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We run a 4 person shop. One 30" Allen Datagraphic 830 plotter and one GS-15 Gerber sprocket feed (mostly used for Edge output cutting. Three design stations two with Flexi-Pro one with Omega. Becoming apparant that we're wasting a bunch of productive time waiting for the 30" plotter to open up when we've got several jobs to cut at the same time. Heres my question...Does it make sense to have two identical 30 inch plotters or is it smarter to have a different plotter made by another company with broader range of capabilities?
-------------------- Tony Lucero Eagle Graphics Waterford, MI www.eaglegph.com Posts: 305 | From: Waterford, MI, USA | Registered: Apr 2000
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Here is my two cents. I'm a one man home based shop. I just got ahold of my third plotter. I have a 4B (15" sprocket) with a uni-link card cutting out of flexi, I have a S750 (30" sprocket) hooked to the 4B, and a 24" Roland PNC960. They all do different things that the other can't. I like it that way. I think a 24" is a good all around Plotter. That is the one I would miss the most.
-------------------- Rob Larkham Rob Larkham Signs & Lettering 21 Middlefield Road Chester, MA. 01011
413-354-0287 Posts: 517 | From: Chester, MA | Registered: May 2001
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We run two Allan 830 plus cutters in our shop. The extra expense of the 30" was well worth it. We were very happy with the operation of the first 830 we had. That is why we got the second. No fuss, no muss, no more learning curve with new equipment.
If it was me, and it was once, I would go for it.
Have a great one!
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
Thanks for the replies. I am leaning on Bruces idea of obtaining another Allen 30 inch plotter. My present one is just over four years old and works great...anyone out there know where I might find a used Allen 830? I noticed that the classified pages in Letterville are not as active as they used to be.
-------------------- Tony Lucero Eagle Graphics Waterford, MI www.eaglegph.com Posts: 305 | From: Waterford, MI, USA | Registered: Apr 2000
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Call Ray Marsh at Allan and ask him for a factory refurbished unit. They are an excellent deal and carry a one year factory warranty. Our first one was a factory refurb unit and worked flawlessly.
Our second one was purchased brand new for just about 4K. It has the two year factory warranty. The only difference between the two is that the second machine is black instead of the off white of the earlier machines.
We never regretted buying the second cutter. Not only is it great for those ultra busy times, it is great to have a back up in case of a cutter failure.
We figured that we were big boys and did what we knew we had to do. We can ill afford any kind of down time due to a machine failure.
Have a great one!
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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