Does anyone have any experience with these cheap imports? For 600.00 I would love to have one, but only if it works of course!

http://cgi.ebay.com/32-BRAND-NEW-VINYL-CUTTER-PLOTTER-CUTTING-SIGN-w-Flexi_W0QQitemZ7606602105QQcategoryZ26245QQcmdZViewItem

Nobody has any experiance with cutting vinyl on a plotter like this? How about the software? Is HPGL similar to or can it be converted into g-code?

I bought a model up from Here (http://www.signwarehouse.com/cutters/main1.htm)
Looks like a lynx. At the time I got the model up replaced by the panther
tangical emmulation wtf( 2000 more get a real one summa) a Gazillion more a gerber


All made in china anyhow.
All but Summa (http://www.summausa.com/) and a few others

The cheap ones china

Software ? Pretty much the same that came with mine. They usally come with a print driver that will follow a dxf file.But why bother .
G-code ?
Use the software they come with. No need to make it harder than it is.
Could get Cocut and drive it straight out of correl draw .

Guess it all depends on how much you plan on using it.
It will probally do just fine for most things.




Check the guys feedback ,sure is a good price .


Dave

I have used one like this... it's working fine, but of course, i dont think as tough as big brand like Roland. Anyway, for amateur level, it's a nice lil machine...

any1 interested, can PM me....

price wise... it's gonna b cheaper since i'm dealing with the manufacturer...

Yes, for the price if it works at all it would be worth trying out. I was wondering if the code it uses, HPGL, could also run a g-code machine. So I could use the included software for my router.

From the feedback it sounds like a deal. Thanks for reply's.

it comes with a software that ressembles coreldraw or signlab... but it looks like it's more user frenly n easier for beginner... like me!

as for pricing... pls pm me n i'll get back asap

btw, i hv used this lil fella for cutting full circle onto plastic film (OHP transparency), it cuts it out, but need to peel it off alittle by hand since this kinda film is really thick n rigid. so, cutting vinyl is no-sweat for it n its bundled 3 knives...

My $.02.... You get what you pay for. Go search the sign forums and you will find post after post of people that are sorry they didn't buy a brand name machine. The most common issue with the cheap machines is uncontrolled cutting. For no reason at all it will trash a job. You put in new vinyl and it might cut it perfectly, it might trash another. Roland, Summa, Graphtec, Allen datagraph, all good machines.

Roland & any HPGL driver I cut straight from corelword is never buy a plotter named after an Animal

I'd try here...

http://www.signindustry.com/mb5/


A sign-industry related forum.

Carlo

I never buy anything from ebay that lists the buyers as "private." No way to check feedback, what are they hiding?

Halfnutz,
No It wont run your router,if its a parallel port mach 3 type machine.
Perhaps if you had a serial port or a gecko grex type. :rolleyes:

But it will probably allow a dxf export that will work with sheetcam then to mach3.

Thats what I do ,lol, haven't learned cad yet but can draw it up in the sign program.
You cant beat the assortment of fonts they usually come with.

The only problems I 've had with my Chinese cutter is me not changing settings when changing material.

Ive cut calender, cast and up to 35 mil hartco with it .
Mind you I use mine more as a hobby/side job machine but after 4 yrs it still does anything I want it to.

Take the time to learn the parameters of capability and your disappointments will be less.

(kind of like cnc routers)





Dave

Wow, lots of great feedback, thanks to all. Sounds like a gamble of sorts, not a 2500 dollar Roland of course but probably worthwhile if caution is taken when selecting vendor and using a little gentle care handling the machines.

Being able to convert and utilize the software would make it quite a usefull addition, since most of what I do involves text.

Being able to make sandblast mask would really be cool to experiment with. I am torn between spending my money on one of these right now or investing in more parts for my yet to be made servo router. Man, servo stuff is expensive.

These vinyl cutters really look like alot of funfor the money.

