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Refurbished SC-545 Soljet Pro2 vs. New VersaCamm VP-540i

TheSellOut

TheSellOut

New Member
I am ready to go Digital at my shop and was looking for some feed back!

I'm looking at...

A refurbished SC_545 Soljet Pro 2 (with a take up assemblyl) that is just less than a year old. $17,995
• Includes VersaWorks • Complete Installation and Training • 1 year on-site parts and service warranty

VS

A brand new Versa Camm VP 540i: $21,995 that comes with everything, minus the take up assembly ($2000 more)

Thanks!!
 
Pacific Coast Sign

Pacific Coast Sign

New Member
Too much $$$ for the SC545EX...great printer with old print technology, good speed, 6 color - NEEDS more heaters (in my opinion). But if you're a new printer owner, the VP540i (with intelligent pass) will do a very good job, great prints (buy the additional takeup for about $2000 - you wont be sorry)...and the VP540i comes with a 2 YEAR WARRANTY.
 
TheSellOut

TheSellOut

New Member
Thank you, Thank you for your feed back! I am brand new to the Digital world. The "Heath Sign Co." is a one man sign shop with one 30" vinyl express cutter/plotter and the business has been growing stronger and stronger for the past 4.5 years. Now...The great folks that I sub my printing to, PC Signs, have been telling me to get the new machine but I keep thinking about the speed and 6 colors of the Soljet.
 
TheSellOut

TheSellOut

New Member
Pacific Coast Sign said:
Too much $$$ for the SC545EX...great printer with old print technology, good speed, 6 color - NEEDS more heaters (in my opinion). But if you're a new printer owner, the VP540i (with intelligent pass) will do a very good job, great prints (buy the additional takeup for about $2000 - you wont be sorry)...and the VP540i comes with a 2 YEAR WARRANTY.
Click to expand...

What do you (all) think about getting the new VersaArt RS-540 along with the GX-500 cutter instead of the VersaCamm VP-540i? It's the same machine, it's $200 cheaper (apples), it prints a bit faster, and you could cut decals at the same time as printing!

Thanks again for any feedback!!
 
Mainframe

Mainframe

New Member
I have had a VP 540 for a year now & I am also a one man show, I can't imagine not having the cutter built into the machine, I use it a lot for the smaller stuff & more, the Vp540 is a great machine for your type of shop-IMO
 
D

digitalsolutionsok

New Member
VP-540 has a 2 yr. warranty.. The SC is as they said old technology. Not enough heaters to dry prints. Has a teflon wire cable that drives head carriage, were as the vp,xc,rs all new rolands are belt driven and make for longer lasting and better movement. For a used SC-545ex even with a take up roll and if it came with front dryer I wouldnt pay more than 13.5k for that. I dont know how you would get a warranty for equipment not even being manufactured anymore? But go new roland the soljet II was a spin off of a pigment printer that had a heater added and a few other things to make it solvent compatible the new series of roland are well built, easy to use, and great production horses.
 
TheSellOut

TheSellOut

New Member
I was thinking the RS540 myself, but after more research I found that the GX500 plotter that you would get along with the RS540 is only a 50" plotter with a max cut width of 47". It will still accept 54" material but that 47" sucks!
 
TheSellOut

TheSellOut

New Member
cdiesel said:
So grab a 64" Summa! :)
Click to expand...

I believe it's a 54", and I have been in love with the Summa DC4 since it's release! I just don't think it's the machine for my shop. A 5 year lifespan out of the gate is great and all, but I think most of my prints I will want laminated just to apply them and...I don't think you will necessarily get 7 years out of a laminated Summa print. Even a VP540i is 50% faster at 720 x 720 dpi, which I don't think the Summa can even do.

For the most part I am set on a VP540i !!

Skip Grant at "Grant Graphics" in Saratoga Springs, NY is who I am purchasing from and these guys know their stuff and are happy to share it all with you. They test the materials with the profiles and you(me), the purchaser benefit.

I honestly think anyone who has a Roland, or is looking to get one, should check out Skip's program. The graphic designer he has working him for is PJ Bassard who won Roland's "Born to Wrap" design contest two years ago, he's an amazing artist. He has alot of great people working with him and I am just as excited about buying from them as I am about getting the machine.

I took his advise to heart while considering a Printer,

"IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU BUY A MUTOH, ROLAND, SUMMA, ETC...IT'S THE SERVICE THAT COMES WITH IT THAT COUNTS!"
 
Bly

Bly

New Member
Yeah I have a 745EX and a Summa cutter. Great combo. Don't know why anyone would want a cutter in their printer unless you were really pressed for space.
 
TheSellOut

TheSellOut

New Member
Wow...how did I not get that?¿ Alright so if I get a RS540 along with a Summa 64" cutter, what runs the cutter? VersaWorks? or a seperate software?

I have been making signs with just a 30" SignWarehouse cutter for years now, so I use "Vinyl Express" and it's Production manager to run the cutter now!

I do all my full color design work with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
 
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