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Buying Your First Vinyl Cutter? Some Important Things To Consider
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SignWarehouse, the # 1 sign supply sales company in the world has released the following worldwide advisory on low cost vinyl sign cutters:
Having sold 50,000+ cutters over the last decade, we are the experts in the sign making industry.
Because of our experience, manufacturers worldwide give us the first opportunity to sell their products. Never has this been truer than since the onslaught of low cost products from China.
We have tested and evaluated all vinyl cutters on the market today. With these vinyl cutters having manufacturing costs under $100 it is easy to forget the age old saying: you get what you pay for.
After inspecting each of the above mentioned machines here is what you can expect:
- Inferior and defective electronics, motors, and construction.
- Specifications like speed and down force inflated up to 500% over actual.
- Silicone or hot gluing of components to metal frame, instead of using nuts, bolts, and brackets.
- Hand cut consumer grade plastic components.
- Chinese firmware not able to be upgraded to newer versions.
- Chinese or foreign software not upgradeable to future OS versions, such as Windows Vista.
- Low cost, consumer grade components used in all areas of the cutter: belts, gears, low gauge wiring, etc.
- Increased breakdowns, shortage of spare parts, poor response and inability to honor warranty claims.
Although the pictures may look nice on these low cost cutters and the companies offering these products may appear legitimate and in business for a long period of time, you owe it to yourself to check out each company. Ask these questions before you buy?
- How long have they been in business, not web or auction based, run out of somebody’s home or garage, but a real “bricks & mortar” business?
- Since you will need tech support, does this new auction seller have over 25 full time tech support employees like SignWarehouse? Or will it be email only, or use foreign telephone or foreign email addresses?
- Does the new seller of low cost equipment have 7 days a week LIVE tech support? SignWarehouse offers from 7AM to 11PM Monday thru Friday, 9am to 4pm Saturday, and 1pm to 5pm on Sunday.
- Don't be fooled by a feedback system, 99% of the time these numbers only let you know that the product arrived on time and undamaged. The real test is after delivery, after you have used the product for 3 months, 9 months, or longer. Signwarehouse is the only distributor that is a member of the BBB online, this covers all online and eBay purchases.
Does the company offering these inferior products really have your best interests in mind, or is this the latest fad before they move on to the next low cost product, abandoning all of their so called customers?
Remember, you work hard for your money, so it is better to consider these factors now… before the purchase. After you have the peace of mind that you are buying a quality cutter you will be able to relax now and after your purchase.
For just a few pennies a day extra you can have the best product for the best price. Look below at the features that are really important.
- Warranty… is it important having your investment covered over multiple years and backed by a real company? SignWarehouse operates in an 87,500 sq foot facility that is the model of the industry.
- Reputation… is it important that the manufacturer have a good and reliable product and reputation? SignWarehouse was here yesterday and will be here tomorrow. We want your business, but more importantly, we want to earn your business.
- Company longevity… does it matter how long the company has been successful, or continued to stay in business? SignWarehouse has been in business since 1984. 2006 is our 22nd year of continuous business.
- Productivity modules… is it important having additional software tools to insure your success? Many of our cutters come with start up supplies bundles, or software estimating programs that will make you more money from your cutter purchase.
SignWarehouse only picks the finest products, and we only private label from the market and quality leaders in our industry. Names like Graphtec and SAI (Scanvec/Amiable)
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Some Important Questions SignWarehouse answers…
Ask our competitors the same questions before you buy!
1. Who manufactures your cutters?
We deal with two companies to make our cutters. GCC for our EnduraCut and EnduraCutPlus.
And Graphtec for our QE-60, and our Q-75, Q-100, Q-130, Q-160 Pro series cutters. Their websites are gccworld.com and graphtecusa.com. Ask our competitors to show you their Chinese manufacturer websites.
2. How long have your manufacturers been making vinyl cutters? How long have you been selling their products?
GCC has been manufacturing vinyl cutters for over 10 years. SignWarehouse has sold GCC cutters for 8 continuous years. Graphtec has been manufacturing vinyl cutters since 1987, over 19 years. SignWarehouse has sold Graphtec cutters for over 19 continuous years. 99% of all Chinese manufacturers have less than 2 years in operation, and 80% of eBay sellers have less than 1 year selling Vinyl cutters.
