Wraptor, you need to Wregister!!!!

[CES020]

First off his idea isn't original by any means. People have come up with contraptions before this...

Secondly, my point was not to go out and copy this mans design, but rather, put into perspective more what I think it's valued at.

Which is exactly what the guy said about the big squeegee. Said it cost too much for what it was and it wasn't anything special.

I don't agree with that statement, I love my BS products, but you're saying the same thing here he said there.

 

[ronl1975]

Cinco De Mayo getting starting early around !







:

 

[Flame]

Which is exactly what the guy said about the big squeegee. Said it cost too much for what it was and it wasn't anything special.

I don't agree with that statement, I love my BS products, but you're saying the same thing here he said there.

And if you look back in that thread I backed the guy up for being a DIY'er and making a product from scratch to save a little money. Much like learning to make your own gasket for a carb instead of buying a $20 one. Using your own wire for a tommy lift instead of buying the name brand, expensive stuff. Changing a set of MX fork springs instead of paying a SoCal company $300 to do it...

Not everyone is good at DIY'er stuff, but props to those who are.

 

[signage]

I think you guys all missed the post the Wraptor made right before Mosh posted this! I'll just leave it that.

 

[The Wraptor]

Hey Wraptor

I'm hearing many different points; mostly price concerns, which really are born out of limited knowledge. (Don't get me wrong, I'm aware that most of you responding are EXTREMELY experienced in vehicle wraps); I mean you have limited knowledge on The Wraptor because it's so new to the market that all you have to judge it on is a few video clips and some text. Who can blame you?
Seeing and using it is believing. Talking to our customers is believing. It's a precision tool designed by engineers. A simple concept? Of course; but if anyone thinks they can go make one themselves and charge $500, they're mistaking about that too.

No one can debate the fact that it speeds up jobs considerably. How much depends only on the number and the inherent skill of the installer(s). We've used it for our last 60 or 70 wraps (yes we are a wrap shop) and our claim is 35 to 40% less time on average. One customer saves 50% (documented). Another claims 25%. Their customers love the lack of vertical seams as much as the lower wait time.

For the one-man shop that has even a modest amount of wrap business to do, it's a no-brainer.

For the business just getting started into doing wraps, looking for the easiest fastest install method, it's a no brainer.

If you're one of the lucky shops who's getting busier in this economy, the financial investment for a Wraptor compared to the cost and issues of hiring a new installer is miniscule - especially if they choose to finance it (less than $200/month).

You're a tough crowd... in our experience there can be a reluctance from the experienced "old pros" who've perfected the conventional vertical tiling method to accept or even acknowledge The Wraptor method. You're passionate about your own skills and creations; deservedly so. We understand, and respect you. But for anyone who's curious and wants to see or participate in a Wraptor method install, that can be arranged. Just send me a message.

All the best,

Paul Whiteside
International Sales Manager


Sign & Digital Graphics Magazine Article


LexJet Article


The SEMA Show Install Demo


Latest Video

www.thewraptor.com

 

[Techman]

get registered as a merchant and maybe you will get some relief from the flogging some are trying to give ya...

 

[Fred Weiss]

get registered as a merchant and maybe you will get some relief from the flogging some are trying to give ya...

The Wraptor became a Signs 101 Merchant subscriber almost 2 1/2 hours before you made your post.

 

[jasonx]

I don't really see the problem with price. It's like anything where theres a small demand there are higher associated unit costs. Can you build one of these? probably. But if you've got the time to build one of these you don't need one.

 

[Fred Weiss]

On Being a Tough Crowd ...

What I'm going to say has nothing to do with The Wraptor or his device. It does have everything to do with a widespread mindset I've seen in this thread and for years in the business of developing aftermarket products for the sign community.

A few examples:

The Scrappy™ Friction Feed Adapter

In 1988, together with a local CNC machinist, I developed a friction feed adapter that added that feature to all Gerber 15" plotters on the market. In those days, there was no Roland or Graphtec plotters. The only competition on the market was Anagraph and Technoarts (whose plotter used a hot tip to melt the vinyl rather than cut it). Gerber plotters ruled the overwhelming share of the market. My product was well made and customer satisfaction was literally 100%. It sold for $495 and we were successful in achieving world-wide distribution. It was advertised every month in the US trade journals and we also booked expos for two years straight of international and regional shows.

At the end of three years, much earlier in fact, it was clear that the North American sign shop was a loser to market to. We had sold more Scrappys in New Zealand or South Africa than we had in California, Texas, New York, and Florida combined. We had sold more Scrappys in Western Europe than we had in the U.S, Canada, and Mexico combined. The typical feedback we would hear was "I don't worry about waste ... the customer pays for it anyway". In Europe, the Fasson division of Avery, who had major distribution rights in Europe for Gerber, ran a study and determined that vinyl ordering went down by 25% after a Scrappy was installed on a customer's machine.

