# US Cutter brand vinyl cutter?



## akarka

Does anyone have any experience with a US Cutter brand vinyl cutter? What are its positives and negatives? Will it do just about anything that it needs to for making signs, T-shirts, window decals, stickers etc...

Character is doing whats right, even when no one is looking...


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## charles95405

Do a search here there is a ton of info on US Cutters. I think it is probably as good as it gets with Chinese cutters. Don't think any have optic eye registration if you want that...There is a new cutter out from them that ehy say will do registration cutting but not with an optic eye, but with software which is not yet released, so I am waiting to see what they come out with. I looked at them, but in the end decided to go with the known and got the roland GX24


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## badalou

USCutters makes the COPAM 2500 and it get great reviews.


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## hiGH

i'm very happy with my copam 2500... 

great price + great machine = a no brainer.


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## theflowerboxx

I am cutting with their Refine cutter as I type this and it cuts as good as any other cutter on the market. 

If I was to buy a new one today it would definitely be their copam series cutter, BTW, wonder why Josh never got back to his review on it, hhhmmm? Maybe it's too good for him to write review since he sells another brand   .


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## airraidapparel

I had a "refine" as my first plotter out of my total of 3. Worst machine I've ever owned or used in my entire life. I hear the Copam's are good though, but watch out for the refine series. If you want a good idea of how they work, look at their forums and how many problems they have. Granted, everything has problems, but the kinds that they have are ridiculous. They want you to use someone else's drivers (IE roland/graphtec) instead of creating their own.


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## billm75

I have the 25" Pcut USCutter. So far it's worked perfectly! For the money and the amount of cutting I do, it's probably the best machine available.

Now if I get to where I'm running it 6 to 8 hours a day, I may have to consider a Roland. But for my 1 hour a day use, it's fine.


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## plan b

Hi, I have the copam,, it has a optical eye to measure material only,, great cutter,, no problems,, its about as loud as a printer,,, some of the cutters out there are very loud...as good as it gets for chinese cutter!!!

R.


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## theflowerboxx

airraidapparel said:


> I had a "refine" as my first plotter out of my total of 3. Worst machine I've ever owned or used in my entire life. I hear the Copam's are good though, but watch out for the refine series. If you want a good idea of how they work, look at their forums and how many problems they have. Granted, everything has problems, but the kinds that they have are ridiculous. They want you to use someone else's drivers (IE roland/graphtec) instead of creating their own.


Granted they do use "someone else's" drivers, but I have only had one problem with mine and it was user error. 

Ever think maybe the reason you "see" so many problems on their forum is because that's what their forum is for? Their biggest problem is static electricity related and I myself have had that problem with mine but have since rectified the problem.

Their USB connection is another problem, I have used it with my computer at the house via USB and have never had one bit of problem so I don't know why so many people have problems with that.


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## airraidapparel

theflowerboxx said:


> Granted they do use "someone else's" drivers, but I have only had one problem with mine and it was user error.
> 
> Ever think maybe the reason you "see" so many problems on their forum is because that's what their forum is for? Their biggest problem is static electricity related and I myself have had that problem with mine but have since rectified the problem.
> 
> Their USB connection is another problem, I have used it with my computer at the house via USB and have never had one bit of problem so I don't know why so many people have problems with that.


I hope you're not insinuating that I don't know what a support forum is. Obviously people go there to discuss problems, but I have NEVER seen so many unanswered threads with such a myriad of problems. It also wasn't user error on my part, I received several bad parts and then bad replacements; I should've had a working product out of the box. I understand that you want to justify your purchase and you don't like seeing people bad mouth something you own; but my experience was that it was a piece of junk and a huge hassle. Everyone has different experiences, share yours to contribute to the forum - not to attack mine.


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## theflowerboxx

I'm not insinuating anything. You say to go to their forum and look at how many people have had problems. I was simply stating that their forum is a support forum where you are supposed to go if you have problems. You make it sound like everyone who's ever bought a refine series machine has had nothing but problems. 

I am on their forums every day and help out as much as I can, and sure there is problems for some, but as I stated previously static electricity and USB problems are the most commonly.