3. Why does Signwarehouse invest so much into Tech Support?
It’s true that our Tech Support staff (25+ employees) surpasses our competitor’s entire staff, sometimes by many times over. The bottom line is YOU WILL NEED TECH SUPPORT. You are not buying a DVD player that you simply plug and play. It is very important to SignWarehouse that you be successful in your business venture. Look at our tech support website (www.signwarehouse.com/support/). None of our competitors comes close to supporting you after the sale like SignWarehouse does.
4. What should I check for before I give away my money?
Check the small print and the terms of our competitors. Look for things like: “30 day warranty” - “You are entitled to one 30 minute phone call, all other calls are on a per charge basis” - “We rely on you to help us supply content for our tech support” - “No warranty” – “You will help us to create the online manuel” - etc. This type of message should sound warning bells: Do not buy from this vendor! Also look at what other products they are selling. If they are selling baskets, or golf clubs, or ceramic trinkets, etc. listen to the warning bells: Do not buy from this vendor! These eBay sellers are just looking for a quick buck and have no commitment to the sign industry.
In conclusion, SignWarehouse has been selling vinyl cutters since 1985. This is our 21st year of business. We are located in one hour north of Dallas in Denison, Texas in an 87,500 sq. foot facility, with training and demonstration areas. We have a Tech Support department with 25+ employees. We carry a 7 million dollar inventory of vinyl cutters, laser engravers, and color printers. We sell a complete line of accessories and vinyl sign supplies for each of the products. We care about you and we want you to be successful in your sign making endeavor.
When you buy, stop and ask everyone the 4 questions above – you’ll be glad you did.
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YOU ARE BIDDING ON: Q60 with eBay Productivity Suite**
**Includes LXi Apprentice Software |
Accuracy
The unbelievable precision of TrueTrack™ in the Vinyl Express Q Series assures accuracy. Its 50 foot tracking guarantee backs that up — no other vinyl cutter offers a 50 foot tracking guarantee.
Durability
The Vinyl express Q Series has a sleek appearance despite its rugged nature. With more metal and less plastic than the others, the Q Series cutters have an incredible two year warranty and are a long-lasting investment for your business!
Smart Blade Landing
Smart Blade Landing is a feature that precisely measures the thickness of the media loaded in the cutter. (Most other cutters only measure the length and width, NOT the thickness.) Since the plotter knows exactly how thick the media is, it senses the surface of the media and as the blade descends, it slows so that it meets the surface delicately and precisely. Then, when the blade is raised, instead of going all the way up and "crashing" into the upper limit of its travel, as most plotter blades do, it goes up just high enough to clear the surface of the media, then comes back down. This feature offers several benefits:
The Q-Series cutting plotters are faster because they don't waste time traveling all the way back to the home position.
The Q-Series cutters are more durable because there is less wear and tear on the mechanism that raises and lowers the cutting head, and less jarring due to the cutting head crashing against the home position.
The Q-Series vinyl cutters are more precise because they contact the media surface with only the pressure the user dials in and not the added force of downward momentum.
The Q-Series plotters are more versatile and can handle a wider variety of media, including very thin media like window tint film.
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User Friendly Control Panel
The user friendly control panel comes standard with a large 20 digit X 4 line LCD information display and icon-labeled comprehensive controls, providing effortless operation and simple navigation of various setup menus. The oversized LCD allows users to quickly glance at all operational conditions including equipment status, speed, force, quality (acceleration), and tool type with pre-programmed offset value. |
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Media Feed System
The Q-Series built-in SmartFeed intelligence automatically unwinds the media roll and pre-feeds it for a user-programmable length as the plotting data extends beyond the prepared area. This intelligent feature, developed from years of experience in professional sign shops, reduces errors, enhances tracking, and enhances productivity. |
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Incredible Speed and Downforce
The speedy throughput performance of 50 inches/second and a hefty 400 grams of downforce gives you superb accuracy and versatility. The new Q-Series cutters perform highly intricate cutting as small as 1/16” tall text on vinyl. The available force of up to 400 grams means you can cut anything from 2mil cast vinyl to 45mil sandblast stencil with ease and precision. Nothing gives you more options than the Vinyl Express Q-Series. |
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Tangential Cutting
Tangential emulation yields clean corners and complete cuts on thick material. When the Tangential Control mode is engaged, the Q-Series cutter out-cuts the mechanical tangential system both in speed and output quality by precisely and intelligently controlling the blade operation. The on-board tool height sensor detects the blade tip’s landing on the media surface, then intelligently and precisely aligns the blade rotation for the following line or arc, all in a fraction of a second.
