Roland EGX-300 Help

[Mark Eilbes]

I am new to this forum and also a novice to engraving. I am looking to engrave some light materials (brass, plastic, wood) etc. as a hobby and possibly some small side jobs for plaques and awards. I am looking to purchase a used Roland EGX-300 rotary engraver which is about 4 years old. I am wondering if anyone has any experience with the unit and could provide me with any insight whether this is a good, reliable piece of equipment or not. How easy is it to learn how to use? Is it relatively easy to maintain or does it require alot of service. Any feedback you could provide me would be greatly appreciated in helping me make my decision. Thank you, Mark.:)

[Rodne Gold]

We run the 2300a , essentially the same machine, It's real easy to use either from Corel or Rolands Dr Engrave. the motorised spindle is a "consumable" and needs replacement every few years. Its an effective scratch engraver but the motor is a little weak for deep cutting engraving. I paid about $2k for mine and it covered its cost in 1 job.

[Randy Digby]

I ran an EGX-300 for three years or more and got excellant service out of it. We rotary engraved laminated plastic and did drag engraving on anodized aluminum. We did just basic text engraving and almost no graphics so I can't speak to the graphic side. I used the Dr. Engrave that came with the machine and it served our needs. We sold the engraver on eBay last year since the laser took over its workload. We also had two EGX-20 machines doing plastic and a M-40 that we did most of our drag engraving on. We purchased the 300 as a back-up for both operations and ended up running if full time because of it's speed and ease of set-up. PM or post if I can provide more info.

[Mark Eilbes]

Gentleman, Thank you very much for your responses to my question. It was greatly appreciated and in helping me get my start. I may contact you again in the future as I ove along. Thanks again, Mark.