# Brother GTX vs Epson 2100 (Which One)



## teedizz (May 24, 2017)

Looking to purchase one of these (since I'm assuming these are the best 2 on the market) as soon as possible. I figure if I gonna invest this much money, that I might as well get the best. 

I have read A LOT of reviews stating that the GTX waste tons of white ink and that the ink for this machine is double the cost of ink for other machines. Aside from that I haven't read other compliants. 

Are their any other pros/cons I should factor in with either machine? Thank you for any info.


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## DrivingZiggy (Apr 24, 2017)

Okay, so just this morning (noon-ish) I attended an Omniprint webinar. Well, they called it a webinar. It was more like a sales pitch. But anyhow, it looks like the GTX costs $22,000 and the FJ2100 is in the $17,000 range. Can the GTX be $5,000 better?

So far on this site there are a few people with GTXs and only one (I think) with the Epson. The guy with the Epson loves his printer.

Anyhow, other contenders would be the Ricoh 3000 (3 heads) also at around $17K or 6000 (6 heads)--I don't know the price and the Omniprint 330 TX with only one head. Or maybe even the 330 TX Plus which can also print on poly. These two printers are $17K and $22K.

Of course, you may be able to find better prices if you shop around.


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## teedizz (May 24, 2017)

Truly appreciate it. So can the Epson or Brother print on polo?


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## learner (Dec 27, 2009)

I have been searching which printer to buy for two months. I talked to 5 gtx owners 3 of them recommended the printer. 2 were neutral. those who recommended said "who cares the ink cost, just charge it to the customer" 2 who had no comment on gtx said " about two hundred prints half of the white ink gone" Another gtx owner said soon brother will decrease ink cost and update a new firmware that will eliminate ink waste.


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## teedizz (May 24, 2017)

Yes, this is a very difficult decision. Lol. I've been reading and reading but don't know of any cons for the Epson as of yet so I guess I'll have to wait for more people to take possession of them.


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## Glopear (May 5, 2015)

teedizz said:


> Yes, this is a very difficult decision. Lol. I've been reading and reading but don't know of any cons for the Epson as of yet so I guess I'll have to wait for more people to take possession of them.



The Epson ink also is not cheap but not quite as bad as the insane Brother prices. Personally I would go with the Epson, although I'd wait it out a bit if you can, until there is more real world feedback e.g. for ink wastage. The Brother really only seems to work for limited markets, business models and from the initial frenzy there is a lot of negative feedback coming in now.


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## rogerholien (Aug 26, 2010)

That would be a game changer if this happens. Hard to believe a company as big as Brother would not make adjustments to make the GTX more attractive to the average t shirt tycoon!


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## LocOz (Jul 20, 2018)

I just bought the Epson and awaiting delivery. Sales rep had both the GTX and SC-F2160. Was really only looking at the Brother but the Epson landed as we were negotiating. I studied hard and compared everything and it was all very close but it came down to a few things:
1. Maintenance. Epsons cleaning procedure has way less wastage. Also has a holiday mode so can be shut down.
2. Warranty. 3 year full cover on everything as opposed to 1 year.
3. The Brother is the full on production beast. Faster, slightly, but Epson seemed to be friendlier to the entry level printer. 
Im sure there will be different thoughts about my decision but it is what it is and I cant wait to get my hands onto it.


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## Glopear (May 5, 2015)

LocOz said:


> 2. Warranty. 3 year full cover on everything as opposed to 1 year.
> .


Are you sure on that? So the printhead is covered for 3 yrs without any extra payments? I was also actually told this by an Epson rep at a trade show, but assumed he'd got it wrong.


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## LocOz (Jul 20, 2018)

Definitely full warranty!
You pay for the extended warranty to make it 3 years but it still came to the same price as the GTX which only had 1 year.


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## Crazyteesrva (Nov 2, 2018)

hey hows it going looking to purchase printer soon hows the epson been treating you


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## BrotherGTPrinter (Oct 8, 2014)

equipmentzone said:


> Both the Epson F2100 and the Brother GTX can print on polo shirts.
> 
> One factor to also consider is that the Brother GTX has to be left on 24/7 and runs an automatic head cleaning every few hours pushing ink through the printhead into waste tank to keep the nozzles from clogging. The Epson F2100 can be completely shut off at the end of a print day. We have left them off for up to 3 weeks without issues.
> 
> _


Brother recommends the GTX printer to stay on 24/7 because it allows the printer to circulate the white ink and it reduces the start up time. While it is idle and plugged in, no ink is lost during a white circulation. The printer at the end of production does one cleaning to introduce cleaning solution into the wet cap to allow for the printer to sit idle without use and reduce chances a print head clogs.


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## BBProd (Oct 29, 2008)

Crazyteesrva- I tried to message you but your mailbox is full.

Might be time to delete all those mailers & inserts. lol


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## LancerFlorida (Mar 20, 2018)

I like the Omni 330 +
However, you expressed a great concern for the cost of ink. If this minor element of printing is important to you, I must ask, "Do you have a plan B when the printer you buy is out of commission for a day or two or week?" This MUST be your major concern and most certainly if you intend to purchase only one printer.

In my opinion a lower cost printer that provides redundancy is a smart purchase than a best of class printer on thin ice.

Your question was specifically about the GTX or Epson. Of the two, GTX would be my preference. BUT, before pulling the trigger call their help line. if help is hard to come by, that is the definition of thin ice.


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## BBProd (Oct 29, 2008)

Right or wrong, from what I've read I have this vision of the Brother GTX hemorrhaging ink like an SR-71 leaking fuel while sitting on the tarmac, and I think you need to USE that printer to justify its high cost. Do you have the volume?

If not, then the Epson would be a tier down from the GTX. Of course you can't buy parts for the F2100 and after 3 years you have a printer just waiting to become a boat anchor.

You've probably never heard of the Summit AT:
https://www.dtgamerica.com/global-includes/pdf/Summit-AT-DTG-Printer-Brochure-web.pdf

It's based on the Epson P800, you can buy parts and work on it yourself after the 1 year warranty expires and it's been around for several years, first as the Resolute R-Jet5i, now as the SMART Jet, TECH Jet & Summit AT.

They were priced at $13,000, including CADlink RIP, but are going up to $15,000 soon if they haven't already.

At $13,000 I think it compares favorably to the Epson F2100 on sale, but I'm not sure I'd pay $15,000 if the Epson was still on sale.

At $13,000 you could buy two for just a little more than a GTX and a little more + than the Epson and have your redundancy.


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