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Author Topic: I just fired up my Epson 3800 after sitting idle for the last 8 months.  (Read 6864 times)

Bill Koenig

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I just wanted to let everyone know that my Epson 3800 printer gave me a perfect nozzle check, the first try, after sitting for 8 months, over the dry winter, with out any use. And if that's not all, some of the ink cartridges were over 2 years old.
I thought for sure that I'd be looking for a new printer.
Kudos Epson, for such a fine printer.  :D
« Last Edit: May 02, 2013, 08:53:53 am by Bill Koenig »
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Scott Martin

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Great isn't it? Can't expect that from the new larger format printers from any brand. The 3800 and some of the consumer printers from Canon and HP are better in this respect.

Under-usage is a big problem with large format printers today. I think there's a market for wide consumer printers for lower volume printmakers like yourself.
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Alan Goldhammer

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I've had my 3880 idle for as long as 3 months with the same experience.  Turn it on and the nozzle check is perfect.
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Paris1968

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Oddly some printers just seem to be immune from clogging. I once let a Canon iPF 6200 sit idle for over six months and it fired right up without clogging.  In fact, I cannot remember either my Canon 6200 or its successor, the 6300, clogging ever. I once put a Canon Pro 9000 in storage with the ink tanks in place for almost five years.  When I plugged it in, it went through an extended cleaning cycle automatically and then printed flawlessly.  I too, like the OP, have let my Epson 3880 for over six months without use, and it produced a perfect nozzle check the first time.  OTOH, my Epson 7900 sometimes cannot go more than two days without a clog, but then I've also had it sit for a month and not need a cleaning.
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ZH

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My Epson 3800 hasn't been used for over two years (after moving to bigger Epson printer). Finally found a usage for it for card printing. So powered it up last weekend. I have no idea how it will look like. To my surprise, first nozzle check actually had something printed there after being powered off for so long! :-)

2 ink cartridges were extremely low and the maintenance tank is almost full, had to replace those first. Ran three nozzle cleanings, all came back except yellow channel, nothing's there. Then ran a power cleaning, still not much change for the yellow. I was about to give up and as the last resort, run a nozzle auto cleaning. And... it finally starts printing yellow again! :-)

The just replaced maintenance tank is down from 100% to 70% with all the cleaning. But the printer is finally usable again! Given the circumstance, I'm extremely happy with the result!
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nikonuser

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Great news, how much are the maintenance tanks for the 3880??
Thanks
Dave
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ZH

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Don't know about 3880, should be similar. For 3800, quite inexpensive comparing to ink cost, and it does last quite a long time.
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Sal Baker

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Great news, how much are the maintenance tanks for the 3880??
Thanks
Dave

About $17 at B&H.

Sal
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dastudio

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Re: I just fired up my Epson 3800 after sitting idle for the last 8 months.
« Reply #8 on: September 19, 2014, 09:55:15 pm »

What is the difference between the nozzle auto cleaning and power cleaning and what are the steps for doing each, please?
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JayWPage

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Re: I just fired up my Epson 3800 after sitting idle for the last 8 months.
« Reply #9 on: September 20, 2014, 01:49:39 am »

Bill,

Just out of interest, where was your printer manufactured?
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Alan Klein

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Re: I just fired up my Epson 3800 after sitting idle for the last 8 months.
« Reply #10 on: September 20, 2014, 09:24:37 am »

My Canon sucks the ink dry if I haven't used it awhile.  I can hear my cash account tinkling to empty as well.

deanwork

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Re: I just fired up my Epson 3800 after sitting idle for the last 8 months.
« Reply #11 on: September 20, 2014, 09:47:39 am »

Best printer they ever made and the best desktop printer on the market today.

john


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Some Guy

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Re: I just fired up my Epson 3800 after sitting idle for the last 8 months.
« Reply #12 on: September 20, 2014, 12:03:26 pm »

I have two 3880's (Different inks: Piezo K7, and Dye.) and I need to run them once a week or they will plug a nozzle (if one of those horizontals in the diagonal nozzle check pattern is a nozzle.).

I have noticed if one is off (blank/missing) it may not show in a print.  On another Epson I use (I have 6 printers, fwiw.) one missing line will show as a white line about 2mm apart in the image.  Different print head I'm sure and it is a small "dye ink" Epson (i.e. A Charm PM-225 I use on location, and it will plug well in a week of non-use.).

Often if I need to do a nozzle check, and maybe a power clean if several are plugged, I'll let it sit for several hours and "it might" dissolve the plugged nozzle rather than keep trying "One-after-the-other" nozzle checks.

Nozzles can plug no matter the printer.  Might be humidity related, but still don't know as I have put them under plastic along with some wet sponge and they'll still plug.  Some think they won't, but they can and probably will at some point.  Some report of plugs occurring mid-printing too so who knows?  Air in the line maybe, although I do pull the carts monthly and rotate and mix them so who knows if that gives me an air bubble and nozzle miss?

SG
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huguito

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Just like the 3800 of the OP, and possibly few other great pro grade printers, my 9600 fires up after weeks of non use most of the time without a single glitch.
If a portion of a line on the nozzle check is missing I just have to make a couple of small prints and then all is good.

My question is;

Is the print quality of the newer printers really that much better that people have to put up with machines that need to be fired-up daily to avoid all kinds of problems?



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John Caldwell

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This is just like our Epson 4900.

Oh wait, I just noticed: I thought you said idle for 8 minutes.  ;D

John-
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