Luminous Landscape Forum
Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks => Topic started by: ericbowles on May 27, 2015, 07:33:02 am
-
I've had an Epson 4900 from about three years. When it works, it's been a great printer, but clogs have been a problem. It's partially clogged in three colors right now and is not acceptable for color prints. Still, I'm considering replacing the clogged printer with another Epson 4900.
I'm looking for input on whether this path makes sense. Here's my thought process.
I don't print on a daily basis. Once or twice a week is typical. Overall volume is in the hundreds of prints per year.
I use 80-90% roll paper and have an ample stock. I want to use the paper I have. I use the paper cassette for proof prints.
I have 50% or more in a full set of inks. There is value in the inks (probably $500-600) and I would use the existing inks with a new printer rather than opening the starter inks.
My printer is in a basement area. I'm in a relatively humid climate. The basement area has high humidity so I have to run a dehumidifier to prevent mold. It's set at 50% and automatically cuts off if the humidity drops lower. I could probably raise the humidity level to 55%.
I don't have room for an Epson 7900 or 9900. Those printers are a little bigger than I need. I do have a custom table that can easily support the 4900 or larger printers up to 250 pounds or more.
I did not have clogging at all for the first year with my 4900. Even after that, clogs were easily cleared. Problem clogs first appeared after the printer went unused for several weeks due to travel. It's not typical, but I do have periods of 2-3 weeks that I travel and can't produce a print. To reduce the impact, I would put a tray of water in the printer to increase humidity.
So I am thinking about replacing my current 4900 with another of the same model. I would probably get an extended warranty since service is cost prohibitive. I would be able to use my inks, table, and paper. Maintenance and regular use would be a higher priority - hopefully reducing issues. I would hope to get 3-4 years of use out of the printer - and anything beyond that is gravy.
Is there another printer I should consider?
Is there anything I may have missed?
Is there anything I should add to my maintenance routine?
-
It probably remains the highest quality, widest gamut printer in its size range, and I have heard quite unofficially that small improvements were made to the pump/capping station assembly since it first came out which may improve the clogging/cleaning business; that said, using it regularly, adequate humidity (which you have) and running papers that don't shed particulates are the most important measures for assuring relatively trouble free operation. The extended warranty is like an insurance policy and therefore a game of risk, not knowing the odds of it being called. I don't know how much they charge for it these days but if it's not too unreasonable the peace of mind may be worth the price.
-
Thanks, Mark. The extended warranty for two additional years is $539. That's not cheap, but failures seem to come late in year 2 or in year 3.
I hope they have made some adjustments to prevent clogging. For the first two years it was a terrific printer.
I just have not seen anything on the market in this segment that matches the 4900 it in terms of quality. Even the 7900 has its share of issues.
-
Eric, ALL printers (perhaps except the 3800/3880) have their share of issues. Read the forums and you will see. If I were buying a new 4900 I would buy the warranty. My own experience is that over the 40 months I've owned this printer, I've spent about $200 on technician service, so in my case I would have lost this bet, but the peace of mind has value. IF something really bad were to happen the repair cost could well exceed the cost of the warranty. That said, you must assume that Epson has this policy priced to at least break-even across the board. However, what matters is what happens to you and how you feel about it.
-
4900 and 9900 owner here: Would not buy a 4900 without the maximum extended warranty. With the warranty, you can certainly do a lot of printing, as I have.
A local and reliable source tells me that the 4900 is up for replacement with Epson's "new inks and technology". If you can postpone the upgrade, consider that for what it's worth.
John-
-
Thanks, John
The 4900 fits in a nice place in the product lineup and would be a logical replacement. Features that address clogging and make service cost effective would be a big help. I can probably wait a little while by contracting out my printing needs.
-
Eric,
I currently am running two Epson Pro 4000 printers, which are probably more prone to clogs than your 4900. I also print on an inconsistent basis, sometimes going a week or two between printing sessions. You are on the right track by controlling the humidity in the printer, but as you are aware, Epson pro printers must be used frequently to prevent clogs. My solution is using "Harvey Head Cleaner", a little $40 utility that prints a nozzle check on a scheduled basis. You have to leave the printer and a computer powered on 24/7 for this to work. I just load the printers with cheap copy paper and set Harvey Head Cleaner to print the nozzle checks each morning. The small amount of ink pushed through the printer heads is enough to prevent the ink from drying out. Now I only experience a nozzle clog on a very infrequent basis and the clog is usually cleared with only one head clean cycle.
