Talk me out of spending money on a new edger! or talk me into it! lol

**Huffam** · 02-26-2013, 07:10 PM

Hello again everyone, in my constant search to update the equipment and procedures at my current office, i have started to think we can make increase income by upgrading our edger and edging literally every lens we sell. we are currently rocking a Nidek LE-9000. its pretty old, and was NEVER properly maintained until recently, the wheels where never dressed or calibrated and so on. i have a good deal of experience edging from when i was a lab monkey at *GASP* LC, but i think we need a newer edger to really do the job effectively (or at least refurb this POS). i have been looking at a few different options. the one i am leaning toward the most is the ME 900, i like that it can do the chemestry clip ons in house rather than having to send everything off like we have been doing and it HAS to run better than the beater we have been using. we average about 25 jobs a week, and in Homer, Alaska its a minimum of 2 weeks turn around if we have to send the frame off, have the lenses edged then sent back to us. if we edged every job in house then we would be looking at a week tops!

what do you guys think? have any of you gone from having the lab edge everything to doing it yourself? was it really worth the trouble/price?
does anyone have experience with the LE-9000 or the ME 900 (or the 1200)? pros vs cons?
should i just get ours refurbished, and run it into the ground?

anyway any thoughts or opinions would be great! thanks guys

**Barry Santini** · 02-26-2013, 08:14 PM

Been down this road before. I'd go for the ME1200 with the new integrated wrap tracer blocker. Expensive, but your wrap work and chemestre stuff will easily pay the lease.

b

**LENNY** · 02-26-2013, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by Barry Santini

Been down this road before. I'd go for the ME1200 with the new integrated wrap tracer blocker. Expensive, but your wrap work and cheerier stuff will easily pay the lease.

b

What is the name of that blocker?

**Barry Santini** · 02-26-2013, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by LENNY

What is the name of that blocker?

Ice 1200

b

**LENNY** · 02-26-2013, 11:10 PM

Is it tracer/blocker?

**Barry Santini** · 02-27-2013, 06:39 AM

Both

**Jacqui** · 02-27-2013, 06:58 AM

Ice 1200 isn't listed on the Santinelli site, do you have any more info?? Is it similar to the Ice 1000??

**Barry Santini** · 02-27-2013, 08:48 AM

I *think* this is this tracer/blocker's name. Being premiered at VEE

B

**Craig** · 02-27-2013, 09:08 AM

I just got my LT-980 wrap tracer only for my ME1200 and use our old blocker. The package if all new is to just add the mini-blocker they offer.
There is no wrap tracer blocker yet; but heck I waited 6 years for a tracer that is accurate on all work.

The C size varied1.9mm from the old to new tracer on the only frame we checked, it is a 60-18 8 base zyl.

This package is the best possible scenario to do everything in-house and perfect. By the way, E labs just bought 15 ME1200's instead of Mr. Blue. Think about that and the premium they spent to buy someone else's equipment rather than a sister company.

We are amazed at the work with the new tracer.

**LENNY** · 02-27-2013, 09:20 AM

So u use Ice 900 and LT-980 right now?
Is there a reason u did not go with Ice1000 before?

**Pogu** · 02-27-2013, 10:05 PM

Ferrari's aside, its still worth having a car. Even if you can't afford a hot **** edger that makes you into a Oakley lab, a skilled tech can do great work on an affordable edger. I use a Kappa machine that my employer owns, and I can turn out some sharp work on it. It takes an eye for inaccuracies and the skill to correct them, if you have experience, understand the science, and can work the art then go for it. It's great being able to tell a Pt that you personally produced a pair of spectacles that are custom to them and them alone. When a Pt has an AR warranty, you can tell them just to call it in, You'll call them when the lenses arrive and you can finish them at the Pt's convenience. No lenses falling out of the frame and all you can do is shrug your shoulders and box them up, you can guarantee what your clients receive.

Learn to repair, use, and maintain the equipment already present in the shop. I assume you are an employee (like me) and I can say that making the best out of the stuff already owned goes a long way towards your having the credibility to get something new.

**Huffam** · 02-28-2013, 01:02 PM

i am an employee mostly? i guess would be the way to put it. i mean i dont get a cut of the buisiness or anything, but i was hired to basically take over the optical dept, at the practice. i fully agree that utilizing existing equipment is best buuuuut, this thing as i mentioned is pretty rough. it has never been serviced until i came along, and i do run quite a few jobs on it, but its a pain, i cant dedicate the extra time fiddling with this edger while i have to help customers at the same time. please keep the thoughts coming guys, my Dr is attending VEE, and im trying to get him to bring me along, but i will most likely be at the one in vegas this year. I am having him stop at all the booths i can relating to the tech he has had me researching to make the final decision. (i compile it, he picks)

thanks again,
huff