To say those questions go unanswered is crazy, Ken tries to answer every techincal problem there is via forums or he or someone else will call you at your convience.

Reading your first post would scare most people from ever considering a refine model and I was simply stating this is not that case. So there's my contribution to the thread and not a personal attack on anyone.


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## rrc62

My Refine has worked flawlessly. I don't use it much since I'm not making signs anymore, but it has never let me down. I honestly have no complaints and wouldn't hesitate to buy another one. It's the only piece of equipment I ever bought that paid for itself the same day UPS dropped it off.


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## HulaArt

I just received my pcut from uscutters Friday. I must say they waisted no time in getting it shipped to me. If you look at their feedback on eBay, you'll see they sell LOTS of cutters and get almost all positive feedback from over 6000 happy customers. (I did lots of research before my purchase)

Unfortunately, I also had to order a new laptop cause my home computer is a P.O.S. New laptop won't be here for another week. ARRRRRGGGGGGGG! (I ordered a Dell with processor upgrade and Windows XP-I'm scared of Vista)

This is an issue because, you have to register the software online and you can only register it for 1 computer. Not very convenient to say the least, but for the price of the pcut, I can deal with it.

My only other issue would be the assembly instructions for the stand. They suck. The user manual was obviously written by a Chinees person who speaks very poor engrish. Although, with a little determination and reading it over several times, I think I just about got it.


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## rrc62

while you're waiting for the new laptop, you can take the USB/serial adapter that comes with the cutter, throw it in the trash and go to Best Buy and buy a new one. The one that comes with the cutter doesn't work.


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## HulaArt

rrc62 said:


> while you're waiting for the new laptop, you can take the USB/serial adapter that comes with the cutter, throw it in the trash and go to Best Buy and buy a new one. The one that comes with the cutter doesn't work.


I've heard this from several people. DONE!

Thank you!!!


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## JoshEllsworth

theflowerboxx said:


> I am cutting with their Refine cutter as I type this and it cuts as good as any other cutter on the market.
> 
> If I was to buy a new one today it would definitely be their copam series cutter, BTW, wonder why Josh never got back to his review on it, hhhmmm? Maybe it's too good for him to write review since he sells another brand   .


Time is why I haven't got back on my review yet. I will though - sorry about the delay, I know that you're looking forward to it


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## lilsuz

I have the Refine cutter, model is MH721

For what I paid for the cutter, it is a Godsend. I love the Signblazer Elements software that came with it. Works well with my Corel Draw program, or .eps files from Illustrator and Freehand. I use all three of these design programs for my art.

Regarding the cutter itself , I have had a few small problems, but overall probably just user errors as I learned how to use the cutter and all of those problems have been resolved by the excellent customer service provided by US Cutter and some other help by forum members. They have a great forum!

What could use improvement on the refine cutter is the way the vinyl/material you cut tracks through the machine via the pinch rollers. I have to be very careful with the adjustments of the pinch rollers and make sure each different material I run through it is tracking right. I have better luck cutting smaller pieces of vinyl, not much luck cutting straight from a large roll, or with longer pieces. When I make adjustments on the three pinch rollers that pull the vinyl through, I have had the pieces of the rollers pop off the machine and then have to find them on the floor and put them back on the machine. My daughter purchased another inexpensive Chinese-made cutter similar in size and in features to the Refine cutter, and she didn't have these kinds of problems with the pinch rollers on her machine. We both purchased our machines off Ebay. She got the Flexi-starter program with her machine, but we both like the Signblazer Elements program that came with my machine better.

With all of this said though, I know that US Cutter does stand behind their product and they have offered others exchange and free repair if their cutter is under a year old. If I do buy the Copham from them, I would probably ask to see if I could exchange the one I got for the Copham cutter due to the tracking problems. I like the Signblazer Elements program though, easy to use and now that I have learned it, want to stick with that program. I purchased a second copy of the software for use on my other computer.

Hope this helps anyone considering purchaseing from US Cutter, specifically the Refine cutter.


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## ghambley

US Cutter now has the Laser point for contour cutting I am ordering one next week.