Another option is the latest version of Qimage Ultimate, which has a similar function to print on a scheduled basis. A minor downside to Qimage Ultimate is that it must be open 24/7 and uses a bit more of your computer memory than Harvey Head Cleaner.
BTW, it was great seeing you at ANPAT this spring.
Bob
-
I was looking to replace my ageing 3880 with either the P800 or the 4900.
The advise I got that made the most sense was that the 4900 is designed to be used a lot, daily if not continually. If you aren't doing that you will probably have problems.
The road I am currently taking is to continue to use my 3880 and only buy one ink at a time. That way I will get the most value out of my inks what ever happens, as any new printer won't take the old ink.
I suggest if you can clear the clogs you keep using inks and see what announcements occur.
-
I'm going to try service first at a local Epson Service Center.
It's a nuisance, but I can save a lot of money by taking the printer to them for repair. They have a cheaper hourly rate, no travel charges, and the opportunity to use some alternatives that save money which will save at least $200. A friend recently had his clogging 4900 repaired for under $200 and it has worked perfectly ever since. On site service looks like it will start at around $500.
After doing more research, it looks like the only repair that is not cost effective is a head replacement. Chemical solutions, pump replacement, and other repairs are much more practical and cost effective.
-
I'm in the same situation with a clogged PK/LK channel - no ink at all moving through. This happened quite suddenly and nothing has helped. I used the 4900 mostly with PK ink for lustre/glossy prints and the 9900 for MK on canvas and fine art papers. I have the 9900 running double duty right now, but it's frustrating to have to switch inks for a few 8x10 glossy! I've got a job coming up with over 600 8x10s and it was always nice running both printers to get the job done.
So I'm following this thread since I have to decide whether to service, replace or forego the 4900 (and just print everything on the 9900). If there's a replacement coming soon, then I can wait, but if it's only $500 or so for the service then it'll be worth repairing (I too have a full set of 1/2 - 3/4 full cartridges). I may have to resort to a house-call though. Might be tricky getting the 4900 into my Jetta! ;)
-
Look out for PM coming to you.
-
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the only direct competitor to the 4900 - the Canon iPF5100 - which has all the Epson features and more: 12 inks with auto, lossless black switch, and most importantly, thermally activated head nozzles with a huge auto-remapping redundancy for burned-out nozzles. Heads fail eventually when spare nozzles are exhausted, but heads are user-replacable at about $400 each (2), generally lasting several years.
What this means is total freedom from nozzle check prints and no forced cleaning cycles. Yes, TOTAL, until a head error message comes up and time for head change (takes about 15 minutes). In my iPF5000 the original heads were replaced under warranty at 11 months with the current PF-03 heads, which lasted five years. When those eventually failed I upgraded to the 5100 over two problem-free years ago and going strong. The $1500 printer cost was close to the retail cost of just the two heads and the twelve 90ml starter carts (replacements 130ml).
I know you're concerned about printer IQ, and I'd be happy to mail you 12x16 prints of the two printer test images I use - Outback's and Digidog's composits - or any of your choice, on my RR UltraPro satin proofing roll paper, which matches my Ilford GFS presentation paper quite nicely.
Pete
-
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the only direct competitor to the 4900 - the Canon iPF5100 - which has all the Epson features and more: 12 inks with auto, lossless black switch, and most importantly, thermally activated head nozzles with a huge auto-remapping redundancy for burned-out nozzles. Heads fail eventually when spare nozzles are exhausted, but heads are user-replacable at about $400 each (2), generally lasting several years.
What this means is total freedom from nozzle check prints and no forced cleaning cycles. Yes, TOTAL, until a head error message comes up and time for head change (takes about 15 minutes). In my iPF5000 the original heads were replaced under warranty at 11 months with the current PF-03 heads, which lasted five years. When those eventually failed I upgraded to the 5100 over two problem-free years ago and going strong. The $1500 printer cost was close to the retail cost of just the two heads and the twelve 90ml starter carts (replacements 130ml).
I know you're concerned about printer IQ, and I'd be happy to mail you 12x16 prints of the two printer test images I use - Outback's and Digidog's composits - or any of your choice, on my RR UltraPro satin proofing roll paper, which matches my Ilford GFS presentation paper quite nicely.
Pete
Hi,
Do you use a Mac or have any experience using this printer with Mac OS X?
can you comment a little on panoramas?
Thanks for your help.
-
I don't print on a daily basis. Once or twice a week is typical.
