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Question Upgrade for Epson S80600
- Thread starter madredfox
- Start date
SignMeUpGraphics
Super Active Member
Epson have concentrated their efforts on the V5000 and R5000 launches recently, so I think we might see a slightly longer delay with a new range.
Previous renewal period was approx. 4 years so it's getting close to time for some new models. Haven't heard any rumors yet though.
Previous renewal period was approx. 4 years so it's getting close to time for some new models. Haven't heard any rumors yet though.
F1225hgB42w
Guest
They also released the S80600L in 2019, so I would expect that it would be another couple years before a new solvent machine comes out (the S80 fixed so many issues they had in the past, I'm not sure what improvements they will make). We owned the GS6000s, the S70s and S60s, and now with the S80s I don't even know if I'd buy the next generation or try to squeeze our machines to get 6-8 years out of them they have everything we want from a printer (well almost). With that and the launch of the R-Series printers, I expect they will focus on growing the resin printer market share before competing against themselves with a new solvent machine that would woo people away from the Resin printers.
We have several Epson printers (we currently have 8, but we use to run up to 12 before upgrading) and the S80s are workhorses. Just yesterday we printed three 150 ft. rolls of Arlon vinyl in about 15 hours on only one of our machines. We will be doing that same volume on at least two machines for the next three days and I have zero concerns they won't be able to perform. The quality of the print was quite impressive (normally we have the machines running 12 and 16 pass CMKYlclmOR with the Epson Precision dot, but due to a large order we have to install at a stadium between sporting events we didn't have time to run it in the slower speed and after running 8 pass HQ we might not go back), it's reasonable to say you could output 2000+ sq. ft. a day running running the machine in 8pass HQ mode and have really great quality prints (start a roll in the morning, start a roll mid day, and start a roll before going to bed and let the machine work overnight).
What is the price you are paying for the S80? Will it be new or used?
The only thing we hate about the S80s is the constant wanting to clean and warnings about low ink, then being able to run like 3-4 more rolls of 150 media before an ink cartridge actually "runs out".
We have several Epson printers (we currently have 8, but we use to run up to 12 before upgrading) and the S80s are workhorses. Just yesterday we printed three 150 ft. rolls of Arlon vinyl in about 15 hours on only one of our machines. We will be doing that same volume on at least two machines for the next three days and I have zero concerns they won't be able to perform. The quality of the print was quite impressive (normally we have the machines running 12 and 16 pass CMKYlclmOR with the Epson Precision dot, but due to a large order we have to install at a stadium between sporting events we didn't have time to run it in the slower speed and after running 8 pass HQ we might not go back), it's reasonable to say you could output 2000+ sq. ft. a day running running the machine in 8pass HQ mode and have really great quality prints (start a roll in the morning, start a roll mid day, and start a roll before going to bed and let the machine work overnight).
What is the price you are paying for the S80? Will it be new or used?
The only thing we hate about the S80s is the constant wanting to clean and warnings about low ink, then being able to run like 3-4 more rolls of 150 media before an ink cartridge actually "runs out".
victor bogdanov
Active Member
Hmm that's interesting, I'm reading this thread doing research on printers to see what I might upgrade my Roland sg2 with if they can't keep up and I can do 3 150ft rolls at 7 pass at low quality which looks great. I was thinking the 80600 would be faster like 5-6 rolls in 24hrs
F1225hgB42w
Guest
I don't know much about Roland Solvent, but I went to the Roland demo facility Boston a few years back to look at their dye sub printers and I found the Epson to be substantially better quality. From my experience the Epsons are similar in speeds to Rolands/Mutoh/HPs (sometimes slower), but the quality is substantially higher. While Epson does have lower (2, 4, and 6 pass) and faster print modes than what we print, those modes are not near acceptable quality for our shop. I never look at what a print manufacturer says is the print speeds, because most of those speeds are such poor quality most shops wouldn't see prints at those speeds.
We are focused on top quality prints at an aggressive price (with all the cheap printers out here we found we can't compete on price alone, so we focus on the other aspects of business such as quality of service and product). We never send prints with banding out of our shop, we reprint if there are small ink drips or small headstrike marks, etc. I've been told several times by employees and customers that we are too picky on quality, but we still make money and hit deadlines, so I'm happy with how we operate.
