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Opinion Buying a used flatbed

JHeard

JHeard

Member
My company is looking to buy a flatbed printer, probably used, and I was wondering if anyone had any pros/cons or personal insight to the Vanguard VK300D?

I've been reading through old posts and found some information, but this is completely new territory for me. I will be going to see this in person this week and I'm not sure what to ask about or if there are any common issues I may not know about.

I also wanted to see if someone has this machine, who do you get your inks/heads from and approximate cost? A quick google search showed the inks are about $140 each for a liter, is that consistent to what you all pay? I haven't found a source for the heads yet.

We will be mainly printing on Sintra/PVC and Acrylic and will be using the white ink.

Thanks!
 
ams

ams

New Member
A dealer once told me that Vanguard is the same company as Flora. I don't know if that is true or not
 
flyplainsdrifta

flyplainsdrifta

New Member
ams said:
A dealer once told me that Vanguard is the same company as Flora. I don't know if that is true or not
Click to expand...

i think its the same manufacturer overseas just rebranded, much like oce and fuji.

but with a used fb, you need to see it in action over a full days period or longer. you want to see how it handles close to or more than your daily workload. bring your own material and files so you know what printed things should look like. get full service log code reading from machine. i don't know the most about vanguard but those few things should get you started. ask questions!!! and ask here if you have specific questions!
 
JHeard

JHeard

Member
Thank you all for your replies! I really appreciate everyone's input!

A few specific questions... I can't seem to find printheads online, is this something a tech needs to be called for? Anyone know the cost? I was told a print head was in the 10k range, but have no idea if that is true or if that price included labor.

Also, how much ink do you typically go through and what is your typical work volume? Obviously the more you print the more ink you will use, but for instance if you replace the white ink once a week and you typically print multiple jobs every day or you use it occasionally and replace ink about once a month?

Does Vanguard have their own rip software or can I use Onyx?

Thanks for everyone's help!
 
ChrisN

ChrisN

New Member
JHeard said:
A few specific questions... I can't seem to find printheads online, is this something a tech needs to be called for? Anyone know the cost? I was told a print head was in the 10k range, but have no idea if that is true or if that price included labor.
Click to expand...

The VK300D uses Kyocera KJ4A printheads. This might not be the exact model of printhead it takes, but Digiprint Supplies has the KJ4A-RH print head listed for ~$7.4k.

JHeard said:
Does Vanguard have their own rip software or can I use Onyx?
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According to their data sheet, they support Caldera & Onyx. https://vanguarddigital.com/uploads/files/002_vk300d_data_sheet.pdf

The Vanguard printers have some really cool features for the price. Makes me wish my printer would break so I could justify a new one to the boss... :)
 
The SignChef

The SignChef

New Member
We purchased that exact make and model Vanguard printer almost 2 years ago.

Excellent printer, company and service!

Prints well on Acrylic, PVC and numerous other substrates.

We utilize the white ink on almost every Acrylic print.

Cheers!
 
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crowder888

New Member
I have 2 of the Vanguard VR5D printers, the baby brother of the VK300D, and I wouldn't hesitate for a second to purchase 2 more if I could justify it. I just purchased some ink last week and it was $140/liter but I think there is a known price increase coming up soon. The VK300D does use the Kyocera heads and the VR5D uses the Ricoh Gen 5. You can expect to receive excellent support from an extremely knowledgeable and responsive staff who will keep you printing. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask as I am happy to share my experience.
 
johnnysigns

johnnysigns

New Member
I would agree that you should get in front of a machine and work with it for as long as they'll let you. Print some solid color swatches along with jobs you've already run for comparison purposes if at all possible. I wouldn't be afraid of looking at a brand that's not one of the staple brands out there if you've had time on the machine, know there's good support/ service and it works for the type of speed/quality/materials you can sell. We bought a Nur 10yrs ago and we still print on corrugated plastic day in and day out.
 
J

jay etheredge

New Member
JHeard said:
Thank you all for your replies! I really appreciate everyone's input!

A few specific questions... I can't seem to find printheads online, is this something a tech needs to be called for? Anyone know the cost? I was told a print head was in the 10k range, but have no idea if that is true or if that price included labor.

Also, how much ink do you typically go through and what is your typical work volume? Obviously the more you print the more ink you will use, but for instance if you replace the white ink once a week and you typically print multiple jobs every day or you use it occasionally and replace ink about once a month?

Does Vanguard have their own rip software or can I use Onyx?

Thanks for everyone's help!
Click to expand...
I've been in a room with the execs of flora and the main engineers. The question was posed, "what are the best printheads all things considered?" The Execs quickly said "Kyocera", the Engineers said "Konica i " I personally installed a 6.5 X 10 "Flora" with Konica i printheads in 4 days. The same exact printer with Kyocera printheds from Vanguard. was installed before that a few miles away and it took them 3 weeks..... (I was told this from the dealer that sold both printers) Feel free to email me if you would like to ask questions at uvprinttech@gmail.com Jay Etheredge
 
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davecich

New Member
Good morning! I thank my Customers for their positive feedback. We work very hard to earn your trust and satisfaction. We source components from all over the world. I would encourage anyone interested to call and arrange to come to Atlanta, GA to see our printer being made. 470-326-3790.
 
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AlsEU

New Member
jay etheredge said:
I've been in a room with the execs of flora and the main engineers. The question was posed, "what are the best printheads all things considered?" The Execs quickly said "Kyocera", the Engineers said "Konica i " I personally installed a 6.5 X 10 "Flora" with Konica i printheads in 4 days. The same exact printer with Kyocera printheds from Vanguard. was installed before that a few miles away and it took them 3 weeks.....
Click to expand...

I would answer "Dimatix Spectra". Industrial heads, when properly treated, will work for years.
 
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