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VP 540i or SP 540i

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select426

New Member
We are in the market for a new machine and i really don't know which way we should go. We currently have an older 540 sp. I was hoping you guys could give me some real world experience on these machines, maybe some plus's or minus's or acual speeds at which setting. From the test prints it looks like i can get around 84 sq ft on the vp on standard and somewhere around 40 on the sp. Let me know what everyone thinks.

Happy Holidays
 
Pacific Coast Sign

Pacific Coast Sign

New Member
The VP is faster and has a TWO year warranty (extra year is $995 for the SP). Four heads for the VP and two heads for the SP. Other than that...close...very close.
 
AllSquare Jason

AllSquare Jason

New Member
Pacific Coast Sign said:
The VP is faster and has a TWO year warranty (extra year is $995 for the SP). Four heads for the VP and two heads for the SP. Other than that...close...very close.
Click to expand...
One the money here.

Same software, same print head, same inks....and someone correct me if I am wrong - but I think same chassis now as well.

After additional one year warranty (total of 2 years to match the VPi) the price difference between the two is slightly less than $3,000. If this is a major part of your business - its a small price to pay to get more work out the door - especially if not yet needing a PRO III type machine.

If speed is not an issue (or first printer) - the SP540i is a rocking machine.
 
M

macmedia

New Member
One thing to mention. Faster always seems to be better. However, if you don't really need the speed, the SP is probably the better way to go.

The reason I say this is that with 4 head design - means the potential of a lot more money to replace the print heads - which run $800 or a lot more a piece.
Sooner or later, they are going to discontinue this older head design and it'll be even more expensive. We see this with the Mimaki JV3 printers where in the last year the OEM heads went from about $1000 retail to $1600 retail (and the supply has been very hard to get).

Having 4 heads doesn't mean double the life over a 2 head design either. In addition, you'll have 4 head caps to worry about among other service items.

So IMHO, if you don't need the speed, keep it simple for cheaper maintenance over the long run. The SP is really a great machine and a workhorse.
 
N

Number 9

New Member
I purchased the SP, it also now has the intelligent pass control and banding is non existent, the chassis is apperantly the same as the vp this is how they get the additional 40% speed over the previous model, Although the tech that came to set up my machine told me the layout of the inner working are very simaler to the Roland art, I've never seen one so I can't say for sure.
Gotta tell ya though, this machine is sweet!, other than speed it can't be beat...I'm also with macmedia on the cost of repair/replace parts.
 
C

ChiknNutz

New Member
select426 said:
We are in the market for a new machine and i really don't know which way we should go. We currently have an older 540 sp. I was hoping you guys could give me some real world experience on these machines, maybe some plus's or minus's or acual speeds at which setting. From the test prints it looks like i can get around 84 sq ft on the vp on standard and somewhere around 40 on the sp. Let me know what everyone thinks.

Happy Holidays
Click to expand...

Well, yes but you can get better than you've shown there out of the SP...I have.

http://www.signs101.com/forums/showpost.php?p=665722&postcount=8
 
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