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Author Topic: Moving a large format printer 1,600 miles  (Read 4499 times)

BobDavid

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Moving a large format printer 1,600 miles
« on: June 30, 2017, 04:09:51 pm »

I have  3-year old Epson 7890. It's been reliable and I like the output. I am moving from Florida to Colorado. How risky is it to move it? I will be using a good moving company.
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JimT1

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Re: Moving a large format printer 1,600 miles
« Reply #1 on: June 30, 2017, 05:32:53 pm »

Two years ago I moved my IPF8100 printer of which, was priorly sitting in my friends garage plugged in from August to October. Then came a 70 mile move in the back of a U-Haul cushioned under some heavy moving blankets.  The trip was mainly done on the interstate and we took a fair amount of small bumps.  The sketchy part was having to move this behemoth down a flight of stairs into the basement.  It was only a two man job without any room for anyone else to help hold on the sides. Half way down my brother had to lift the printer beyond 45 degrees because of the ceiling and I was left holding a tremendous amount of weight in an awkward position at the bottom.  We finally got it down, placed it on the stand, plugged it in and it wouldn't boot up :(  The Hard drive cable had become loose.  With the minor fix the printer booted and still works today.  No ink was spilled and no other problems have risen up.  It's been over three years since I have replaced any heads as well.

Keep in mind I was prepared for not expecting the printer to function by the end of the trip.  I can distinctly remember two occasions were I was mere seconds from smashing the thing in previous years of ownership out of frustration.  All in all it was worth the chance on an older printer.
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Farmer

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Re: Moving a large format printer 1,600 miles
« Reply #2 on: June 30, 2017, 07:22:29 pm »

If you can't put it back in the original packaging, get it off the stand and firmly down on a proper pallet, bubble and shrink wrapped.  Keep some low level ink carts in it, and keep it level.  Most importantly, insure it for the full value and make sure the insurance gives you a chance to properly test it once it is delivered and setup.  After it arrives, give it a day for ink to settle.

Also, run a nozzle check before you pack it and do cleans if needed. 

If either of the maintenance boxes are fairly full, pull them out and check that they're not sloshing around (if so, put new ones in).  Generally it will be fine unless you've just done a lot of printing or cleaning.
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Phil Brown

donbga

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Re: Moving a large format printer 1,600 miles
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2017, 07:53:36 pm »

I have  3-year old Epson 7890. It's been reliable and I like the output. I am moving from Florida to Colorado. How risky is it to move it? I will be using a good moving company.
Use Inkjet Malls Piezoflush solution to mothball the printer. For more information visit their web site.

Don Bryant
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howardm

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Re: Moving a large format printer 1,600 miles
« Reply #4 on: July 02, 2017, 07:18:02 am »

you might want to get a 'tilt indicator' and slap it on the unit to make sure the moving company doesn't do something.

BobDavid

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Re: Moving a large format printer 1,600 miles
« Reply #5 on: July 12, 2017, 12:54:06 am »

I just conducted some research about transporting an Epson 7890 printer from Sarasota to Denver. Apparently, it's recommended to flush the ink lines with Epson C13T642000 (T6420) Cleaning cartridges. One cartridge for each channel. I love the printer and have meticulously maintained it. Now I'm wondering if I want to bother with flushing out the lines and then recharging with ink once the printer arrives in the Denver area.

So now I'm thinking about selling the printer and scaling back to a 17" printer to be purchased in Colorado. ... What a pain.
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CrazyPugLady

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Re: Moving a large format printer 1,600 miles
« Reply #6 on: July 12, 2017, 08:26:19 am »

Bob, how long will the transport take? I recently moved an Epson 7900 through Germany (well, only 550 Kilometers) and it went very well. If it takes only a few days, I wouldn't bother flushing the lines, unless it's super hot in your area right now and you fear the printhead might dry out with the ink in it. If the moving company puts it into their truck and it stays there without much un- and reloading, I think it will be fine. We moved the printer down from the first floor and then up to the third floor in a very narrow staircase. I'm sure it was tilted to a degree. It sits here in my office and prints like a champ. Just make sure the head is locked/fixed prior to loading it into the truck.
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BobDavid

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Re: Moving a large format printer 1,600 miles
« Reply #7 on: July 12, 2017, 09:53:28 am »

Bob, how long will the transport take? I recently moved an Epson 7900 through Germany (well, only 550 Kilometers) and it went very well. If it takes only a few days, I wouldn't bother flushing the lines, unless it's super hot in your area right now and you fear the printhead might dry out with the ink in it. If the moving company puts it into their truck and it stays there without much un- and reloading, I think it will be fine. We moved the printer down from the first floor and then up to the third floor in a very narrow staircase. I'm sure it was tilted to a degree. It sits here in my office and prints like a champ. Just make sure the head is locked/fixed prior to loading it into the truck.

It will take at least 10 days for delivery. And being that it's summer, the truck will get hot, very hot. Epson recommends flushing out the lines.
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CrazyPugLady

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Re: Moving a large format printer 1,600 miles
« Reply #8 on: July 12, 2017, 10:16:50 am »

Yes, 10 days and very hot sounds like using the cleaning fluid is a good idea.
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BobDavid

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Re: Moving a large format printer 1,600 miles
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2017, 08:34:15 pm »

Yes, 10 days and very hot sounds like using the cleaning fluid is a good idea.

The company I've been buying media from over the past ten years advised me to lock the head down and put it on the truck. He said they often move printers from show to show and sometimes they sit in a pod for a month or so.

The cost of flushing out ink and then upon arrival flushing again to ensure no air in the lines is costly. And then there is the cost of filling the lines with ink. I estimate the cost of doing this to be in the neighborhood of $600. Not to mention the time and trouble.
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mearussi

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Re: Moving a large format printer 1,600 miles
« Reply #10 on: July 12, 2017, 10:29:13 pm »

10 days to travel 1,600 miles seems really slow, but then I'm not familiar with moving companies. If it were me I'd just rent a small van (unless you already own one) and haul it myself just leaving the inks alone. I moved a Epson 9600 several hundred miles without problems without doing anything to the printer except pulling out the cartridges (because they stick out) and it worked fine. But if you can't move it yourself you might inquire about air conditioned moving. It may be less expensive than flushing out the inks.
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BobDavid

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Re: Moving a large format printer 1,600 miles
« Reply #11 on: July 13, 2017, 10:31:40 pm »

I am using a well regarded moving company. It's rather typical for a mover to take ten days to move contents from a small home for that amount of time. They fill the trucks to full capacity to maximize profits and efficiency. So, they'll pick up another load from somewhere else. As noted earlier, I've decided to lock the head down and have the printer transported.
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