How does a Versant 80 compare to Konica C3070?

[gazfocus]

We currently have a Konica C3070 and are looking for a second machine specifically for sticker sheets. We have tested our sticker sheets on our Konica C458 office machine and one of the papers (a compostable paper) doesn’t like the C458 resulting in the toner rubbing off.

I can’t afford another Konica C1070/2070/3070 so have been looking at Xerox instead.

How does the Versant 80 compare to the quality of the Konica? Not looking for anything that’ll duplex 350gsm etc, just needs to take the slightly textured sticker paper.

 

[pippip]

From any discussions I've seen the C3070 and V80 are very similar in capabilities. Any reason you don't want to run labels on your C3070?
Our V80 wouldn't have much issue with light textured stocks but card textures would be troublesome. You can adjust a few settings but I'm never confident in it.
Linens would be ok, minor imperfections but Conqueror Laid and Zeta Hammer cards are a no go most of the time.
I only run smooth labels on ours.

 

[gazfocus]

From any discussions I've seen the C3070 and V80 are very similar in capabilities. Any reason you don't want to run labels on your C3070?
Our V80 wouldn't have much issue with light textured stocks but card textures would be troublesome. You can adjust a few settings but I'm never confident in it.
Linens would be ok, minor imperfections but Conqueror Laid and Zeta Hammer cards are a no go most of the time.
I only run smooth labels on ours.

We are having a new first floor built and ideally wanted to move our label printing upstairs (I’ve also got a sheet fed label cutter and a memjet roll to roll label printer). The C3070 will be staying downstairs and I don’t particularly want to have to print the labels downstairs and then take them upstairs to ‘finish’ them, although that would be the cheapest option.

The texture of the biodegradable paper is more like a rough uncoated finish. It’s not as textured as linen, etc.

 

[jwheeler]

@gazfocus , if you like KM production line, but need a lower cost unit, check out the C3070L. The "L" is the light version...still built around the same engine as the C3070, but is has a 20amp power (instead of 30amp) and it's lower cost. The trade off is that you can't get all of the finishing or the vacuum feed from the standard C30xx line. I believe the C4065 is the equivalent in the newer C40xx series.

The "L" series will be priced the same, if not less, than the V80. (I used to sell for KM and sold against that unit all the time)

 

[gazfocus]

@gazfocus , if you like KM production line, but need a lower cost unit, check out the C3070L. The "L" is the light version...still built around the same engine as the C3070, but is has a 20amp power (instead of 30amp) and it's lower cost. The trade off is that you can't get all of the finishing or the vacuum feed from the standard C30xx line. I believe the C4065 is the equivalent in the newer C40xx series.

The "L" series will be priced the same, if not less, than the V80. (I used to sell for KM and sold against that unit all the time)

Thanks for this. The V80 I’ve looked at is a refurb unit at £6,000. Wouldn’t get a Konica anywhere near that price unfortunately

 

[Mr Production Print]

Konica Minolta's aren't usually more expensive than Xeroxes in my neck of the woods. Where are you in the UK?
They both use similar technology with similar friction feed and fusing temperatures (although the Versant 180 has a belt fuser). I can't see how the Versant 80 will be much better from a technology perspective. I'm not sure why people are saying the Konica c3070L will be any better. The L stands for Light and just means it's packaged with a cheaper, internal controller. No other benefits in paper handling. We sell the new Ricoh C5300 and that can be equipped with a vaccuum feed paper deck. It's more than £6k though. Spending £6k on any device for a single job/application may not pay for itself. It may be more cost effective to outsource this job.

 

[Ynot_UK]

I'm not sure why people are saying the Konica c3070L will be any better.

No one said that. @jwheeler suggested a 3070L as a possible lower budget alternative to another full blown C3070, which may have been of interest to the OP as it would keep the same workflow he's familiar with.

It may be more cost effective to outsource this job.

I'd wager it more likely the OP would walk downstairs and run the job on his main C3070...

