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Choosing between Roland, Mimaki, or Uniform
Hi, all. I’m faced with a dilemma, and have to make up my mind a.s.a.p! One of my colleagues at work and myself took the plunge to set up our own sign business. The problem I’m loosing sleep over, is which printer to buy. I have used a Roland SP300 the past 4 years at my existing employment, and I am hugely impressed by it. I also admit to being a Roland fan, having used the equipment for 15 years without any problems.
My requirements is basically for a hassle free, relatively inexpensive to run print and cut system. High print speeds are not needed. (But will be nice) I basically narrowed my search to 3 options, being Roland’s SP540, Mimaki CJV30-1300 or Uniform Grenadier SP1400C. The price for all 3 is about the same: SP 540 @ N$ 183 500, CJV30-1300 @ N$ 181 000, and Grenadier @ N$ 170 000. The Roland and Mimaki are for new machines, the Grenadier is for a re-conditioned unit. The Mimaki is a once-off, first come first serve special. ( The exchange rate is currently 15.2 against the GBP / 10.8 against the Euro) My instinct is to go for the new machines, although if the Granadier is a much superior piece of kit, I will consider it.
In the view of members/users here, a few questions:
1) The Mimaki uses a single print head for all 8 colours. (2c2m2y2k). How expensive is this head compared to the heads used by the Roland (2x 2Col)? Does this head have a reputation for durability or does it fail as readily as a Hollywood marriage?
2) How does OE ink prices compare? We currently pay N$ 1000 (GBP 66-) for the Roland EcoSolMAX 440ml Carts.
3) How well does the Mimaki respond to 3rd party inks ( Refillable carts?) Will “any” solvent ink work, or does it have to be specifically engineered for the Mimaki? I will only (if ever) use 3rd party inks once the guarantee period is over.
The reason I do not consider the Roland VP 540 is simple: Double the number of heads means half the amount of ink flow per head compared to the SP540. In my opinion the heads last longer if there is higher flow of ink. Then again, I may be totally wrong in my assumptions …..
I have to jump, were opening the 5th January, and I want the printer present in all it’s glory when we open.
Quick show of hands, what would you do in my position? Confuse me some more! (hot)
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21 Replies
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i think you have answered your own question, i personally would go for the Mimaki, but as you said how impressed you have been over the last 4 years with your roland. so you answer must be roland especially as you should know the machine inside out.
I have only heared less pleasing reports about the uniform
isnt it basically a roland with a different ink set up that doesnt work as well
(somebody please correct me if i am wrong?????)if you go for roland or mimaki, i think you will be more than happy, one thing though take a look at the spec on the new mimaki inks they are quoted to dry much faster and hardern much quicker than the roland inks thus making the mimaki print and cut much easier to use!
cheers
simon
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I think your worrying too much. From the older Mimaki, older Grenadier and older Roland machines all used the same print head technology, so there is very little difference between them, todays machines are using a different print head and I dont know much about them yet.
However it is advisable to use the OEM ink for as long as your warranty allows so you do not invalidate it or upset the supplier and I suggest you order ink for your printer supplier and then build a good relationship, the supplier is interested in looking after you and then earning more profit from ink sales.
OEM Ink vs Bulk Ink
Say 1000ml (1ltr) is around £80 per colour = £0.08 per ml
Say 440ml (1 cartridge) is around £65 per colour = £0.15 per mlTypically bulk ink is half price of OEM ink in UK
I cannot tell you which printer to buy, I would like to see a Printer Review posted by each manufacturer but that is a bit difficult to arrange.
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i would definately say A Roland… ive had the a grenadier for 4.5 years which is a rebadged roland sol jet print and cut. cant fault the machine.
ive also had roland thermal printer pc60 and 4ft wide roland cutter and 2ft wide roland cutter… all rolands and all run and run…dont get me wrong, mimaki is a brilliant make of printer and proven its self time and time again… i just think the rolands have the edge. certainly with a print and cut machine. how long did mimaki blast the media about their seperate print & cutting option being a better production setup for years on end, only for them to now launch their own print and cut model? 😕
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hi rob
they are so closely matched and can only ever be put down to personal preference just like cannon or nikon, honda or suzuki, mimaki or roland!
simon
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quote Simon James:hi robthey are so closely matched and can only ever be put down to personal preference just like cannon or nikon, honda or suzuki, mimaki or roland!
simon
notice a trend 🙁
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I too would now go for the Roland. I chose the Uniform version of the Versacamm (Cadet) simply because I believed it would give me the option to switch to either ink. As it happens, I now believe the Roland inks are just as capable and possibly less damaging to the print heads and associated gubbins.
You also have experience with this machine – so why not go with it. You know it will do what you want of it – so why choose another?
Good luck with your new business – From what I have read of your posts, I’m sure you’ll do well 😀
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well i’m in the process of upgrading my printer has some will know. I have looked into both Roland & Mimaki very closely and it is down to personal choice because if you study them you will find pros & cons for both.
Kev
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hi kevin
the only thing is i think mimaki are going to price themselves out of the print and cut market especially on the smaller machines the 24 inch machine is almost 3 grand more than the smaller roland machine.
will they start to shoot down in price next year just like the jv3 did in the end.
if you seen both machines side by side and both price tags it would be very interesting what cheque you actually write out?
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I’ll go with Kevin.
you need to make your own choice, and without running two or three printers side by side, on a daily basis, it would be difficult to advise which to buy.
