Kooto cutter

[Sooner Printing]

Does any have one of these? I see they are sold on here but the real question is are they for a production shop? Thanks for any input

 

[Stagecraft]

I honestly wish I could give this thing a "thumbs-up" but I can't.
My Kooto is nothing more than a wall decoration since a week after I bought it.
Having ruined too many pieces of foamcore and Ultraboard, I gave up.
A great concept and the engineering is pretty good but the materials used are far too lightweight for accurate cutting on anything but the very thinnest of materials. I ordered mine after reading a glowing review on these forums, needless to say I'm somewhat less enthusiastic.
I've since gone back to hand trimming with a large piece of aluminum as a straightedge. - Boyd

 

[Sooner Printing]

Thanks.. I read them also.. Guess that's why Fletcher's is 3 grand haha.. Any other cutter you would recommend?

 

[FatCat]

Honestly, I feel it's a good product for what it was intended to do. I only cut foam board, 4mm coroplast and 3mm PVC. If you go with anything heavier, it's not going to do the job. Biggest issue is making sure you get the machine installed squarely so that your cuts are square. It is very simple, easy to use and for the money a good value.

*With that said, I picked up a Foster KeenCut unit end of last year and finally got it up and working about a month or so ago. Main reason I got it was to be able to cut 3mm Poly-metal/MaxMetal without having to do so with a saw. Again, making sure the machine is square is the #1 thing to focus on. Without it being square you're going to mess up your cuts and get frustrated with it too - regardless of the $3k price tag.

 

[anotherdog]

I was going to get one, but I cut aluminum composite and half inch Gator so I went for the big KeenCut. Did not regret getting a much better machine.

Cutting is fask and accurate, and with Gator around 100 bucks a sheet messing a cut costs.

 

[Stagecraft]

FatCat, I've tried using it for pretty much the same substrates as you but I'm finding the blade wanders as much as 1/4" over a four foot cut, I've tried experimenting with different blade depths etc. without success. I can assure you the cutter was assembled squarely, the backing boards were cut, drilled and align-marked on a cnc.
...am I doing something wrong? - Boyd

 

[FatCat]

FatCat, I've tried using it for pretty much the same substrates as you but I'm finding the blade wanders as much as 1/4" over a four foot cut, I've tried experimenting with different blade depths etc. without success. I can assure you the cutter was assembled squarely, the backing boards were cut, drilled and align-marked on a cnc.
...am I doing something wrong? - Boyd

Hmm, I can't say what you could be doing wrong - is your blade sharp? (I know it's a dumb question.) Do you notice anything binding along the track at any point?

I've never noticed any kind of wandering issue with mine. Originally I didn't have it squared and it was causing me headaches in that regard, but now it cuts straight and true. *Again, foam board/4mm coroplast/3mm PVC is all I cut - nothing heavier or you're asking for trouble.

Might want to drop the manufacturer a line (He's up in Canada) and let him know of your troubles. Maybe you have a unit with a bad part or something not machined in square? (Again, I can only guess.)

 

[mnapuran]

What's the advantage of one of these vs a panel saw? I have great luck cutting everything and can change blades for rougher cut items if I ever need to.

 

[FatCat]

What's the advantage of one of these vs a panel saw? I have great luck cutting everything and can change blades for rougher cut items if I ever need to.

Totally different animals. Your panel saw is going to cut just about anything - the downsides are it needs electricity, is noisy and makes a lot of mess with the dust, etc. - not to mention the safety factor. You can put one of these in your print rooms and cut substrates with no dust or mess - and anyone can be taught to use them without as much worry for operator safety. Again, downside is that it's only made for thinner, lightweight materials.

 

[petepaz]

we ended up getting the fletcher titan 80". been using it for about 3 weeks now and no complaints. cutting 3mm sintra right now with no problems, 2 passes and you are through.

 

[Stagecraft]

We have a panel saw too, the Kooto was purchased to trim laminated posters on Gatorboard and Ultraboard. - Boyd