Used Rockhopper 2 questions before buy

[mortil]

so im looking for a solvent printer and got over this rockhopper2 converted into rockhopper3 (?)
2 sets of cmyk inc
is deliverd newserved and good. so is this a new machine to start with ?

as im new to large-format printers i dont know sh!t about them.

got a Graphtec ce5000-120 cutter thats goes day and night and now more and more questions about printing banners/signs and stuff like that comes my way. and i sure want to meet the demand for expanding the buissness.

please show me in the right direction.

 

[Haakon]

A few years ago I worked at a sign shop that had a Mutoh Rockhopper 2, which had all sorts of issues. When it worked, the print speed was very slow. This was a 30-inch model, and printing a 7ft by 30inch banner took about 1,5 hours, and the ink did not dry properly within an hour after it was done. The print head clogged up ever so often, so much manual print head cleaning was needed. However, the prints came out fine qualityvise when it worked ok.

This was my first introduction to solvent printers, and it caused much grief and unpaid overtime work to reprint all that came out wrong, with streaks etc..

Finally managed to get the boss to purchase a newer one, we then got a Mutov Valuejet 1614, and it was a dream in comparison. A 1 1/2 hour print job on the Rockhopper took 15mins on the Valuejet, its heaters meant that the prints were dry right out of the printer (it had an automatic rollup system so you could set it to print overnight and so on).

Basically night and day difference. When they got the new printer, the old one was just stashed away in the back, I remember it was so many issues with it that it would be too much hassle trying to sell it on for the $1500 that was left on the lease.

This may have been a particularily bad specimen of a Rockhopper, but at least that is my experience with it.

 

[Graphics2u]

A few years ago I worked at a sign shop that had a Mutoh Rockhopper 2, ....This was a 30-inch model, .

I'm fairly sure the printer you're talking about is not a Rockhopper 2. For one thing they don't make them smaller than 50" as far as I know. And they are not that slow in printing. Sounds like you might have had a Rockhopper not a Rockhopper 2.

These are also known as Falcon II's. I had a 64" and it printed well. They have 4 or sometimes 8 heads and they are pricey so make sure they all work well.

 

[Haakon]

I'm fairly sure the printer you're talking about is not a Rockhopper 2. For one thing they don't make them smaller than 50" as far as I know. And they are not that slow in printing. Sounds like you might have had a Rockhopper not a Rockhopper 2.

These are also known as Falcon II's. I had a 64" and it printed well. They have 4 or sometimes 8 heads and they are pricey so make sure they all work well.

Sorry for my mix-up, you are absolutely correct. Found some videos of a Rockhopper 2 now and they do not look like the one I used. This is how the Rockhopper looked, is Falcon another name for it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3Vg0RAlrM0

That it uses over 3 minutes to print a A4 sized print was also all too familiar.

 

[mortil]

Ok thanks guys. Anyone more have any comments on this printer?

Is it cheap to print with or should i look for another printer?
dont seems fun if the printheads is all worn out but can you see that in an service?

 

[Graphics2u]

That it uses over 3 minutes to print a A4 sized print was also all too familiar.

Yeah, you're definately not goiung to set any speed records with those machines. But alot of people still using them with good results.