ipf5000 printhead replacement or new printer?

[artiste]

Hi
 I have a 5 yr old ipf5000 which hasn't had any problems until lately when I started getting that 'check L printhead' message. I used the work-around for awhile (hitting the 'online' button before printing each print) but now my prints have started coming out with the bottom 1/2" faded. Strangely, it's only fading the last 1/2" of the art, but the black text below that area prints just fine.

Deep cleaning and playing with settings didn't help. I use cut sheets of textured watercolor style paper and can only load them into the tray - so any fixes involving the cassette settings didn't work either. Called Canon customer service and they say it's the printhead - but that's easy for them to say. And expensive for me to replace. 

I just want to make sure it's really finally time to replace the prinhead or if the problem is being caused by something else. I don't want to buy a new printhead and then find out it was some other problem.

At any rate, I'm not even sure I should fork out $$$ for a new printhead at all. Is it true you have to buy a whole new set of inks to load the new printhead? Should I consider turning this into the worlds heaviest doorstop and buy something else?

Thanks

[neile]

You don't have to buy a whole new set of inks, but you do wind up repriming the lines I think which chews up a not insignificant amount of ink.

Honestly since it's a 5000, if you have the $$$ I'd just get a new printer. If you don't print at the 17" size often the Pixma Pro 9500 Mark II is cheaper than a replacement print head It maxes out at 13x19" though and no roll feed.

Neil

[artiste]

Unfortunately I do most all of my prints at the 17" width.

I was able to manage a temporary work-around tonight -  I found I had just enough room to move the image up nearer the top of the paper instead of centering it, so the printer isn't trying to print near the bottom margin.

I guess I could check on eBay to see if anyone is parting out a machine and has a working printhead for sale. Otherwise it looks like the best price for a new one is something around $475.

 

[neile]

A new Canon ipf5100 will cost you $1449 after $250 mail in rebate. Epson's new Stylus Pro 4900 has a $1000 instant rebate right now and sells for $1149.

Even though it means you'd be switching from Canon to Epson, if it were me I'd just buy the new printer rather than spend $475 and sticking with a printer that's two generations behind the latest tech (5100 and then the x300 line).

Neil

[Pete Berry]

Are you saying that your nozzle check print shows no defects, and that's why you are questioning the printhead status? I'm on my third printhead failure in four years of moderate printing with my 5000, but it's the MBK nozzles on the check, and I don't print any matte papers at the present. When the right fails, I'll probably go for a 6300. My first two failed with a month of each other.

So after five years, I'd say you have a good chance of the other head failing also - the original PF-01 heads don't hold up as well as the PF-03 replacement heads, and you've gotten good service from them. So you are looking at $900 for new heads and will still have a quite old printer. As all but your four grayscale carts are transferrable to a 5100, which comes with about $450 of ink left after priming (about 70ml of the 90ml starter carts) it would make good sense to me to go for the 5100 now rather than curse your luck when the other fails and you're already $450 in the hole. Although not quite up to the new x300 inks, the x100 grayscale inks do decrease bronzing and gloss differential while increasing surface toughness. As for a 5300 in the future, who knows? Personally, I would stay with Canon with it's more frugal ink usage and freedom from annoying clogs/cleanings. The 5100 is said to use less than the 5000 for routine head maintenance.

Good luck!  Pete

[Wayne Fox]

A new Canon ipf5100 will cost you $1449 after $250 mail in rebate. Epson's new Stylus Pro 4900 has a $1000 instant rebate right now and sells for $1149.

Even though it means you'd be switching from Canon to Epson, if it were me I'd just buy the new printer rather than spend $475 and sticking with a printer that's two generations behind the latest tech (5100 and then the x300 line).

Neil

Add to this the jump in quality from a ipf5000 (which has terrible blacks and horrible bronzing) to a 4900 will be quite remarkable.  the current rebate on the 4900 makes it an amazing deal.  Just set mine up tonight to replace my 3800.

[Rob Reiter]

Yup, a new printer is the way to go. Too bad Canon hasn't come out with a 5300, but the 5100 isn't bad. Between that and the Epson equivalent, I'd say the price rebates on new printers will make the upgrade less painful financially, considering that second head will go some time, too.