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Author Topic: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?  (Read 10337 times)

Dave Gurtcheff

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Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« on: October 03, 2015, 03:56:26 pm »

My ancient 3800 has served me well...went through six months of freezing temperatures when we had no power and were homeless from Hurricane Sandy. Often when I use it, it  takes numerous cleaning cycles, and two colors never are 100% perfect nozzle patterns, but the prints are still excellent. Also the printer hangs up from time to time, saying the ink cover is open (it is not).  I got a notice today while cleaning the nozzles that the maintenance tank was full, and it would not clean. I changed it, but noted the old tank appeared to be only about 50% full. This is one of the very early 3800s, so it may be 7, 8, 9 years old (?). Anticipating I will need to replace it, I noted that the P800 ink sets have Epson numbers almost identical to the 3800: T8507 vs T5807 for Light Black, T8509 vs  T5809 for Lt Lt Black, etc. Since my 3800 has a number of full or near full cartridges, do you think they are interchangeable despite different numbers? I know they are chipped which may prevent this.
78 years old and trying to save a buck.
Thanks in advance
Dave in NJ
www.modernpictorials.com
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Mark D Segal

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2015, 04:10:13 pm »

The cartridges are different, the inks are different, the technology is about 9 years advanced P800 vs 3800. If you think it's time for a change, why not donate the ink (and indeed the printer) to your favorite charity that can recycle/refurbish such items for their own purposes and buy yourself a P800. It's a very good printer with superior DMax and according to Epson more stable yellows compared to your 3800. The gamut is bound to be better because the 3800 was pre-Vivid Magenta days.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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BobShaw

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2015, 04:21:29 pm »

No but most will fit the 3880 if you can get one. Unused ones you may be able to trade in or sell on eBay.
If it still works you may as well keep using it. That is what I will do with my 3880, buying one cartridge at a time.
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Dave Gurtcheff

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2015, 04:34:34 pm »

Thanks Mark and Bob. I just saw that there is a $200 mail in rebate for the P800. I was aware most of the 3800 inks will fit a 3880, except magenta, light magenta vs Vivid Magenta and Vivid Light Magenta. The mail in rebate is tempting, but as Bob said my 3800 is still working. Mark: good idea about donating the printer and inks to a charity. I will have to measure if the P800 will fit my set up, we are in limited space where I have my "office" set up. The 3800 barely fits with no clearance behind it. Not a problem, as for heavy paper, the single feed is in the rear. However the specs for the P800 say the single feed is in the front. Does it need space behind it to exit the printer?
Thanks again.

Dave
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Mark D Segal

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2015, 04:59:42 pm »

Yes, it does need some space to do its back and forth.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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Jager

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2015, 05:21:06 pm »

If you leave the rear feed attachment permanently attached to your 3880, the P800 actually takes a tiny bit less space.  Both printers require a little bit of "horizontal space" and a bit more "vertical space" at the rear - the 3880 because that's where you insert paper into the rear feed; the P800 because that's where the front-feed pulls paper back to.  Pretty much a wash.

I love the rear manual feed on my 3880 and have duly criticized Epson for their design decision to eliminate it to make room for the roll feed.  That issue notwithstanding, I think the P800 is a far better printer than its predecessors.  Can't recommend it highly enough.

cengell

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2015, 03:41:40 pm »

Hello all, Dave I really think for the cost your 3800 is worth keeping, and in fact if you had the change to do a comparison from your 3800 & P800 at a few feet away you would not tell the difference, very close up probable. Even with the small print improvement the cost of the P800 I don't think the return is there since your 3800 is working good, now when it's not then a P800 could be worth it!

I think Epson is having selling problems with the P800 as 75% of 3800/3880 users won't upgrade and Epson thew in a rebate to help but I really don't think it is, since the 3800/3880 is such a good printer and image quality is very good.   

But you needs are not mine and I pike a real paper roll holder that the 3800/3800 should have had!

Christopher
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Conner999

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2015, 09:26:58 am »

I would be shocked if the ink carts are interchangeable. If you could find a clean used, or by some miracle, a new old stock 3880, then no problems. I should note that don't underestimate the lack of the rear top feed on the P800. Using the front feed for large cut sheets (if you use them) is a slow and irritating PITA - IMHO

The lack of rear top feed on the P800 (along with the issues we've had with our 3800, as good as it's been) is one of the many reasons that our next printer will mark our transition to the Canon ipf series.

Personally I'd break out the duct tape and milk that 3800 until it's dying breath, and if you want to stay Epson, wait and see what Epson does re: incentives if the P800 does prove to be a poor seller.   
« Last Edit: October 08, 2015, 09:29:53 am by Conner999 »
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howardm

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2015, 10:13:28 am »

Especially if Canon doesn't falsely cripple their new 17".  Epson is like Nikon; totally tone-deaf to what the customer really wants.  Instead it's just some polish and a new name.

rdonson

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #9 on: October 08, 2015, 12:56:38 pm »

I think Epson is having selling problems with the P800 as 75% of 3800/3880 users won't upgrade and Epson thew in a rebate to help but I really don't think it is, since the 3800/3880 is such a good printer and image quality is very good.   

Christopher

Not everyone buying a P800 is coming from a 3800/3880.  I didn't.  I bought one because of the repair costs for my HP Z3100 were about the same as buying a P800. 

