Currently have HP Latex 315, worth upgrading to 730?

[TopFliteGraphics]

My HP315 is about 6-1/2 years old and I love it. So easy to use and has never really let me down. Last year I spent about $4500 on repairs/maintenance for the first time since I bought it in 2019. The screen on the machine just informed me I need to perform Maintenance #3 soon. According to the independent tech I use, I have about 3-4 months before it absolutely has to be done and it will cost about $2400. He says afterward, the machine will be almost like new.

My question is, should I upgrade to a HP 730 or just keep plugging along with my 315? I looks as if the 730 is about 35-40% faster and also has the ability to print 64" which would be good for printing wraps but 90% of what I do is 48" wide prints for sign boards.

Looking for some advice and feedback from people with experiences with both of these machines.

Thanks in advance.

 

[balstestrat]

I would just keep it if you are happy.
New machines will always be available.

 

[ddarlak]

I'm in the same boat, I have a 8 and 5 year old HP315, the older one has been warning me of a maintenance #3 for almost a year and it's still chugging along. Replaced a belt in the old one about 3 months ago.

Wondering if the 730 is worthwhile

 

[TopFliteGraphics]

Anybody with a 730 care to chime into the conversation?

 

[TEN]

We went from a HP 360 to a 700W. The 700 series is a much better printer IMO. Aligning panels on wall wraps is so much more accurate with the 700. It is noticeably faster printing and also faster getting ready to print. In the end it will depend on finances. We put money into the 360 wanting to keep it running but it seemed to always be something else every two months. The 360 was about 7 years old and a lot of square feet through it when we retired it.

 

[TopFliteGraphics]

We went from a HP 360 to a 700W. The 700 series is a much better printer IMO. Aligning panels on wall wraps is so much more accurate with the 700. It is noticeably faster printing and also faster getting ready to print. In the end it will depend on finances. We put money into the 360 wanting to keep it running but it seemed to always be something else every two months. The 360 was about 7 years old and a lot of square feet through it when we retired it.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[studebaker]

I agree with TEN, the 730 is far superior to the HP 315. However, steer clear of the 700 series printers—they have a tendency to jam in the print area and ruin printheads. I ended up trading my 700W for an HP 630 just to get a latex printer that didn’t require feeding the substrate to the take-up reel constantly, no matter how small the print. Upgrading to an HP 730 printer is definitely worth it.

 

[MarkSnelling]

What is all of your hesitation in looking at a print only device from Roland or Epson? I sell the Roland line and have always been proud of what the equipment does and Roland's support. As a material supplier, I constantly see people struggling with the heat required to dry latex inks...and the way the print head is always dying making consistent color from week to week more difficult. I would think a permanent head solution without all the variables of high curing temps would make printing easier.

The biggest downfall I see of solvent ink is on 60/40 or 50/50 window perf where the vinyl gets very soft. Other than that, I see mostly positives of comparing solvent to latex.

I'd love anyone's honest take to this as I can always get smarter.

 

[studebaker]

An HP 730 print head cost $160.00 a Roland Printhead cost close to $1800.00... Interesting that you would use print heads as the comparison.

 

[TopFliteGraphics]

I have never owned any other printers except a versa camm24 WAY back in the day. The issues you speak about with latex are something I have never experienced. I have been extremely happy with my 315. It's only required outside maintenance twice, both in 2024 after over 5 years of being productive everyday. Never had a print head dry out. As a matter of fact, I recently replaced a print head that had 25,000 ml run through it before it started to give me some banding issues. I know they are supposed to be replaced a lot more frequently but I didn't realize it was so old LOL

I learned the quirks of the machine early on when it came to running different materials through it. I don't see how anything could be easier to operate than this machine to be honest. Changing print heads is like changing an ink cartridge on a desktop printer. So easy a caveman like me could do it.

 

[balstestrat]

Actually interesting question is why 730 and not 630? That's more of a successor to the 315.
Okay sure if you want some more burst speed then that's it.

 

[TopFliteGraphics]

Actually interesting question is why 730 and not 630? That's more of a successor to the 315.
Okay sure if you want some more burst speed then that's it.

Although the 630 is about 5k less, according to the specs and information I have gleaned in my research, the 730 is quite a bit faster and actually uses less ink. I figure if I finance the upgrade over 5 years, the difference will be negligible. I should be able to make more money on a day to day basis with the increased production that the 730 will give me versus the 630.

 

[balstestrat]

Although the 630 is about 5k less, according to the specs and information I have gleaned in my research, the 730 is quite a bit faster and actually uses less ink. I figure if I finance the upgrade over 5 years, the difference will be negligible. I should be able to make more money on a day to day basis with the increased production that the 730 will give me versus the 630.

It doesn't use any less ink.... That's just physics. If you want the same picture, same ink, same printheads you will end up using more or less the exact same amount of ink.
If I had to guess 730 will waste more ink due to double printheads but even that's negligible.

630 is about same speed as your 315 now so yes, it's faster but really only if you need the speed. If you don't already print rolls overnight then speed is just a for burst.
630 print quality is better than 730. I guess I should add that's also negligible in real world.

 

[TopFliteGraphics]

It doesn't use any less ink.... That's just physics. If you want the same picture, same ink, same printheads you will end up using more or less the exact same amount of ink.
If I had to guess 730 will waste more ink due to double printheads but even that's negligible.

630 is about same speed as your 315 now so yes, it's faster but really only if you need the speed. 630 quality is better than 730.

If you don't already print rolls overnight then speed is just a for burst.

According to HP it uses less ink dues to smaller droplettes. The printheads are actually different. The 630 uses 836 C/K, Lt C/Lt M, M/Y, heads. The 730 uses a universal 836 printhead that has smaller apertures to allow for small drops. Because of this, it uses less ink and also dries at lower temps than the 315/630. At least that is according to HP.

 

[balstestrat]

According to HP it uses less ink dues to smaller droplettes. The printheads are actually different. The 630 uses 836 C/K, Lt C/Lt M, M/Y, heads. The 730 uses a universal 836 printhead that has smaller apertures to allow for small drops. Because of this, it uses less ink and also dries at lower temps than the 315/630. At least that is according to HP.

630 will use the same 836 universal printheads. Again it's all the same, there's no difference other than 730 has double printheads.

836 C/K, Lt C/Lt M, M/Y, OC is already discontinued, won't be manufactured and sold any longer (after stock runs out).

I think you are reading something wrong because HP is definitely not saying that.

 

[MarkSnelling]

An HP 730 print head cost $160.00 a Roland Printhead cost close to $1800.00... Interesting that you would use print heads as the comparison.

I'm not trying to create an argument...just genuinely asking. A Roland print head, without head strikes or damage, will perform for years and provide more consistent color as opposed to the throw away heads on a latex device. Most people, it appears, go through at least two sets of print heads a year so you are spending around $1600 a year on heads anyways.

 

[RabidOne]

According to HP's website the 730 is faster than the 630. 17sq meters per hour versus 14.
The other consideration is the 730 comes with built in profiling like the 700/800.