Which plotter would you choose and Why?

[wmrcer]

If you had to purchase one of these three plotters which one would you purchase and why?

Graphtec CE5000-120
Roland gx-24
Mimaki CG-100SRII

 

[2B]

Of the 3 listed Graphtec, they are more widely known so easier to find techs/parts and come with a good reputation.

Personally we use Summa for our plotter, built like tank, and with them switching the "white" infrared laser virtually eliminated ALL issues with contour cutting especially through lamination.

 

[Pat Whatley]

Roland plotters are a very, very small step above cheap Chinese plotters. We thought our Rolands were great until buying our Summas and Graphtec. After using them head to head it took no time at all for the Rolands to get shoved in the closet.

 

[GAC05]

Roland plotters are a very, very small step above cheap Chinese plotters. We thought our Rolands were great until buying our Summas and Graphtec. After using them head to head it took no time at all for the Rolands to get shoved in the closet.

Any chance for a map and a key to said closet?

wayne k
guam usa

 

[Pat Whatley]

Honestly I've got my feet propped up on the old Roland Color Camm since it's not actually in the closet, I crammed it under the desk.

The Camm 1, and whatever model the other (newer) one is are in a closet along with a Chroma 24 printer, countless Deskjet printers, fax machines, and scanners, a never installed 2-line, 8 station phone system, a dot matrix printer or two, and every power cord, printer, usb and cat5 cable we've had leftover in the last 10 years. It's a closet full of outdated or failed technology.

 

[OldPaint]

of those 3 they are ALL ENTRY LEVEL PLOTTERS. mostly all are CHINESE. depending what your plans are for the length of time you expect to be in the business, that would make any of these GOOD.
as for ROLANDS, i have to say the CHEAPY one here is just that. now i have a CX-300, and have owned 3 PNC professional models..........AND THEY ARE BULLET PROOF.

 

[Browner]

Summa. Customer service is second to none. Very few complaints about the machines here on the boards... but maybe that's just because they're less common?

 

[mortil]

I was on the way to buy a ce5000-120 but. Had a fc8000 on try before my orderd machine got home. When the day came for me to change i decided to keep the fc and ignore the ce model and i donnt regret it at all

 

[visual800]

roland gx24 it a POS! its rickety sounding and the one I had didnt track long. I belive roland put this unit out o compete with chinese crap cause its right up there with it. I like vinyl express which is now made by graphtec so Id go with graphtec

 

[OhioSignShop]

if your not considering a Summa I'd go with Mimaki. Graptech may be fine but I've never used one. Have a 10 year old Mimaki and it's solid. Mimaki should hire an English technical writer because some of their instructions are gibberish, other than that it's been fine.

 

[3CGraphics]

Can't speak to the gx24 but I have a cx24

for going on 8 years with no issues at all. If it's Chinese made I didn't know it and it is heavy and cuts perfectly.

If you had to purchase one of these three plotters which one would you purchase and why?

Graphtec CE5000-120
Roland gx-24
Mimaki CG-100SRII

 

[TresL]

Just call the support line for each.
See how long it takes to get a response.

Graphtec may, may call back a few days later.

 

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

Summa. Customer service is second to none. Very few complaints about the machines here on the boards... but maybe that's just because they're less common?

+1... and tech service is second to none. Yeah, you may have to leave a message, but they do call back, and for me, its always been the the same day.

 

[royster13]

Sometimes you can find refurbished on the Summa Store website....

 

[8DC]

for going on 8 years with no issues at all. If it's Chinese made I didn't know it and it is heavy and cuts perfectly.

I've used my GX-24 daily for the last 5 years and have never had an issue. I use it for everything from cut vinyl decals to thermoflex transfers to decoflock to pinstriping (straight as an arrow for yards and yards, which makes me wonder what the tracking issues mentioned above are all about). It even does a great job contour cutting printed vinyl with it's optic eye.

 

[sardocs]

We bought an Ioline Studio 8 in '91 or '92. It is still running everyday and has never given us a single issue. Its never been oiled, cleaned or serviced in any way other than to feed it new blades once in a while. And it's made in the States.

 

[JERHEMI]

We bought an Ioline Studio 8 in '91 or '92. It is still running everyday and has never given us a single issue. Its never been oiled, cleaned or serviced in any way other than to feed it new blades once in a while. And it's made in the States.

I was going to say the same! I have an Ioline Smarttrac 24" and have never had an issue in almost 10 years! It's cut thousands of feet of vinyl and keeps cutting! Change the blade every once in a while and that's it. If it breaks I will go and buy another Ioline!

 

[Mosh]

I still have a Roland pnc 1100 running that a have had since 1992 or so...My friend's shop uses summa, they last about 5 years from what I see from him.

 

[bob]

Just call the support line for each.
See how long it takes to get a response.

Graphtec may, may call back a few days later.

If a machine is well designed and well made and you are not sufficiently inept to be unable do perform simple mechanical tasks and you are in possession of rudimentary cognitive tackle that allows you to perform simple deductive reasoning, why would you be calling the manufacturer's technical support with sufficient regularity to make their availability a major issue?

I've been wrangling a Graphtec FC7000 for lo these many years and I've had to call them exactly once. That was when I first got the thing to check on the availability of a firmware update and ask just what in hell the down force numbers actually meant. I had no problem making contact and getting answers.

When anyone touts the magnificence of their technical support I instantly wonder just what kind of a piece of crap are they selling that requires such attention.

 

[brush1]

2 Graphtec owners here......4100 (sold with shop)...and 5100 now....never any single issue.