Disclaimer:  I'm an amateur not a professional printer.  My needs are likely quite different. 
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Ron

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #10 on: October 08, 2015, 06:20:59 pm »

It's always interesting when people assume that they are the core customer for a business :-)
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Phil Brown

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2015, 07:13:03 pm »


I think Epson is having selling problems with the P800 as 75% of 3800/3880 users won't upgrade and Epson thew in a rebate to help but I really don't think it is, since the 3800/3880 is such a good printer and image quality is very good.   


Christopher
I presume that you have no inside knowledge regarding sales figures for the P800 or the level of interest that 3800/3880 users have in upgrading, in which case, what you say is just conjecture.  However, as an owner of a 3880 for six years, I must say that it is still pumping out prints of very high quality.  The P800 would have to knock my socks off in order to get me interested.  Since I have not yet seen output from it, I will withhold judgement.  However, I'm pretty sure that if I required a new printer for whatever reason, it would be my first choice, as it checks off all the boxes on my list.

Rob
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BobShaw

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #12 on: October 09, 2015, 11:16:56 pm »

I presume that you have no inside knowledge regarding sales figures for the P800 or the level of interest that 3800/3880 users have in upgrading, in which case, what you say is just conjecture.  However, as an owner of a 3880 for six years, I must say that it is still pumping out prints of very high quality.  The P800 would have to knock my socks off in order to get me interested.  Since I have not yet seen output from it, I will withhold judgement.  However, I'm pretty sure that if I required a new printer for whatever reason, it would be my first choice, as it checks off all the boxes on my list.
Rob
+1
I would like my 3880 to take rolls but the jump to a 4900 is fairly solid, and you need to use it a lot. The P800 will probably be the one when the 3880 dies.
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r010159

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #13 on: October 11, 2015, 11:02:59 pm »

The cartridges are different, the inks are different, the technology is about 9 years advanced P800 vs 3800. If you think it's time for a change, why not donate the ink (and indeed the printer) to your favorite charity that can recycle/refurbish such items for their own purposes and buy yourself a P800. It's a very good printer with superior DMax and according to Epson more stable yellows compared to your 3800. The gamut is bound to be better because the 3800 was pre-Vivid Magenta days.

Can I include a question of my own here?

I have a 3880. I am curious. Can the cartridges from P800 physically fit into my 3880? My focus is on the PK. I am looking to get an improved DMax in this way. I have a RIP that will handle this kind of setup. But, will the 3880 reject the different cartridges from its firmware due to incompatible chips? I am assuming that the use of the new inks has not required a redesign of the print head.

(I suspect this may not work)

Bob

PS  I am not interested in buying the new ink in bulk and dealing with the messy refilling of ink cartridges.
« Last Edit: October 11, 2015, 11:04:34 pm by r010159 »
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Jager

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #14 on: October 12, 2015, 06:22:33 am »

Dimensionally, the P800 carts look identical to those in the 3880.  But I haven't actually measured them (and am away from home, so am unable to do so right now). 

Regardless, the chips surely would prevent use of one in the other. 

Mark D Segal

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #15 on: October 12, 2015, 07:51:43 am »

There may also be "unknowns" to all of us who are not privy to Epson's technological secret sauces, which is pretty much all of us outside of Epson and probably many people within. Based on all I've read about inkjet printers, the machinery, firmware and inks are designed for each other. For example, when they develop a new ink set, its chemical properties may not be identical to those of previous ink sets. Therefore subtle differences in how the ink flow is managed could have been built into the new model. Subtle differences in printhead design may also have been necessary. Subtle differences in the ink lay-down algorithms (dithering and colour mixing) may be built into the new firmware. I certainly don't know - I'm only suggesting possibilities that come to mind and may lead to uncertainty about how these inks would perform in printers and firmware not designed for them. So anyone who's curious about how P800 inks would work in a 3880 I think could only find out by trying it - if they can trick the 3880 into using the P800 inks.
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Steve_IIIG

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #16 on: March 29, 2017, 01:41:50 pm »

My 3880 succumbed to the PK/MK clog. I was able to clean it up one time and it was fine, but then left it dormant for three weeks and the print-head seems permanently clogged. My supply levels show MK is practically full, Light Light Black is full, and five other inks are more than half-full.

My new P800 just arrived. Does anyone know if I use the inks in the new printer?

Thanks, Steve
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Steve_IIIG

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #17 on: March 29, 2017, 02:06:10 pm »

I just did a chat with Epson. I looked at the Ink FAQ for the P800 and the chart showed the same product numbers.....but, the Epson Help-Desk said the inks are not interchangeable.
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dgberg

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Re: Epson 3800 inks vs P800?
« Reply #18 on: March 29, 2017, 02:08:31 pm »

Can I include a question of my own here?

I have a 3880. I am curious. Can the cartridges from P800 physically fit into my 3880? My focus is on the PK. I am looking to get an improved DMax in this way. I have a RIP that will handle this kind of setup. But, will the 3880 reject the different cartridges from its firmware due to incompatible chips? I am assuming that the use of the new inks has not required a redesign of the print head.

(I suspect this may not work)

Bob

PS  I am not interested in buying the new ink in bulk and dealing with the messy refilling of ink cartridges.

P800 carts will not work in the 3880. But you can make this work very easily.
You would have to buy a set of the 3880 refillables. Draw the P800 pk out of the cart with the syringe. Load it into the refillable and with your rip you are good to go.
Now the problem of K3 vs the new formula Ultrachrome HD compatibility is an issue.
Not sure it is worth all that effort unless you want to fill all the refillables with HD. If you do a lot of printing you could buy that inset in sizes to 700ml and cut your ink costs in half.
With the rip you now have a P800 in a 3880 body with ink at half the cost.
PS: For that mess I save several thousand dollars a year!
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