Epson SC-Px000 printers... are the new heads reducing clogging issues?

[gkroeger]

It has been a year now since the SureColor P6000, P7000, P8000 and P9000 supplanted the older x900 series. Epson touts the improved head design and coatings as addressing clogging issues. My question for folks who had the older printers, and now are using the new versions, is whether the improvements are real.

[Wayne Fox]

my p9000 is a little over a year old.  I think I’ve had to do a channel clean 4 or 5 times.  Between PK/MK switch (I’ve done that about 20 times) the printer only cleaned once.

Original maintenance tanks aren’t anywhere near needing replaced yet.  so anecdotally from my experience clogging isn’t much of an issue.

As I think about it, one other item.  my 9900 was in a room that I kept at a constant 45% humidity.  Last May I moved to a new location, and space was tighter so I didn’t set up the humidifier ... so these results are in an environment that is probably closer to 25% humidity or even dryer at times (Salt Lake City). 

That’s what I’ve experienced so far.

[mkihne]

Have avoided the X900 line because of the head issues. About 8 mo. Since purchase of P9000. I'm certain it is used much less frequently than Wayne's 9000, but one cleaning and small segment drop out LK nozzle check are the only issues I've had. Printer has been idle up to 2.5 weeks at a time, although I try to print an image that will utilize all colors at least once a week when possible. Recent cold snap saw 5% humidity for a couple of weeks until I humidified the room. No nozzle issues with that. Having experience with 2 3880 printers, my P9000 experience appears closer to that of my 3880's than what others report with X900 series, but one anecdotal account is hardly long term evidence.....to be continued.

Mike

[datro]

. . . the improved head design. . .

I am almost certain the head in the Pxxxx SureColor printers is EXACTLY the same head as in the earlier x900 printers.  Epson's "new" head design only applies to the P10000 and P20000.

That said, I think there have been definite changes in the Pxxxx printers which should result in fewer problems with missing nozzles and improved head reliability overall:

• improved ink and head maintenance routines in the firmware
• I can't prove it, but I think the new HDX ink chemistry has actually been slightly modified to help reduce clogging
• improved pump/cap assembly (evidenced by changed part numbers noticed when I recently replaced this assembly on my 7900)

I've owned my 7900 since Dec. 2008 and my P9000 since July last year.  I replaced the head and Ink Selector on the 7900 in 2014 due to a failed Green channel, and then the Green channel failed again about a year later.  It is now running the new Piezography Pro inks as a dedicated B&W printer.

My P9000 so far has had only two cases of missing any nozzles which were easily cleared with a normal pair cleaning.  I print at least once a week and the printers are maintained in my studio at about 50% humidity.  My records for the 7900 show that most of my "missing nozzle" problems occurred in the Summer months, not in the Winter as one might expect. (My theory on this is that it is actually humidity/temperature variability that is the enemy for these printers, not so much just a specific level of humidity.  My humidty and temperature varies a lot more in the Summer than in the Winter.)

So I think the real test for my P9000 will be to see how it does this Summer in comparison.  But so far it has been great.  To be continued...

Dave

[Wayne Fox]

I am almost certain the head in the Pxxxx SureColor printers is EXACTLY the same head as in the earlier x900 printers.  Epson's "new" head design only applies to the P10000 and P20000.

That said, I think there have been definite changes in the Pxxxx printers which should result in fewer problems with missing nozzles and improved head reliability overall:

• improved ink and head maintenance routines in the firmware
• I can't prove it, but I think the new HDX ink chemistry has actually been slightly modified to help reduce clogging
• improved pump/cap assembly (evidenced by changed part numbers noticed when I recently replaced this assembly on my 7900)

You may be right about the head, although I heard there were some subtle changes.  But I think your other comments are valid, as I believe clogging issues are much more about other factors than we realized.  I've heard (sorry don't remember where) another area that was modified was to keep paper dust and and other debris away from the head with the design of the capping station, which was quite problematic, especially on the 4900.  Interesting to note the best performing printer was the one that didn't have a paper cutter (38xx series).

Whatever the reason, it does appear this new series is better than previous generations.

[deanwork]

I doubt it.



Whatever the reason, it does appear this new series is better than previous generations.
[/quote]

[DeanChriss]

I am almost certain the head in the Pxxxx SureColor printers is EXACTLY the same head as in the earlier x900 printers.  Epson's "new" head design only applies to the P10000 and P20000.

That said, I think there have been definite changes in the Pxxxx printers which should result in fewer problems with missing nozzles and improved head reliability overall:

• improved ink and head maintenance routines in the firmware
• I can't prove it, but I think the new HDX ink chemistry has actually been slightly modified to help reduce clogging
• improved pump/cap assembly (evidenced by changed part numbers noticed when I recently replaced this assembly on my 7900)

I've owned my 7900 since Dec. 2008 and my P9000 since July last year.  I replaced the head and Ink Selector on the 7900 in 2014 due to a failed Green channel, and then the Green channel failed again about a year later.  It is now running the new Piezography Pro inks as a dedicated B&W printer.

