Upgrading Wizard 8000 to 9000.... has anyone done this?

Create a Post
LeighAnn

LeighAnn

CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
Joined
Feb 26, 2005
Posts
494
Loc
Yamhill County Oregon
I'm going to be calling Wizard on Monday to ask about upgrading my Wizard 8000 (I have a monthly rental) to the 9000.... I'm curious if anyone has done this? and is it a simple power pack and head switch out or do we have to replace the whole darn thing?

Also, if anyone wants to give a review of the 9000's use of the pen and debosser that would be much appreciated!
 
I own my 8000 and the switch is expensive, though they do allow some trade-in value. I was looking at that very upgrade to the 9000, and found out about upgrading to the newest technology 8000 (Windows 7) is also an option. Both require a complete switch out of machines. I decided to stick to my existing machine (runs on Windows XP which is part of the issue in keeping it running down the road) for a while and see what if any options develop. I will be looking at all options when the time comes.
 
The 9000 is an entirely different system, The board, CPU, head, blade holders and blades are all different from the 8000. The software is the same, sort of. It has the same feel but has a few added items that are turned off for the 8000. Pen tool and other blade holders that the 8000 doesn't have.

Yes, it is true that I switched from my 9000 to a different brand.
I can say that Wizard's software is by far the best in the industry and their support is second to none.
 
wpfay said:
I own my 8000 and the switch is expensive, though they do allow some trade-in value. I was looking at that very upgrade to the 9000, and found out about upgrading to the newest technology 8000 (Windows 7) is also an option. Both require a complete switch out of machines. I decided to stick to my existing machine (runs on Windows XP which is part of the issue in keeping it running down the road) for a while and see what if any options develop. I will be looking at all options when the time comes.
Click to expand...

I own my 8000 too, and have wondered about the XP issue. I tend to treat mine with kid gloves, hoping to keep it going for as long as possible. I've been lucky/happy with its durability and performance. Much as I would like to have the pen tool and steep bevel cutting capabilities etc., I can't really justify the expense in my mind. Plus I like the slower cutting speed of the 8000, because it gives time to tape the fallouts of multi-opening mats during the cutting process, etc.
:cool: Rick

(Brian Wolf told me once that he prefers the 8000 too. Still, it hasn't kept him from coming up with some great designs for the capabilities of the 9000.)
 
The 8000 will work with Windows 7 if you have the black controller pack (vs the tan one). We are using the 8000 with the black one and Win7 in our shop.

Mike
 
Mike Labbe @ GTP said:
The 8000 will work with Windows 7 if you have the black controller pack (vs the tan one). We are using the 8000 with the black one and Win7 in our shop.

Mike
Click to expand...

I am, too. The upgrade to Win 7 and the black power pack was no charge on my jr. rental when my XP PC bought it. The invoice on the power pack was around $3500. I sure wouldn't have wanted to pay that.
 
Rick some good news.. The latest version of Wizards 9000 software lets you slow the cutting speed down.. It is impressive....But I Have a need for speed..LOL

Murphey
I up graded from the 8500 to the 9000 Can say I do not look back. The pen tool has added thousands to my bottom line on jobs since I got it. If you do it right it is the WOW factor.... Customers responses, "You Can do that?" "WOW"
The more you practice the faster and better you get.

Last one I did, A company came in wanted a employee group photo matted & framed. I suggested putting the names of all the people in a group photo curved around an oval opening inside double French lines "very small print". They Loved it took it and Hung it in the office. They came back a week later gave me an order for 11 more same photo @45.00 just for the mat it was a 14 x 12 mat(B8656). That mat plain would have been retail $15.00 with lettering it was $45.00. Thanks to the WOW I picked up 11 more mat orders and 8 frames. There was an extra $330.00 just for the mats not to mention the extra frames.
I don't think they would have had the others done if it had not been for the Lettering.
 
Right, Gumby. Upgrading the whole unit is a good idea if your business can take advantage of it. I did that on my rental from the 5000 to the 8000, a huge improvement. My comment was directed to the poor soul that owns an 8000 with a failed XP computer. The cost of that power pack to run Win7 is huge - so much that it's probably worthwhile to try to find a used XP box.
 
Just because they wont be supporting it isn't the end of the world, imo. It can still give you many years. If you don't use it for email or the web, it won't matter very much. (you won't be going places where it could get in trouble)

if really concerned about it, you can unplug it from the internet entirely. But leaving it connected should be fine. Your router has a firewall in it, that keeps the outside world OUT. Going out to get emails, or visiting websites, are the main ways you could get in trouble with a pesky bug.

If you keep it, I suggest making a backup of your wizard program folder. This way all of your calibrations will be saved, if you have to re-install on a new computer (with the same controller pack). It otherwise takes a lot of time to re-calibrate all the different cuts - after a complete reinstall.

We switched our 8000 over from XP to Windows 7, about 4 months ago. This required replacing the driver pack.

They are also releasing new software this week.

Some advice: Many of the Wizard 8000's that shipped with XP only had 256mb memory installed. The (last five years of) software updates call for a minimum of four times that (1gb). Memory can be upgraded inexpensively, by popping in some new chips. This will give you a huge performance boost with the software. It will make it seem like a somewhat new computer.
 
Has anyone had problems with the wizard 8000 stopping in the middle of cuts? Mine seems to keep stopping tight in the middle of cuts. I have to reset the driver pack and computer and try it again. It had became a pretty frequent annoyance, not to mention costly with the waste of whole sheets of matboard.
 
Try taking all your cables completely off then reseating them.
 
If you're able to afford a 9000, I would consider looking at a Gunnar. I sent my 9000 rental back after two years and bought a Gunnar F1 Hybrid. I couldn't be happier.
 
GUMBY GCF said:
Try taking all your cables completely off then reseating them.
Click to expand...
Definitely do this. Just unplugging/replugging the black cable at both ends to re-seat the pin contacts has solved any behavior problems I've ever had with my 8000.
I even do it pro-actively every now and then, just to preclude any mishaps that might waste an expensive piece of board.
:cool: Rick
 
Create a Post
Back
Top