That's part of the issue. I too had the same experiences with clogging. I didn't use the printer every day. I got it unclogged and setup a script to print something small every day, the clogging all but disappeared. That said, I got fed up with the printer and got rid of it. So I'm suggesting that unless you are willing to setup some routine to make a small print every day, pass on getting another 4900.
-
That's part of the issue. I too had the same experiences with clogging. I didn't use the printer every day. I got it unclogged and setup a script to print something small every day, the clogging all but disappeared. That said, I got fed up with the printer and got rid of it. So I'm suggesting that unless you are willing to setup some routine to make a small print every day, pass on getting another 4900.
print on Daily basis and with some volume, it is a fine printer. Else do not buy.
-
print on Daily basis and with some volume, it is a fine printer.
To prevent clogs, I only had to print a tiny sized color image. Just enough to keep inks flowing throughout on a daily basis. But should I have to do this? NO!
-
................... But should I have to do this? NO!
I'm not sure that is either the question or the answer. The initial issue is what this printer was designed for. Based on all I've heard, it was intended for a commercial production environment where high speed, highest print quality and robust continuous performance are the desired features - hence the 360 nozzles per inch, green and orange inks and very robust build quality; used on a fairly continuous basis one hears it churns along really well. People printing more casually would be better served with a 3880 from a maintenance perspective, if remaining within the Epson family. Maybe Epson should have done done more to clarify this from the get-go, so perhaps it was not well enough known and the implications not well enough understood; as a result photographers buying these printers and using them less intensively than they were designed for are having these issues. I do use mine roughly every other day, but it still needs periodic "pairs" cleaning cycles to clear-up minor discontinuities in the check pattern. I'm prepared to tolerate this baby-sitting because it's delivering the best ever print quality I've experienced since I started using Epson professional printers 15 years ago (roughly when desktop archival inkjet printing first became accessible with the Epson 2000P).
All that said, it has been on the market for about 3+ years now, and one wonders whether the dream printer is around the corner: all the gamut and quality with almost none of the clogs. I suppose only Epson and their hairdressers know, but wouldn't that be nice!
-
I'm not sure that is either the question or the answer. The initial issue is what this printer was designed for.
Whatever it's design aims, the damn printer shouldn't clog without being used every day. That's a design flaw. I know of no other Epson that suffers this issue as severely as the 4900. I've owned other "large format" Epson's and this was never an issue. Even in production environments, one can be expected not to use the printer on say a weekend or over a holiday. My experience with the 4900 was I could unclog it on Monday and try printing on Wednesday and find some clogs. Totally unacceptable.
-
Did the other large format Epson printers you owned have 180 or 360 nozzles per inch?
One could think of certain issues as flaws, or as compromises - it depends.
-
Also did they have the same inkset producing the same large, brilliant gamut?
-
Did the other large format Epson printers you owned have 180 or 360 nozzles per inch?
7900, 7800. Whatever they were, they didn't clog anything like the 4900. Again, having to use the printer every 24 hours to prevent clogs is unacceptable. I don't care what the nozzles per inch are (or were). Or the gamut.
-
Well Andrew, "unacceptable" I suppose is a subjective term. What may be unacceptable to one person isn't necessarily so to another. Less than ideal - for sure, on that you won't have any argument from me.
-
Well Andrew, "unacceptable" I suppose is a subjective term. What may be unacceptable to one person isn't necessarily so to another. Less than ideal - for sure, on that you won't have any argument from me.
Mark, this is getting a tad pointless. A printer that's clogged can't make an acceptable print if any print at all agree? A printer that MUST be used every day or it will clog is by design a mess. Do you know anywhere Epson told it's customers they must print every day or the unit will clog? Do you own or have you owned a 4900? I can tell you my experiences. It clogged if not used every day. And go a few days or more, the clogs were so bad, it could literally take an hour or more to unclog it. That's not acceptable to me, I don't think it's acceptable to too many others. And at the same time, the lovely 3880 I own that was mere feet from this 4900 could go MONTHS without use and not have any lick of clogging. I don't think it's a stretch to suggest a printer that clogs consistently without daily use is unacceptable. I don't care how large the gamut is or how many dot's it prints, if the unit is clogged, none of that matters.
