Life of 3M vs Avery vs Oracal vs Arlon wrap vinyl

[daenterpri]

Who has the best life of the cast wrap vinyl?

I want to provide my customer with the best wrap vinyl out there. I've gathered that 3M is the best, but 3M states 8yrs while Avery and Oracal state 10yrs.

To make matters more frustrating, you have vinyls that say they last 8-10yrs, but all the cast laminates I see from 3M, Avery and Oracal say 5yrs.

So, which one do I choose, and then how long do I tell my customer it's going to last? 5yrs because of the laminate? Or, 8-10yrs because of the vinyl?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Ponto]

....yeah, what's up with that.........

JP

 

[AUTO-FX]

The laminate life would dictate.
As well as environmental conditions in your area.
And consider the quality of your inks as well...

 

[CanuckSigns]

I wouldn't be telling my customer their wrap will last that long! The average life expectancy for these vinyls is under absolutely perfect conditions, which a wrapped vehicle will never be. I don't do wraps myself, but I believe the industry standard warranty is 1 year, 2 years TOPS.

It's like asphalt shingles, they call them "25 year shingles" but try to find a roofer who will give you a 25 year warranty!

 

[daenterpri]

Right, right. This would actually be for utility boxes in town. We have semi cold winters and nice summers...

So, they are going to want some kind of a life expectancy, not that I'll guarantee anything. What should I say?

 

[JoshLoring]

If you want to warranty LONG term, do what we do. 3 year in house replacement and 10 year manufacturer replacement. In the case of a manufacturer replacement- the client is liable for the going ink and installation price. We also give a warranty sheet the describes in detail care and what's covered in the warranty.
You must stress how important it is for the client to wash and wax thier vehicles

 

[JoshLoring]

Also, as far as what's the 'best' material? It's only relevant to other factors. Printer used, ink used, post production off gassing, installation and customer care.
My opinion- Oracal is the best in every way. They have the est warranty program id you can pass their certification. The the easy wrap material 3751RA is amazing. Avery is great for time of install (very fast) but lacks adhesion for long term. 3M is ok- we generally only use it for short term application because despite the listed warranty... Good luck getting some when it fails.
I've printed on the all, tested them against each other- watched other shops use their materials and in the end- ours outlast them all. I have wraps that are 6 years and flawless with zero fading. The only reason people like 3M so much is because installers are whooped on it and not willing to try other stuff. Hopefully this is good insight to this tread.

 

[Mikeifg]

I just go with 1-2yr. No matter what you say it WILL end up at an express car wash and thats a no no. If the vehicle is kept inside all the time that matters to. I've had customers ***** becaure their wrap was ripped to pieces weeks after I put it on. What I found out is that the manager lives down a country gravel road and looks like they drove 100mph didn't wash the car very often. They were a PITA.

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

Don't forget, the laminate will further the longevity of the vinyl. I realize this just jumbles the numbers more, but...

 

[CS-SignSupply-TT]

The BOTTOM LINE is the warranty is only as good as the company standing behind the warranty. Therefore, DO what you SAY you are going to DO. And, in old construction vernacular, "...measure twice, cut once..."

 

[AnotherSignManiac]

I would say 1-2 years max, as many have stated it depends on your inks and other items. Also I would say it depends on your install (over heating, stretching too far ect)

 

[Gino]

Why worry how long the vinyl is going to last ?? How long will you ink remain vivid before starting to show any signs of fading ??

I've always found this to be stupid from the manufacturers....... our material is 10 years.
Ink people..... our inks are 3 to 5 years with an extra 1 or maybe two years with laminate.

So, without laminate, your best case scenario is 5 years. Whoopee !! ​

 

[royster13]

I think after 2 to 3 years you need to change a wrap because your clients need to update their look....After a couple years the message will start to tire and a new design will put them out front again....

 

[chaney101]

warranty

They state the warranty is "Unprinted" on all films

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

Why worry how long the vinyl is going to last ?? How long will you ink remain vivid before starting to show any signs of fading ??

I've always found this to be stupid from the manufacturers....... our material is 10 years.
Ink people..... our inks are 3 to 5 years with an extra 1 or maybe two years with laminate.

So, without laminate, your best case scenario is 5 years. Whoopee !! ​

I was going to say why is everyone so worried about the vinyl life. If your doing a single color change wrap on a car I could see a reason to ask because it's a spot cast color. 10 year vinyl should last 10 years. But a 10 year vinyl printed with latex is only going to be 5 year laminated because that's when your inks start to fail.

 

[Gino]

Since this thread is FOUR years old, I decided I want to change my answer. I can no longer edit it, so I'll just hafta think about it and write an essay later on. No one else ever sticks to their original thoughts. Seems no one has any proven methods and change course about every two weeks...... whatever way the least opposition holds. Yep, that's the ticket.


to this thread !!

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