Help Needed Choosing Between Two Digital Press Machines

[Payless]

Hello Friends,

I am planning on buying a Xerox digital press machine. I was initially offered the Versant 180 for $23,000 but realized that it is only supported by Xerox for an additional 3 years - I'll be stuck in the middle of my lease term. Now, I'm considering leasing the C70, which is an entry-level production machine and much cheaper than the Versant 180. It will cost me $12,500 with a high capacity tray and a professional finished with 20k clicks. Which one should I go for?

Thank you in advance.

 

[gazfocus]

Where about are you? The Xerox C60 is a fairly old machine, it was originally released at the end of 2014. The Versant 180 is much newer, though I still wouldn't say it's worth $23,000 unless prices are way more where you are than where I'm from.

If a Versant 280 is out of your budget, I'd go with the Versant 180 over the C70. The C70 is not really designed as a production machine, more a souped up office machine.

With regards the service, who told you the Versant 180 is only supported by Xerox for an additional 3 years? What you would need to do is make sure your service contract covers the entire length of your lease which I think is pretty standard anyway.

 

[Ynot_UK]

@Payless are you currently with Xerox and a satisfied customer? If not, check out what the other big players have to offer, before you commit.

 

[Payless]

Where about are you? The Xerox C60 is a fairly old machine, it was originally released at the end of 2014. The Versant 180 is much newer, though I still wouldn't say it's worth $23,000 unless prices are way more where you are than where I'm from.

If a Versant 280 is out of your budget, I'd go with the Versant 180 over the C70. The C70 is not really designed as a production machine, more a souped up office machine.

With regards the service, who told you the Versant 180 is only supported by Xerox for an additional 3 years? What you would need to do is make sure your service contract covers the entire length of your lease which I think is pretty standard anyway.

I am from Canada, being told by Xerox they will not support Versant 180 after 3 years
that's the reason I thought to go with entry evel colorpress c70 which is way cheaper then v180, and xerox Canada will not support c70 as well after 3 years

 

[gazfocus]

I am from Canada, being told by Xerox they will not support Versant 180 after 3 years
that's the reason I thought to go with entry evel colorpress c70 which is way cheaper then v180, and xerox Canada will not support c70 as well after 3 years

I'm truly baffled because the C70 is much much older than the Versant 180. The Versant 180 is only 6 years old compared to the C70 being nearly 9 years old.

Is it Xerox direct that are telling you this, or is it a reseller? I half wonder whether they've got stock of C70's to shift so they're trying to push you to buy that one instead, but honestly, the c70 is not a true production press and I wouldn't buy one personally, certainly not for $12,500.

I think I'd do what @Ynot_UK suggested and have a look at the other manufacturers and see what they can offer.

I know we are in a different part of the world, but just to give you an idea, in the UK, you can buy a used C70 off ebay with a booklet finisher for £4k.

 

[pippip]

I'm in Ireland and I'm being told my v80 will not be supported from the end of 2023.

 

[pippip]

It's not officially out in Canada yet but in the UK Fuji, who are now independent from Xerox, offer the c810/750/650.
Looking at the specs, to me this would be a mid point machine between the c and v range of Xerox.

It would be a brave move as untested waters with Fuji but you could possibly get a great deal as they try and launch it in Canada.

ApeosPro C810 / C750 / C650: Features | Fujifilm [United Kingdom]

With a wide range of paper versatility, beautiful output quality, and high durability, a wide range of promotional materials can also be created quickly in-house.

www.fujifilm.com

 

[gazfocus]

It's not officially out in Canada yet but in the UK Fuji, who are now independent from Xerox, offer the c810/750/650.
Looking at the specs, to me this would be a mid point machine between the c and v range of Xerox.

It would be a brave move as untested waters with Fuji but you could possibly get a great deal as they try and launch it in Canada.

ApeosPro C810 / C750 / C650: Features | Fujifilm [United Kingdom]

With a wide range of paper versatility, beautiful output quality, and high durability, a wide range of promotional materials can also be created quickly in-house.

www.fujifilm.com

Going by the specs, looks like a decent machine.

 

[gregbatch]

Look at a Ricoh 7XXX series GreenLine remanufactured machine with a vacuum feed unit.

 

[Possumgal]

Things may be different in Canada, but even with an old machine, you can usually purchase a service contract. The place I worked for did that with a 700i until Xerox said they could no longer get parts for it.

 

[YourCastle]

I am from Canada, being told by Xerox they will not support Versant 180 after 3 years

They stopped supporting my v80 last year, so we got a v280. Getting parts specific to the v80 at the end of last year was a pain in the butt.

We still have our v180, so I'm disappointed that I only have three years left.

 

[TJPrinter]

It wouldn’t be a good idea at all to sign a lease where your service contract will not carry to the end of your lease term. This would go for Xerox, Ricoh, Canon or any other manufacturer. It’s a bit baffling that Xerox would even propose these options unless they can service it for the lease term.

I believe that the Xerox Primlink c9070 would be the up to date version of the c70 and it’s completely different than the Versant series. But maybe it would work for your needs.

Do some searching on this forum for Xerox and you’ll find some very interesting and honest opinions from owners and operators that either use or have used these in their shops.