Suggestions mid range flatbed printer

First, I'm not a flatbed expert at all - I'm sure others will chime in with more info.

In regards to your question, you need to ask yourself what will you be printing? Large quantities of coroplast and foam boards, or high quality stuff like glass and acrylics? You also have to determine if you need a white ink option, and if you need a hybrid that can do roll to roll for large banners among other things.

As I understand it, most new flatbeds $150k and less are typically considered entry level machines. New mid-range flatbeds are typically in the $200 - $350k range. Instead of splurging on a mid range and not knowing if it will be worth it, you can also consider purchasing a machine that can be upgraded to faster speeds down the road like the CET and Vanguard machines. You can start off with a dual or 4-head configuration and then grow to a 6 or 8 head machine just by adding heads to the carriage which already has the space to do this.

The other route you can go is to buy used, and in that scenario you can get a used mid-range machine very affordably, but you have to know your stuff in able to be able to maintain it as you won't have factory/dealer support if buying used.

Good luck!

 

What's your range? Do you NEED a true flatbed or could you make a hybrid work?

 

Checkout the Mimaki JFX200. The info FatCat gave is pretty much spot on except the pricing on flatbeds has changed pretty drastically in the last few years. The Mimaki JFX200 goes for around $70k and there is a special going on right now for free shipping which saves you about $1000. The pros are it is a full sized true UV flatbed, the quality is on par with industry standards at 1200 x 1200 max dpi. and depending on how you set it up it is the fastest flatbed from a major manufacturer at it's price point. I consider it a high end entry level machine. The "cons" are that it cannot be upgraded like FatCat mentions about some other brands, it is also not a hybrid so it won't take a roll but still can print on vinyl if needed. When you look at the more expensive machines you will find that quality doesn't really go much higher than 1200 x 1200 but speed increases big time and continent features like auto loaders etc are added. The reason I think the JFX200 will be perfect for you is because it print high quality but since speed isn't a huge factor for you, you can save 10's of thousands of dollars getting this machine rather than one of the higher end ones.

 

Check out Vanguard. Made in Atlanta, great machines in the$ 100k range.

 

Check out the VUTEks. I've been consistently impressed with their printers. The HS2000 in particular is a workhorse and has roll to roll options. It's very fast as well. You can probably get one in or around the range you're looking.

 

They're a little more expensive, but you should be able to get a comparable one for less. I believe we paid just over $250k for ours brand new a few years ago.

There are other VUTEk models that may be more affordable. While I don't love Fiery, the machines themselves have been good for us and very reliable.