Printers
Posted 13/04/2013 - 10:40 - Helpful Comment
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Hi Stuey
I've never had a problem with the Epson printers after a long period of non-use, but mine is kept in our sunroom which adjoins the cellar, so maybe there's a bit of dampness in the air which helps to prevent this from happening. I've always had Epsons as I like the way they reproduce photos, except for the colour cast on BW images, which I think most budget printers suffer from.
My understanding is that the problems with blockages in the Epson print heads is to do with the fact that they produce much smaller micro dots than some other brands, which helps with photo printing, but makes them more susceptible to blockages.
With mine I have the opposite problem; if I do lots of prints one after another it can block, but after leaving it for a while it sorts itself out.
I can't offer advice on any other brands as I don't have much experience of anything else.
Regards
David
I've never had a problem with the Epson printers after a long period of non-use, but mine is kept in our sunroom which adjoins the cellar, so maybe there's a bit of dampness in the air which helps to prevent this from happening. I've always had Epsons as I like the way they reproduce photos, except for the colour cast on BW images, which I think most budget printers suffer from.
My understanding is that the problems with blockages in the Epson print heads is to do with the fact that they produce much smaller micro dots than some other brands, which helps with photo printing, but makes them more susceptible to blockages.
With mine I have the opposite problem; if I do lots of prints one after another it can block, but after leaving it for a while it sorts itself out.
I can't offer advice on any other brands as I don't have much experience of anything else.
Regards
David
Posted 13/04/2013 - 11:05 - Helpful Comment
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Hi Stuey, yes I'm back in the real world, at least for a while. May have to go back out to Dubai soon though.
I went for a walk this morning in the cool and bright Spring air, what a pleasure this was after a week in the desert. The birds were singing and there was dew on the grass - heaven!
Cheers
David
I went for a walk this morning in the cool and bright Spring air, what a pleasure this was after a week in the desert. The birds were singing and there was dew on the grass - heaven!
Cheers
David
Posted 13/04/2013 - 11:07 - Helpful Comment
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Sorry Stuey, I would hazard a guess and say you've now trashed it beyond economical recovery by trying paint thinners
The chemistry of paint thinners (assuming you mean White Spirit or Turpentine AKA HydroCarbons) is not compatible with that of printer inks which are Alcohol Based, Methylated Spirit may have been a wiser choice
If you seriously think this is likely to happen to any future printers then perhaps your idea to buy one with heads included in the cartridge is a good idea, either way you should be running a test sheet through a printer at least once a week, alternatively if the printer software supports nozzle checks then run one of those weekly.
PS: as fo printer brands as I've only ever used Canon, Lexmark and Epson, the latter has produced the best photo's for me.
The chemistry of paint thinners (assuming you mean White Spirit or Turpentine AKA HydroCarbons) is not compatible with that of printer inks which are Alcohol Based, Methylated Spirit may have been a wiser choice
If you seriously think this is likely to happen to any future printers then perhaps your idea to buy one with heads included in the cartridge is a good idea, either way you should be running a test sheet through a printer at least once a week, alternatively if the printer software supports nozzle checks then run one of those weekly.
PS: as fo printer brands as I've only ever used Canon, Lexmark and Epson, the latter has produced the best photo's for me.
Posted 13/04/2013 - 11:25 - Helpful Comment
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If you don't intend to use it for photographs then buy a laser printer. They never dry up and are far more economical overall.
You can then do your photo printing online or at the supermarket.
It depends on your circumstances, but documents look far better on laser. But they are not very good for photographs.
You can then do your photo printing online or at the supermarket.
It depends on your circumstances, but documents look far better on laser. But they are not very good for photographs.
