Roland vs Mimaki

[unzapped]

Ok. So I am looking at two previously enjoyed printer/cutters Roland SP 540v around 8k and aimaki cjv30-100 around 5k. Both in working order.

Thought on this? I know there are a TON of variables. I have a 4x8 Camaster CNC and do a bunch of carved stuff... Looking for accents on these types of signs, and for heat press apparel. Maybe some banners/stickers here and there.

 

[SameDay Signs]

I would go mimaki all the way but honestly if your done looking and it's down to those I would go roland because it's a 54" better off buying. Jv33 and pairing it with a good cutter......will be able to cut more accurately and not tie up printer while cutting

 

[player]

Hours of use, number of head shots, record of head strikes etc. are important. When talking a 10-14 year old printer, probably more important than the make.

 

[ams]

I highly recommend Roland

 

[jfiscus]

I would visit your local printer distributor and see what specials they have currently available. You might be surprised and find a brand new or demo printer for slightly more (or even less) than these printers. We've purchased demo printers for as low as $6000. We recently sold used our Mimaki printers for under $1000 each.
As mentioned above, you're really going to want a separate printer and cutter, and also a laminator.

These are both REALLY old printers that potentially have a lot of issues or potential problems. It sounds like you're just getting your feet wet in the industry, so the last thing you want is to have to pay printer repair bills. Does either printer even come with a RIP to run it?

 

[gulfcoastprinter]

Interesting video to illustrate the benefits of having a separate cutter. The only time I would suggest the combination of the two is if spacing was an issue in the your shop.

 

[rjssigns]

BigFish may be able to help with a print/cut solution that's brand new for not much more than the Roland.

As I'm typing this my SP540V is running a job. It's been a good rig, but I now cut with a Summa. World of difference. No more making allowances for the Roland's cut limitations.

 

[Solventinkjet]

On a technical level the Mimaki is the better machine. It's essentially one generation of technology newer which means it's faster and has slightly better quality. But as stated above, if you have $8000 to spend, you could get a brand new Mimaki CJV150 for only a few thousand more which should be easy to finance.

 

[Graphic Extremes]

That video is a little biased they should have had two Roland's printing at the same time, and then putting the material into a cutter. It was obvious that the printer printed faster than the Roland, and the cutter also cut faster than the Roland. So two faster machines printed and cut faster than the Roland, Not an accurate test in my opinion.

 

[myront]

Speed of printing is irrelevant imo. We use two seperate units. The print technician can gang print many different jobs on one media then turn it over to somebody else to plot or hand cut meanwhile he/she can change out the media and continue printing other jobs. Much better workflow. If you're a small shop looking to expand/grow I would say it's advantageous to go with separate units.

 

[Solventinkjet]

Speed of printing is irrelevant imo. We use two seperate units. The print technician can gang print many different jobs on one media then turn it over to somebody else to plot or hand cut meanwhile he/she can change out the media and continue printing other jobs. Much better workflow. If you're a small shop looking to expand/grow I would say it's advantageous to go with separate units.

I agree for sure but the guys doing 1000's of square feet per day really do need the faster machines. For most small shops, quality and reliability is key.