bench press earns its place when you are changing the string itself rather than threading something into it.
Is a portable bow press safe for a high poundage bow?
Read the tool's own stated limit rather than guessing. The budget clamp listed here states that bows over 60 lb should be backed down before pressing, and that instruction exists for a reason. Backing the limb bolts out changes nothing permanently and takes two minutes, so there is no upside to skipping it.
Last Chance Archery EZ Press or the pro shop?
It comes down to how many jobs a year and whether you enjoy the work. Shop labour on a string change is modest, and a shop tech catches things you would not, such as a cam lean or a serving starting to separate. The full argument is in our portable bow press versus pro shop comparison, including the jobs where a home press is genuinely the safer option because it stops you improvising.
Can this press handle parallel and past-parallel limbs?
The finger system is designed to capture limbs near the tips, which is the method modern parallel limb bows call for. Because Last Chance Archery does not publish a limb width table on this listing, confirm your specific bow with the manufacturer before buying if you shoot an unusual riser or a heavily past-parallel limb.
What else do I need to change my own string?
A press, a bow square, a serving jig if you intend to serve your own loops, and somewhere to write down your axle to axle and brace height before you start so you can confirm the bow came back to spec afterwards. Draw length can shift when a new string settles, so re-measure with our draw length calculator and re-check your peep height after 50 shots.
How we choose: we compare published manufacturer specifications, verified owner reviews, and pro shop guidance. We do not test gear in person. Draw weight and arrow spine affect safety, so follow your bow manufacturer's specifications and have setup work checked by a qualified pro shop.
