Need Help Ricoh Pro L4160. Reasons to purchase.

[SheBeau]

We aren’t a printer. We’re a Trade Show Custom Booth Builder. A lot of booths are all SEG. Some only have poster size prints. Some use huge monitors or projections. So I know I can’t get a new flatbed printer.
We have 3 locations across the states with warehouses but my location is the only production art department. I can understand outsourcing to our Vegas office because a lot of clients use that warehouse. But when we ship from my location in the east, it would be less expensive to utilize our own facility to print.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

You aren't going to get a "Reliable" flatbed for that price. Being a booth builder it seems like printing goes hand in hand, You guys may want to look at at some printer options and budget with a serious budget to bring that process in house.

Good luck with the 4160, its an ok machine but slow as snot and not as supported or flexible like many of the mentioned solutions.

 

[Pedro Furtado]

What you are wanting is really complicated. I have a RICOH L4160 with white ink and I can say the biggest advantage of it is that you can print on almost any kind of material, but this white ink needs care, if you don't use it often you could end up clogging the nozzles. and then eventually lose the print head.
This machine was made to be used completely, otherwise you will have much more damage than advantages.

 

[ProPDF]

We’ve been offered a 2 year old fully operational Ricoh Pro L4160 for $6500. (The current owners are going to a 10ft commercial monstrosity and one of their people is married to one of ours).
Presently I have a 9 year old HP Designjet z6100ps that’s having motherboard issues causing it to occasionally “fatal error” and stop. I get it back up usually with one ToTo but it should be replaced before restarts stop working.
Our CEO thinks 65K is “the top of the iceberg” and wants to be convinced that it won’t be a money pit. I need some opinions and if positive, some answers for his questions. He asked "How does this give us a competitive advantage?” and says he needs many more answers (listed below).

RIP?
Software?
Upgrades?
Warranty?
Training?
Maintenance?
Supplies?

IF this is the JV400 re-badge the answer is HELL NO,NO and NO. DO NOT buy that machine it's horrible. It's a re-badged paperweight it what it is. People are tossing them.
Second if you post this in the Mimaki section and post Mimaki in the title you would get better informed responses that would still result in DON'T buy that printer.

If you do find someone who praises the printer....please post on here and include the printers they are comparing them against.

Also you have to be really careful of re-badged machines. They are usually geared towards large lease clients who have it under an umbrella service contract and the end of life will come very quickly and usually faster then the original manufacture Mimaki.
When end of life or no support is offered you can't go get Mimaki ink for example sometimes. It becomes a super super big headache for support. XEROX did this and companies would have to sometimes replace the re-badged main board with the OEM board just to use OEM ink still offered by the manufacture or 3rd party suppliers.

RICOH not working for sale
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ricoh-Pro-...809394&hash=item3b355921b8:g:2U8AAOSwxFVcCX~x

Mimaki Not working for sale (Since JUNE) No one even wants it for parts.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mimaki-JV4...626309?hash=item41e50bbe45:g:tGwAAOSwz35bKRil

Mimaki looks like it works asking $4900
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mimaki-JV4...987230?hash=item2883af2c1e:g:TdkAAOSwo79deCrg

 

[ProPDF]

We’ve been offered a 2 year old fully operational Ricoh Pro L4160 for $6500. (The current owners are going to a 10ft commercial monstrosity and one of their people is married to one of ours).
Presently I have a 9 year old HP Designjet z6100ps that’s having motherboard issues causing it to occasionally “fatal error” and stop. I get it back up usually with one ToTo but it should be replaced before restarts stop working.
Our CEO thinks 65K is “the top of the iceberg” and wants to be convinced that it won’t be a money pit. I need some opinions and if positive, some answers for his questions. He asked "How does this give us a competitive advantage?” and says he needs many more answers (listed below).

RIP?
Software?
Upgrades?
Warranty?
Training?
Maintenance?
Supplies?

Q to 0.37 seconds...... THEY CAN'T EVEN HIDE THE HEAD STRIKES ON THE LEFT EDGE OF THE MATERIAL.