MASTER Vinyl Cutter Plotter (Desay Canada)

[Buddy]

It's easy to get caught up in a 'savings' fixation which turns into the idea that you are actually making money. When in fact....buying a cheaper machine does not make you money....at best it only saves you money.

But when evaluating 'making money'....that is done using the machine you bought and making signs. Theretical you should be able to at least make a few thousand dollars per month if not per year with a plotter. Therein is the 'making money'.....NOT by saving a few hundred dollars or even a thousand dollars.

I've had that same fixation before. The feeling of not being able to afford to get into computerized sign business and wanting so bad to get in that you begin to look endlessly at "cheaper" methods to seemingly accomplish the same thing.

The problem is........you will never be accomplishing the same thing. If that were true.......we ALL would have cheap plotters, cheap computers, cheap vinyl, cheap help......and we'd be making money.

It's not like we all don't know about cheap plotters and where to buy one.

We recently bought an $8,000 plotter. Is that because we didn't know about Decay brand plotters ? Darn the luck...I wish somebody would have told us.

No....it's merely that we have learned. You 'make money' by making signs.....not by saving a few hundred dollars or even a few thousand.

The time spent in trying to "beat the system" could better be spent in learning new design software and soliciting new customers so you could be 'making money' instead of saving a buck.

 

[Replicator]

Riddle Me This - Riddle Me That . . .

Ya ever see Desay at the SGIA show or NBM or at a Wrap Academy class . . .

Go Pro with one of the Big Boys, or Go Home . . . !

 

[FisherDesigns]

While I have to agree with everyone that a good name brand machine is the way to go, I don't nessisarily agree that nice work can't be accomplished while using one of these machines. I have used Gerbers, Rolands, Iolines and others at jobs I've had at sign shops over the years. I have a older small Roland that I have on the shelf as a backup, but I also have a Master that I bought in a pinch with the thought of just using it for a few months untill I get a good plotter. Well, it's been a year now with this machine, and while it is noisier than a good plotter and doesn't have that well made machine feel to it, it still works fine. I firmly believe the difference in great work and not so great work is Not in the equipment used, but the person using the equipment. You can have the finest lettering brush in the world, but if you don't have "it", the finished product will never look great. On the other hand, give a great hand letterer a 50 cent walmart craft brush and watch the magic happen.

Mark

 

[Replicator]

Touche` FisherDesigns . . .

I will concede that great artistry is essential to great work,

but I will never concede to a product from desay . . . !

 

[Techman]

Well, it's been a year now with this machine, and while it is noisier than a good plotter and doesn't have that well made machine feel to it, it still works fine

Anyone who spends money on something will have a hard time realizing they could have it better. Even a frog in the pot will feel good about his clean water as long as the cook doesn't light the stove.

And...

While those who own a lower end machine are babysitting machine making sure it tracks right, or doesn't jam, or doesn't do one of its famous run across the job with a stray cut deals.. All the while it is screaming so loud you can't hear anything else unless it runs in another room..

We will use our old name brand machines that has some of its guidlines worn off from so much usage, with its steal roller bearings running true,, and answer the phone in the same room, and listen to the tunes at the same time..

Then while this name brand machine is cutting the next layer accurately unatennded.. our helpers will be power weeding because the cuts are perfectly connected and applying the first layer.

This is the difference.


And now that these lower priced cat, bird, d'say" cheap cutters have just about been beaten to death. And have so many postings from those who feel they are good. With at least an equal number of posting from those who realized they are not so good. And with even more postings from those who observed their peer suffer the pleasure of owning the same. Lets admit these low end machines are junk and move on.

 

[Bigdawg]

I guess that's the point Techman... they aren't "junk." Granted they are not ideal - when we got ours we never intended to cut vinyl - only thermoflex. Does it do the job? Yes it does the majority of the time. If I had it to do over - knowing what i would ultimately use the machine for - I would get a better cutter to start with. But ours has paid for itself many times over INCLUDING wasted vinyl for those stray cuts. And TiaMarie could make this machine rock and roll - without babysitting. A little aggravating, a lot loud, but it has cut everything I have needed.
Higher end is usually better, but it isn't always what your budget can afford.That's why we have what we have. I wouldn't recommend a desay machine to someone who has the money to gte better. We were going to upgrade it, but to be honest I am trying to get away from cut vinyl and move toward more printed so I probably won't do it anytime soon. For what we use it for (And we have cut 8' x 22' two color banners with it - in sections), our Masters' has served us well.