I think my mimaki is as good as the others, but to be honest cant say for sure, as I have never used the others.Print and cut in one machine? only for certain jobs, and good if you have a requirement in that market.
I would go for the maker/supplier that will give you the best service if things go wrong…
Peter
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quote Simon James:hi kevin
the only thing is i think mimaki are going to price themselves out of the print and cut market especially on the smaller machines the 24 inch machine is almost 3 grand more than the smaller roland machine.
will they start to shoot down in price next year just like the jv3 did in the end.
if you seen both machines side by side and both price tags it would be very interesting what cheque you actually write out?
Do they make a 24" machine, or is that a typo?
Peter
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good point peter.
in terms of warranty the mimaki is 2 years on everything from the plug all the way upto the heads and motherboard for the full 2 years. as long as you dont admit to having a serious head crash, taking it on holiday to war torn countries or playing with the machine while in the bath etc.
however the roland is only 12 months and read the small print which i did when looking to buy a roland a few months ago. under no circumstances do they warrant the heads for longer than the first 6 months.
Mimaki wins the warranty
mimaki do have the better warranty, but i think the 2nd year is loaded onto the price of a new unit. but i did find the 2 years piece of mind, very important when making such a large investment.
would you buy a car for £10,000 with only 12 month warranty! i think you may find in a court of law that the parts would actually be covered for more than 12 months! i know a company who actually challenged an electrical company over this and the supplier backed down by offering 24 months!
cheers
simon
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yes Peter, they have brought out a 610mm print and cut 620 roll printing up to 2ft wide & 10mm bleed
mdel number Mimaki CJV30-60. google it – guide price £8995
cheers
simon
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quote Simon James:good point peter.
in terms of warranty the mimaki is 2 years on everything from the plug all the way upto the heads and motherboard for the full 2 years. as long as you dont admit to having a serious head crash, taking it on holiday to war torn countries or playing with the machine while in the bath etc.
however the roland is only 12 months and read the small print which i did when looking to buy a roland a few months ago. under no circumstances do they warrant the heads for longer than the first 6 months.
Mimaki wins the warranty
mimaki do have the better warranty, but i think the 2nd year is loaded onto the price of a new unit. but i did find the 2 years piece of mind, very important when making such a large investment.
would you buy a car for £10,000 with only 12 month warranty! i think you may find in a court of law that the parts would actually be covered for more than 12 months! i know a company who actually challenged an electrical company over this and the supplier backed down by offering 24 months!
cheers
simon
I know what you mean Simon and under uk cosumer law the warranty is only an addition, its down to fit for purpose, however that is limited in some respects to retail customers only and commercial buyers are not protected in the same way
Peter
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i knew they would have found a cop out somewhere.
still think mimaki have the edge on the warranties!
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quote Simon James:mimaki do have the better warranty, but i think the 2nd year is loaded onto the price of a new unit.
if you are saying the 24inch model is around 3k more than the roland 30inch model, then yeh… the second year is already hidden in the cost… and the first! 🙄
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Simon
I should have noticed, I did get prices for the mimaki P & C
a couple of months ago as followsCJV-60 Normal Price £8,995 Special Offer Price £7,995
CJV-100 Normal Price £11,995 Special Offer Price £10,995
CJV-130 Normal Price £13,995 Special Offer Price £12,995
CJV-160 Normal Price £16,995 Special Offer Price £15,995I have not mentioned the supplier, but just for info for others to compare
Peter
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You need to look at your supplier as well and the support they offer. If one is a better machine but you get less support it will cost you when you run into problems.
The guys we buy our Roland off will take my call any time of the day and actually help me when I call. Not log a fault and make me wait a few days for a reply which seems to be the case with another supplier we’ve used for equipment.
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You could buy another years warranty for a roland for less than the price difference, also thought Roland heads had a warranty on depending on how many times they had fired something like 3 billion dots?
Steve
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So could someone post up the RRP machine prices for the other makes?
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I’ve no direct experience of anything else and my only guide is that the person who bought our old JV3 said that the speed and print quality was far superior to the Cadet he had used previously. For ourselves, we were so pleased with our old JV3 that, when the time came to replace it, we didn’t consider anything other than Mimaki.
Service is crucial to us, so non genuine inks is not something I would consider. If I’ve got a problem I want it sorting with one phone call. I do not want to listen to printer manufacturers blaming the ink and vice versa. For the same reason I would not consider a converted machine.
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Thanks for all the replies.
Point is, I was "sold" on the Roland from the beginning, but I still had this voice nagging in the back of my head I could be missing out on something even better. Maybe the thought of happily sniffing away at full solvent fumes all day lead my thoughts astray!
I have decided on the Roland because it is the only manufacturer with full sales and service support in Namibia. Their technicians visit our neck of the woods every 3 months or so, and pop by all users of Roland printers to do a quick clean, and replace wipers etc. as needed. (It costs 1 hours labour – about GBP10!) Call outs cost about GBP 200, though! ( We are a short 400kms drive away)
They also have about 90% marketshare for machines under 1500mm wide locally. Ink prices are also good – The Namibian price for Roland inks is about 25% less than the South African price for Mimaki inks. The Mimaki agents claim "lowest ink prices of any printer" If you figure it out, let me know! Typically you would expect to pay a premium of between 10 and 20% for the same consumables in Namibia compared to SA.And, as many pointed out, I am used to this type of printer ( both to operate and maintain/repair) so no surprises.
The dealer invoice for the SP540 went to my bank’s financing department this afternoon. Fortunately we dont have any "credit crunch" worries in beautiful old third world Africa!
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