Posted 13/04/2013 - 11:30
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Hi David
I agree it is nice two return to a moisture ridden land after a hot dry place
Thanks for the response Alan - it turns out that my better half filled the pippette with surgical spirit this time whilst I was busy throwing my rattle out of the pram but I have tried all manner of fluids previously, none worked but not 'meths' though I drink that instead
I am feeling conned by epsom as the r360 uses a stupid amount of ink for 'head cleaning' and even though nothing at all will come out of the yellow printer head each time I clean the heads the software/printer tells me that the level has dropped and my thought is simple if it won't come out of the one place it is meant to where the hell is it :: that's why I feel conned (epson rant mode)
Equally when it states that the cartridges are empty they have a significant amont left in (up to a third) and this happens with epson and compatible cartridges - I emptied a few into measuring jugs and compared what came out to the supposed content amount
Whilst I like the results from the epsons I am having a hard job trusting the R360 whereas I have never had issues like this with porevious ones except for the blockages
Hopefully that is moan over
I may just wander into a shop later and take a random punt on a new printer brand
I agree it is nice two return to a moisture ridden land after a hot dry place
Thanks for the response Alan - it turns out that my better half filled the pippette with surgical spirit this time whilst I was busy throwing my rattle out of the pram but I have tried all manner of fluids previously, none worked but not 'meths' though I drink that instead
I am feeling conned by epsom as the r360 uses a stupid amount of ink for 'head cleaning' and even though nothing at all will come out of the yellow printer head each time I clean the heads the software/printer tells me that the level has dropped and my thought is simple if it won't come out of the one place it is meant to where the hell is it :: that's why I feel conned (epson rant mode)
Equally when it states that the cartridges are empty they have a significant amont left in (up to a third) and this happens with epson and compatible cartridges - I emptied a few into measuring jugs and compared what came out to the supposed content amount
Whilst I like the results from the epsons I am having a hard job trusting the R360 whereas I have never had issues like this with porevious ones except for the blockages
Hopefully that is moan over
I may just wander into a shop later and take a random punt on a new printer brand
Posted 13/04/2013 - 11:34 - Helpful Comment
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I've had one Epson die on me but think that was a problem with the power not the ink....Anyways....I replaced that with a canon ix6550 and to my surprise that came with the print head in a bag! I've looked at replacement printheads and they're about £50. I know its a little expensive at £160-180 but If that comes with an easily replaceable head maybe other cheaper models are the same.
One day you'll find, 10yrs have got behind you.
Posted 13/04/2013 - 11:39
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Thanks guys
I will check out the cost of a print head and a laser printer
I just assumed both options would be more expensive than just buying a new printer
The poor shop techie nerds of Wrexham are likely to be bored sensless by me this afternoon
I will check out the cost of a print head and a laser printer
I just assumed both options would be more expensive than just buying a new printer
The poor shop techie nerds of Wrexham are likely to be bored sensless by me this afternoon
Posted 13/04/2013 - 14:42 - Helpful Comment
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My Epson 1290 died, i then went onto the Epson website and chatted on the web chat with sales. They offered me a big discount on a Epson 3000 in part exchange for my 1290. Always worth a try.
Posted 13/04/2013 - 15:27 - Helpful Comment
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One answer is to buy a Canon printer. I had an Epson 2880 which clogged irreversibly using Lyson inks. I was quoted £240 by a 3rd party repairer who would not guarantee that it would fix the problem, so I sold the printer for spares on ebay. I bought a Canon 9000 mk ii which in two years has only needed one head clean using Canon inks. I have recently diversified to Jettec cartridges as an experiment and so far with 4 of them in operation, I have had no clogging and no as yet noticeable change in colour rendition. Canon ink heads are easily replaceable by the user ( in fact they do not come installed) and cost about £100. I would not go back to an Epson printer based upon my experience of both CAnon and Epson printers.
Miles
Posted 13/04/2013 - 16:04 - Helpful Comment
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To be fair Miles, you used third party inks in the Epson that clogged, but Canon inks in the Canon that didn't. The point I'm making is that the third party inks you have started using now may or may not clog your Canon in due course. It will be interesting to see if it does make a difference long term.
Canon make very good printers, but so do Epson and many people use both perfectly satisfactorily.
Canon make very good printers, but so do Epson and many people use both perfectly satisfactorily.
Best regards, John
Posted 13/04/2013 - 16:31 - Helpful Comment
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also epson have the finest jets, that is why they are more prone to problems with 3rd party ink, fom a pro who gave a talk at camera club who used 3rd party in his r1800, he was fortunate he was able to clean them and reverted to epson ink without any further problems. the reason he talked about the printer was the fact that the excellent quality of his prints was commented on and enquiries were made as to who printed them.
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4772 posts
16 years
Wales
We appear to have killed two Epson printers by lack of use - I believe but cannot be sure that the reason is the epson printer cartridges don't come with a new print head (but others do) so when the print head dries up the printer is useless - I have tried the paint thinners etc into the head with a pipette but no use
Any how, we have decided that maybe, as the printer is pretty much only used for the little fella's homework we should buy a different brand printer but a fairly basic one and if we dry up a catridge we should just be able to replace the cartridge and be okey dokey hopefully
Anyone able to correct this idea, improve on it and if so any suggestions for a printer:
And....
If any one out there is managing to keep an Epson C64/C66/C84/C86/C3600/C3650/C4600/CX6400/CX6600 running we have three unopened (compatible) ink cartridges (E-T0441)on the shelf that anyone can have if they will pay the cost of postage
Our current model is an Epson R3600 but this is probably off to be recycled - hopefully not to China/India etc to pollute our rice supplies though
Cheers
Stu
My Flickr site link