# servo vs stepper



## propsuper (Mar 23, 2008)

I am considering another cutter, the expert 24. This would be a back-up cutter and used mostly for small vinyl stickers and such. We are using a graphtec ce5000-60 now. My question is, how much, if any, difference will we see between the quailty of the cut using a stepper motor rather than a servo?


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## Nick Horvath (Feb 26, 2010)

As far as cut quality you will not notice a big difference. I am able to cut the same amount of detail using the Expert 24 or the Roland GX-24. The difference is in the durability. A Stepper motor simply will not last as long as a Servo motor. Servo motors are quieter, and capable of cutting fabrics such as Twill, Rhinestone Templates, Sandblast material and other thick materials.

For what you have in mind the Expert 24 will be just fine.


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## GHEENEE1 (Jan 8, 2007)

Sorry to hijack your thread Frank. Nick, I was under the impression the EX 24 would cut rhinestone template. Mike


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## Nick Horvath (Feb 26, 2010)

GHEENEE1 said:


> Sorry to hijack your thread Frank. Nick, I was under the impression the EX 24 would cut rhinestone template. Mike


The Expert 24 and Exper 24LX do not have a powerful enough motor to cut Rhinestone material without damaging the motor over time.

The Expert 24 PRO has a servo motor and would cut that material as would the GX-24.


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## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

Nick Horvath said:


> The Expert 24 and Exper 24LX do not have a powerful enough motor to cut Rhinestone material without damaging the motor over time.
> 
> The Expert 24 PRO has a servo motor and would cut that material as would the GX-24.


I have to respectfully disagree and point out that it depends on what template material you're cutting. I cut mine with 120-140 grams of down force which the Expert 24 can handle just fine over long periods of time. It's great for someone starting out who can't afford to drop $955 on an Expert Pro right off the bat.

That said, I've had both stepper and servo cutters cutting the same template material and when I switched from a stepper to a servo, I was very impressed at how SMOOTHLY the machine seemed to run. If someone is looking for a cutter and CAN afford it, I always recommend the Expert Pro as well.

For the OP, an Expert 24 will be more than sufficient as a back up cutter.


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