My P9000 so far has had only two cases of missing any nozzles which were easily cleared with a normal pair cleaning.  I print at least once a week and the printers are maintained in my studio at about 50% humidity.  My records for the 7900 show that most of my "missing nozzle" problems occurred in the Summer months, not in the Winter as one might expect. (My theory on this is that it is actually humidity/temperature variability that is the enemy for these printers, not so much just a specific level of humidity.  My humidty and temperature varies a lot more in the Summer than in the Winter.)

So I think the real test for my P9000 will be to see how it does this Summer in comparison.  But so far it has been great.  To be continued...

Dave

That is exactly my experience. I too got a 7900 in December 2008. It had no repairs or service except wiper cleaning until June 2016 when the yellow channel developed numerous permanently clogged nozzles. In July 2016 I got a P7000, and like your P9000 it has been great. I have all of the auto nozzle checking/cleaning turned off but I think the printer still does some of this when it is powered up (I power it off when it is not in use). Perhaps because of that I have never printed a nozzle check that shows any missing nozzles. I couldn't be happier about that.

As for the 7900, I also had dramatically less clogging in winter when the humidity in the room is typically 30% than in summer when it is regulated to around 50%. The room is below grade with heating and air conditioning so I think the temperature is as stable in winter and summer, but it is typically 5-6 °F warmer in the summer months. Thinking about this, I'd say temperature is less stable in winter because it's chilly and I sometimes turn on a space heater while I'm working in the room. There are no heating/AC ducts near or blowing on the printer.

I've noticed that when I make prints that use a lot of ink the paper seems "wetter" than the same print from the 7900 did. The first time I printed something like that I was concerned that I screwed up a profile but after drying the print was perfect and essentially identical to one from the 7900. That's just anecdotal evidence but I suspect the new ink formulation plays some role in reducing clogs.

[Jacob Buchowski]

I have now had the P7000 for about 9 months. I live in the midwest and the printer in the basement with humidity around 40-45%. I have not had any clogging issues despite the fact that there have been several periods of time where I did not print for ~3 weeks at a time. I also own the 3880 and have not had a single issue with clogging despite not using the printer very much, so I suspect that my environment in printer-friendly.

[thegreathighway]

I have a p9000 - 4 months - print weekly - not heavy production. Minimal clogs.

Had to replace right maintenance tank - super full bubbling at the top. Left tank barely moved. Maybe have switched blacks 15 times.

Strange

[Wayne Fox]

I have a p9000 - 4 months - print weekly - not heavy production. Minimal clogs.

Had to replace right maintenance tank - super full bubbling at the top. Left tank barely moved. Maybe have switched blacks 15 times.

Strange

sort of normal.  It does seem strange but I assume something in the engineering the two tanks aren't working as "one" but are there to handle different issues.

On my p9000 I've only switched out one maintenance tank in 2 years about 9 months ago.  I always move the left one to the right side and put the new one in the left.  Not sure why, seemed logical at the time I started doing it several years ago. I'm at about 85% on the one I switched over, the left one still looks to be at 100%.

[loomitz]

Hello, I have with my p9000 little more than a year, I print almost daily the clogged channels are usually rare I try to keep the humidity in 45-50%, I changed from mk to pk about 15 times it is normal that after the change, i need to clean the channel.

I use it for a more or less hevy production about 157 inches a week roll of 44.

for the maintenance tanks, I have noticed a funny behavior, the tank on the right is used for cleaning and the mk to pk change, the left for borderless printing (which I never do); When the right tank reaches low with the symbol of admiration, I change it for the left one, when this one get the admiration mark, the other one have recover level, and if I switched again, happnes one more time.

so from my experience it has been a very good printer

[JeanMichel]

A little while age I posted this little good news message:
Well, too busy printing on my P800, or lazy, I left my Epson SC6000 sit idle since early December (it is now early February). I turned it on, it did its usual start-up routine, I printed a nozzle check, all OK, so I just went ahead with making some prints. I was worried that having left the printer idle for all that time that I would have seen some nozzle issues and was relieved that there were none.

Since then, I continue to have no issues with clogging. And, this being winter, the air is quite dry at around 35 to 40% humidity.

[Gary Mulcahey]

I have got a P6000 I have had for about a year. It sits idle for weeks and sometimes more than a month. I'm a batch printer.
It starts up and runs its procedure at start up and has not clogged yet.
I'm in Ontario, Canada and it sits in a room that is about 18-20c most of the time in the winter and at the mercy of the weather in the summer. No air conditioning.