Guest Tint_Pro Posted February 8, 2009 Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 I started my own tintshop about 7 years ago in my small town of about 30,000 people. I regularly service all my dealerships and do a lot of retail sales. I have one full time employee that lays doors while I cut patterns and install bgs. I am thinking of upgrading to a plotter and using it not only for the speed and accuracy for tint, but also adding something to my shop that I can make a few extra $$ with during the winter months doing some vinyl. Whats the pros and cons from someone who actually uses theese, not someones crappy opinion they heard from a friend who saw something at someplace that didnt look good! I am aware of the costs, but am unsure of just how much it will help my business. thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bulldog Posted February 8, 2009 Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 If you do a lot of the same makes/models, then it is a plus. If you have the volume to justify the expense, it is also a good idea. If you can market yourself as being a cut above other shops, this is good. Most importantly, you should make a committment to add signs as a part of the business. This will decrease the impact of a slow down on the tint side. I would advise anybody to do this if YOU are built for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WearTheFoxHat Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 If you already have a good rep with a dealer adding Vinyl signage to your talents can only help. TONS of different text a dealer would want on the windshield of a car!!! You could even bump things up and add graphics to spice up an otherwise bland car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TintJunkie Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 If you do a lot of the same makes/models, then it is a plus.If you have the volume to justify the expense, it is also a good idea. If you can market yourself as being a cut above other shops, this is good. Most importantly, you should make a committment to add signs as a part of the business. This will decrease the impact of a slow down on the tint side. I would advise anybody to do this if YOU are built for it. If you regularly do dealership work, then its worth every penny. You could pick up a good used one for about $2500. I use a plotter for the dealership I tint for, but thats it. I keep it there and never have it at my shop. I can easily do 8 cars a day by myself with the plotter. You could pick up the software and plotter from Enpro (www.enprodistributing.com) for about $5000, or should they have a used one you can get it for less. Keep in mind you will have to pay monthly for the software use. They have their own system that is not affiliated with anyone else. Its called FirstCut, and its extremely user friendly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watchdaride Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 I started my own tintshop about 7 years ago in my small town of about 30,000 people. I regularly service all my dealerships and do a lot of retail sales. I have one full time employee that lays doors while I cut patterns and install bgs. I am thinking of upgrading to a plotter and using it not only for the speed and accuracy for tint, but also adding something to my shop that I can make a few extra $$ with during the winter months doing some vinyl. Whats the pros and cons from someone who actually uses theese, not someones crappy opinion they heard from a friend who saw something at someplace that didnt look good! I am aware of the costs, but am unsure of just how much it will help my business. thanks!! Been using computercut for 5 years now and my machine has been in repair for a week now. So I had to hand cut my windows . It took a day or so to get back into it and also we arent too busy only do 3-4 cars aa day during the summer up to 10 a day . But I was surprised to find out you get a better cut hand cutting and since its better cut its quicker to install. A negative is cutting the rear window with darker films and cutting uneven and short a few times . I still do prefer the machine because I am lazy but if your doing under 5 cars a day there is no real advantage to a machine . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tint_Pro Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 thanks, theese are the types of replies I was looking for! any ideas for which plotter and program to use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
addicted to tint Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 I've been using a system since 2000(Tint Tek). I was in this when it was really new, and it has only improved. I'm using Llumar PCS now. The best testimony I'd have to give is I'd never go back to cutting by hand. The majority of shops that have accepted the pre cut concept only recently (I know of nearly 10 different long term shop owners/installers), would never go back to hand cutting and wish they had gone pre cut sooner.. Most of these guys have been in business 10 plus years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest airgame12 Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 Use it for the vinyl but as for the tint, dont!!!! The plotter cuts one way and thats it. No two glasses are ever the same, and you really will not like the cuts. Ask your rep. to let you try one, and that should solve your problem! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oasisglatint Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 Use it for the vinyl but as for the tint, dont!!!! The plotter cuts one way and thats it. No two glasses are ever the same, and you really will not like the cuts. Ask your rep. to let you try one, and that should solve your problem! Been using ours for bout 6 months now. Cut without in since 89. I like it!!! We are a two man operation, and it sppeds us up. Not dramasticly, but enough to do an extra car a day..... do the math. I don't understand this alot of 1 make argument. We cut different cars ALL DAY LONG, and it is faster. We double team each car in the shop, and inevitably, one of us gets done quicker than the other. That person will then cut the next car to come in while the other finishes. I've been doing this along time, with ALOT of tricks up my sleeve, but I was never able to master cutting the patterns while the car was still outside!! And not to mention ppf. This thing brings me custy's that I might not have gotten otherwise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimguy Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 Its a great way to get a helper to be productive. Computer cutting, prepping, slapping sides while you do backglass or phone sales calls. For price shoppers and those who think they can do it, I sell precut tint kits to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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