Width Considerations Only Thread

[UtahBrands 1]

In the spirit of making the most educated purchase, I've been browsing and searching the Pre-Sale Questions forum, but have not found a thread I was looking for.

Without getting into any other aspect of the various machines and their features, I would like to collect ideas on how to decide on the width of a vinyl cutter to get.

Examples:

• Is there an advantage to owning a narrower machine (12" - 19")?
  
• Is there a width that should be avoided?
  
• What's the sweet spot for a great all-around cutter?
  
• What are the advantages when it comes to buying vinyl in certain widths?
  
• Have you "gotten by" with a smaller machine that cost you a lot less money?
  
• Are there certain types of vinyl cutting jobs that a particular width of machines works perfect for?
  
• Are there "industry standards" or "best practices" to be aware of?
  
• Horror stories?
  
• Success stories?
  

Thanks for you input. (If this thread works out, maybe it could get pinned??)

Marshall

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

standard machine size is 24". It will cover most any use. Vinyl can be found in this size everywhere. You are very limited use wise with a small width size. You will be surprised how many people would want a decal done, once they know you have a vinyl cutter. As always, purchase the best that you can afford.

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

if you go to a USCUTTER ad on EBAY and read at the bottom, it explains the difference between cutters Sizes and brands.

http://www.ebay.com/...=item46043e1d7e

[UtahBrands 1]

Thanks for the feedback already. And incase it goes away, I'll quote the ebay info below:

What size cutter should I buy?

Vinyl cutters are available in sizes from 8" cutting width up to 60". The question you need to ask is "Where am I willing to take my business?" If your answer is: "I am buying my cutter for a very specific application (paint stencils for a consistent product size) that I am already doing, or I am a hobbyist and not interested in anything more than I'm doing" (i.e. motorcycle detailing) then you should buy a cutter that will handle the single largest dimension you will ever need to cut. Typically a 25" cutter is all you will ever need.

However if you answer the question, "If things go well, I'll take whatever comes my way, then you need to think about a larger cutter. For example once you get into vehicle graphics, it won't be long before someone wants the side of their van, trailer, or truck done, and they are not going to allow you to seam their 30" logo with 2 pieces of vinyl you cut on your 25" cutter. You might have to turn down that large light box face job, pay someone else to cut the graphics for you, or turn them over to your competitor because the job requires graphics that are larger than 24" in all directions. A 36", 48", or 54" cutter might be worth the extra investment down the road. The following is a rough guide for what you can do with different size cutters:

8" - 12" Cutting Width: Good for crafters and hobbyists; extremely portable. It can handle most wall lettering, lettering on some vehicles, and small decals. Drawbacks: 12" vinyl is hard to find and you will probably be forced to cut down larger rolls of vinyl.

24" - 25" Cutting Width: Vinyl comes commonly in 24" rolls. A 24" cutter is somewhat portable. It handles most vehicle graphics, smaller signs and banners, most storefront window lettering, lettering for interior walls or products, all heat transfer vinyl for t-shirts, and can cut smaller vinyl for all kinds of decals.

30" - 36" Cutting Width: Good all purpose size. It can create larger signs and can do most vehicle jobs including vans, and some trucks and trailers, Larger logos and decals. Can handle vinyl 30" and larger which is commonly available. It can also use 24" and smaller size vinyl.

48" - 50" Cutting width: Great for big jobs and large signs. Large trucks, trailers, large storefront window applications. Vinyl is commercially available in 48" lengths. It can also handle smaller vinyl.

54" Cutting width: It can handle almost anything. Special projects, large wall exhibits, wholesale work for other shops. People with 54" - 60" cutters often pick up jobs from other sign shops that have smaller cutters. 60" is the largest size in commercially available vinyl.

What I'm also curious about is why there is such a broad range of intermediate sizes vs standard jumps between sizes. For example, you can get one on ebay that's a 34" machine vs a 31" on Amazon. Both are entry level machines capable of loading 30" vinyl, but why would one company go a few inches different? As the buyer, is there an advantage to those few inches?

[Dr12volt1338 116]

What you have to really watch for is what is the largest CUTTING width.... Just because you can load 31" material in the machine does not mean it will cut that wide.... I have a 31" machine but the max cutting width is 27.799 inches..... Unless you plan on doing a bunch of very large lettering or images on tractor trailers and what not a 24" machine is more then enough... I have done a few trailers with mine and didn't have any issues but if it where something I was going to do a lot of I would go with a larger 54" machine. Again as stated above buy the best you can afford...

