large format printers

Gregg Gaffney, post: 326432, member: 1111 wrote: Hello - We currently have a Zerox 510 printer and scanner that is starting to cost more in maintenance than it is worth.

We have our current provider showing us a KIP 7170 printer/scanner but it appears that OCE printers are a viable option as well.

Does anyone have any experience (good or bad) with either KIP or OCE printers?

thanks in advance
Gregg

I don't think you will go wrong with either brand OCE has been around for quite a while. I use a KIP in an educational setting (low volume) and it works Great. I can print/plot, copy, scan to files it has many tools and uses embedded in it's software. We load two rolls of paper and can print any size we want. I have a friend that had one for years and had very good luck with it. Of course either brand is big $$.

T.W.

Tom Wilson, post: 326442, member: 247 wrote: I don't think you will go wrong with either brand OCE has been around for quite a while. I use a KIP in an educational setting (low volume) and it works Great. I can print/plot, copy, scan to files it has many tools and uses embedded in it's software. We load two rolls of paper and can print any size we want. I have a friend that had one for years and had very good luck with it. Of course either brand is big $$.

T.W.

Thank you Tom - for items such as these there are not a lot of reviews floating around. I have been hearing that the KIP machines are workhorses and the guys who would be supporting it are very responsive and we have a good relationship with.
One thing that is nice about the OCE is that it warms up very quickly. The KIP takes 2-3 minutes from what I understand which it always has to do when there is a client asking for a copy of a plan!

Appreciate the feedback

We bought a KIP 3000 back in 2007. A few months ago we had run 52,000 square feet through it. It was starting to get old and have a few problems, so we traded for a KIP 3100 with less than 3000 square feet. I hope this one last like the other one.

Gregg Gaffney, post: 326432, member: 1111 wrote: Hello - We currently have a Zerox 510 printer and scanner that is starting to cost more in maintenance than it is worth.

We have our current provider showing us a KIP 7170 printer/scanner but it appears that OCE printers are a viable option as well.

Does anyone have any experience (good or bad) with either KIP or OCE printers?

thanks in advance
Gregg

We have a Richo MP W3601 that is a large document copier, printer, and up to 36" wide color scanner. It was a bit pricey at nearly 18k 6 years ago, but WELL worth the investment. It also has a tray that will hold up to 11"x17" paper and you can put different sized rolls in and is VERY easy to swap paper or media out. Prints well on film (even though we don't use it). It's toner based (as opposed to ink) so the prints are fast and don't run. My only gripe is that the tech hasn't come along enough to make toner based color prints (where it is economically feasible). I highly recommend giving them a look.

We also have a Richo 2500, toner based, copier/scanner/printer up to 11"x17" and it is color and excellent.

Tommy Young, post: 326454, member: 703 wrote: We bought a KIP 3000 back in 2007. A few months ago we had run 52,000 square feet through it. It was starting to get old and have a few problems, so we traded for a KIP 3100 with less than 3000 square feet. I hope this one last like the other one.

yeah, the Zerox has served us well but they no longer make them for some reason. best of luck with the KIP!

Kris Morgan, post: 326459, member: 29 wrote: We have a Richo MP W3601 that is a large document copier, printer, and up to 36" wide color scanner. It was a bit pricey at nearly 18k 6 years ago, but WELL worth the investment. It also has a tray that will hold up to 11"x17" paper and you can put different sized rolls in and is VERY easy to swap paper or media out. Prints well on film (even though we don't use it). It's toner based (as opposed to ink) so the prints are fast and don't run. My only gripe is that the tech hasn't come along enough to make toner based color prints (where it is economically feasible). I highly recommend giving them a look.

We also have a Richo 2500, toner based, copier/scanner/printer up to 11"x17" and it is color and excellent.

That is interesting, I have not heard anyone suggest the Richo units yet but will definitely take a look.

I would like to see color prints as well but we have an HP Designjet for that when its needed and works very well.
All the new ones scan in color though which is a big plus for us.
thanks for the suggestion

I bought an Epson T7000. I wish I had never seen it. If I don't print every single day, the ink heads clog up. I have used more ink for cleaning the heads than printing. Have always had good luck with HP, and that's what I wish I had bought instead of the Epson. I called Epson multiple times, and it is like I am the only one on Earth who has ever had this problem, which is BS in my opinion.

Thru 40+ years I've used and been around many types and models and brands of printers.

It seems that the better image they print the more ink they need to be used and/or ink that needs to be run thru the injectors during the cleaning cycle.

With inkjet printers, there is no turning them off, they need to be turned on all the time to keep working.

For the quality of image, I prefer what an Epson will do compared to my Brother all in one at the same settings, just don't print that much anymore.

Call Tech Support and learn how to keep your unit in top shape while it just sits.

Turn on a digital recorder because they talk too fast to write it all down and go thru the process on your printer at the same time. They know a few tricks that are never in the manual.

I had a Ricoh that was not user friendly at all. I wouldn't recommend one. The Oce where I work now is really good.

We run a oce 36" printer/scanner/copier at our work.

It has had a few hiccups, the majority of which we can fix by powering off and on, and 2 or 3 times we had to call in a tech.

All in all, a good unit. I would reccomend it.

We have a Canon iPF755 MPF that our engineer chose when he started about 4 years ago. We don't use it everyday, but when we need it, it works. In the 3 years I've used it, I've only had to do the typical maintenance on it. We print all of our bid packages on it. I scanned all of our Val Maps (24x55) on it without an issue.

Thanks for all the replies.
I believe we are going to go with a KIP 7170. As many have stated on this board regarding survey equipment, having a good dealer that will service and support the product is important and the company we have been using does so.
Our decision was really between the Kip and the OCE and as with anything they both have their strengths and weaknesses.
Again, thanks for the info.

Frank Willis, post: 326852, member: 472 wrote: I bought an Epson T7000. I wish I had never seen it. If I don't print every single day, the ink heads clog up. I have used more ink for cleaning the heads than printing. Have always had good luck with HP, and that's what I wish I had bought instead of the Epson. I called Epson multiple times, and it is like I am the only one on Earth who has ever had this problem, which is BS in my opinion.

Isn't that great when you run into that or the infamous "I have never seen that before". Never a good time after that.
We have a fairly expensive Epson scanner we purchased that is two years in and starting to have issues. Finding someone to service it was not easy.

Frank,
get away from inkjet. The KIP and Oce' are good machines. Our KIP is 10 years old and still puts out.

Greg, you got it right. You need a good service provider. Our supplier/provider wanted a couple thousand a year for a maintenance contract. I told them I was to use it like a network printer and I still do. I may have spent $2,000 over the 10 years ownership