Roland sp300i

[Ravisteam]

I have mised out on Roland Sp300i it went for £3500 I put a bid for £3300 ..one year old and no problems...my question is it okey to buy a used Roland but a new model ..like SP300i ,SP540i they go for less than half price of a brand new...is it safe to buy a used one like this??

[Justin]

Ouch, never mind, maybe it wasn't that good after all

My personal feeling on these machines is that I'd always buy new to get the warranty/support unless I knew the history of a machine.

I've thought about similar myself before but decided against used. Some of the Mimaki are very well priced in comparison.

[socialgiraffe]

It also depends on the Roland you purchase. Normally, the only thing that might need replacing is the print head. On a SP300 I think they are a couple of hundred pounds, on a VS machine they are a couple of grand.

I would gladly purchase a secondhand machine as long as I could see it running for an hour first. Nozzle checks are fine, but you just want to make sure the ink runs well.

[scotty44]

If you buy a second hand machine make sure you use it before buying it, not just a standard test print as that wont show any faults on the heads ask them to go into the settings and do a full test print etc... I bought a VP300 last year, was over 300 mile away so spoke to the lad over the phone in detail and got the company I work for to collect it for me. Within 2 months I had replaced 2 of the 4 heads at £500 each :rolleyes: .Also make sure you have the room, the 300's are massive for the size of the media they take, close to 6 foot long and you'll need about 4-5 foot for the depth! If you can get into the service menu that will tell you how many head shots the heads have done, which will give you a good idea how old they are and how much life is left in them (a quick google will give you all the answers before you go to view )

[Ravisteam]

Thanks for your valuable advices ..I like the huge price difference when getting a used one but in away its a gamble as you mention ...Its like buying a second hand car right ? lol..