 

[gazfocus]

Konica Minolta's aren't usually more expensive than Xeroxes in my neck of the woods. Where are you in the UK?
They both use similar technology with similar friction feed and fusing temperatures (although the Versant 180 has a belt fuser). I can't see how the Versant 80 will be much better from a technology perspective. I'm not sure why people are saying the Konica c3070L will be any better. The L stands for Light and just means it's packaged with a cheaper, internal controller. No other benefits in paper handling. We sell the new Ricoh C5300 and that can be equipped with a vaccuum feed paper deck. It's more than £6k though. Spending £6k on any device for a single job/application may not pay for itself. It may be more cost effective to outsource this job.

I’m in Lancashire but not overly concerned where the machine comes from (we’ve actually ended up going for a machine from a London based company that has engineers all over the UK).

With regards to Konicas being more than Xerox, even when buying new, I found that in particular the finishing side of things are far more expensive on a Konica than a comparable Xerox but that’s by the by really as we are not really looking for much in terms of finishing.

I also wanted to query why you’d think it better to outsource a good chunk of my business rather than paying for a machine to do it myself? We make a reasonable amount of money by selling stickers (ok it won’t make me rich haha) but we do orders from a single sheet up to hundreds of sheets, we have a sheet fed label cutter (an Intec LC600). We also have invested in a Memjet roll to roll label printer which we are yet to set up, and see stickers as a significant part of our businesses future. I just don’t follow the logic of outsourcing something like this.

 

[gazfocus]

I'd wager it more likely the OP would walk downstairs and run the job on his main C3070...

100%. If buying another machine wasn’t possible, I’d simply stick to printing everything on our current C3070

 

[Mr Production Print]

The rationale for outsourcing the job would be if the profit (rather than revenue) from the single job didn't exceed the cost of acquiring a device just for this. I'm intrigued that a Versant 80 could produce something the KM c3070 couldn't.
KM finishers tend to be on a par with Xerox on a like for like comparison but they do offer a better saddle stitcher with front edge trimmer. The Xerox needs a third party add-on for this.

 

[Ynot_UK]

The rationale for outsourcing the job would be if the profit (rather than revenue) from the single job didn't exceed the cost of acquiring a device just for this. I'm intrigued that a Versant 80 could produce something the KM c3070 couldn't.
KM finishers tend to be on a par with Xerox on a like for like comparison but they do offer a better saddle stitcher with front edge trimmer. The Xerox needs a third party add-on for this.

@Mr Production Print I think you've got the wrong end of the stick...

• The OP indicated preference to acquire a dedicated "labels" machine to install on a new mezzanine floor being built. He already has a capable C3070 on the ground floor which can be used for these jobs. Outsourcing has never been a consideration (post #9)
• The OP did not say a Versant could product something a KM C3070 couldn't. The 'unsuccessful' trial was using a KM C458, being an MFP device from the office range (not a production printer).

 

[gazfocus]

The rationale for outsourcing the job would be if the profit (rather than revenue) from the single job didn't exceed the cost of acquiring a device just for this. I'm intrigued that a Versant 80 could produce something the KM c3070 couldn't.
KM finishers tend to be on a par with Xerox on a like for like comparison but they do offer a better saddle stitcher with front edge trimmer. The Xerox needs a third party add-on for this.

I’m not quite sure where I’ve given the impression that I am looking to buy a machine for a one off job. As I said in my last reply, sticker sheets is becoming a fair chunk of our regular business. We couldn’t justify outsourcing as that defeats the point of building a business printing stickers . Also, as a lot of our orders are just a handful of sheets (though we charge enough to make it worthwhile), we wouldn’t see any profit it we were outsourcing.

I also never said that a Versant 80 could do things a Konica couldn’t. I already chose a Konica C3070 over a Versant 180 when we upgraded our main production machine. What I was saying is that the COST of the finishing equipment from Konica (particularly things like the decurler) were nearly three times the price of the Xerox equivalent with very little room for negotiation (in fairness we had negotiated £7k off the cost of the machine already).

In future, it may be helpful to people if you actually read what people put and make sure you understand it before commenting on threads. It would make your input far more valuable.