Hi - I am new to this board, so quick introduction. My name is Jen....I have an embroidery & vinyl business in CT. I am looking to expand into sign making (indoor, outdoor) and potentially (down the road) car wraps....admittedly, I know nothing about car wraps right now. In any event, I am looking at a used Roland SC-500 that requires that one print head be replaced. I am looking for some suggestions as to where I can find a print head at the best price. I've been online searching most of the day and looks like they are in slim supply since it's an older model. I have found them for around $500-900. Any suggestions? Thanks!
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Print Head for Roland SC-500
- Thread starter jt72978
- Start date
Solventinkjet
DIY Printer Fixing Guide
If you value your sanity, do not buy that machine. The main reason? They are old, unreliable, hard to fix and were never even meant to run solvent inks. most techs, even independent techs, will refuse to work on your machine for these reasons. Another reason? The heads are no longer manufactured. Roland and Mimaki have run out already, and Mutoh is selling the rest of theirs for $737 each.
If you can afford it, buy a used Mutoh ValueJet or used Roland SP series printer. They are great for starting out and you will find that they are much easier to maintain and fix when needed.
If you can afford it, buy a used Mutoh ValueJet or used Roland SP series printer. They are great for starting out and you will find that they are much easier to maintain and fix when needed.
VanderJ, thanks for the feedback. Would it change your mind at all if I said I could get it for less than a grand? I'm looking to get into something with the least upfront cost as possible while I learn the signage piece of this business....then flip it for better equipment down the road. I will take a look at the models you recommended.
lodcomm
New Member
Hi Jen,
I bought a roland SC500 - and besides it being slow, it will perform adequately for you to do exactly what you are planning. It will fit the bill for minimal up front cost. and allow you to learn the basics of digital printing & Plotting. If everything goes well, and you find yourself outgrowing the slow/old machine, you can easily flip it and upgrade to a newer machine like one of those suggested. Bear in mind that the thing is a monster, at about 8 feet wide!. If you get the sc500, please feel free to PM me for any help with it. I am located over in Ledyard (near foxwoods). If you decide against buying it, please let the seller know that I may be interested in it
-todd
signs4safety
New Member
Hello all, Paul here from Australia. I now have 2 Roland SC 500's. I changed the printheads on the 1st one and somehow ended up with an internal error that Roland Australia has been unable to sort out. The second machine I just purchased for AU$650 which included some vinyls, set of inks and an unused printhead. I paid US$600 each for the machine 1's printheads. I am also quite new to the digital printing world and started as a hobby business out of my garage, so virtually zero budget. I have now gone into debt because of the maintenance issues with these machines. If I can get them both working I will sell them tomorrow and get something newer. I think the Roland is a great machine to learn on but I think I'm through learning and would like to make some money now. The problem with parts supply is true as you say and in fact there are some Aussie suppliers who are trying to cash in so it ended up cheaper for me to source them overseas.