-
Andrew, you may recall, I've owned one of these 4900s since DAY ONE that it became available on the Toronto market (3+ years ago as I mentioned in one of my previous posts above) and I wrote a comprehensive review of it for this website shortly after I bought it. Of course at that time we didn't have a clue about the performance in respect of clogs, so I had nothing to say about this in that review because there was literally nothing to say about it. In fact it took quite some time before this issue became apparent. But it's definitely there now, and on that we aren't arguing. I'm not thrilled and I wish it weren't so, but I would say as an issue it's obviously rattling your cage more than mine. The fact is that when it isn't clogged, which is most of the time albeit with more maintenance than I like, it prints just beautifully. In terms of what's acceptable performance or not, I would like to hear more about that judgment from the commercial service bureaux making intensive use of this model. But this takes us a bit astray from the concern of the OP. By now the OP has a full flavour of what's involved with this choice and I think has enough "evidence" upon which to make an informed decision, except for one vital missing piece: is Epson about to replace it? I have no clue, and if I did, I probably wouldn't be allowed to say!
-
Andrew, you may recall...
No, or I wouldn't have asked. Didn't see the review either. I had clogging issues from day two, curious you didn't.
The fact is that when it isn't clogged, which is most of the time albeit with more maintenance than I like, it prints just beautifully.
I agree it makes great prints. Problem is, I spent almost as much time getting it to operate correctly to get those beautiful prints. Kind of a deal breaker for me. Only until I found a hack to make it print a tiny image every day did it become usable. I rarely print rolls, the size I needed 95% of the time could be done on the 3880 which produced as far as I could see, just as beautiful a print without any hassles.
The OP knows what he's getting himself into true, I posted simply to suggest that setting up a script to make a tiny print every day will likely prevent clogging. But I also stated he (we) shouldn’t have to. It's not the case with the 3880 by a long shot, it wasn't the case with other Epson printers I've used over the years. And it isn't like we don't hear lots of complaints about the 4900 clogging so, with that, I say forewarned is forearmed.
-
Just wanted to note on the 3880 mine had a blown head and a stuck valve after 2 1/2 years and epson all but laughed at me for any help with it. I live in a dry climate. Just a warning.
-
............. I had clogging issues from day two, curious you didn't. ...........
Not surprising that different people could have different outcomes with this factor. It's climate and usage sensitive, so all it would take is some differences of those factors in the early months of usage and we would have different experience.
My overall operational experience has also been very different from yours. While the cleaning cycles are somewhat frustrating, I would say that on the whole, looking over any period of several months in terms of time spent between maintenance and actual printing the ratio is not greater than several minutes relative to several hours respectively. When I noticed maintenance started to creep up at one point I did call in a technician to do a thorough cleaning of the whole area around the printhead and pumping station assembly, and since then it has been back to usual. The exceptional circumstance is when I travel and no-one runs it in my absence for at least a week it can take 45 minutes or so to get it all back to normal. This is of course remarkably different from that 3800 I had before it, which can be left sitting unused for a year (I know this because it happened after I handed it over to a friend) and still work without so much as a single cleaning cycle right from switch-on time. I believe the 3880 would be very similar to the 3800 in this respect.
So yes, the OP is forewarned and fore-armed - in spades.
-
Hi,
Do you use a Mac or have any experience using this printer with Mac OS X?
can you comment a little on panoramas?
Thanks for your help.
Nope, windows all the way.
I've done a number of panos, as long as about 60", and no problem if you are sure your roll has enough paper remaining with an additional 18" or so, as printing stops as soon as paper detaches from roll. Max. length is 50'! I used to do borderless panos with a 17" roll, but now settle for the minimum printable 3mm-1/8" margins to avoid overspray buildup, though never a problem.
BTW, the Canon 16-bit printing plugin for Photoshop is a total joy to work with and bypasses the clunky PS/printer driver iterface - works with Mac & Windows.
Pete
-
Didn't Einstein have something to say about "insanity" and "doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results"?
My 4800 pissed more ink in to the waste tank than it did on to the various media I fed it. The same is true for a friend who bought one at the same time I did. We both hate that printer.
When it was working, it was fine. But the number of head-banging Sundays I spent trying to unclog it more than cancelled out the good print vibes. I finally recycled it. I wouldn't sell it to an enemy.
Two magic words on clogging that I've learned from my NEVER, EVER CLOGS Epson 9800: "pressurized carts".
-
My 4800 pissed more ink in to the waste tank than it did on to the various media I fed it.
I saw the same issue. I was kind of shocked how quickly the first waste tank didn't last.
-
Two magic words on clogging that I've learned from my NEVER, EVER CLOGS Epson 9800: "pressurized carts".
Pressurized carts did not make a difference on clogging for other Epson models.
On maintenance tanks; my HP Zs are still using the waste ink tanks they got when new in spring 2007 and 2009.