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## CuttingEdge

I've had a Copam 2500 for almost 8 months now with no issues. It's driven from my cheap laptop with the stock Copam/US Cutter USB convertor that came with it. I understand others have had problems with this, I didn't.

I have a LaserCut that I need to unpack and set-up. Purchased it for contour cuts and the SignBlazer elements software. 

I'm inclined to say due to the price range of their cutters, you are more apt to encounter users with a first time cutter/plotter experience on their forums. Which would result in more postings of issue type questions, I'm not certain there is a direct corolation between this and cutter quality.


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## amv101

I just sold my PCUT 24" because I got the Roland GX24. To me the difference is night and day. Not to mention the Roland does contour cutting.

If you closely inspect the cuts, the PCUT had a problem cutting a nice 90 degree angle, like on the corners of letters. Every corner seemed slightly rounded, but from a distance, you cant tell. It was also notorious for leaving "tabs" or horns, no matter what combination of offset, blade type, force, speed I chose. The cutting stip wasnt flat either, so it would cut deeper towards the ends of the strip.

The stepper motor vs. servo motor makes a huge difference as well. You can barely hear the Roland, and its quick and precise. But for the price of the PCUT, you cant beat it. The funny thing is, the Chinese currency (RMB) is around 8 to 1 US. Meaning that for $300 US, they make $2400 in comparison. We get a good deal and they get bank lol.


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## MorbidTheory

I'm looking for a good cutter under $1k that's at least 24". I'm going to be cutting a lot of vinyl and don't have a lot of money to spend on a cutter at the moment. I'm sure I'll be upgrading eventually but I'm looking for something that's going to be durable enough to cut sign/transfer vinyl and also handle the work load I'm going to have. Looking at US Cutter's forums and cutters it seems that the Copam is probably my best bet, but I'd love to hear what everyone else has to suggest. 

First Post!
Definitely not the last!


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## miktoxic

just a couple of thoughts. i like the quote:

_"as good as it gets for chinese cutter!!!"_

wow that's a vote of confidence! and if it's a chinese cutter why is it a US CUTTER?


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## mb33139

miktoxic said:


> just a couple of thoughts. i like the quote:
> 
> _"as good as it gets for chinese cutter!!!"_
> 
> wow that's a vote of confidence! and if it's a chinese cutter why is it a US CUTTER?


US Cutter is just the domestic distributor's business name... As for the 24" Laserpoint model, it is well worth the $400 you can get them for on eBay. Mind you, there is a learning curve you must traverse, but once your up to speed, the Laserpoint is a good value for the money.


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## jiffyh64

WHAT IS THE LEARNING CURVE? I am having problems with my roland and am looking at the us cutter for a back up. How is it different from any other vinyl cutter?

Thanks
April


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## MorbidTheory

I've had my US Cutter Copam CP-2500 for about a week now and I absolutely LOVE it. Super easy to get the hang of and the software was a cinch. I did a lot of reading on it while I waited for it to ship and felt ready by the time I had it unpacked and put together. I've had a lot of fun playing with it and I will probably go with another US Cutter model for a backup before long.


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## briggsy

Hi. is there a Uk supplier of this cutter.


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## MorbidTheory

briggsy said:


> Hi. is there a Uk supplier of this cutter.


Not sure if there is or not. I would assume that there is. You might want to ask on the forums in the Pre-sale area. I'm sure someone there would be able to point you in the right direction.


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## Wane

I ordered my US Cutter Laserpoint and I will get to me on Oct 6, I can't wait. Next up is my heat press.
I was so excited when I ordered the cutter that it was not until this morning when i reviewed my order that I realized I ordered the one without the stand. I am so not happy, trying to figure out if I should just pony up the extra cash for the stand and order one or see if I can get a used one or just build one. I have read some interesting threads about people building there own but I have to find actual plans.


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## John Thomson

I have 2 Refines, a 1351 and an 871. Both no nonsense honest machines.......I run a signshop and they work every day.

