Xante Illumina Heavyweight Champion

[ttopman]

So, I talked to a reseller near me and he's said a lot of good things about this machine. We've set a date next week for me to run some test prints with my own files.

The price of the printer seems like a steal for what it promises i.e. print of stocks up to 400gsm.

I'm a bit weary of buying this printer, I can't find any reviews on it and reviews of older models don't seem altogether good. Anyone using the HWC and willing to share his experience?

 

[wonderings]

I have not heard great things about Xante. Will you have support for this machine if you do buy it?

 

[ttopman]

I have not heard great things about Xante. Will you have support for this machine if you do buy it?

The agent is promising us support. We are about an hour and a half away from his city. These are factors I'm considering. Sales people can promise a lot before you commit.
I really need advice and hearing from any user will help.

There's also the issue of the yield. They are promising 15,000 sheets at 5% coverage for the toners, is that good.

 

[damfino]

This printer is essentially an Oki 941.

The toner yield is probably accurate give the size of the cartridges. The real issue (problem) is the imaging drums. 40M impressions or less and exrtremely expensive. Test that 400gsm before you purchse - you may not like the curl. Get a 90 day money back deal and you should be OK.

 

[Fatboysmart]

I don't have any experience with the new heavyweight champion model. I do have experience with the older Illumina 502. We have two of them, and they are great machines, but they do have their quirks (as do all machines). They will run 400 grams pretty well though. Sometimes color registration on heavy stock (350 and up) can be a problem, but I have to say my machines registers pretty well. I can't compare running costs since these are the only machines I have, but a rainbow kit of toner sets me back about € 650, and similar for 4 drums. They do last me about three months or so.

I would not recommend them for bulk work. I use them for printing wedding invitations, business cards, funeral cards etc. Usually low quantities.

Actually I am curious about the new heavyweight champion as well…

 

[ttopman]

Thanks guys for chipping in. I'm running tests on Thursday, I'd let you know what I think of the printer.

I'd also ask about the guarantee. But seriously has anybody not used this printer ?

 

[damfino]

Correction: "This printer is essentially an Oki 941." - that should be 931.

It's a new printer for Xante - Oki released it just about a year ago. There is only one 931 thread on PrintPlanet:

http://printplanet.com/forums/digit...-up-small-laser-inkjet-but-no-idea-where-look

 

[Craig]

"I talked to a reseller near me and he's said a lot of good things about this machine."

Does any reseller have anything bad to say about their machines?

 

[ttopman]

Correction: "This printer is essentially an Oki 941." - that should be 931.

It's a new printer for Xante - Oki released it just about a year ago. There is only one 931 thread on PrintPlanet:

http://printplanet.com/forums/digit...-up-small-laser-inkjet-but-no-idea-where-look

Thanks for the info damfino. I checked out the Oki, it almost looks exactly the same as the Xante except for the heavy stock specs. And it costs half the price. I'm thinking it's a better idea to buy that printer. I run a offset press and I'm seeing rising demand for digital prints.

I just want something to test the waters, and see if it makes sense to invest in a larger production printer. The Oki seems to meet that need.

 

[Fatboysmart]

Don't just compare the printer price, also compare toner and drum prices. It could very well be that the Xante drums and toners are cheaper than the OKI ones (weird as that sounds) and if so, you might be cheaper off with the Xante.

 

[ttopman]

Update! Seen the printer. The output looks great and to me looks just as good as prints from the KM c7000. And it prints on heavy stock...yes it does. The software that comes with it seems quite nifty. You can control the coverage of ink on the sheet. The registration looks good too.
The Consumables! They seem too costly in my opinion. I have to consider if this is a profitable machine to operate .

 

[devilprinters.co.uk]

Hi Everyone, if you would like to see the difference in printed output when the OKI C931/ES9431 is used with and without the EFI RIP then please give me a shout and I'll post out samples. You'll be surprised by the difference.

Also I'd recommend sticking with the real thing rather than going for rebadged kit but then again we only sell the OKI version so I would say that.

Edit: If you find the consumables too expensive then send me a message and I'll give you our set per click costs instead.

Cheers

Nick
Devil Ltd