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
December 2014 update, 700+ inkjet media white spectral plots
-
Pressurized carts did not make a difference on clogging for other Epson models.
On maintenance tanks; my HP Zs are still using the waste ink tanks they got when new in spring 2007 and 2009.
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
December 2014 update, 700+ inkjet media white spectral plots
...and my iPF5100 has consumed only 20% of its tank in 2.5 years after the initial 20% hit from installation. $800 for two new easily installed heads every few years (the average head life on my 5000 and 5100 so far is nearly 4 yrs - the current ones 2.5 years. I would gladly pay that for trouble-free operation over that time, and I imagine just the ink consumed in forced cleanings over the years might equal or even exceed it.
Pete
-
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the only direct competitor to the 4900 - the Canon iPF5100 - which has all the Epson features and more: 12 inks with auto, lossless black switch, and most importantly, thermally activated head nozzles with a huge auto-remapping redundancy for burned-out nozzles. Heads fail eventually when spare nozzles are exhausted, but heads are user-replacable at about $400 each (2), generally lasting several years.
What this means is total freedom from nozzle check prints and no forced cleaning cycles. Yes, TOTAL, until a head error message comes up and time for head change (takes about 15 minutes). In my iPF5000 the original heads were replaced under warranty at 11 months with the current PF-03 heads, which lasted five years. When those eventually failed I upgraded to the 5100 over two problem-free years ago and going strong. The $1500 printer cost was close to the retail cost of just the two heads and the twelve 90ml starter carts (replacements 130ml).
I know you're concerned about printer IQ, and I'd be happy to mail you 12x16 prints of the two printer test images I use - Outback's and Digidog's composits - or any of your choice, on my RR UltraPro satin proofing roll paper, which matches my Ilford GFS presentation paper quite nicely.
Pete
I'll second the Canon ipf5100! It's been a great printer for me, never had any clog issues even after 5 months away (printer was left to do it's automatic weekly cleanings). Being a fairly low volume printer, it took me close to 5 years for the eventual the head replacement message, and this is what I'm facing now. My fear is that I'll give it a new $450 left print head, and it will then turn around and say "ok, now give me a new right head!". So that would be $900 for two new heads, whereas a whole new printer costs about $1600. Never had any mechanical problems with it, my only 'regret' is that I didn't get the 24" model for a little more .. c'est la vie!
-
I agree about the epson stylus pro 4900, lots of problems with clogging. It looks like they are trying to sell the new Sure color p800 to photographers now....
I am tossing the 4900.
One question about the canon ipf type printers ( I am thinking of buying a ued one cheap) Do I have to change both heads? When I look for spare parts only the part nr and name comes up, PF-03 , do I have to buy two?
-
I agree about the epson stylus pro 4900, lots of problems with clogging. It looks like they are trying to sell the new Sure color p800 to photographers now....
I am tossing the 4900.
One question about the canon ipf type printers ( I am thinking of buying a ued one cheap) Do I have to change both heads? When I look for spare parts only the part nr and name comes up, PF-03 , do I have to buy two?
It all depends on if both heads die at the same time. They often do close to eachother, but if one is dead for some other reason, then both wouldn't need to be replaced. It is the exact same head, PF-03, but once you put it in the printer, it is marked as L or R and can't be switched. The printer would have to be really cheap for me to even consider getting a used one. If you have to put in hundreds of dollars of ink just to get it going, and 2 new heads, you're getting close to the price of new, and there may still be other problems you don't know about.
-
The 4900 is a bit of maintenance challenge, but manageable if you use it and declog it properly. The P800 is not intended as a replacement for the 4900 (more the 3880), but may be suitable for you depending on your needs and printing frequency. Before, however, tossing your 4900, I'd suggest waiting a bit until the P800 actually appears on the market and there has been even a brief accumulation of user experience from which to make an informed decision.
-
I'm with the "Move over to the Canon camp" if the 4900 is the alternative to buy after failure.
Inkjetmall has some info on it here: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs176/1103080512009/archive/1113009190153.html (http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs176/1103080512009/archive/1113009190153.html) and one of their newsletters mentioned using it as a "Gloss Optimizer printer" if they head was toast on a color. I like the GO route over spraying with a gun and the subsequent mess.
I know when I talked to the paper guys at FreeStylePhoto.biz in LA, they used to sell the Epson line, but have switched to Canon due to clog issues from their customers. You can call them and ask, but they do sell the Canon ipf models now and have had much better luck with them.
Bad part is Inkjetmall has zero ink for the Canon ipf-series in the piezo B&W ink arena. No color ink for Canon either last time I looked. Pretty much stuck with Epson if piezo ink processing is your ink route.
