To CMC or not... that is my question...

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ahohen1

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Nov 26, 2006
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:confused: I am starting to look into getting a Fletcher-Terry CMC "I-series". I saw an advertisement in the October 2007 Decor. The price was $297.00 per month and this was a five year lease... after the final payment, for only $1.00 it would then be mine. Does anyone know anything about this CMC? I would really like to see one being used. Is anyone located in the New Orleans area have one? Or even Little Rock, Arkansas (we will be near there between this coming Christmas and New Year) Thanks. :icon20:
 
I have one and I love it. :) If you are out in Colorado in the coming months, let me know! I would be happy to show it to you.
 
I have a Fletcher 6100 obsolete CMC, a truly great machine. Before that I had a Wizard, also a truly great machine. My point is, just do it, whatever. These contraptions have been around long enough that they are all pretty darn good. I can not imagine running a frame shop without a CMC.

John
 
Wait, I have an idea, Fletcher Terry Company, what type of CMC do you think Ahohen should get?

Wizard, what type of CMC do you think Ahohen get?

This should get you some totally unbiased opinions.

John
 
I have a Wizard too and am surprised at just how much time it saves me and often in small ways I hadn't expected. For instance, because I only handle the boards by putting them on and taking them off the machine my matts are cleaner and assembly is quicker. I have yet to talk to anyone who regrets buying a C.M.C.

As to the Fletcher/Valiani, that is also a popular machine here in Australia and I am sure it would also serve you well. Best bet would be to talk to the reps for all the machines and see if anyone can arrange to give you a hands-on session with one in your area. You will probably find that ease of mastering the software, rather than the hardware will be the deciding factor.
 
My F6100 has been an excellent machine. Still is, but I wish the software and text-cutting capabilities were more up-to-date. At this point in time, I'm happy with what I have, but reserving cash for that day of weakness when I can no longer resist getting a new one.

When my F6100 poops out, or when I save up enough extra money to justify the upgrade, I will have another CMC. I would not consider operating a frame shop of ANY size without one.

If I were making that decision today, it would be the Valiani you're considering.
 
Let me start by saying I have no idea what your volume is, but before you purchase that CMC you might want to do a little math.

$17,821. That is how much you are going to pay for that CMC over five years. Is it going to save you $3,564 dollars a year worth of effort?

Or look at it this way - If you have an average of 30 orders a month you will need to charge an extra $10 on every order you take just to break even. Now if you average 300 orders a month then no big deal.

$17,821, by the way, is more than my new car cost. Needless to say my view is a bit biased.
 
Unless you operator a taxi or limo service, or charge for delivery of your product your investment in your car will never generate an income stream for you. Your car is one giant expense on your P&L.

A CMC can generate an income stream if you use it properly.

If you rent a CMC, the income stream that it generates must offset the expense in order to generate more profit.

If you purchase a CMC, the machine becomes an asset, increasing the value of your business. (See other threads on The Grumble regarding the future value of a framing business.) The asset is then deprecated over some time period reducing your taxable income during that time period, increasing net profit after taxes (NPAT). (NPAT is money to take home or re-invest in your business.) At some point in the life of the machine it can be sold returning money to the company which can be invested in a new CMC or other business venture.

Both renting or purchasing should reduce direct labor involved in generating the end product for sale. Thus more labor can be redirected to other profit generating activities. More profit generating activities completed without increasing labor costs should yield increasing net profit. Notice that I did not say that a CMC would reduce the cost of manufacturing the original product yet the use of a CMC can increase your bottom line if it is applied properly.

I am not an accountant, just a small business owner, like the rest of you. Consult your own accountant and tax laws regarding all accounting topics mentioned here. CMC can be replaced with chop saw, point nailer, or any other piece of equipment in all of the statements above.

P.S. Why buy a new CMC when there are plenty of used ones available? I support them all.
 
Hi there....

I have a Gunnar 1001 in my shop. Most of the time my wife operate it.
And I love that machine. I cannot imagine how to do my job without a CMC.
The 1001 is not latest Version of CMC's but very strong and reliable.

By the way, on the Gunnar Homepage you can watch some nice Videos and see how the modern machines work. A lot of possibilities are shown there.
Address is: www.gunnar-europe.com

Best Regards
 
Stevebez said:
...$17,821. That is how much you are going to pay for that CMC over five years. Is it going to save you $3,564 dollars a year worth of effort?...$17,821, by the way, is more than my new car cost. Needless to say my view is a bit biased.
Click to expand...

A properly-applied CMC will produce at least $3500 per year in added revenue for text-mats and fancy cuts that we could not -- or would not -- cut by hand.

Then there's the labor savings. A CMC easily represents the labor value of half-an-employee, even in a small shop. In a full-scale framingoperation, a CMC probably represents the labor of a full time employee.

Let's compare 'apples to apples'. Your $17,821 car would cost more than that after interest is applied. Or, the CMC would cost less than that if you paid cash for it.

Your car probably will not produce income. Your CMC most certainly will.
 
I love my fletcher 150...great machine! I have owned it for 1 1/2 years. Tech support is excellent with some of us that are a little challenged with mechanical things. Check the machine out at your local distributer... Good Luck
 
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