Lease vs. Purchase

[jaybyrd 3,770]

That snap on is heavily protected copyright. I pay my bill every week and can't letter the franchisee's truck without corporate approval. Besides that my customers pick up their signs at my store and are a lot closer than 40'. I'm not gonna tell them it'll be OK once you get far enough away.

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

Why don't you want us to look at 3 ft?   Those same people with value cutters are making vehicle graphics, just like me,  and are seeing those designs up close. Why not 2ft?  Why 40ft back?

 

I don't play around with little projects either.  Mine run from average 8ft to 16ftL. x 20" wide, the more detailed, the better seller it makes.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

The last time we tried to get approval to do work on his truck they sent him a letter stating all work had to be done at an authorized shop. No other permissions are given. And they wanted around $1000 to redo the 2 sides of his truck.

[slice&dice 2,450]

...my customers pick up their signs at my store and are a lot closer than 40'. I'm not gonna tell them it'll be OK once you get far enough away.

 

My signs look 100% perfect at 1-foot away.

 

End of story.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

Still like to know about that copyright issue because I've been trying for a year to get approval and I pay snap on credit $100 a week for the last 2 years and even with that they don't consider me worthy of permission.

[slice&dice 2,450]

How could I possibly know why you and SnapOn Credit can't get on the same page?

[jaybyrd 3,770]

Come tax time I'm gonna need a whole lot more aspirin and maybe some liquor. Been a really good year so far. The headaches come from being too busy for a 1 man shop but I like the high stress of deadlines looming over me. NOT

[slice&dice 2,450]

I feel yer pain, Dawg.

 

Hey, I think there's finally a buyer for my place !!!

If I can conclude the deal this week, I'll be getting out of the computer-cutting business.

 

I'll probably still hang here in the Forums, and pass along whatever tidbits I can.

I like it here.

 

Ciao, bambino.

[bikemike 711]

My signs look 100% perfect at 1-foot away.

 

End of story.

Slice, please define 100% perfect.

 

Not trying to start anything, but really, what is 100% and by who's stanards?

[slice&dice 2,450]

Standards of the industry.

The technology of HPGL. (Plotting)

We send the project to the cutter, the cutter reproduces the data 100% (hitting each and every node of the design).

[bikemike 711]

HPGL is older than the hills.

you tell the computer,the computer tells the cutter, the cutter does what it thinks the computer wants.

Sort of like skipping a stone on the lake. You hope for 7 skips, the stone does what the water wants.

NOTHING is 100% Except death.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

Boy how everything I just reread looks so unfamiliar.

[slice&dice 2,450]

To the extent that we depend on data transfer to be accurate, let's use the 100% number as the way we measure things in the real world.

 

I end up with lettering that looks like what I created in SignBlazer.

Humans can view the text messages on the signs, and life goes on.

[bikemike 711]

So it deos nto haev to be exaet, juts cloes enuohg to get the pikture?

[slice&dice 2,450]

It's exact, it's precise, it's not ANY less quality sign lettering than you can produce with your Graphtec.

Believe me, I've looked at signs that came out of a Graphtec and there's NO difference in results to what I'm doing with the SC. None. Whatsoever.

 

Take it or leave it.

You asked and I answered.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

Most of us started with lower machines and stepped up over time to graphtecs or rolands. If you are just doing text like you say I imagine a lower machine is fine for your needs. Many of us do way more than just large letters on a substrate and it has been proven many times over which machines are better overall performers, BTW those big letters you do will cut faster and quieter with a graphtec. Even those logos that you chose to remove will cut faster with a graphtec.

[Monkey 252]

So it deos nto haev to be exaet, juts cloes enuohg to get the pikture?

When its just text, i guess it can be cut with scissors.

[slice&dice 2,450]

When its just text, i guess it can be cut with scissors.

 

Whatever....

[bossman696 28]

Well I just saved a bunch of money on my insurance….. and vinyl cutter!   

 

I had a demo of a graphtec cutter yesterday and maybe it was the skill level, or rather lack of, on the part of the salesman, but I was not impressed at all.  First they didn't have a test file to use other than a contour cut, which he couldn't get to work.  Luckily I brought several of my own test files I had recently completed and a roll of vinyl to play with.

 

First cut was so heavy it pulled up the corners of every letter it cut.  When I say every letter, I mean EVERY letter.  It even tore through the back line on an entire section of the cut.  He makes a few adjustments, then runs a few test cuts and cuts it again.  When I start to weed the sample, letters just start jumping off the page with the scrap vinyl.  We go round and round about my issues and concerns, and then I get the dull blade, bad cutting strip excuse.  I'm like ok, this is a demo machine that your are using to sell other machines. Shouldn't it be in tip-top shape for that very reason?

 

I have to agree with slice&dice, there doesn't seem to be much difference in the final products of the more expensive and less expensive machines.  I mean sure, I have the slightly wavy lines on diagonals cuts, which I have attributed to the steps in the geared belt and drive motor types.

 

The graphtec had several really nice features like the slight vacuum pressure on the vinyl as it cuts to help with material buckle (if that is what it's called.. LOL).  It was super quite!  Another plus, but with the issues I observed, I just couldn't justify an $1800 outlay just for less noise.

 

I'm sure many will have something to add.  Maybe when I'm in a better mood, I will look at them again.  But right now, a $12 replacement cutting strip for my 24" SC cutter has me dancing in a circle at how much better and consistent my cuts are again.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

A poor operator makes not a poor machine. The rep apparently has little to no experience on the machine he's trying to sell. I used a LP1 for several years and it did what I needed. Once I no longer felt that way I upgraded to a Graphtec but for anybody local to me I'll put my Graphtec up against any value cutter and show you differences in quality and speed all day long. On that if a $12 fix made you happy that is a whole lot cheaper than a new machine and I'm happy for you. Hope that sales rep doesn't work on commission cause it sound like he'll be eating ramen noodles for a while.

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

Bossman, if you are happy there is no reason to upgrade - and if you believe any salesman is as good of an operator as someone that does it all the time I have to disactree - that's way they sell  . . . .those that can do those that can't sell . . . . . when you get that SC dialed in to where you can cut this one that Bill did on his Graphtec I bow down to you,   yeh close up that reads bellaire

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

and when you can cut these very detailed designs, with your SC,without blowing out the memory, and accurately,  Then I will bow down to you also,  and do it every time,,, the first time. I am not afraid to put any detailed file in my machine and run out of memory. You can run a Graphtec on USB with no problems of static.   I know how to run my Graphtec.      I am VERY happy with my Graphtec, and would never go back to a value cutter. 

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

but if he is happy with what he has then it make sense to just replace the cut strip . . . . it is all what you are happy with. everyone should be happy happy happy

[jaybyrd 3,770]

yeah happy happy happy. If everybody needed a graphtec or roland nobody would be selling anything else. And yes with patience you can get very to the level of a higher machine, it just takes more tweaking to do it and maintain that level.

[bossman696 28]

but if he is happy with what he has then it make sense to just replace the cut strip . . . . it is all what you are happy with. everyone should be happy happy happy

 

This is true, but don't get me wrong, I was all ready to make the jump and move "up" to a graphtec, but that demo left a bad taste in my mouth.  I am seriously considering the Vinyl Express (Rebadged Graphtec CE6000-60) and seeing if I can make it cut with my sign cut software.  They say it is not mac compatible, but I have my suspicions.