Can i get a 24inch or 30 inch plotter for sides only???

[quality tintz]

Can I buy a small plotter for side windows only has anybody done this

[highplains]

I'm sure you could but why? The cost difference to step up to a larger, more capable plotter isn't going to be that much in the long run. Your cutting software is going to cost the same regardless of whether you're doing just sides or all around. Also consider that fitment issues with plotted patterns are most prevalent in the side windows. 

[TQtinting]

Then you’ll just be kicking yourself in the ass for not getting one big enough to do everything. 

[blackoutauto]

my first plotter i got was a 48" in the end it wasn't large enough once I started to a bunch of full PPF packages. I ended up getting the 64" in the end anyways.

 

if you do window film only then i would atleast get a 40" plotter so u can do back windows. Cost difference is most likely only 1000 bucks 

if you plan on doing ppf I would say 64"

[quality tintz]

What is a good cheaper starter plotter ??

[Tint Slayer]

Some dude in one of the other groups told me he had a 24" plotter that he had gotten for nothing and was using it but not much on back glass. So i called around assuming a 24" would be cheaper, oddly enough it's not much cheaper and not worth buying a 24" over a 40". I even called the people at FVD for some guidance on the 24" or 40" and it was the same, not big enough price difference to warrant buying a 24". the 40" is best  bang for buck as it's also one of the more popular in other trades as well.

 

Back when i was doing steel drawings in the 90's we plotted out our 24"x36" drawings on a 40" pen plotter. Maybe call a couple architectural firms and ask if they have an old plotter for sale as most have changed from plotters to large format printers and copiers in the past decade.

Edited October 14, 2018 by Tint Slayer

[jsylva]

Take this for what it is. We have a US Cutter 50" Laserpoint II plotter that brand new costs maybe $800. When going from hand cutting to plotting i already owned this plotter for vinyl sign purposes as a side gig. So far it has been cutting out about 60 cars a month (give or take)  for over a year. Is it as awesome as a Roland or GCC, probably not. I will say that even though the cost of the machine was cheap, it has done a fantastic job cutting tint. Being that it is a budget plotter, it has some quirks every now and then but im ok with that. For as cheap as it was new and the amount of use i have gotten out of it i have no problem recommending this plotter to people looking to make that jump without wanting to spend thousands. Buy some roland blades, replace the cutting strip every so often, and play with the speed and pressure settings and it will cut everything you want. Hope this was somewhat helpful. 

[quality tintz]

On 12/4/2018 at 12:24 PM, jsylva said:

Take this for what it is. We have a US Cutter 50" Laserpoint II plotter that brand new costs maybe $800. When going from hand cutting to plotting i already owned this plotter for vinyl sign purposes as a side gig. So far it has been cutting out about 60 cars a month (give or take)  for over a year. Is it as awesome as a Roland or GCC, probably not. I will say that even though the cost of the machine was cheap, it has done a fantastic job cutting tint. Being that it is a budget plotter, it has some quirks every now and then but im ok with that. For as cheap as it was new and the amount of use i have gotten out of it i have no problem recommending this plotter to people looking to make that jump without wanting to spend thousands. Buy some roland blades, replace the cutting strip every so often, and play with the speed and pressure settings and it will cut everything you want. Hope this was somewhat helpful. 

What program did you use for tint patterns what was best progarm???? Also was it hard to set up are strip and roland blades expensive...also is cutting program for tint monthly  fee or one time payment??? Thanks bro...

[Tint Slayer]

On 12/4/2018 at 2:24 PM, jsylva said:

Take this for what it is. We have a US Cutter 50" Laserpoint II plotter that brand new costs maybe $800. When going from hand cutting to plotting i already owned this plotter for vinyl sign purposes as a side gig. So far it has been cutting out about 60 cars a month (give or take)  for over a year. Is it as awesome as a Roland or GCC, probably not. I will say that even though the cost of the machine was cheap, it has done a fantastic job cutting tint. Being that it is a budget plotter, it has some quirks every now and then but im ok with that. For as cheap as it was new and the amount of use i have gotten out of it i have no problem recommending this plotter to people looking to make that jump without wanting to spend thousands. Buy some roland blades, replace the cutting strip every so often, and play with the speed and pressure settings and it will cut everything you want. Hope this was somewhat helpful. 

 

My first thoughts always are, how is the quality of the cut compared to using an olfa? Is their any weirdness or jaggedness in the cuts? Like are they clean enough to peel and stick with no worries? Because i'll buy this seeing as any machine i've bought has had to be "finessed" or have some special needs, whether top name or low grade i always have to do some compensating for the machine. 

 

[Sunbreakers]

@quality tintz in the past I have always recommended signwarehouse dot com and they have done well. The best deal you can find for mainstream printer is a vinyl express Q series...usually a Q42 or Q64. They are a generic Graphtec and usually cheaper. However, one of the other guys here tried to buy one last month or so and they had gone way up and were really not an advantage price wise over the graphtec fc8600. The girl I have always used cited the China tariffs as the reason they had gone up but Graphtec is a Japanese company so go figure. I tried the cheaper stepper stepper motor plotters made in china that some folks had recommended and it was a nightmare...didn't work, force was uneven, cuts were horrible and blades went dull like every day or week. My Vinyl express I bought three years ago I am still using original blade..not sure how as it has cut a ton of film. 

Hope some of this helps.