Ultimat

[Pukka]

Hi all.
Can someone please tell me what the difference is between the purple and gold ultimat.
I realise that the purple is an older model but are there any differences between the two.
Have an opportunity to buy a purple but should I hold off and wait for a gold to come my way.
Thanks Mark

[Not your average framer]

The nylon bearing that the cutting head slides on are a completely different design and replacements may become unobtainable earlier that than the one's than are fitted to the Ultimat Gold. As always, buy according to both condition and availability of any necessary spare parts. There are times when something in good working order at the right price can be a worthwhile bargain even if it is getting old, but you have to have a good eye for what you may be buying. The nylon bearing do develop unwanted movement as they wear and when they wear down below the useable range of compensating adjustment, you will be wanting some replacement nylon bearings.

The original Ultimat with the purple plastic rules are getting a bit old these days, I bought a secondhand one in about 2002, so I'm guessing that they could have easily have been around for perhaps 25, or maybe 30 years and they are two generations of Keencut mount cutters behind the current model. I have recently replaced both my Keencut Oval 6 and my Keencut System 4000 and in both cases I have upgraded to something more modern. I'm not saying that they were not great machines, but the glass cutting wheel on the System 4000 is no longer obtainable from Keencut the Oval 6 has been replaced by a much superior oval mount cutter.

When you stop and think about it, some really important bit of equipment that a framer must have, such as a Morso tend to last forever, but the are also other really important items of equipment, which can have a more limited life, particularly if they are manufacture with built in planned obsolsance and a date when spares for that item will no longer be available. We all have to balance what we can afford, with what we need and we probably won't do it quite the same, but there are factors that will influence each decision, so go into this with your eyes open and perhaps get some advice about buying any necessary spares, before it's too late to obtain them.

[Pukka]

Wow what a detailed and great answer.
Thanks a lot, still a learning curve for me.
Regards Mark

[Not your average framer]

We are all still learning!