Full Version: Az Newbie Should I buy Roland EGX-300?
From: Don (HIGHDESERT) [#16]
18 Feb 2007
To: Vicky (ANDERI) [#2] 18 Feb 2007
Thank you for the reply Vicky,
Your comments have been very helpful to me. The corporate Awards and commercial signage are two of the things I am most interested in.
As I mentioned earlier, I had pretty much decided to buy a Laser Engraver, but now I am confused again. I think my biggest problem is that I have no clue where my market will be here.
When I started my sign shop, I just had to have a Wide format Printer. Shortly after I purchased my Wide format Printer, a friend that has an established sign shop in a neighboring town purchased a very large, very expensive ($70,000) Flat Bed Wide Format Printer. Within a couple of Months he had pretty much put the rest of the Sign Shops that were doing wide-format printing out of business. It wasn't long before I sold my printer and just had him do all my printing, as it was actually cheaper for me to let him do it than to maintain my printer and do it myself. I did however, keep my Plotter, and since he lost all interest in doing anything that involved cutting vinyl, my plotter gets to work sometimes.
I have been comparing (in my own mind) a Laser Engraver as being the Wide Format Printer, and a Mechanical Engraver as being the Vinyl Cutter. I know it sounds silly, but when I think of the two in these terms, I think of how my friend has captured the market within a 100 mile radius around here with his big, fancy, expensive wide-format printer. There are four engraving companies within the same area and I believe they are all using mechanical engravers. So my initial thoughts were to go with a Laser Engraver in hopes of filling a portion of the market that a mechanical engraver cannot do. But not really knowing where my market lies, I go back and forth from one to the other. Laser...Mechanical..., Laser...Mechanical..., Laser...Mechanical....
I will be attending the ARA Trade Show in Las Vegas this week. Hopefully I'll have a definate direction (Laser or Mechanical) to go once I spend a couple of days there.
Thanks again for your input.
Don
From: Jim (RETAIL74) [#17]
18 Feb 2007
To: Don (HIGHDESERT) [#14] 18 Feb 2007
Don:
Call them back and request a lockout code. They should be able to give you a code over the phone that will unlock the dongle. I had to do this a few months ago when installing software on a different computer.
Dongles that go bad should be able to be replaced. I would want a better explanation as to why they will not do it. Find out who the salesman is for your region. Maybe he can pull a few strings for you.
From: Don (HIGHDESERT) [#18]
18 Feb 2007
To: Jim (RETAIL74) [#17] 18 Feb 2007
Thanks for the info Jim.
I'll be running amock for the next two days finishing up preparations to go to the ARA Trade Show, but will do as you suggest and phone them again when I get back next week.
The're explanation was that it was an old version of their software and all they could do was to sell us a newer version of their software with a new dongle. I asked the owner of the machine when he purchased the engraver from them, and he told me three years ago. If this is true, and I have no reason not to believe it is, then who ever the salesman was, unloaded an obsolete piece of equiptment onto a naive consumer. If this is true, This is not a Comapny I would want to do business with.
After I phone them when I get back from the trade show, I'll post the results.
Thanks again for your help,
Don
From: Puck (PUCKERBRUSH) [#19]
18 Feb 2007
To: Don (HIGHDESERT) [#10] 18 Feb 2007
Don,
You can't go wrong going to the ARA Trade Show in Las Vegas. Lots of good information there on machines and lots to look at to help figure out what direction you'd like to take. I'm going to pass it up this year and hope to make it next year if I'm still in the business.
I also have a sign business with the vinyl cutters, run two roland plotter/cutters. I have two computerized engravers for the engraving part of the business. I never got into getting in the laser side of the engraving business since there is only one of me and running the machines I have now have always kept me as busy as I needed to be. There is something always to be done and the two businesses blend very well together.
If you can get the computerized engraver up and going it sounds like you will be far ahead with all three things (vinyl signage, computerized engraver and laser engraver). Should be a good set up!
Don't give up on getting the computerized engraver going, that dongle and software should work it's just the matter of figuring them out to make them work.
Puck
From: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#20]
18 Feb 2007
To: Don (HIGHDESERT) [#16] 18 Feb 2007
Gravostyle98 will run on anything from win 3.1 to WinXP. I have had it on all of them. But if it is a parallel dongle, it needs a parallel port. It is that simple.
The program may have become corrupt. A re-install should fix that.
If the dongle is bad, you should, (?), be able to exchange it for at least a very fair price for a new one that has all of the same features available. (If it was a red dongle it would be a totally different story.) The dongle is proof of a legitimate purchase of the program.