It depends on what your business needs are. When we need more speed, we just buy another Epson.
CanuckSigns
Active Member
Look into the s60600 it is dual cmyk (no orange, red or light colours) but it's lightning fast and can produce the output you are looking for.
Morten CHristensen
New Member
I am not an expert on solvent printers, but whatever you decide, my recommendation would be to buy a printer where you have the full access to all service menus!
Even if you choose to let the vendor service it in the beginning.
Even if you choose to let the vendor service it in the beginning.
We have two S80's and will probably get another one soon. They are soooooo much better than the S70's we have. Epson has ironed out a lot of issues plaguing the S70 line. The only problem is the S80 can't do layering, and can only use one special ink (white or metallic) at a time. We are a specialty packaging shop and have our S70's and S80's running constantly. I can wholeheartedly recommend the S80 as it's been quite the workhorse in the years we've had it.
I would, however, talk to vendors to see if they have any knowledge on a new Epson (S90?) Epson no longer supports the S70 and spare parts are hard to come by. Don't want the same happening to the S80.
I would, however, talk to vendors to see if they have any knowledge on a new Epson (S90?) Epson no longer supports the S70 and spare parts are hard to come by. Don't want the same happening to the S80.
Hello all,
I am sorry to jump in on your thread, but I am somewhat in the same boat. I am in no means an expert on printing or printers, but have been running an XR-640 for about 6 years. Everything that I know about printing has been self-thought and found here/ googling. I mainly use it for in house graphics and wrapping our ambulance fleet. I do about 30 full van wraps a year and a bunch of posters / banners in between. The printer has been great for the abuse that it received in the first couple of years of me trying to figure out everything and not having decent options for training.
With that being said I have been experiencing some issues with the printer in the last year or so. We had countless visits for repairs and at some point, I lost faith in the technicians and started fixing things myself. I keep having an issue with head B dropping full channels, and no one has been able to figure it out. Both heads and head board were replaced with a number of other things. Also, after the last head change the printer lost the ability to do self-cleanings. (When it's in standby) The printer kicks on as if it’s about to do a self-cleaning, and it runs for about 15-20 seconds and just shuts down without preforming the cleaning. No one has been able to give me a reason on why this is happening or how to fix it. (All parts that were used were OE Roland parts) The self-cleaning issue is the reason I believe the head keeps dropping channels since the printer can go about two to three weeks without being used. I try to run the cleaning as often as I can, but don't feel its sufficient enough to keep things from clogging up. The printer worked in this environment for about 5 years flawlessly and lost its first head at the 5th year mark. (I can't complain about that) After the first head replacement that's when things seemed to start spiraling out of control. The technician that was replacing the head shorted the headboard that we ended up paying for since we were led to believe that's what caused the head to go bad in the first place. There are many reasons now why I know that wasn't the case, but that's a story for another day. Going through this I learned a lot about the printer and how the components operate.
With all that being said my boss has authorized me to look into purchasing a new printer that will be a little more reliable (than the current one), and that the self-cleaning works on, so that I don't have to spend 2 to 3 hours taking it apart, soaking things and replacing dampers every time I need to wrap a new truck.
This printer has paid for its self multiple times, and having the ability to wrap trucks same day and fix things after accidents has saved the company so much money and additional down time compared to if we had to outsource the work. My budget is around 20-30k and I was planning on just buying another Roland VF2-640 or VG2, but researching this forum a lot of people seem to recommend the Epson’s 60600 and 80600.
I wanted to stay with Roland since I am familiar with the product and it would keep our operation somewhat identical, but the stories of issues with the new Roland’s have me worried. Also not being able to find a Tech is troublesome. I would obviously treat the new printer a lot better since I have a lot more experience now. The reason I am on the Fence about the Epsons is because I feel like they have been around for a while now and as soon as I decide to buy one, they will announce a new model and all of the parts will soon start becoming obsolete.
What would some of you guys do if you were in my situation? I usually only print 3 to 5 colors and most of my patterns are solid blocks or lines. 90% of all printing is done on the 3m reflective vinyl. I am sorry for the long post and any feed back would be extremely appreciated!!