The FontFinder™ Typeface Identification System

In 1994, with the assistance of a local programmer, I developed the first software application that would successfully identify an unknown typeface from a printed sample. The program was favorably reviewed by both Sign Business and Publish magazines. It was truly a remarkable program and we received the cooperation of all the major type manufacturers.

It addressed a regular need for anyone having to deal with typographic identification or production. As it applies to the sign industry, I would point out that the Fonts and Typography forum here at Signs 101 has more threads in it than any other forum except General Signmaking Topics and General Chit-Chat.

FontFinder™ was purchased by the FBI, the CIA, the Secret Service, the Department of Defense and more than 100 state and local police departments. In addition, more than 150 copies went out to independent forensic document examiners and their association issued rave reviews about it. The sign, graphic design and print industries said "ho-hum" and "it looks kind of hard" and "if my customer doesn't know the name of his letter style, why should I care?". After five years, the combined sign, graphic design and print industries had purchased less than 100 copies and we discontinued the product in favor of being the US distributor of FontExpert Font Recognition software.

FontExpert Font Recognition Software

We distributed this software for about two years with largely the same results as our FontFinder™ program. Law enforcement document examiners bought it ... sign guys didn't. Distribution was taken over by another company and, at this point, FontExpert has disappeared from the market.

In Summary

I could go on with other examples but I will acquiesce to brevity. These and countless other worthwhile products that are lost to you forever and hundreds of new products that you'll never see. Name the last vector clipart collection you know of that was published in North America! You'll have to go back a ways due to rampant file sharing and piracy. To me the facts of my experiences speak volumes about the skepticism and resistance to new and worthwhile products designed to be valuable tools in your businesses and make or save you money while enhancing your quality and competitiveness. Such attitudes go well beyond my personal experiences and frankly leave me baffled. I look at new products as potential opportunities. Do you? I could care less about the price of something. My concern is 1) Do I want it? 2) Do I need it? 3) Can I afford it? 4) How quickly will I be in the black on it?

I think that the lifeblood of our industry is the materials and the tools that are available to us. When I pick up a trade journal, the first thing I turn to is the New Products section. Then I scan through all the ads and finally I read the articles of interest. I view every supplier and every product as an available valuable asset for me to evaluate and exploit to my advantage. And to encourage their efforts to improve and innovate.

Many of you apparently don't.

My 2¢. Your comments are encouraged.

 

[jasonx]

I agree Fred. If your making a return on your investment that fits in line with your business model then go for it.

It's also ironic that a major complaint around these forums is that certain type of customers are too cheap and want to do things themselves and cut professionals out of the market. I guess that's a double edge sword.

 

[GB2]

I'd just like to follow Fred's magnificent post with an acknowledgment of Paul's professional conduct in his post's here. I'm not familiar with your device but if it's a reflection of your professionalism then I'm sure it has merits.

 

[cdiesel]

Paul,
I really wish I had the opportunity to use your machine at ISA. Oracal just wasn't very receptive when I approached them about using it on the install.

While the Wraptor isn't for everybody, I think it could prove to be a very useful tool for some installers. Expensive? Maybe. But take into consideration the amount of R&D required, the warranty, marketing, etc that go into a product like this. Not to mention the fact that the Wraptor looks to be a very solidly built machine.

We just purchased an Island Clean Air duster. I could've made the thing for $500, but paid $5k. Pretty expensive for a blower and some filters. One thing I've learned over the years is to stick to what I do and hire specialists as needed to take care of other things.

 

[kev3232]

I'm hearing many different points; mostly price concerns, which really are born out of limited knowledge. (Don't get me wrong, I'm aware that most of you responding are EXTREMELY experienced in vehicle wraps); I mean you have limited knowledge on The Wraptor because it's so new to the market that all you have to judge it on is a few video clips and some text. Who can blame you?
Seeing and using it is believing. Talking to our customers is believing. It's a precision tool designed by engineers. A simple concept? Of course; but if anyone thinks they can go make one themselves and charge $500, they're mistaking about that too.

No one can debate the fact that it speeds up jobs considerably. How much depends only on the number and the inherent skill of the installer(s). We've used it for our last 60 or 70 wraps (yes we are a wrap shop) and our claim is 35 to 40% less time on average. One customer saves 50% (documented). Another claims 25%. Their customers love the lack of vertical seams as much as the lower wait time.

For the one-man shop that has even a modest amount of wrap business to do, it's a no-brainer.

