Unboxing the Soltek 2.0 Ultra Lightweight Plein Air Easel | Is this easel better than a pochade box?

The Soltek 2.0 has arrived, and in this video, we are going to unbox it and take a look at its features.
I will be doing a full wear test one I have painted on this easel for a season.
Thanks for watching.

[@nardawilcox1066]

Thank you for such a favorable review, and very thorough. I’m Jim’s Wilcox’ wife and we both enjoyed watching your unboxing. He has worked very hard to give artists a wonderful easel….because he couldn’t buy what he wanted to use. Happy painting.😊

[@kylemartinpaintings]

Thank you, Narda! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. If it benefits you in any way please feel free to share on your Facebook page or elsewhere. I am happy to promote this great easel!

[@rachelbuyshouses7261]

I've been on the email wait list for over 2 years! In the meantime, I bought several tripods, a Strada Mid ( for oils, a little heavy), an En Plein Air Pro (for watercolors), Holbein (for Pastel). The Soltek could have replaced them all. I like my Coulter. French easels are too rickety.

[@AlonzoTheArmless]

My experience is similar. I needed a new easel and all my painter friends recommended Soltek. I got on the email list and they never responded with any updates or answers to my emails. I gave up waiting and bought a different easel. If I'd known this would have been released now, I would have waited and bought it. The Soltek 2.0 looks great but thumbs down on the customer service in not giving responses or updates with information on its release. Now that my budget was spent on a different easel, it's no Soltek for me. Soltek and I both lose.

[@kylemartinpaintings]

I think they lost a little bit of initial excitement by hyping the easel up two years ago, I was on the wait list as well. Looking back it’s funny to remember that I thought I would have this easel years ago. But it is very nice. And it sounds like you have a good selection of plein air equipment, what’s one more lol😂

[@GKganesan]

Thank you. Useful.

[@kylemartinpaintings]

Im glad you found this useful!

[@bahumdinger8361]

Thanks, very nice paintings also...

[@kylemartinpaintings]

Thank you! I appreciate your positive words about my paintings

[@pleinaire8698]

THANKS so much, Kyle, for your review of the Soltek2.0....looking forward to seeing more 'in the field' reviews of this..I have one of the original SOLTEK1.0...bought in 1998 when I started pleinair painting!!..It still works but early on I had the legs replaced!!!.. my friend's soltek isn't working anymore-leg issues- but she also isn't painting anymore.!

[@tatianaantoinette9086]

Thanks for the video, Kyle. This is a dream easel is very well-designed. I'd been using a pochade set up that crapped out in less than a year, after using a clumsy and frustrating French easel. If Soltek 2 had been available a year ago, I would have gladly bought it. I don't see it available for purchase on the website, but I seem to remember getting on a notification list for when they were available. You're going to get a whole lot more painting done!

[@kylemartinpaintings]

Thank you Tatiana, I am glad you enjoyed the video! I know what you mean about plein air easels breaking down, there just isn’t a perfect one for every session outdoors, I have been in my take it easel this week as the spring wind is so brutal; but will be testing this one out very soon. Yes, I saw their wait list on their site and there was also a comment on their Facebook to call and leave a down payment of $250, then they make it. My down payment was a year ago, and I got it the last week of March, but I think I was one of the first and maybe they have more available. Let me know how it goes and happy painting!!!

[@barbhayden3469]

It’s so nice to find you on KZbin!!! Hope to see u painting this summer!

[@kylemartinpaintings]

Hi Barb! Welcome, it’s great to see you on here as well! Corbin and I are expecting our first child in May, so I’ll be nesting and painting mostly around here this summer, but there is so much more to come! I hope all is well and we will connect soon 😻

[@barbhayden3469]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! THAT S AWESOME NEWS!!! So happy for you both ❤️

[@kylemartinpaintings]

Thank you, Barb, it is awesome news and we are so happy. We are expecting a girl, Violet Martin!

[@barbhayden3469]

That is a beautiful name! Blessings to you both!

[@sylhayes8152]

Very good video, I hope the company sends you a free box for your excellent and practical appraisal .

[@carriekorb46]

Looks like a good investment-enjoy M

[@kylemartinpaintings]

Thank you, Carrie!

[@fionaverdouw1294]

Thanks for your thorough unboxing of this Kyle - I’d never heard of the Soltek easel before. Could you tell us how much it weighs? Very keen for lightweight gear so I can use it when hiking!