Yes there are alot of support requests on the UScutter forum but when you read a lot of them you will see that many are from people who have previously never seen a plotter let alone set one up! Plotters are not quite as simple as 'plug and play'........yes the USB can pe problematic beacuse it is a serial USB converter not a true USB.....and many people junk the supplied USB lead for a longer one.....then complain it does not work. The supplied serial cable works fine but again people swap for a longer one then have problem because there are 2 different types of serial cable.....one works with plotters and one does not.

All in for the money I think they are great.

John


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## contacthansel

Hi how's it going? For the past month I've been trying to decide what vinyl cutter to go with... Roland gx-24, Stika 15 etc... I would wake up every morning thinking about it. 

In the end I went with the USCutter Laserpoint 24. Bought off of ebay for $265 including free shipping. They have superb support, which I have already been tapping into through their website, email, and as well as over the phone asking questions and wat not.

Heads up... the website has the LP 24 prices at $419 for this cutter, so I'd say be patient and look for one from ebay.

I won't feel bad about $265 in the long run.


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## 34Ford

Did USCutter ever sell the Copam CP-2500 on their Ebay store?

They not now.


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## cutting edge

Man..this thread is old. The Copams were on there at one time. I have the impression from my observations only, they are still selling and supporting the Copams...with the new green and black cutters; they are not promoted as they once were. Have been a happy Copam owner for three years now, didn't pay anywhere near what they currently sell for....


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## 34Ford

Yea, I noticed that. Price increase in the last few years.
More middle class Chinese.


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## Dirt T Girl

just wanted to know if the US CUTTER is hard to setup and use, i am new to the whole vinyl cutter part of my shirt business.... thanks


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## DCans

Dirt T Girl said:


> just wanted to know if the US CUTTER is hard to setup and use, i am new to the whole vinyl cutter part of my shirt business.... thanks


Dirt T Girl
I don't know if I'm the norm, but I had never used a vinyl cutter before, got my Laserpoint 24, took it out of the box played with it for about 30 minutes with Corel Draw, just to figure out how to make it work, boxed it back up and took it out to an event the next day and cut all day, I had a few hic-ups (mostly due to know knowing were the rollers should be placed and not having the vinyl roll loose enough to feed properly) and the cutter paid for itself that first day.

If you can design in vector then you shouldn't have much if any problem. IMHO


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## PsychoChild

I have the 36" version of there cutter and have had no problems yet defiantly made my money back with little stickers 

looking at heat transfer vinyl next


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## PsychoChild

forgot to include the cons is the software its outdated and basically have to run trial everytime and it tries to update everytime you launch


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## contacthansel

Hi All!

Just to send an update on the LP24. I bought my cutter off of ebay shortly after this thread was created and the price was ridiculously affordable at that time compared the prices online now (almost 3x) the amount). I didn't buy the made-for stand, but did set it up on a 3 level shelve from home depot, and rigged a simple pipe vinyl holder with zip ties, kind of like a paper towel holder. Cutter on top, Epson Stylus 1400 in the middle for the heat transfers, and supplies on the bottom.

The cutter has not given me any problems since initial use and the learning curve on how to get it running is maybe 2-3 hours. I followed whatever the simple tutorial was given at that time. The provided software is outdated as previously mentioned, it is a trial version but with complete functionality. Materials wise, the cutter is well made, it has metal rollers on the bottom, and the clamps have rubber wheels that clamp down from above. it has never left its place on the shelf, and has well paid itself over 10x at least. Simple lettering designs I can use the stock software, more intricate stuff I use Illustrator and save as the vector format, otherwise I use Photoshop, import the jpg into SignBlazer then convert to vector format while in SB.

One major con is the fact that you cannot cut vinyl longer than a yard or so, especially if you cutting lines run closer to the vinyl edge. Another con is that, if you do run close to the edge of the vinyl, the needle point of the cutter sometimes grabs the edge of the vinyl and tangles/grabs the paper, and completely screws up the cutting process, at which you have to stop, pull out the wasted vinyl, cut it out, then set a new 0 point and start again. With that said, I would suggest running some form of .75" to 1" borders on wide cuts if possible, such as 15" wide vinyl, and at least .25 to .5" margins on smaller sheets.