I am sorry to jump in on your thread, but I am somewhat in the same boat. I am in no means an expert on printing or printers, but have been running an XR-640 for about 6 years. Everything that I know about printing has been self-thought and found here/ googling. I mainly use it for in house graphics and wrapping our ambulance fleet. I do about 30 full van wraps a year and a bunch of posters / banners in between. The printer has been great for the abuse that it received in the first couple of years of me trying to figure out everything and not having decent options for training.
With that being said I have been experiencing some issues with the printer in the last year or so. We had countless visits for repairs and at some point, I lost faith in the technicians and started fixing things myself. I keep having an issue with head B dropping full channels, and no one has been able to figure it out. Both heads and head board were replaced with a number of other things. Also, after the last head change the printer lost the ability to do self-cleanings. (When it's in standby) The printer kicks on as if it’s about to do a self-cleaning, and it runs for about 15-20 seconds and just shuts down without preforming the cleaning. No one has been able to give me a reason on why this is happening or how to fix it. (All parts that were used were OE Roland parts) The self-cleaning issue is the reason I believe the head keeps dropping channels since the printer can go about two to three weeks without being used. I try to run the cleaning as often as I can, but don't feel its sufficient enough to keep things from clogging up. The printer worked in this environment for about 5 years flawlessly and lost its first head at the 5th year mark. (I can't complain about that) After the first head replacement that's when things seemed to start spiraling out of control. The technician that was replacing the head shorted the headboard that we ended up paying for since we were led to believe that's what caused the head to go bad in the first place. There are many reasons now why I know that wasn't the case, but that's a story for another day. Going through this I learned a lot about the printer and how the components operate.
With all that being said my boss has authorized me to look into purchasing a new printer that will be a little more reliable (than the current one), and that the self-cleaning works on, so that I don't have to spend 2 to 3 hours taking it apart, soaking things and replacing dampers every time I need to wrap a new truck.
This printer has paid for its self multiple times, and having the ability to wrap trucks same day and fix things after accidents has saved the company so much money and additional down time compared to if we had to outsource the work. My budget is around 20-30k and I was planning on just buying another Roland VF2-640 or VG2, but researching this forum a lot of people seem to recommend the Epson’s 60600 and 80600.
I wanted to stay with Roland since I am familiar with the product and it would keep our operation somewhat identical, but the stories of issues with the new Roland’s have me worried. Also not being able to find a Tech is troublesome. I would obviously treat the new printer a lot better since I have a lot more experience now. The reason I am on the Fence about the Epsons is because I feel like they have been around for a while now and as soon as I decide to buy one, they will announce a new model and all of the parts will soon start becoming obsolete.
What would some of you guys do if you were in my situation? I usually only print 3 to 5 colors and most of my patterns are solid blocks or lines. 90% of all printing is done on the 3m reflective vinyl. I am sorry for the long post and any feed back would be extremely appreciated!!
jfiscus
Rap Master
Really, the choice no a days is between an Epson and a HP. HP is great at sitting idle, but that's about it. Color consistency is horrible for repair panels and it wastes a LOT of vinyl compared to any other printer.
I would definitely recommend an Espon 60600 for your needs. You wont need the additional inks and the dual head makes it lightning fast for quick turnarounds. We print a lot of Ambulance/Firetruck graphics (along with all of our full wraps) with ours and a lot of solid color areas. It has a lot of real nice features that make it "user friendly". It self-cleans for the most part, but we do spend about 10 minutes every other week doing a manual cleaning on it. There is a simple material calibration tool that you can run that will eliminate any banding in solid color areas if it ever becomes a problem. It prints great on any vinyl we throw at it. and the colors are 100% consistent for repair panels. Prints GREAT on 3M IJ680-CR which I assume you use a lot of.
I recommend if you buy it that you talk with the sales company about setting up your color profiles when they deliver it for you. We just have 1 profile that we run for everything, makes it super simple. We run our Epsons all through Onyx RIP. PM me if you need more info.
