Hello everyone. I know there are a TON of problems to be found online regarding the MH721. I'm just hoping maybe someone here has a suggestion I haven't tried. This cutter is "OK" at best (and not all the time) for small cuts. But even those can get screwed up due to bad feed/tracking of vinyl.
I am currently trying to cut a 72" long sign (biggest I'll probably ever cut) and there is just no way. And to make this worse, it was going to be a 2 color layered sign, so proper tracking is critical so I can layer it properly. The tracking of the vinyl goes to crap at various points. It could start off bad or it could stra off just fine and 2ft into the job it goes to crap.
I have tried EVERYTHING. I feed the vinyl off the roll so there is plenty of "free vinyl" to help the rollers pull as easily as possible. I've removed the pinch rollers and cleaned them. I've adjusted the pinch rollers tension. I've made sure the vinyl lines up with the ruler on the front and back. I've tried feeding a little (using the buttons on the cutter) and as soon as it starts to go off track readjust the vinyl. I've made sure the pinch rollers are positioned properly with the textured metal roller bar. Nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING seems to help with proper tracking of vinyl. I completely and entirely hate this cutter. In another thread a user mention shooting it..... I dont blame him. I am so close to knocking the complete crap out of this thing.
Without the blade down, I will manually feed the vinyl using the arrows on the cutter and you can literally watch it come off tracking by 1/2 to 1 inch (or sometimes more!) within a second or two. Its like someone is holding the backside of the vinyl at a slight angle.
Anyway, sorry for the long post. Just desperate for a solution. If there is no hope for this piece of junk any suggestions on a 24" cutter that WILL FEED VINYL PROPERLY that doesnt cost an arm and a leg? Thanks in advance for the help/advice/suggestions.
I hate when people start a thread and once they get their answer they disappear. I always wonder what the outcome was so I thought I'd drop in and close this thread with my final thoughts on my purchase (Titan 2 SE 28") and experience after about a month of ownership.
Dakota and Skeeter were right about the servo motor. Holy crap. I will never go back to a stepper motor. I really like how quiet and smooth it is. Part of me wonders if the vibration and rough performance of the previous stepper motor cutter I had played a factor in some of my vinyl shift. The difference between servo and stepper is night and day.
If you're looking for a cutter that is a great balance between cost, features and performance then I would highly recommend the Titan2. It was a bit mentally tough going from a Silhouette and a free MH721 to dropping $850 on the Titan 2 SE 28" but I am so glad I did. A few weeks after I purchased mine it was $100 less on some special sale so keep an eye out! With the past 2 cutters I had it seemed like it was such a chore to cut even the simplest thing (tracking issues, cutter going bonkers halfway through cut, limited vinyl size,etc,etc..I could on and on). It's nice to be able to say "Hey no problem let me cut that real quick." and know that it's going to be a simple and aggravation free experience. . The longest I have cut so far is 3ft and 15" wide complete coverage using vinyl from edge to edge. The Titan2 performs flawless - perfect cut, quiet and smooth. The vinyl catch basket is a HUGE PLUS for me. My cutter sits in an office with wood floors so naturally dust builds up that you dont notice (no matter how much you clean!) until your vinyl hits the ground. Being able to throw a roll of vinyl in the cutter and let it hang freely in the basket and know you wont have to deal with floor dust is nice!
Overall I am very pleased with my purchase. It has made vinyl cutting an enjoyable experience rather than a pain in the butt chore I would hate doing. I doubt I will ever use the full width of 28" but I went with that model because you never know where you'll end up. I will be cutting a 12 ft long x 15" inch tall floor logo in the coming days. I may split it in two 6 ft pieces.. If the Titan pulls off a 6ft run flawless I may just throw a party
Thanks again to everyone for the suggestions and advice. I really appreciate it!