What laminators are you using?

[Marie]

What type (hot or cold), brand, and size laminators do you use? How long have you been using it, and what is your opinion of your particular laminator? We are considering purchasing a laminator and would appreciate any input. Thanks

 

[JR Digital]

My first laminator was a seal ultra 62" . It's a good starter. great encaptulation laminator, kinda tricky with pressure sensitive laminates because you have to use pullrollers. Its good for mounting too. it is about $8000. I Used it for about a year before i need something that can keep up with production. I have a Seal 62 Pro-D now. I love it, price is $20,000 ..

 

[baxter gamble]

I have a Ledco 25" and a Ledco signmaster 44 with heat, I like them both.

 

[Fred Weiss]

Ledco Signmaster 44 (hot and cold). Works fine for what we use it for.

 

[Scott Reynolds]

GBC 61" cold. Works good, not great (slow).

 

[Marie]

I appreciate all of your input.

 

[Spot Color]

I use a 34" CODA. Like Fred, works good for what I use it for.

 

[PLECKO]

I have a 65" Royal Sovereign cold laminator, this thing works great so far.


Ialso just got a SP540 which amazing as well, still have a little "curve" to go through on this one

 

[stopngo]

Seal Ultra 44. Nice little starter Laminator. Can do both Hot and Cold Lam. I would suggest getting one that's bigger than what you think you'll ever need but within your budget.

 

[twister]

I used a Seal Image 600 for over 8-years laminating hot/cold laminates ranging from small to 30ft. long graphics and lots of mounting. It was an excellent laminator and can't say enough good things about it. Never had a service call and I always kept any blades away from the rollers. The only bad thing is the price but for high-volume lamination I wouldn't go any other way.

I now have my own shop and purchased a used Sallmetall 1400 HS laminator and it's pretty decent but I am looking for an upgrade. It's hard to go from a Seal to another laminator but the Sallmetall isn't produced any more and I want something I can get parts for and a laminator with a media feed, tension shaft system like I had on my Seal. It's a must for single-person laminating like I have done all of these years.

 

[jiarby]

ugh...
I am "sans lam" and have to squeegee things, which keeps me off the big jobs. We did guy a 64" printer... do you guys think that requires we buy a lam in that size also, or would we be able to "get by" with a 48?

 

[ChiknNutz]

You need a laminator big enough to handle the width of prints you're producing...don't know how you could dream of getting by with anything less?!?!?!? How ya gonna laminate a 64" print with a 48" laminator?

 

[GK]

SEAL Image 600md & SEAL 80 Pro for hard laminates

AccuCoat 1600 & just recently added the AccuCoat 3300 for the liquid laminating. They are great but require meticulous cleaning after each use or you end up with a real mess.

 

[Flame]

Ding Tec 54" cold laminator.

Chinese, REALLY cheap, but had it for a year and a half and this guy just keeps on ticking. I'm very impressed with it, it's top speed is faster than I'd ever dare to go, it has good alignment and has laminated thousands of yards of vinyl for me.

 

[ChiknNutz]

FM...which one do you have? Is it the el cheapo or the deluxe el cheapo? I have the el cheapo....would like to have a better one, really, and use this one strictly for mounting prints.

 

[WB]

I'm running a 61" GBC Titan (hot and cold) and a 40" Seal (hot and cold)

GBC is our main laminator and we use our Seal for mainly mounting

 

[Flame]

CIIZ......... super-el-cheapo.

LOL

http://www.pacificcoastsignsupply.com/catalog/Laminating_Equipment.htm

Like I said, works great! Although I guess mine is 50", not 54".:Oops:


$1500..... how can you go wrong?

 

[ChiknNutz]

Yup, me too, but I have the 60" model. But, I got mine before they added the extra bars on top...I had to buy an "update" kit a while back to get those. Kinda thinking about the deluxe el-cheapo as I'd really like powered take-up reels.

 

[Flame]

I like that idea as well, but...... I actually get by skipping take up reals period. Just running it on the floor, or having another person take it as it comes through the laminator and cut off the pieces he needs.

So, where I stand now I honestly don't need them.

 

[visionsigns]

GBC Artic Titan 165 - 61" cold laminator

You are money ahead to avoid cheap chinese laminators (coming from experience)