Summacut d620 or Graphtec vs. newer unit?

[priusjames]

Greetings-

I need to ask a question before I buy a vinyl plotter/cutter.

I can see that there's a strong preference to machines that cost more (for all the right reasons), and I lean that way myself. Here's the question:

Are there any specific *advantages* to buying one of the new signsusa/us cutter type units over an older tried and true like a summa d620 or graphtec unit? I was looking at the Roland Gx-24, too. I like the idea if registration for contour cutting, seems good to get that right away.

I don't have any vinyl software yet, have been ripping posters with wasatch on my canon ipf 8000 and 9000. I use windows 7, but prefer Mac...but am realistic enough to know I need to use windows. I picked wasatch partly because of the ability to do jobs via "web page" (and partly because Onyx me to repurchase software they agreed we own, we simply lost the dongle to during a move), but haven't had time to even start to figure the web job stuff out yet. I also have adobe illustrator (on my Macs).

Starting vinyl from scratch, and my own research doesn't really answer the question. I don't want to buy an old bulletproof machine if the newer lighter stuff is pretty much as good for somebody who will be doing this as an add-on to my vending business. I'll probably need to haul it around somewhat, too.

Thanks for your thoughts...I know just enough to be dangerous

James

 

[Border]

I have a Summa D620 listed here in the classifieds. I bought it brand new and have a very sturdy case built for hauling it around, I haven't hauled it in years but used to when I first got it. The case is included in the sale price by the way

 

[priusjames]

I have a Summa D620 listed here in the classifieds. I bought it brand new and have a very sturdy case built for hauling it around, I haven't hauled it in years but used to when I first got it. The case is included in the sale price by the way

I saw your ad, but everybody knows that shipping anything past the 3rd Quadrant is pure lunacy, what with the cease-fire being so tenuous...

 

[Border]

I saw your ad, but everybody knows that shipping anything past the 3rd Quadrant is pure lunacy, what with the cease-fire being so tenuous...

Thankfully the fine folks from Minnesota have a worked out a deal where I can ship out of St. Paul...

 

[FrankW]

and partly because Onyx me to repurchase software they agreed we own, we simply lost the dongle to during a move...

You will have the same issue too with all other software producers which uses dongles (shurely wasatch too), because the dongle is the proof of licence. They don't want to let their customers get a new dongle for free and sell the old one through ebay.

A D620 is really old stuff, but, in opposite of most of their competitors at this time, altough this plotters are the "cheap" range, they use professional components like servo motors and the same microsprocket feed system as for the SummaSign. Thats the positive argument.

But without a display (even if a summasign-keyboard can be connected to the mainboard) and just with a serial port, this machines are very limited (e. g. limited use on Macs because there is no Summa Cutter Control anymore for Mac). And if for example a servo motor of this machines fails the parts are expensive.

If having money for a new Summa, Graphtec or Mimaki I would suggest a new one. If the alternative is one of the simple, cheap plotters with chinese origin it will be hard to decide.

 

[priusjames]

You will have the same issue too with all other software producers which uses dongles (shurely wasatch too), because the dongle is the proof of licence. They don't want to let their customers get a new dongle for free and sell the old one through ebay.

A D620 is really old stuff, but, in opposite of most of their competitors at this time, altough this plotters are the "cheap" range, they use professional components like servo motors and the same microsprocket feed system as for the SummaSign. Thats the positive argument.

But without a display (even if a summasign-keyboard can be connected to the mainboard) and just with a serial port, this machines are very limited (e. g. limited use on Macs because there is no Summa Cutter Control anymore for Mac). And if for example a servo motor of this machines fails the parts are expensive.

If having money for a new Summa, Graphtec or Mimaki I would suggest a new one. If the alternative is one of the simple, cheap plotters with chinese origin it will be hard to decide.

Thanks, Frank...this aligns with my thinking when I asked the question. People don't seem to be too upset with the performance of the newer units, as much saying the brand names are better...

Still thinking.

Thanks

 

[Haakon]

I was in kind of the same situation a few years ago. I had sold my old Roland PNC-1850 workhorse a few years earlier, since my then employer did not like me having my own cutter (had it for years before starting there).

But when I started for my own a few years later, I had to decide between a used and once costly cutter (like a Roland GX-pro or a Summa D series) or a smaller new one. I chose the latter and got a GX-24. This has cut vinyl for 20-30x its value over the last 2,5 years, only thing its not good at is tracking over long distances. This may be because I use the small supplied rolling tray as a roll holder on my own table, instead of the Roland stand with big sturdy rollers for the vinyl rolls. Its 24" width has yet to put me in a bind because of its smaller size.

Looking to upgrade to a Summa S75T now as an investment for the long haul, mainly because I know that cut vinyl is about 9/10 of the work I do over the months and years. Will still keep the GX24 though, always nice to have a backup and something to drag around to events. Not to make so much money at the event itself, but to show that I exist and can do custom work in a hurry The customers will come back to the shop if you do a good job.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I chose the latter and got a GX-24. This has cut vinyl for 20-30x its value over the last 2,5 years, only thing its not good at is tracking over long distances. This may be because I use the small supplied rolling tray as a roll holder on my own table, instead of the Roland stand with big sturdy rollers for the vinyl rolls. Its 24" width has yet to put me in a bind because of its smaller size.

We have one as well. I know a few people on here knock it, either because it's too small and/or they think it's Roland's answer to the Chinese cutter (which it may very well be). For apparel decorating (which is our mainstay), it works wonderfully and it really is a workhorse considering what it is. I've used it for a lot of applique and rhinestone template work and it's still going.

I haven't had to deal with the tracking issue, but the runs that I have to contend with aren't that big of a deal.

Edit to Add: We have run the GX-24 straight out of Draw and Ai with and without the CutStudio plugin (unless you are doing contour work, you don't need the plugin, which we don't do a lot of that), although we do run it directly out of EmbroideryStudio now.

 

[Bill Modzel]

I've been running my Graphtec's with their Illustrator plug in CuttingMaster for many years now and love it, both for cutting straight vinyl or contour cutting my printed decals. It's super accurate.
By the way, I'm also running Caldera on my Mac Mini via screen sharing with my MacPro's monitor. Works slick and saves space.