I would definitely recommend an Espon 60600 for your needs. You wont need the additional inks and the dual head makes it lightning fast for quick turnarounds. We print a lot of Ambulance/Firetruck graphics (along with all of our full wraps) with ours and a lot of solid color areas. It has a lot of real nice features that make it "user friendly". It self-cleans for the most part, but we do spend about 10 minutes every other week doing a manual cleaning on it. There is a simple material calibration tool that you can run that will eliminate any banding in solid color areas if it ever becomes a problem. It prints great on any vinyl we throw at it. and the colors are 100% consistent for repair panels. Prints GREAT on 3M IJ680-CR which I assume you use a lot of.
I recommend if you buy it that you talk with the sales company about setting up your color profiles when they deliver it for you. We just have 1 profile that we run for everything, makes it super simple. We run our Epsons all through Onyx RIP. PM me if you need more info.
Thank You for the response! I only have one baseline to use in the field of wide format printing and that's the Roland XR-640. In all honesty I personally think it is a great printer, but not having anything to compare it to, it can be deceiving. Considering a switch to a new brand is making me anxious as I would have to relearn a whole new system. I guess I will be better off than I was 6 year ago when we first got the XR-640, but its still a little unsettling.
victor bogdanov
Active Member
I had a similar decision to make as you , had a Roland VS going trouble free for 6 years, then came time to upgrade and everyone was saying get an epson. I stuck with roland and got 2 SG-2 , wanted the vg but the lead times were too long, were also long on the epsons when I was buying a year ago.
Fast forward to today and my roland sg 2s have been printing 8 hrs per day at least, sometimes 36hrs + at a time trouble free.
Only thing I wish was that they were the vg2 for added speed.
It's a tought choice but given the current prices the epson seems like a better deal
Solventinkjet
DIY Printer Fixing Guide
If it eases your mind a little, the XR-640 is based off of Epson technology. While Roland names things differently and has a different firmware running the printer, they are very similar machines operation wise. The Epson just has the latest head technology so it will be faster and higher quality. So there will be a learning curve but it won't be extreme.
It really is because I look at it as I will be stuck with this decision for the next 5 to 8 years. (For better or worse) We really aren't big enough to have the luxury of replacing the printer any sooner than that as we have to justify it's investment before being able to replace it. Also with the s60 I would have to add an additional piece of equipment and purchase the plotter/ cutter separately.
All of this is extremely helpful I have already contacted a couple of dealers to get pricing on the Epson machines. It's harder for me to find a decent Roland Tech as well. I have been doing all of the repairs in the last year or so and have learned a lot on how the heads, caps, and dampers operate. I went as far as soldering a new resistor onto the Print head board after a technician fried the 2nd board attempting to diag the same problem that I am having now again.
I wish there was a way that someone can help me find how to get the self cleaning to work as this printer probably has a lot more life left in it compared to how much usage it got over the years.
So you guys wouldn't even consider the Epson R5070L Resin Printer in my situation? Also do the S60s or the R50s need a lot of ventilation?
Thanks again!
Two weeks ago I would have said that the Epson S80600 was a great machine. However, our not even two year old machine stopped working on July 9th and the service tech hasn't even made it here yet. He had to get a main board in from the US (none in Canada) . I know that it got to a tech yesterday but I still haven't hear that he's coming out before Friday (which he told me because he thought he would get the part on Thursday). We passed on the extended warrantee as it's quite pricey and often repairs are less or equal to the cost, and what they don't tell you is that if you don't have a warranty of any kind, you're not a priority for them. Fortunately, I still have a screen printing end to send some jobs back to and many colleagues in our city that have been helping us out where needed.
I don't know if this is just Epson or whether other manufacturers are this bad too. I had a Roland and I never experienced a two week wait for service. It makes me think that this will be one of my first questions when we decide on a new printer.
I don't know if this is just Epson or whether other manufacturers are this bad too. I had a Roland and I never experienced a two week wait for service. It makes me think that this will be one of my first questions when we decide on a new printer.
We had a similar issue with our Roland. We are right between Boston and New York so a bit of a drive from either major city. There are no technicians in our area that specialize in Rolands. When you are out of warranty the travel time alone can cost as much as the repair. I think this is the norm across the entire industry for smaller operators working from somewhat remote areas. When you have less competitors competing for your business you can expect this type of treatment. It's really unfortunate and it makes it a lot harder for the smaller guys to compete.
I don't begrudge the travel time or money. I do begrudge two weeks to get the printer fixed!