There are some quirky things you have to overcome or work around. but otherwise the build quality, and moving parts have not given me a single problem! I definitely recommend this if you are doing simple things and can afford to sit there and watch it cut longer runs. I was in the "very skeptical about this product" boat, but I just went for it, and the cutter has not let me down. My first job after 2months of ownership was a tall order of 300 pieces for a high school club 2 years ago (t's/pants/hoodies), and I still see the kids wearing their stuff around.

BTW, I also bought a 16x20 heat press from Sunie... no problems at all. I may have rare success story of these products, but no lie, I haven't had any concerns whatsoever with my equipment! Good luck!


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## nastassia2003

theflowerboxx said:


> Granted they do use "someone else's" drivers, but I have only had one problem with mine and it was user error.
> 
> Ever think maybe the reason you "see" so many problems on their forum is because that's what their forum is for? Their biggest problem is static electricity related and I myself have had that problem with mine but have since rectified the problem.
> 
> Their USB connection is another problem, I have used it with my computer at the house via USB and have never had one bit of problem so I don't know why so many people have problems with that.


 I have a mh365 and my usb connecton is not working I can not find the port it keeps blinking but not disapearing so I can setup my cutter using this usb port and I tried the other usb port in the back of my computer and it still doesn't communicate to were I can cut do you have any advise on why that maybe happening I have windows 7


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## miktoxic

contacthansel said:


> Hi All!
> 
> My first job after 2months of ownership was a tall order of 300 pieces for a high school club 2 years ago (t's/pants/hoodies), and I still see the kids wearing their stuff around.


congrats on the order, but just for future reference it would have been easier with a bigger profit margin to have just outsourced that job. just the mere fact of your labor the time to cut, weed the material then pressing onto garment.
any job over 36 qty i either buy plastisol transfers or just outsource to screenprinter. but the durability of of the vinyl is crazy!


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## SquareBiz

try to buy a keyspan usb/serial converter it will help with the setup.


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## valleyboy_1

Well folks. I need your prayers. After everything I read on the mh721, I'm going to go ahead and buy one anyway. I was debating between this and silhouette cameo. The plan is to buy the 24" graphtec, however I need a cutter now. I have orders on deck. Anything I need to know before I make the purchase tomorrow. I'm buying it off eBay. Do I use the serial port with a serial to USB adapter? I have a custom built pc with intel i5 processor with windows 7 ultimate, with Coreldraw x5, Vesta 16x20 heat press, and epson 7010 Ciss system from Cobraink.


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## royster13

Have you downloaded Signblazer to see how you like it.....If it does not work for you, you have to pay 250.00 to renew Signcut in a year......Also, when they sell these on Ebay they only have a 90 day warranty....


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## valleyboy_1

Yes I know about the 90 day warranty, however I will have my Graphtec by then, I just need something to get started on this work.


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## valleyboy_1

As far as the sign blazer element, I haven't found it yet. I downloaded make the cut, great cut, and silhouette studio but not the software for the mh721.


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## morcamp

Valleyboy1, how did the cutter work for you?


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## valleyboy_1

Hey Morcamp, I decided not to purchase the mh721 UScutter vinyl cutter, I will probably grab the Expert 24 Pro to start off with. I decided to save my money and wait.


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## sben763

Still using our laser point 24 without issue. Just about 4 years now There are work arounds for the sign blazer trial. We have made our investment back probably 100x now. If it were to go out I wouldn't hesitate to buy a replacement. 

Dcans. When receiving cutter I also had no experience at all and was cutting within 30 just by following directions.


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## DCans

I keep mine packed up if I'm not using it. (I didn't buy the stand, but in retrospect I think that I should have.)
I use mine every couple of months and have never had an issue with it.
I'm figuring out where I want to set it up permanently now as I have decided to start offering decal after getting a few request and it doesn't make sense to keep putting it away and pulling it out all the time.

Overall I have been more than pleased with my Laserpoint 24 and when I upgrade to a higher end cutter I will keep this one as my "take to event cutter" and as a general back up.

I did pick up WinPCSign Pro 12 and am going to load it up and try it becasue while SignCut Pro has worked I think that it's time to try something else.


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