[Rodger 527]

24" . You can tile & make larger decals . I cut 23 1/2" with my cutter & have made 46" letters overlapping a litle bit . If you occasionally have orders/needs for large decals/letters etc , better to outsource those orders . Buying 24" & smaller rolls seems a bunch more economical in my exerience

[slice&dice 2,450]

QUOTE: "Unless you plan on doing a bunch of very large lettering or images on tractor trailers and what not a 24" machine is more then enough..."

This is way off the mark. The point of having a wider cutting area is not specifically to make larger individual letters, but rather, to enable the most efficient use of 30" width vinyl. As my customers place orders for all sorts of jobs, I am constantly utilizing the 30" size, especially when there are DOUBLE-SIDED signs to be made (cutting both at once within the area of 30")

In other words, don't think of the 30" in terms of big single letters, but consider the total workspace for maximizing your designing efforts.

In my shop, I have inventory of 15" rolls, 24" rolls and 30" rolls, and switch between them all the time, depending on which is the most efficient. (Also, take into consideration that many 15" rolls are perforated on the edges, leaving a practical cutting width of around 13.5" only).

[Jay2703 704]

I don't think he is off the mark at all. A 24 inch cutter is all most people will ever need.

[Rodger 527]

What is relevant is what stage of a business/hobby the buyer is IMO . I would like to have a cutter in every size & rolls of vinyl in every size , color & quality . Practicality & common sense says to buy what is the most versatile for the beginner or smaller operation . Other than taking up more space , a larger cutter is the same as a smaller cutter without the smaller cutting limitation . If the same price for the same quality cutter , always buy the bigger cutter if the actual size doesn't bother . I understand how everybody does things differently .. I never install large decals all at once . I hinge parts & work my way down , so having several decals to align is not that much harder than aligning 1 long/large decal . Look at prices of wider vinyl & decide how many colors you want to have in stock , then decide if it is practical for you .

[slice&dice 2,450]

Jay, many many many people who are doing vinyl cutting would never be able to function with just the 24"

What Mr Karma says is absolutely right, it may indeed depend on the level of job-requirements that a cutter user will run into. However, my statement is 100% correct:

"The point of having a wider cutting area is not specifically to make larger individual letters, but rather, to enable the most efficient use of 30" width vinyl."

In other words, it's not really about wanting to make a huge sign composed of 28" height letters for tractor-trailers (as dr12v indicated) ----- the true value of a larger width revolves around the layout flexibility on all kinds of jobs.

I only paid an extra $90 for the SC machine in 34" size, and it was the logical way to go for my little retail sign operation.

[Jay2703 704]

Jay, many many many people who are doing vinyl cutting would never be able to function with just the 24"

That may be true of MANY people but for MOST a 24" cutter will do just fine.And for you to say that Dr12Volts comment was way out of line is incorrect.

[slice&dice 2,450]

For anyone to define the 34" size as being EXCLUSIVELY for tractor-trailers (His words, not mine -- "Unless you plan on doing a bunch of very large lettering or images on tractor trailers and what not a 24" machine is more then enough...") is just a ridiculous piece of advice. Period.

Likewise, we are not here to get into an empirical analysis of what "most" people or even what "many" people are currently using.

The OP was looking for an objective evaluation of the technical advantages of the larger machine (or, conversely, benefits of the smaller ones), and wasn't asking what MOST PEOPLE buy.

I started out as a total novice, completely without any clue from day one, and bought a 34" MH budget machine to open a sign store. At no point would I have been satisfied to own a 24" unit for the jobs that are being requested of me.

And I've never done a tractor trailer, FWIW.

[UtahBrands 1]

I think what we need is more pics of tractor trailers!

The OP was looking for an objective evaluation of the technical advantages of the larger machine (or, conversely, benefits of the smaller ones), and wasn't asking what MOST PEOPLE buy.

Correct! I can already tell this is a good collection of observations and opinions. I am looking for my first machine to be capable of small work as well as vehicle applications, but someone else who happens across this thread can read the conversation and make the decision that's right for them.

[speleopower 46]

As a beginner I'm glad I picked up a 34" to start with. Make sure you have room for the larger machine in your house/shop.

As a hobby guy I could have gone with a 24" machine and I would be just fine. Honestly most of the cutting I have done has been using 4" wide vinyl. But I have made a couple of 24" wide paint stencils for myself and I'm glad I got the bigger machine to start with.