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TrueTRACK 50 foot Guarantee
The exclusive precision grid array drum on your Vinyl Express Q-Series cutter means you get superb tracking, job after job. Notice the even and finely spaced prongs. Compare that to many cutters which use random, sandpaper-like grit drum rollers. Our TrueTRACK cutters give you 50-foot tracking guaranteed! You’ll get TrueTRACK on every VE Q-Series cutter.
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Optional Contour Cutting
 The optional ARMS 3 (Automatic Registration Mark Sensor) system detects the registration marks printed alongside digitally produced images to automatically align preprinted images to the internal coordinate system and even compensate for material expansion/contraction. The ARMS 3 system’s user interface is enhanced making it extremely user-friendly and accurate. These intelligent features assure unsurpassed accuracy and consistently reliable operation for the most intricate die/contour cutting applications.
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Optional Media Basket and Extra Media Racks
The media basket facilitates dust-free cutting operations and enhanced media tracking for long, continuous project applications. The optional additional media racks enable you to keep up to 3 extra full-length rolls conveniently stored at the foot of your plotter for quick changes from one job to another.
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| Vinyl Express Q60 Specifications |
| CPU |
32-bit |
| Configuration |
Digital Servo Friction feed with MicroGrit rollers drive |
| Cutter Force: |
10-400 grams down force |
| Cutting Acceleration: |
4g |
| Max. Cutter Speed: |
50ips |
| Minimum Character Matrix: |
0.125" high, Alpha-numeric characters, varies with type of film and font |
| Mechanical Resolution: |
0.0002" |
| Repeatability: |
0.0039" over 80" travel or better |
| Number of Tool Holders: |
1(accepts cutting blade, plotting pen, and pouncing tool) |
| Blade Types: |
Super steel, ceramic |
| Pen Types: |
Water-based fiber tip, roller ball, and ceramic tip |
| Buffer: |
2MB |
| Ports: |
RS-232C Serial & USB |
| Commands: |
HP-GL, GP-GL, control panel selectable |
| Control Panel: |
20 digits x 4 lines LCD with comprehensive icon corresponding soft keys |
| Media Supply Mechanism: |
Integrated Accuload media supply system, optional media rack for simultaneously holding up to 3 rolls of media |
| Media Pre-Feed: |
Standard (built-in Smart Feed function automatically unwinds and pre-feeds media for a specified distance upon self-recognition of plot file length) |
| Power Supply: |
AC 100-240V,
48-62 Hz, auto switching, 120 VA max |
| Operating Environment: |
50° to 95° F |
| Pouncing Function: |
With optional tool |
| Includes Stand |
Includes Stand |
| Warranty |
2 years |
| Max. Cutting Area: |
23.32" |
| Max. Material Size: |
28.3.2" |
| Dimensions: |
33.5" x 23.0" x 39.5" |
| Platform: |
Windows OS compatible ONLY |
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Why Buy From Us?
There are lots of reasons why. Take a moment to read our CONSUMER ALERT before purchasing a low cost vinyl cutter. |
Still have questions?
Call us
at 800-799-5280 |
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* For optimum operation, we recommend a Pentium III or higher processor, 512
Mbytes RAM or greater, 200 Mbytes storage (300 Mbytes for ICC profiles), Windows 98/NT/ME/2000/XPPro operating system,
1024 x 768 resolution 16-bit color monitor and 4x or higher
CD-ROM drive. Not responsible for computer systems not sold
by us that fail to meet these specifications and
that will not work with above package or item.
** Warranty terms applicable
to cutter only. Sign Warehouse not responsible for changes
to manufacturer's warranty terms.
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