Need advice on the Komori Sprint 226 or 228

[ttopman]

Hi everyone, we are looking into buying a good used 2 color press . I've set my eyes on the Komori Sprint GS presses. Most of my work is on 80 GSM to 300gsm stock. We do fliers , brochures, invites, magazines and newsletters.
Of course, ideally I would love a 4 colour press but the cost is to high for us to bear.

An older printer is saying we should go for the Heidelberg SORDZ which we find it be in the same price range as the Komori...at least here locally in Nigeria. Though I value his advice, I think it'd be like throwing money away buying that machine for the applications we have in mind.

I need help and advice from users of the Sprint GS models....how good is the registration for process work? What about maintenance? How rugged is it? Is it costly to maintain? How's the print quality ? Please any advice is welcome...
Thanks

 

[ttopman]

Both machines are high quality presses. The 2 color 29" S-model Heidelberg you're referring to is actually a SORMZ, not a SORDZ. I think the SORDZ is a 40" press.

The Komori Sprint is either a 26" or 28" press and is a great machine as well. Depending on who the operator is, it might actually be the preferred press to operate.

Both presses register the sheet as well as can be expected, they have mechanical pull guides and are very comparable to each other as far as that goes.

As far as which press is better? That depends on the individual operator. Both these presses are built like tanks and - if in good condition - will produce quality work for years to come.

Thanks for your input, it's much appreciated. I've seen 2 color SORDZ presses- they are 36 inch presses I think- that are 80's models. Are you saying their output is comparable to that of 90's and 2000's Sprints? I'd look into the SORMZ machines too.

My question is, do I need a 40 inch press for what I'm currently doing?

Thanks

 

[aqazi81]

Hi,
As Alibryan said,Heidelberg and KOMORI both machines are well built and print quality is also comparable.

Now it comes to availability of the press operators of both machines in your area and also spare parts.
A 40 inch speedmaster of the same age (late 80's) will cost you almost same but has an advantage of high pile as compared to S-Line. Also if you run 1/1 jobs then you can look for a Speedmaster Press with perfector, but stay away from badly maintained press as perfector grippers are costly to maintain and not every mechanic is capable of repairing it.
If you do not need perfector then go for a straight press.
40 inch press definitely will have an advantage of bigger size and will be easier to run 25X36 size jobs compared to a 25X36 press.
And when choosing a Heidelberg press, my suggestion would be to by the one with an ALCOLOR dampening unit. It's much more reliable and easy to maintain.

 

[ttopman]

I'm not sure exactly what type of work you're currently doing, so it's difficult for me to say. I also don't know what sizes paper is available to you in Nigeria. In the states we usually consider a press to be either a quarter, half, or full size press. This translates into 20", 28", or 40" size, approximately.

I still couldn't say what size press is right for you, but I could recommend from experience my personal preference. I would rather not however, because my personal preference is going to be different from someone else's. And for you to take my advice as a stranger on the internet when considering the purchase of a printing press, may not be the best idea.

I will say that I've run the press you originally posted about and it was a really nice machine, and produced high quality printing.

Thanks for your reply. I think I get what you're saying. And I appreciate your input.
Like I said earlier we run fliers, brochures, magazines and newsletters usually between 1k to 30k impressions. We occasionally do 80k impressions but that's rare.
The largest sheet size on the market is 36" and its ideal for the SOR machines because it just runs direct in the press.
Your last paragraph really helps as that's why I created this post. I want opinions from people who have owned or operated either of these presses. The more information I get the better for me.

Thanks

 

[ttopman]

When you say: fliers, brochures, magazines and newsletters, is this 2-color or 4-color work? If it's 4-color, and you run a lot of it, a 4-color press is absolutely the way to go. Unless you have time to run stuff 4 times through (2/2/2/2), and don't want to spend the initial investment. In which case, a 2-color press is great and definitely a step up from the 1-color press I'm assuming you're running now. If you did get a 4-color press though, you would find out how much easier things have become!

One other thing, a half size press is much more manageable over a full size press in terms of floor space, consumables, and last but certainly not least, the effort it takes to throw loads. That last part is especially important in case you only have one operator, and don't have a press 'crew' working on the machine.

Thank you very much guys, this has been very helpful in my decision making. By the way, does anyone know a good dealer for a Sprint or SORMz?

 

[aqazi81]

I know a few...you can email me at aqazi81 at gmail dot com.

 

[dabob]

Just noticed this thread .. . just my 2 cents . .. we are running 2 1978 speedster 72s, one 4 color one 2 color . .. they print as good a dot as when they were new . .. its missing the automation is all the 4 color was retrofitted to alcolor and the 2/c has epic dampening . .. but the biggest thing is just remember where you are going to keep the paper for a press that size . . . like I told my brother when we put in the "larger" sheet size . . . "it's not where you can fit the press . . . it's where you can put the paper that goes in and comes out of it . . ." IMHO you can't beat Heidelberg for longevity and precision . ..

 

[ttopman]

Just noticed this thread .. . just my 2 cents . .. we are running 2 1978 speedster 72s, one 4 color one 2 color . .. they print as good a dot as when they were new . .. its missing the automation is all the 4 color was retrofitted to alcolor and the 2/c has epic dampening . .. but the biggest thing is just remember where you are going to keep the paper for a press that size . . . like I told my brother when we put in the "larger" sheet size . . . "it's not where you can fit the press . . . it's where you can put the paper that goes in and comes out of it . . ." IMHO you can't beat Heidelberg for longevity and precision . ..

Thanks dabob for your 2 cents....lol
.. In your opinion can a budget of $40k - $50k get a good 2c press?

 

[dabob]

Considering that your on the other side of the world; I wouldn't have a clue but I do know that a majority of our machines that are from the 80's and 90's are sold for export to, generally South America - shipping will be expensive - talk to a local equipment broker and see what he has to say -


As a side note . . . . when I bought my first "large" sheet fed press a good friend of mine said "Now you've got a real press . . . now you can make some real mistakes . . ."

 

[awd1986]

I have a s228, it is very reliable, well built. It is like a toyota. Check for spares availability with the neasrest dealer. Check with your electric company to see if they can supply de 200v or buy a transformer for your press. Will save a lot of headaches.

 

[ttopman]

I have a s228, it is very reliable, well built. It is like a toyota. Check for spares availability with the neasrest dealer. Check with your electric company to see if they can supply de 200v or buy a transformer for your press. Will save a lot of headaches.

200V transformer? Please what's the purpose?

 

[ttopman]

It's settled that we're going Komori. Now we're considering going 4 color, it seems wiser to spend some extra cash going that way. Our budget is still tight though so now I've set my sights on the Komori Spica straight press no perfecter.
From all my research it seems the replacement for the Sprint with more automation and new tech.
Any users on this machine out there?