 

[BDR Graphics]

I guess I just don't understand this site at all people come in here and try to better themselve's by doing what they like or love to do and all they do is get bashed for buying a lower end cutter. I have installed vinyl for about 5 years worked in a sign shop for a year learning the basic's and to help a good friend out when his sign guy left his shop. Now I have started my own little busniess with a business plan the proper permits and guess what a master cutter, and you put my work up against other's work and you cant tell it was made by an off brand company. My business plan does have goals and up grade's in my my cutter by the end of 2007 not all of us have the funds to start out at the top but I will get there i love when people tell me i can't do something i tend to prove them wrong.I bet the best sign makers in here could work there magic on any system they used.It's comes down to how bad do you want it I want it bad and i know i got a long way to go but i will get there.

 

[Fred Weiss]

I guess I just don't understand this site at all people come in here and try to better themselve's by doing what they like or love to do and all they do is get bashed for buying a lower end cutter.

I think a lot of honest feelings being expressed in writing from people one has never met is easy to call bashing. If one is here long enough it becomes more apparent that it really is not.

 

[Buddy]

Very good post Fred. Very true regarding people not really bashing but rather just letting the words fly. I know I certainly do that in abdunance.

Buying a cheap off brand machine like Desay maybe one could conclude is a handicap but like one poster said: "If you want it bad enough" then that is the real secret to success. When you think about it......there's a cutter brand even cheaper than the Desay. It's an exacto brand. And you could make signs with an exacto knife. Most of us wouln't but you could.

Everybody is right. It's a draw !! haaa

We some new material to argue about !!

How about billboard structures !@ haaa

This thread has been viewed over 2500 times. Is that a record ???

 

[Techman]

Actualy. It is NOT bashing. I don't want to see any more good, kind, and honest hard working people follow the same career path as those unfortunate others who suffer from a lesser then adequate machine. Its that simple.

It would be really easy to take that same money and get a great used machine and be done with it.

The frustration is all over the internet. Someone is always asking for help with about the same 4 machines. Too many good people spent too much good money with a low end machine,, only to get frustrated with the lesser machine and then leave a good way of life. Whereas it could have been a great way to expand one's horizons and a good self development path.

 

[signbug]

Just be positive

The best thing is we can start our business with these lower end cutter, and make real money with it. is that true?

I have a Master vinyl cutter for a year now, I can't say it has no down time, but it do help me start and make money and right now I can afford any brand name plotters which I can not image to have at a year before.

When you have 500 bucks, just do 500 bucks can do. The most important thing is get it started and not wait till you can afford a brand name plotter and lost your chance. The plotter is just A tool to help you make money, to make your dream come true.

I feel much better with my master vinyl cutter, I'd like to ask all the master vinyl cutter owner here one questions: Does it help you make profit? Does it help you getting started.?

I have learned a lots things during this year, some of them about the vinyl cutter, but most of them about the business, about customers relationship. I will never have a chance to learn all about these without Master cutter help me to getting started.

So to be positive to what you got from these lower end vinyl cutter. If I go back to one year before again, i'll do the same thing.

Does anybody know how much Gerber cutter sold 10 years ago? $25000.00 dollars,,and with much less features than the most lower end cutter,,,, then one day Roland comes, $5000.00 one pnc-1000,,,, that's how a great brand name product born in USA....

Just think about what we got from our invest, to be positive, we'll be more happy with what we've done, what we have spent.

Good luck, if you've less budget, just do what you budget can do. If you have to buy a lower end cutter, for me, Master cutter is good choice. I knew Master vinyl cutter will not be my last vinyl cutter, right now I have a brand name one, but IT IS MY FIRST ONE, and help me getting started,,,help me make real money,,,,,,that's enough. See ya....

 

[Buddy]

You are right.....but ONLY from your own perspective.....a cash only perspective. I am right from my perspective.

For me.....I already had an up and running sign business of hand painted signs that I could barely keep up with. That's the reason I needed to computerize (early 90's) With 15 and 2% growth every year and a hectic pace trying to keep up.......the LAST thing I needed was any down time dealing with a defunct plotter. It was difficult enough learning how to design signs with software and learning how to network the hardware together..........let alone put all that intense learning pressure into our day to day business and THEN have some cheap a$$ printer go down on you. Personally....if that would of been me....I'da shot the plotter dead on with a 12 ga goose load and then went and bought a Graphtec and kicked myself for not having bought it in the first place. That is exactly what I try to avoid. Wasting $500. It happens....too much. Buy cheap to "get by" and end up buying what you should have anyway and feeling like the $500 was an absolute waste.

My plan worked for me because I was in business already. Maybe not for you because you didn't already have a business up and running to be concerned about. My plan was I borrow the money to buy the equipment ($10,000 at the time). The monthly payment to service the debt was only a fraction....pennies compared to the added business the equipment brought in revenues........also, the monthly payment was only a fraction to what it would have cost me to have hired an employee to manage our increased growth.

