Starting on my own

[Pat Whatley]

i have had 4 plotters over the years.........NEVER HAVE I BOUGHT A NEW ONE, everyone has been a ROLAND

If you'd bought a Summa you'd still have it and still be happy with it.

 

[SignProPlus-Alex]

i have had 4 plotters over the years.........NEVER HAVE I BOUGHT A NEW ONE, everyone has been a ROLAND..........PNC-1000 i started with, payed $1600 for it sold it for $500. bought 2 PNC-1100 each was a grand. sold each for $500. got a CX-300........now, never had a problem with any of them because they wasnt new.
SOOOO buying a new chinese cutter is not a good way to go. find a used ROLAND, SUMMA, GRAPHTEC from the get go..........and you will have 1 less problem in your life.

Thank you. More info please. What problem if there any and why selling it if it works? My theory is if I buy used equipment for 25% of the original cos t and it have more than 25% off life left in it, I got myself a bargain.

 

[OldPaint]

trust me this CX-300 is the cats meow. reson i had 2 PNC-1100's was i had one in the truck and one in the office. anddddddddddd as for the PNC-1000, at the time i bought it GOOBER 4 B's was just moving to the goober sprint)))))) and they were FONT CARD plotters, and the fonts was $100 a pop. with the roland PNC-1000, and COREL DRAW version 3, i had use of ALL THE FONTS on my computer......and my superdooper hot computer of the day, 386, dx40 with 4 megs a ram.........and a hand held scanner............i was on top of it!!!! the 1000 i kept from 92-99, the pnc- 1100's from 99-2005-6.......and the cx-300 i dont think i will part with))))))

 

[TyrantDesigner]

1. Sorry for the spelling, I was in a hurry.
2. When I was hired for my last job I told my boss of my intention for opening my own shop.
3. I have NO intention to low balling anybody, and garage office just for few month. Found decent store front for $700/mo.
4. All LLC and local licenses done. Total cost $275.
5. I own my house and have money to buy local sign shop but I want to start from small and grow it, there is market for another sign shop for my aria.
So take your smart *** opinions somewhere else.
I really need your opinion on second hand cutters and printers.
Thank you.

:Welcome: Alrighty, this made me laugh. For your first plotter I probably wouldn't go cheap ... if you did, expect more babying ... I have a cheap chinese cutter at home, use it almost daily, (got it for plotting out designs with a pen) ... loud as snot, have to baby it sometimes but after 5 years has not failed me. pretty much any roland or graphtec will have the electronics to make sure you don't have to waste time babying a cheap printer to avoid going off the roll, that you aren't going to have cutting issues from your cache on the plotter being too small, that you don't have to spend extra time cleaning up points on your vector to reduce cutting errors, that you won't have rounded corners on your hard cornered lettering and designs, that you don't have to extend your cuts on each shape by .085 to make sure you don't get a tab that isn't cut, etc etc etc ... oh and that you won't need ear plugs to drown out the screech of satan that your plotter emits.

 

[Robert Gruner]

Alex,

Tough Crowd! Lotta truth in the negative posts. When the smoke clears, it appears you are sincere in your aspirations. Bossier and OldPaint gave sage advice.

BTW, <<My theory is if I buy used equipment for 25% of the original cos t and it have more than 25% off life left in it, I got myself a bargain. >>

Nice theory, however, The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men. Gang aft agley, An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, ...

I got this thing about buying somebody else's probem. $5,000 will buy a nice PC loaded with graphic sofware and a 24" Graphtec, Summa, Mimaki, or Roland. After that, it's just perserverance and good work.

Bob

 

[Techman]

Get a plotter with SERVO motors. Do not get a STEPPER motor cutter.

If you decide to go CHEAP and get a stepper motor cutter you will need a sound proof room to run it. STepper motors run so loud you will not talk in the same room.

I run my Anagraph cutter using servo motors in the same room as my phone. That is how quiet it is.

 

[tsgstl]

Take your time when posting, your not helping your credibility here.