For the business just getting started into doing wraps, looking for the easiest fastest install method, it's a no brainer.

If you're one of the lucky shops who's getting busier in this economy, the financial investment for a Wraptor compared to the cost and issues of hiring a new installer is miniscule - especially if they choose to finance it (less than $200/month).

You're a tough crowd... in our experience there can be a reluctance from the experienced "old pros" who've perfected the conventional vertical tiling method to accept or even acknowledge The Wraptor method.

are you effin kidding me??? Your claims are a joke! i saw that pile in action at sema and it was a freaking joke!! (squeegee to the right, step over the wraptor, squeegee to the left, step over the wraptor, repeat....) i didnt see any time being saved installing because it took your install monkey about 15 minutes just to set it up. so, what's the point of putting a leveling bubble on the arms when once you pull them out about 5 feet they start sagging??? also, gotta love the website pictures with the transfer tape halfway wadded up, BEFORE the vinyl is installed (plus i love those sweet install sandals!!)
if a one man installer can't handle a large horizontal panel by himself, then he needs to rethink his career choice! "old pros" and vertical tiles??? this POS looks like it came out of the iron age.

 

[GAC05]

I don't do enough wraps to have a qualified opinion on the device, but a I can say it sure stirs up a lot of passion one way or another.

wayne k
guam usa

I do have a long panel with a single horizontal seam to set on a bus in the next few days.
How many Wraptors would I have to gang together to hold a single panel 39feet long?

whk

 

[miltondavis]

perhaps its not for everyone,but gotta appreciate the innovative minds at work creating new technology that help advance our industry in different directions.

 

[andy]

Unless you've actually USED a wraptor machine I really can't see how you can possibly condemn the whole machine as a "piece of junk".

This guy is trying to bring a piece of equipment to market... he's not trying to sleep with your wife or shoot your dog.... why people are so keen to get the boot in is something I just don't understand.

I could come around to your sign shop and laugh at your "cr@p" machinery, your lame design "skills" and your pi$$poor quality... but this would not only be unspeakably RUDE it would also be just my opinion.

Imagine if I then started touting my opinion of your business to all the potential customers in your area... you'd be livid and quite rightly so. Don't you feel this is what is happening to the Wraptor chap? Certain people have decided that his product is junk and have voiced that opinion in a way which is deliberately designed to hurt his business.... that's not cricket in my eyes.

 

[striper14]

after reading all the venom i had to check out the machine. Looks professional & if the quoted times are accurate its fast too. So whats the problem ??
I don't do wraps & until they brought in bubble release vinyl I'd never do a dry install. I've repaired the odd corporate wrap so i've had enough exposure to leave it to others.
From my perspective it looks like something a busy shop might use. I remember paying $5k for a used sign robot 20 years ago, so although $7k sounds expensive it'd probably earn its keep before too long. Just taking some of the stress from the job can be invaluable
I'd wanna hear from someone who uses it for making a living to get a better idea though
I still don't know what all the fuss is about. Maybe theres just too much sugar in our diets ?? Or maybe precision equipment doesn't fit the wrapper installers idiom ?? :ROFLMAO:

 

[Letterbox Mike]

We're not strictly a high-volume wrap shop so the price tag isn't for us, but I can absolutely see value in this machine for the right shop. If it works as claims, it seems like it would open the door to allow a busy shop to produce more wraps in a week. Any shop is limited in what they can physically produce, and wraps are time consuming to install. If a shop currently has the ability to install 3 full wraps in a week, and this saves them enough install time to crank one more out in a week, that's potentially $8000-$10,000+ more sales per month. If the volume of work was there before hand to support the purchase price I have no doubt this would pay for itself in almost no time. Like I said, we don't do enough wraps to justify it, but if we did I'd definitely give it a serious look, efficiency and throughput are key to any successful shop and if it really gives you a 25-50% increase I'd say it' worth it's weight in gold.

 

[wildindian]

In response to Fred's post everyone needs to read Rick Williams article in this months Sign and Digital Graphics. The right tool will save you money and this tool is used by a wrap shop in the next city and the owner told me it allowed one man to do what it used to take 3 men to do. Also heads up on the attitude of the
Wraptor people. I will say the bullies who find everything wrong with everything on this forum want to bash people for buying from a garage plotter guy but are always looking for the cheap when purchasing.

 

[TheSnowman]

Hey Kev...I'm gonna let you and every other hater in on a little secret about this great nation called America. If you don't want it...YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY IT! ISN'T THAT GREAT!

This discussion comes up about so much about "overpriced" stuff that everyone thinks is too expensive. If you don't think it's a good product, don't buy it. I don't get why, unless that person stole your idea in which you think is dumb, why this would be something to get so mad about.