I could barely keep up as it was and the last thing I needed was "down time" even one day or two is sometimes disaserous and would have cost me a heck of a lot more than the cost of a plotter.

Maybe it depends then on if you do $1,000 per day in business (not saying I do that much....but close).....or if you do $100 per day in busness.

That might be the real question to ask.....the criteria that determines whether you get a Decay plotter or not.

 

[signbug]

You got it right... Your suggestion are better for people in business for years, and need upgrade the equipment, then brand name one will be there choice, because they don't shortage that couples of thoursand dollars.

I believe 90% of us here, are talking about when you only have that 500 bucks or little more, what should you do if you want to get started?

Borrow that kind of money (like u said, $10000.) could be a choice if we could find a bank or friend or whatever resources to get that money. You got another frustrate that you need pay the bank or somebody else, you got burden on your back on each buck you made....

The alternative way is that make that money by your $500. Like most of us do, we got cheaper unit and do the same sign as roland' does, after few months, when we make that much money and get your paycheck, we can afford for any brand name equipment without borrow any money,,, life is good.... so go for it..

So cheaper equipment such as Desay Master cutter will always have his customers, like me. For newbie, when getting started, they dont have much experience, either with software, or with machine. Many things can make you frustrate other than using a cutter, such as trying to cut a scan image, it is never happened, not knowing the different between vector file and bitmap file, how to set up offset, more and more...

For newbie, if you messed up with Master vinyl cutter, you will mess up with Roand cutter too...We have frustrate from time to time, but we seems to put it too much on the cheaper unit other than our experience,,,,, it's nature of life, isn't it?

When you buy a toyota car, just don't put Cadillac thoughts on it... it will take you from home to office anyway... when someday we can afford Calillac Escalade, should I told everybody that I should get that Escalade at beginning and not waster that 1000 bucks on your first toyota? LOL...

 

[player]

When I was struggling with mine, I thought about how many people must buy these crappy machines and never get off the ground because it is such crap.

I have many years in on all types of plotters and cnc but I never thought a cutter could be made soooo pooorly.

I had a big job, and it was made 1000 times more difficult with that plotter. Again if I had no experience I could never have made it work.

The software is a real dud as well.

I also recommend a used Roland way over a new Master Crapper.

Player

 

[Pro Signs & Graphix]

The problem with the Desay cutter is greed (customer and manufacturer) and QC. Considering where it is made, and for about $50 USD, the machine could be greatly improved.

It is no wonder that Desay is not looking to make the improvements, with so many uninformed people willing buy the machines.

Things will eventually change. There is a new machine out that is actually intended for the scrap-booking people, but costs less than than the Creation and Graphtec Robo, about the same cost as the Desay, AND the best part is that is imported and supported by a US company!

 

[Valentino]

I dont understand why someone would buy a cheap plotter bigger then 30", they don't come with an optical eye, so you can't contour cut.

I see all these people buying uscutter's 50" plotter on ebay, and I want to tell the buyer, well....most suppliers only carry up to 30 inch rolls of vinyl. Also, are you really going to cut a 50" job even if you buy the vinyl?

 

[signboy]

High speed serial to USB converter for Master Vinyl Cutter

I got a Master Vinyl Cutter (I am not a pro. I just use it for my own purposes) and I need to hook it up to another computer that does not
have a serial or parallel ports. I tried a serial to USB cord and it did not work. Then, I read a post from some time back that said the serial to USB converter had to be high speed. In his reply, the fellow said he bought one and it worked great. Has anyone had this problem and solved it with a high speed converter? If so, which one did you get?

 

[seanruppel]

vectorizing images?

Hey I just signed up for this forum. I have a Master plotter 24", and have been using it for 5 or 6 years. I make a lot of basic arrows, letters and things and have always struggled importing and vectorizing images. Many logos done on illustrator, when i import them, vectorize into blocks and often i can't make even simple images work. Fishguy says the training cd helped him, which i'll try. I use winpcsign and i wonder if it's a crap system, hasn't got the compatibility with newer illustrator's or what the deal is. Also, can you use the plotter directly from illustrator? What i typically do is import the image, change the resolution to 1, then do automatic vectorization. They rarely turn out and usually it simplifies the thing, i even tried importing a basic circle yesterday and it came out all funny. If anybody has suggestions i'd love to hear them, keeping in mind I'm not overly computer literate... thanks

 

[Techman]

seanruppel , signboy
IT's best to start your own threads.

 

[Techman]

have that 500 bucks or little more, what should you do if you want to get started?

Is not the question about not having the money. Actually, you do not wish to commit more than $500 bux is the reality. If all you have is $500 then make the commitment to save a little more. After all. you will spend more anyway to get it running right.

Actually if you would just commit a little more you can get a great used NAME BRAND cutter and never have to suffer the negatives of a casual use machine.