Any experience with KIP plotters?

[Ed__Jobe]

Our company is budgeting for new plotters. We have a choice between Canon (Oce) and KIP. I was looking at the KIP 890 multifunction printer/scanner. Does anyone have any experience with this plotter? Any advice you want to share? The main difference I see between this one and say, the Oce 700 is that the Oce is an inkjet while the KIP uses toner. Also, it seems that Oce uses slightly older technology.

[DanFaba]

Hey, Ed

What software do you need the plotter for? This would help locate the best info to answer your inquiry.

[john.vellek]

HI @Ed__Jobe,

I have used both Kip and Oce (now Canon) and they both have their strengths.  Which Oce are you looking at? Have you also considered the HP line of Pagewide plotters?

I would suggest that regardlesss of device that a service contract be included and perhaps also include media as I have found this to be very cost effective.

Do you have a list of specific features you are requiring such as number of rolls/drawers, scan to file, PDF capability, Color, Print tracking, etc.

Are you looking for speed/cost/performance/quality?

[Ed__Jobe]

---

@DanFaba wrote:

Hey, Ed

What software do you need the plotter for? This would help locate the best info to answer your inquiry.

---

Mostly for AutoCAD, Map3D, but we do GIS too, ESRI.

[Ed__Jobe]

---

@john.vellek wrote:

HI @Ed__Jobe,

I have used both Kip and Oce (now Canon) and they both have their strengths.  Which Oce are you looking at? Have you also considered the HP line of Pagewide plotters?

I would suggest that regardlesss of device that a service contract be included and perhaps also include media as I have found this to be very cost effective.

Do you have a list of specific features you are requiring such as number of rolls/drawers, scan to file, PDF capability, Color, Print tracking, etc.

Are you looking for speed/cost/performance/quality?

---

I agree about the service contract. We usually do that. I hadn't thought about the media, however, that will come out of a different budget account. I was mostly inquiring about your history with reliability and things like using the included software, day-to-day operations. I just don't have any experience with KIP to know if they are a good company that puts out quality equipment. We've used HP in the past, I'll probably look at them too. You didn't mention reliability. I guess that's mainly what I was asking about.

[john.vellek · Accepted solution]

Hi @Ed__Jobe,

I din't mention reliability as in my experience, they can all be a bit finicky at times and that is why I have found it imperative to have them under a service contract.

I believe, if memory serves me correctly, that the last two Oce machines I had would need some love every other month - a bad sensor or paper handling issue.  The issues would be minimal for the most part but downtime is still downtime.

The Kips I have worked with were older machines that I inherited so it is not really apples-to-apples but they seemed to require a bit more attention but that might have been due to the amount of use on them.

I would personally not hesitate to recommend either manufacturer and I would look at the HP too just to check the offering.  If you are looking at DesignJets I would say the service cycle is pretty good. I have no experience with the Pagewide  series to offer any info.

[Ed__Jobe]

Thanks for the info John. Good point about reliability. thx

[darrelldixon]

The first KIP (Kip 2000?) machine we had was back in the early-mid 2000's. It required a lot of maintenance and service, but we had it under contract and they were good about keeping it running. We upgraded in 2008  to a KIP 3000 and that machine has been great. It still needed things from time to time, but was much more reliable that the first one. It was still working great when we replaced it two months ago with a KIP 7120. The reason we replaced it was that KIP was no longer supporting it (new drivers) or making parts for it - but it was very reliable and printed a TON of drawings over the years.

[Ed__Jobe]

Thanks for the feedback. IT decided to go with HP.