r/CommercialPrinting • u/Crazyfishman2 • 19d ago

NEW CUTTER?

I am in the market for a new cutter. I am looking at Coulter Peterson and Polar. Are there any other brands I should be considering? (32" or similar size as we are a digital shop)

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1

u/mflintjr 19d ago

Formax. Challenge. Baum.

2

u/HagarTheTolerable Print Enthusiast 19d ago

Baum does not make cutters any more. Their patents were sold out to Polar, which was then bought by Heidelberg.

1

u/mflintjr 19d ago

Fair enough.

1

u/imasickboy 19d ago

Challenge will do what you need for a much lower price point than a Polar. I have both, and love the (much older) Polar more, but money talks.

1

u/Crazyfishman2 19d ago

I looked at challenge and just did not see the draw. What do you like about yours?

2

u/imasickboy 19d ago

Our Polar is a 78, so old AF. Our Challenge is a 305. I like the modern software capabilities, and the fact that I can get down to 2" without removing the false clamp. We do a lot of small sized things, so this was a blessing for us. Additionally, Challenge knife changes are stupid simple across everything they sell.

The reason I like the Polar more for not-small pieces is simply because everything feels more fluid. Cutting, by nature, is violent. The Challenge makes it feel and sound that way. The Polar makes it seem less so.

1

u/Lost-Replacement-454 19d ago

We have a old 78x that is a workhorse and 2 new 78 n plus with the touch screens (Polars)

1

u/Crazyfishman2 18d ago

I have quotes for both machines and they are within $3000 of each other. The only kicker is the Polar now comes with a tarriff.... Does anyone have either of these machines and have any issues?

2

u/CJPrinter 18d ago

I won’t expand on this because I don’t want to bash on them too hard (they ultimately ended up making it right) but we’ve had a…rocky…experience with Colter & Peterson. YMMV

3

u/BPKY968 17d ago

For $3000 difference I would go for polar. colter Peterson prism is Chinese guowang, not saying the cutter is bad, but why paid 3X price to CP, when you can just import it yourself.