SignWarehouse looks like a decent company to deal with, they are a little more money but still have starter packages under $1000.00.

try this one. They've got nice starter packages with the master cutters, but it has the full version of signgo pro, not just the starter verstion of flexi, and thier start packages are pretty complete. It's what I started with. prices like these make start-up costs bearable.


http://www.duluthsignsupply.com/cutter_plotters.htm
http://www.duluthsignsupply.com/Cutter%20Packages.htm

Nobody has any experiance with cutting vinyl on a plotter like this? How about the software? Is HPGL similar to or can it be converted into g-code?
Hpgl is not close to G-Code in my opinion I wish it was I could program Hpgl whoo hooo
A brand new roland 24" can be had for $1800.00& is great machine most Rolands are lasting 20+years where as chinese are lasting months. Been in the sign biz years so info based on mine & others in the biz experience

Hlafnutz says: "SignWarehouse looks like a decent company to deal with".

"Looks" is the key word. If you want to buy something from them, fine, they have good prices, but they have the worst tech support on Earth! Try it...pretend you bought a machine from them & try to get them to call you back. When they do,(tomorrow, the next day?) they usually aren't much help!

My $.02

Hlafnutz says: "SignWarehouse looks like a decent company to deal with".

"Looks" is the key word. If you want to buy something from them, fine, they have good prices, but they have the worst tech support on Earth! Try it...pretend you bought a machine from them & try to get them to call you back. When they do,(tomorrow, the next day?) they usually aren't much help!

My $.02very true Oak

The other problem with these cutters is getting spare parts, the few people I know of that have had them have found spares a problem.

I have a Summa and it's been very good for over 3 years and I know poeple that have used them for many years.

HPGL doesn't support the Z axis fully so you just get up or down, fine for a plasma cutter but no good for a router or mill.

Steve

sold out 4 plotter/cutter here, 48" cutting width with USB or serial interface. Noise level reduced and the clampling system upgraded. I hv test cutting mylar sheet of 1.5mm thick, it can cut thru the plastic sheet at 30-40% of total force (175-250g). But it's not desired since it'll cut thru the base and moreover the plastic sheet that's cut/separated will peel up and causing unwanted jamming situation while the sheet is moving in/out.

Accuracy wise? test a 10mm, 100mm, 250mm and 500mm circles. It's 1mm out of 500mm inaccurate. Roughly 0.2% error. This has consider both the X and Y movement...

I m getting it at cost price (well, marked up abit for profit of doing the ordering/qc jobs) of usd590 for this 4ft cutter/plotter. More units ordered in bulk can get 10% off... who is gonna be the "distributor" there to lead this bulk order?

go to http://www.signmax.us/Achatenligne/index.aspx they sell good software and cutter(package deal)

These Chinese plotters are good for hobby. If you cut once and while they'll be ok. I have been in the sign Biz for years and I will only use Gerber. I've used Signlab, Flexisign Pro ETC but there is nothing easier to use than the Gerber Omega software and Gerber cutters. I have 2 HS-15+ plotters and an Embosstrack 750 48" Even the Roland plotters are flaky I started with Roland and quickly got rid of it. It would mess up often and cost me in a lot of vinyl scrap. I have used so many brands out there. Gerber is #1 in my book. You get what you pay for.

Pimpbike, It's been a long, long time since you bought a machine. You make a good point about most of the Chinese cutters, although a few are getting better. I'm old enough to remember that anything made in Japan was junk. I think China may do the same turnaround.....eventually. For now I believe you'll find that any of brand name cutters will give long life and have good support.... Roland, Summa, Graphtec, Gerber if you want to pay Mercedes prices for Chevy stuff. Did you know that Gerber's friction cutter is Summa's old machine? Yup, Gerber bought the rights to it, put their name on it and raised the price $1,000. As for software, personally, I find Flexi much easier to use than Gerber.
People gotta start someplace, SigncutX2 is wonderful software for the money. Mate it with Corel X3 & you can do anything. The Copam Chinese cutter won't steer you wrong. The Refine and Pcut are bottom of the barrel, but that Copam really isn't a bad cutter. I'd say the best thing out of China so far.

Your right it's been a long time since I've bought my machines, goes to show you how good Gerber potters are. I knew the embosstrack 48 is a Summa, made in Belgium I believe. I had bought the machine used for a grand. It's made me well over 100x that since I've had it. For me I'd Rather support a Canadian or US manufacturer any day as long as the company's products have a great track record. Would I buy a GM? The answer to that is a big HELL NO!