I am thinking about buying a plotter/printer. I am a sole practitioner and don??t make a lot of prints, but the nearest print shop is 20 miles away. May not make sense to get one but I am interested in what other surveyor recommend/do.
I would think the replacement of the HP T120 would be the way to go. I don't know what that is, haven't been looking (yet) but ours has been worth the money. I wouldn't buy a used one, don't think their built to last. Ours is 8 years old and still going but I just don't think it's that sturdy and it's sounded like a cement mixer now and again. We don't do a ton of 18x24 or 24x36 but we when do it's handy to be able to do it in house. I'd like to get one with a scanner but the cost isn't there yet. I've got to check into leasing again but the last time the numbers weren't there for no more printing than we do.
so I have the HP T120 at my home for 4 years now. it has since been replaced with something newer by HP that costs nearly double now unfortunately but I will give my best input on it & my assumptions about what the newer/comparable HP 24" plotter is probably like (based upon my experience with the HP T120 & the amazon reviews I've read for the newer model).?ÿ
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as far as maybe just two dozen 24"x36" prints a month, it's perfectly fine for the job (I might print 2 plan sets a month or an occasional base map w/ aerial imagery underlay). I can usually get the HP711 cartridges to last me 1-3 months or so before I had to replace them (the color always empties before the black ink). But the HP ink cartridges are pricey and it usually costs me like $150-$180 or so to replace all the ink cartridges. Plus the firmware is specifically written by HP to recognize HP cartridges so aftermarket refills won't work on my plotter. somehow it even knows if I remove and then stick back in a used HP cartridge somehow? The rolls of 24" - 20lb bond paper (basic plan paper) are about $10-$15 per roll depending on how many I buy at once.?ÿ
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For what it's worth, I had 5 years of experience with the Cannon imageprograf 36" plotters (one coupled with a Cannon scanner too) and I was never overly impressed with them either. I truly think the days of quality made plotters that are gone 🙁 and they cost a fortune too. I did notice with the Cannons that the print heads & the carriages (believe those were the part names) did not last but that was with maybe a dozen or more plots a day
A couple of years ago I replaced my HP-450C with an Epson T3470.?ÿ I don't do a lot of large-format printing these days, but I do need to print 18"x26" mylars for recording.?ÿ So far the Epson has been a champ, much faster than the 450C and just as reliable.?ÿ The wireless connection is a bonus, I have the printer in another room currently and it's nice not having to drag a cable around to hook it up.
In the good old days before the Great Recession I had my HP-450C and HP-450D running like crazy. They wore out two years ago and I bought a Canon iPF780. Way better than the old HPs. Much easier to load a new roll of paper, and much faster. Most of what I send out now is pdfs, but nothing like a check print for catching little drafting errors. Note that the Canon is wide and heavy so first make sure it will go through your door.
timely post. My HP500 has been literally falling apart. Plastic parts cracking and crumbling. Now it won't power up.?ÿ Been able to replace parts in the past but like an old car...may be time to unload it. 20+ yrs.
From Jim Frames post, I looked at Epson T3475, but price of ink! $270/ea.?ÿ
The HP610 about same $, comes w/ built in stand and ink $65/ea.?ÿ Don't need 36". Prefer 24" media.
Any personal testimonies on this model?
I looked at Epson T3475, but price of ink! $270/ea.
The T3470 takes 4 each 110 ml cartridges at $73 each, total = $292 = $0.66/ml.
The HP T610 takes 4 each 130 ml cartridges at $81.71 each, total = $326.84 = $0.63 / ml.
Not much difference that I can see.
Then the T3475 is the Cadillac of ink drinkers. Uses 700ml cartridges.
That's only $0.38/ml.?ÿ Not a bad deal if you do a lot of printing.