[@kylemartinpaintings]

It is 7lbs 2oz. I have lighter tripods, but none are easier to setup. I really enjoy using this easel it takes seconds to set up. I see they are not available on the sit now, as they are updating some parts? I’m going to try to get in touch with them to see what they mean. If I hear back, I’ll make a new video

[@herminamonroe4531]

What is the maximum length of the tripod legs? In your video it looks like the box sits at waist height. I would like to have the box/palette higher than that to avoid moving my head too much between the palette and easel. I can see how that would give me neck and back pain after a while.

[@ArtbyPatrickPetruccello]

Thanks for the reveiw. Do you find the palatte sits a little to low? I am 6ft tall and find I feel like I hunch over to reach the palatte on some of the ones that attach to the tripod legs.

[@kylemartinpaintings]

I know all too well the feeling of hunching Uber. It has led me to construct legs made of pvc pipe to raise French easels and other tripods. A good height is waist high, or even taller. I’ll get back to you on this concern

[@michaelcarlin5758]

@@kylemartinpaintings How high does the palette sit from the ground?

[@nardawilcox1066]

The palette sits at counter height.

[@rickartw8867]

Thanks for the video. Is there some way to attach a handle to the box? It might be nice to have one once all your supplies are packed inside and it becomes a little heavy.

[@kylemartinpaintings]

Hi Rickart, yes, it is possible to attach a handle. If I were going to, I would drill two holes through the aluminum, and then attach a handle with bolts going through the aluminum. I hope this helps and let me know if you get one. Happy painting!

[@nardawilcox1066]

There are 6 holes nicely threaded already there in the easel for this purpose . All you need is the screws. The easel also fits nicely in backpacks.

[@nardawilcox1066]

A carrying strap if wanted will be available soon.

[@eprohoda]

dear~ how u doing?. total professional unboxing. see ya!)

[@kylemartinpaintings]

Hey, thanks!

[@pleinaire8698]

one more question for you, Kyle...how stable is the palette box on the mount?? My old SOLTEK1.0 was always more stable than some of the other painter's boxes..

[@kylemartinpaintings]

So far so good. It is quite stable so far. I am going to make a video showing answers to all the questions I have received so thanks for asking

[@matineesonmainstreet2005]

I've been oil plein air painting since the early 1990s and I work with larger size canvases, anywhere between 16 inches tall to 30 inches tall. Its almost impossible for me to find a plein air easel that accommodates my choice of painting materials. When I started, the Paris easel was just about the only one on the market, and since then, I've watched the markeet grow. Unofrtunately for me, that market almost exclusively concerns easels with smaller sizes of canvases and boards, and yet the price keeps escalating. What the large size height of canvas (or board) that will fit on the Soltec 2?

[@kylemartinpaintings]

I’ll check into the size restriction but I’ll bet you could go 30” tall. My recommendation would be the take it easel. I have tried them all and the take it stands up to the winds better than any other, and I can paint 36”x48” on it. I will say I paint close to my car 90% of the time but the take it will hike out with you somewhat easily, it just won’t fit into a pack

[@kyststudio-epicartadventure]

Is there a hook on the tripod you could use to weight it down?

[@kylemartinpaintings]

There is no hook however I think a strap with a carabiner could accomplish what you are after

[@susaneastman913]

How do I purchase one? Where are they sold?

[@kylemartinpaintings]

I left a down payment of $250.00 last May, and they contacted me when they had a small number available. I paid the balance in March and got it 5 days after that. Give them a call if you’d like one, [phone]

[@nathaliahiatt4366]

How were you able to buy this?

[@kylemartinpaintings]

I pre booked it in 2022 by putting money down, then it was ready to ship in March 2023. They pulled it off the market as they are updating some parts. I just talked to Soltek this week and they are hopeful to have their new version soon.

[@Pear65]

What is the weight?

[@kylemartinpaintings]

7.25 pounds, the smaller box is 6.25 pounds

[@paulaverger4129]

Great review but way too expensive

[@MotorCentaur]

Mine broke at the base of the upright that holds the canvas, the very first time I used it. The tripod is super finicky and the legs keep collapsing. Way overpriced and not at all reliable/sturdy. In other words - a rip-off.

[@kylemartinpaintings]

I’ve heard similar reviews! I’m sorry that happened to you.

[@kylemartinpaintings]

Have you reached out to Jim? I know that right now they took them off of the market, and your issues may be why. I have used mine probably 50 times without issue.

[@kylemartinpaintings]

Mine just broke in the same spot. I’m going to give them a call

[@MotorCentaur]

@@kylemartinpaintings Let me know how it goes. Given how weird and flaky they are to deal with, I am probably just going to cut the tube down with a hacksaw, and basically call it a loss.