The person you spoke to gave you the price of the program and dongle if purchased as a separate entity. Your future system already has purchased that item so it is not necessary. Call back customer service to get a service person, not a sales person.
From: Ozzy Fox (CLIVEGARAWAY) [#21]
18 Feb 2007
To: ALL
I have a Roland EGX300 (wanna buy it?!), best advice is save your money and buy a proper engraving machine!
regards Clive.
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#22]
18 Feb 2007
To: Ozzy Fox (CLIVEGARAWAY) [#21] 19 Feb 2007
I didn't want to be the one to say it, because I have no hands-on experience with the engraving machine in question, although from what I've seen, you've given some good advice. :-)
From: Chewbarka [#23]
19 Feb 2007
To: Don (HIGHDESERT) [#1] 19 Feb 2007
I have a nice used Roland EGX 30 for sale! It is a beginner Engraver but it will get you started!.
Frank
www.chewbarka.com
From: Don (HIGHDESERT) [#24]
19 Feb 2007
To: Chewbarka [#23] 19 Feb 2007
Thanks Frank, but I have decided to look at new machines at the ARA Trade Show.
Don
From: Chewbarka [#25]
19 Feb 2007
To: Don (HIGHDESERT) [#24] 19 Feb 2007
Be sure to visit us there! We are right next to Epilog laser. Lots of Free Samples!
Frank
www.chewbarka.com
From: Don (HIGHDESERT) [#26]
19 Feb 2007
To: Chewbarka [#25] 19 Feb 2007
I'll make a definate point to come to your booth. I took a look at your Web Site, and am planning on becoming a future customer of yours.
Don
From: Ray (STAMP) [#27]
19 Feb 2007
To: sprinter [#3] 19 Feb 2007
What equipment do you suggest? I was looking at the 300, i need a machine that can do sign , name plate , trohies and gift.
D'ont want to pay a fortune for it.
Ray :B
From: UncleSteve [#28]
19 Feb 2007
To: Ray (STAMP) [#27] 20 Feb 2007
It is the signs and "gifts" that may be the determining items.... What size signs and are you including round items such as glasses, mugs, etc. in your gift list?
From: Ray (STAMP) [#29]
20 Feb 2007
To: UncleSteve [#28] 20 Feb 2007
In answer to your questions Yes yes yes I want to do must gift items
and for the signs i want the flexibility to do most popular signs sizes, what do you think that will be? I'm new to this business so I don't know what in demand.
Ray
From: UncleSteve [#30]
20 Feb 2007
To: Ray (STAMP) [#29] 21 Feb 2007
The good news it that you have eliminated MANY of the offered lasers from your list.
You will have to concentrate on machines with a rotary attachment to hold and rotate the blanks and determine how much depth you will need.
I do NOT use a laser but am responding from what I DO know about engraving and the work I have seen done on both rotary and laser machines.
As for the signs, that I will have to leave to the sign makers here as to what is the LARGEST sign that would fall into the "most popular" range. I know it would include 9x12 - 11x14 at least.
Hope this helps.... :D
EDITED: 20 Feb 2007 by UNCLESTEVE
From: Ray (STAMP) [#31]
21 Feb 2007
To: Ozzy Fox (CLIVEGARAWAY) [#21] 22 Feb 2007
From: Ray (STAMP) [#32]
21 Feb 2007
To: UncleSteve [#30] 21 Feb 2007
I 'm not sure if I told you but We will be getting a laser machine with rotary attachment.
So what you are saying is that We need one too for the rotary; exact.
Ray
From: UncleSteve [#33]
21 Feb 2007
To: Ray (STAMP) [#32] 21 Feb 2007
The laser with the rotary should do the job for most of the work.
Just watch the holding vice size and rotary clearance....
From: Ray (STAMP) [#34]
21 Feb 2007
To: UncleSteve [#33] 21 Feb 2007
I don't always remember to whom I said what lol..Old age....
My hard drive is getting full ( brain) and i delete the wrong things.
So seriously I will check that, what's the best ?
Ray
From: Ozzy Fox (CLIVEGARAWAY) [#35]
22 Feb 2007
To: Ray (STAMP) [#34] 22 Feb 2007
Ray,
I assumed the info required was for a traditional rotary for diamond and cutters.
There are a lot of makes, (New Hermes, Vision, Newing Hall etc...) out there. Here in Australia the Roland is the cheapest, I bought on price (dumb),
IMHO. you only get what you pay for , my flatbed isn't, the vise grip doesn't and the software supplied is ordinary. My advice is pay more for quality.
kind regards Clive.