Keep Epson 4900 and persist or replace it (blank green and orange)

[Ray R]

I am asking for members experiences.

As you can tell by the title I own an Epson 4900, I would say that I am a light user but I do like to print my own prints and these include panorama's. Having been away for 5 weeks I have returned to find the orange and green and no longer showing on nozzle checks.

I have purchased the maintenance software and done cleans 1,2 and 3. I have done a couple of recharges on the orange and green and also a recharge on the left side.

The ink has definitely reduced in the orange and green but a nozzle check is still completely blank.

I have tried the windex method and still nothing.

As the ink is going down on the indicator for green and orange I am assuming the ink is getting through the tubes, but as both colours are not showing on a nozzle check I think the heads may be faulty.

As I am often away I always seem to end up fighting to get the printer back to printing, and whilst I am happy to keep trying to get it going for a short while there has to be a point when I say enough is enough.

I am happy to keep trying until I need to buy anymore ink.

Is there is anything I can try, not including calling out someone to look at it (I think I would rather buy a new printer than have to worry about unclogging it  overtime I leave it for a couple of weeks).

I am in the UK and have looked for cleaning cartridges but they appear to be unavailable.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Ray

[Mark D Segal]

Hi Ray,

Firstly, Windex should not be used in the printhead of a 4900. It's a very bad idea. More than one highly qualified Epson technician has confirmed this to me. Simple Green would be a safer solution.

Secondly, this is a production printer and should not be left unused for even moderate period of time. I find mine clogs at least one channel if it is not used every third day, and more than one channel the longer the period of non-use. Six weeks is a very long time for this model to remain unused, so if you are going to have many such absences you may wish to consider buying something more user-friendly for your circumstances, such an Epson SCP-800 or a Canon Pro-1000.

Thirdly, the print head is usually the last place the technicians look for problems because it is the least likely major component to be corrupted (thank goodness). If these two channels only behave like this after periods of absence, it is usually because of ink droppage or drying. Given how much you've done already, it may be best to call in a technician to examine the condition of the pump/cap/damper assemblies and clean them out or replace them as warranted. This can result in a huge performance boost. If you don't want to do that, then every day until they clear, do three cycles of powerful cleaning combined with printing of those colours in between each cleaning cycle, then shut the machine over night and repeat the next day. It may take several days to return to normal. When it does would be the time to consider selling it or keeping it.

[Ray R]

Thanks Mark,

Like you I have found the clogs after a few days but have managed to live with it, including leaving it for a few weeks.

I will consider your other options, but as you say, I have been doing a preliminary look at other options.

Again thanks I will do a the cleans as you suggest.

Ray

[JonCone]

If you can not recover these two channels and you are into black & white photography, we can convert it into a Piezography printer minus the two channels. Depending upon your needs we can covert a 4900 to Piezography with as few as 7 working channels. You can PM me off list.

But, if you do decide to bin it - perhaps you can offer to others on this forum in the For Sale section who are into black & white. As long as it has not been sitting around for months unused - it is a perfect candidate printer!

[Ray R]

Thanks Jon, I was going to put it on eBay before dumping it, but I will put it in the For Sale section here first. It is printing an almost perfect nozzle check on all the other colours.

I have just ordered a P800 - to be delivered Friday.