new to fourm and ready to buy a really nice plotter to have hopfully a long time.

[headmix4u]

I am ready to buy a graphtec fc 8600 130. I will be making my purchase next week so any advice before I pull the trigger.

My main use for this unit will be creating vehicle letter and lawn signs for my property maintenance company which has been going strong 14 years

I own a heat press and have kids so they will also benefit at there new business venture.

I don't wanna sell my self short and don't have the need to cut 48" rolls of vinyl but I sure want to.

I have over a year of vinyl experiences cutting taping installing commercially allot of work in that time.

been a Corel draw user for a very long time graphics so I am excited to buy the best cutter I can get

I have large customer base so work will come.
Wish me plenty enjoyment and thankyou in advance for any input I gain from this fourm

 

[Mosh]

My advise...get a Roland. They will outlive ANY other brand, I in fact have one that I got in 1991 or 92 and it is cutting away as I type. Average 4-6 hours a day for all those years with no MAJOR repairs...knock on wood now. I guarantee no Graphtec people can say this. I have 5 roland machines all going strong. Just my 2 cents.

 

[custom sign center]

I have a Graphtec 7000-130 and I have never had any issues with it. I would buy another Graphtec without question.
Be sure to read the manual, there might be a little fine tuning that needs done like setting your offset and those sort of things but that is with every plotter.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[headmix4u]

my research was the gx 500 roland AT FIRST best roland.. but after much more reading and calling around I settled on the fc 8600,

When called around for pricing for both, quoted by one dealer don't by the ce 6000
they sells way more Graphtec fc then roland the fc 8600 is a solid unit

and it has blue pin stripe lol

Thanks

 

[tbullo]

My Graphtec fc4100-75 from the 90's still getting it with no repairs other then normal wear items. Had a Roland pc-60 print and cut but the cut was so slow on that model but never let me down either. Now using Graphtec f7100 mostly for large cutting. Graphtec is our workhorse.

 

[Jwalk]

So there is an alternative to a roland eh.

 

[OldPaint]

been at this since 1992..........ROLAND PNC-1000.........1st plotter. slow, noisy, sound like a pod of ORCA'S hehehehehehehe. 20" max, learned to use corel direct to ROLAND......... run it till 2000.......sold it for $500, bought a PNC-1100. 24" 2X faster then the 1000, and it worked so good i bought a 2nd one same model for the mobile truck. run them till 2007-08......got a deal on a CX-300.......sold the 2 PNC-1000 for bout the same as the CX-300 cost me...........and its a caddy compared to the others............it will cut with a down force 500-600, cut 60 ips....if you want. i never go over 125 down force or 35 ips.....plenty fast for me. AND NEVER NEVER HAVE I HAD A FAILURE WITH ANY OF THEM!!!!!!!

 

[John Butto]

plotters

Have owned a Gerber, Roland, Ioline, Graphtec and a Summa, in that order. When you turn them on and they produce money, they are all the greatest. But one thing I can say for sure is, I prefer a Ford pickup over a GM or Dodge any day.

 

[1leonchen]

the graphtec is a nice choice. any cutter whether Roland Graphtec and mimaki a good choice. i believe Roland has better support though. when i started to learn i uses a Roland. simple easy reliable. and i went on my own i used every other brand. i am stuck with mimaki (love it) now and i have a Roland also and a graphtec. here the order print and cut mimaki. every day cutting graphtec. fine stuff Roland. each can accomplish the same results. that how i run them.