I had a 24" Graphtec that worked like a champ for over 6 years, now I wish I didn't let it go for $400

$5000 is wayyyy to low
Make a solid business plan down to alcohol, paperclips and 1" masking tape.

Do you have a work table?
Do you have vinyl?
Do you have a back up 45 degree blade?
Do you have paper towels?
Do you have squirt bottles?
Do you have a file cabinet?
Do you have any type of book keeping software?

Do you realize when you make any $ at all you will have to pay most if not all of it back to the government in sales tax collections, income tax and other fees.

 

[TyrantDesigner]

Get a plotter with SERVO motors. Do not get a STEPPER motor cutter.

If you decide to go CHEAP and get a stepper motor cutter you will need a sound proof room to run it. STepper motors run so loud you will not talk in the same room.

I run my Anagraph cutter using servo motors in the same room as my phone. That is how quiet it is.

Ah the screech of satan. It's a lovely sound after a nice cup of coffee in the morning ... a lot like getting jabbed in the tail bone area with a bamboo skewer. Sounds like ... victory.

 

[Sign Up Graphics]

Sign Up Graphics

Alex, Buy a graphtec or a summa and you won't be sorry

 

[OldPaint]

Thank you. More info please. What problem if there any and why selling it if it works? My theory is if I buy used equipment for 25% of the original cos t and it have more than 25% off life left in it, I got myself a bargain.

my reasons for buying other plotters was:
the pnc-1000 was limited to 15", 18" or 20" vinyl. also it was older tech, and its cutting length was limited to 62.99. also it was only a 15 inch per sec cutter. which after 5-6 years with it...........it was to slow and not wide enough..AND NOISY!!!!
the PNC-1100's was big improvment. 24" material, with a grit roller you could cut anywhere on it from 2" to 23,50" and the 62.99 length was gone. and it cut at 34 ips. IT WAS NOISY TO....and i needed 2 of em, 1 in the mobil shop and the office.
the CX-300.........ahhhhhhhh now this is a sweet machine. 2-30" wide, and QUITE!!!!! and this one can cut up past 50 ips.

 

[Billct2]

How many was that many years?
I ask because you didn't seem to learn anything about the the equipment you were using or you would be asking dfifferent questions. You don't mention what plotters, printers or software you are familar with.
I'm with the others, stick to the quality brand name plotters and then see what you can do used or new. If you are in the great financial shape you claim leasing to own is a good way to go, or just a straight out loan. There are also dealers (some on here)that sell used equipment with warranties.
Forget a printer/laminator till you've built up the business, outsource.
What do you have for a computer & design program?

 

[royster13]

If you can not sell it does not matter how good your skills are or how good your equipment is, you will not make it.....

 

[SignProPlus-Alex]

What cutter and printer are you using and what problem do you have with it if any?

 

[iSign]

"Didn't worked out"
"Witch I sold"
"all two computers"
???

MBA in what?
Gym class?

 

[ProWraps]

rofl. im a colledgey drop out. im screwed plus i dont have cs3, turbocad or that inky thingy.

 

[iSign]

When you've hung around as long as old paint... we'll let you get away with spelling like him

 

[GAC05]

I used to have an MGB but it didn't run that well. I also sold it.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[ProWraps]

hey just out of curiosity, is that damned search button broken again??? FRED! you got some fixin to do!

 

[OldPaint]

MBA , WOW.... had a business and you sold it......wow.......you got it goin on.........BUT YOU CANT DRAW AND YOU HAVE ZERO DESIGN SKILLS....unless it was taught in your MBA class))))))
you my freind fit that old adage.....

A LITTLE BUT OF KNOWLEDGE................is a dangerous thing))))))

 

[SignProPlus-Alex]

Sorry for being rude. I had one of those days with my boss and other people at work.
I think right now it's time for me to get on my own. I want to make it into business which would be successful.
I dont have that much experience with other brands and models.
All equipment i'm currently using expensive roland XJ-540 and roland cutter.