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Thread: Epilog, Trotec or Universal?

  1. #16
    Have to agree with Mike. When we bought our Universal, we never even had a Trotec quoted because we thought it was outside our budget. Fast forward a couple years when we needed another laser and we had Trotec and Universal quote it and the Trotec was less expensive than the Universal.
    Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
    Printers : Mimaki UJF-6042 UV Flatbed Printer , HP Designjet L26500 61" Wide Format Latex Printer, Summa S140-T 48" Vinyl Plotter
    Router : ShopBot 48" x 96" CNC Router Rotary Engravers : (2) Xenetech XOT 16 x 25 Rotary Engravers

    Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Cleary View Post
    Keith, Thanks for the info. I do want the BEST. I want to do laser photos first and foremost, but also cut top and back of acoustic guitars. You did not mention Universal? What is a good price to pay for Tortec Speedy 80 watt? Thanks, Mike
    There are several different models of the Speedy that come in 80 watts. There is a 100, 300, 360, and 400 - maybe others? The 400 is the largest bed size and has the highest Z height as well. You would probably pay between $30k and $40k for a Speedy 400 8 watt. The price will depend on the options you get as well as your ability to negotiate (and the dealers willingness to negotiate). The best way to get a price is contact Trotec and find out who is your rep. There is a Sawmill Creek discount but when I checked into it I got a better price from a rep than what the SMC discount would have been.

  3. #18
    Scott, if you HAD to choose between your Speedy 300 75w and your Universal PLS4.60, which would you choose? You seem to make the most sense on the various choices. What is a good price to pay for either of the machines you currently have?
    Thanks, Mike Cleary, Klawock, Alaska

  4. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Cleary View Post
    Scott, if you HAD to choose between your Speedy 300 75w and your Universal PLS4.60, which would you choose? You seem to make the most sense on the various choices. What is a good price to pay for either of the machines you currently have?
    Thanks, Mike Cleary, Klawock, Alaska
    Don't even need to think about that. Not even a close choice for us and our use. Trotec. We are currently quoting a job that will require us to buy another laser. It will be a Trotec.

    I cant speak on price. I used to go to all the trade shows and keep up with pricing on various lasers, but I haven’t been to a show in a while so I have no idea what the prices are.

    Like I said, that’s the machine that works best for us. That might not be what works best for you, I have no idea.
    Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
    Printers : Mimaki UJF-6042 UV Flatbed Printer , HP Designjet L26500 61" Wide Format Latex Printer, Summa S140-T 48" Vinyl Plotter
    Router : ShopBot 48" x 96" CNC Router Rotary Engravers : (2) Xenetech XOT 16 x 25 Rotary Engravers

    Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.

  5. #20
    Thanks Scott, Good advice and well taken. Is there a lot of difference between 300 60 watt and a 300 80/100 watt in quality if I'm into burning photos on wooden plaques? Also, what type of work are doing that requires so many lasers? Pretty cool. Waiting on a quote from Tortec as we speak, Thanks again, Mike

  6. #21
    <p>
    Just my opinion, we purchased our first laser only a few months ago a Trotec Speedy 400 120watt, first machine (first laser) no work for it we were starting from scratch. I did quite a bit of studying, its human nature to stay within your comfort zone when parting with hard earned cash. From the research I did, all I knew was that to stand a chance against all the other sellers in the marketplace we sell in, we needed a machine that would give us an edge. Time is money, if you want to cut things then a powerful cheapo is virtually as quick as a powerful branded one. It may not last as long but you can always buy a good one when business has got going. If you want to etch then the game changes, a quality western machine will leave the cheaper chinese stuff standing. A quality western machine will just keep going. Its not really the price which should be your main issue, it should be ..Can I put enough work through it to justify the intial price, can I get my money back within a specified period of time if I only do half the business I think I can do ? These machines seem expensive for a reason, we run a few printers, they need ink, they need staff and other finishing equipment to process and finish what comes off them, they break down. We work our machines quite hard, we put a life expectancy on them of maybe 2-3 years. The laser...... it needs electricity and raw materials (for the work we do), some laser operators only process other peoples stuff so they dont even need raw materials. There&#39;s not really any other consumables apart from lens cleaner and cleaning fluid, the overall running cost of the laser is relatively next to nothing compared to printing. If you have the right type of work for your machine, your main concern WILL BE how the hell can I make this thing quicker...higher wattage tube... faster rastering speed etc etc. From what we have learnt reading posts from other &quot;Branded&quot; laser users, this machine, if we take care of it, should keep going for 10 years ( I think I can get a manufacturers extended warranty for that period-others will correct me if I&#39;m wrong) With the experienced gained so far we would gladly have paid double the price we paid if we could have a machine that did 3x the work the one we have now does. Pay a little more for the right machine and it takes you slightly longer to get your money back, pay too little for the wrong machine and you will be spending many many hours sat next to a machine you would gladly take a lump hammer to.while it dithers about trying to do your work. Good luck.</p>
    Last edited by Mark Davison; 11-19-2017 at 3:02 PM. Reason: grammer
    Trotec Speedy 400 120w
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  7. #22
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    Mar 2014
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    I am curious as how much these "burnt into wood" photographs are going to sell for to justify the upfront cost? I have done a few engravings and its not a big ticket item as its so time consuming to get it looking just right in wood or granite. Bill S. up in Minn. does some wonderful work with his Epilog machine.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Anaheim, California
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill George View Post
    I am curious as how much these "burnt into wood" photographs are going to sell for to justify the upfront cost?
    ^^^ this.

    There's also the "cut acoustic guitar tops/backs" thing, which strikes me as falling into the "automating the easiest step in the process" category.
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  9. #24
    Steve, not getting a lot of help from the Tortec folks on a price, even given that I have descirbed in detail what the laser will be used for. So, that being said, and you having lots of experience, what would YOU pay for a Speedy 300, 100 watt? Thanks for your time and expertise, Mike

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Cleveland OH
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    195
    Mike contact a dealer - We got a quote in 5 minutes. If you want the "best " Price then you have to go to one of the many shows each year that trotec is setup at. They do have several options and prices will fluctuate through out the year. Its not in good taste to throw out pricing for equipment without seeing the full quote and all the options. Im sure shipping to Alaska is going to Cost alot more than shipping to Cleveland (5 hours from Trotec Headquarters) Increasing your quote price over what I was quoted for.

    Also have them test your Idea - Wood burnt photos are cool but they take a good amount of time to engrave - Just make sure your pricing structure accounts for the time needed
    3X Camfive 1200 48" x 24" 100watt Tube
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  11. #26
    Just to make it a bit more complicated

    For engraving , an RF CO2 Galvo is by far the fastest

    For cutting, pretty much anything can murder through sheets of wood from a cheap Chinese 180 watt to a Trotec Speedy 400 with a 120 watt tube

    I have a speedy 300 here with a 120 watt tube sat idle waiting for a re-gas @ £6,500 a time (UK Regas prices are insane)

    If you are limiting yourself to the three brands then I would say go Trotec, My ULS machines are good but the two epilogs I have I can't stand...
    You did what !

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