Economics: Repair or Replace Canon iPF6100

[bill@plunkettphoto.com]

I have a Canon iPF6100 which has been sitting up for quite some time (explanation is too long to go into here).

I definitely need a maintenance tank and most likely both printheads.

I have 2 sets of ink: one says install by 2011, the other by 2013.

From B&H, a maintenance tank, 2 printheads and a set of ink adds up to $2,174.33.  Without the ink, it is $1,273.73.

First question:  Both sets of ink still seem to be very fluid, can I damage the printer by installing ink that is so far out of date?

Second question:  Is there any justification for spending this much on an old printer instead of replacing it with a new Epson equivalent.

Thanks in advance for what I know will be good advice.
bill

[Mark D Segal]

You can replace the printer with the newer replacement model from B&H for USD 1850. Expired inks can be usable in Epson printers; I don't know whether the same is true for those Canon models. Of course it is always at your own risk. I'm speculating here - perhaps others can be more definitively helpful, but I think the major risk isn't to the printer but to the quality of the prints. If they don't come out right I believe the worst that could happen is that you'll need to purge out the expired ink and replace it with current ink.   

But by mid-year Canon will be coming out with brand new Image PROGRAF 24 and 44 inch models with Pro-1000 technology that will be worth waiting for if you can and if you wish to stick with Canon. Personally I would not start re-equipping a printer that is this old and sitting doing nothing for a long time. There are unknowns involved. If it isn't printing properly, the problem may be more than the print heads (if the problem is the print heads to begin with - are you sure about that?). But the moment one needs to start opening the machine and tinkering with the ink delivery system and its replaceable components (by a qualified technician) the costs can mount. So you may be in uncertain territory. If you wish to replace a 6100 with a new Epson model, you would probably want to look at the SureColor 7000. They start at USD 2600, but quite a machine. I saw it demo'd here in Toronto last fall. On balance, if it were me, I would be looking at a new printer with the latest technology and a warranty.

[Dan Wells]

Maintenance tanks are cheap - quite possibly worth the 50 bucks to do that (although I wouldn't throw $1000 in print heads in it)...

[John Hollenberg]

I asked an experienced color consultant who has posted on this board the same question in regard to an ipf6300.  He is a big proponent of  Canon printers and has a lot of experience with them.  For reasons that are too complicated to explain, the printer had never been set up and the printheads were unopened. His recommendation was not to use the 5 year old inks I had sitting around, as he thought there was a risk of damaging the (expensive) printheads.  I ended up buying a set of inks for $900.