SG
-
It all depends on if both heads die at the same time. They often do close to eachother, but if one is dead for some other reason, then both wouldn't need to be replaced. It is the exact same head, PF-03, but once you put it in the printer, it is marked as L or R and can't be switched. The printer would have to be really cheap for me to even consider getting a used one. If you have to put in hundreds of dollars of ink just to get it going, and 2 new heads, you're getting close to the price of new, and there may still be other problems you don't know about.
Unless you are a printer technician with an unlimited bank account, I would run, not walk away from the temptation of buying a cheap used large printer of any brand. They are just too complex with their micron-precise choreographed dance, and one failure cascading into others.
The price of the iPF5100 is about $1500 US, and this is just about equal to the retail value of the two heads and the twelve 90ml starter carts - with a year's peace of mind that all will be backed up by Canon's excellent service support.
Pete
-
A new canon ipf5100 costs more like 2500 dollars here.
I went and got the 5000 to tinker with it. Cannot tell if more is wrong until I connect it to a mac.
A new Sure color p800 is offered for something like 1250 dollars (but it is kind of like the 3800 and wastes ink when switching blacks) and the 3800 are not so prone to clogs?
I have been reading and reading, and it looks like the printhead failures are actually inside the head, in the nozzles, the things that fire the explosions of ink. Even if one manages to clean a printhead with something, this won´t fix the nozzle problem. And you cannot change the 4900 printhead. (?)
-
That's right - the 4900 is not designed with printheads that are user-replaced consumables as for the Canons. Essentially the printhead is the printer, so depending on the prices of new printers at the time the need for replacement happens, there is a real question about whether printhead replacement makes sense for this model. But unless it's been abused by inappropriate declogging procedures, printhead replacement should be an unusual requirement for dealing with persistent clogs. The pump/capping/cleaning assembly would more likely be the first line of attack - to either service or replace depending on its condition, and this is much cheaper than head replacement.
I agree with the advice mentioned above to be careful about buying second-hand printers - unless you know a lot about how they have been used before and their current condition. They are complex machines. And with older models the cost and availability of parts and competent service are questions worth exploring before buying.
-
Some say to try replacing the pump and damper unit on the 4900 every year or two, certainly after three. But does that take an hour and a half? (lots of screws?)
-
Yes and yes.
-
Hi,
Do the 7900 has the same clog issues than the 4900 ?
Thanks
-
Hi,
I found this one researching, seems that it does :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf6kOEtgQqE
Maybe the Canon is starting to look better. The issue is support in CR :(
Best regards,
-
Well, I was given the ipf5000.
It needed ink and 1 new head.
I know it was not used a lot, and one can easily check how much it was used in service mode.
I had to wait three days for the head, after I started to change head in the dialogue and had to turn it off because I had not gotten the new printhead yet, and the other head did not clog even though it was not parked right. (red ink was not enough for this process, as it wanted to fill new ink..)
Then it started with alignments by itself, printing on paper and aligning, after two cleanings, and has worked fine since. But the ink bronzes much more than the epson ink.
This has cost just a little less than buying a new Epson SC P800.
Is there an old thread on ipf 5000? So that I do not highjack this thread.
I read canonipf.wiki and they give the link for downloading the 5100 driver for OS X 10-8 from canon europe. On the other mac I tried a newer driver but it is missing important things so I think they are right about which driver to download. (the newer driver is missing the image showing where to load the paper and which way it prints) (I find three drivers in the add printer dialogue)
I only tried it from Lightroom, so I did not try the photoshop plugin yet I think, unless it was what I got from LR
But would the ipf5000 driver be just as good?
-
Back to the discussion on wether to keep the 4900, in the now review of the SC P800 it says that some will consider the SC P800
"...The 3880 is now history, the P800 will replace it and 4900 owners may be pondering whether to renew with a P800 or keep their 4900s. Hence this discussion views the P800 in the context of the 3880 and the 4900. Yes we know, the 4900 is a “one-up class” printer with two more inks (orange and green), 360 nozzles per inch rather than 180, it weighs a bit less than three P800s and costs at least twice as much (but you get more ink). That makes it all the more interesting as a “stretch target” and some of what you read below may surprise you....."
That is the impression I got when I went to look at it
-
Hi, I am a newbe to this forum.
My 4900 about 4 years old had been left unused for about 6 months with ink dated 2013 in it. When I next used it I had missing colours on all the inks and a couple were completely blank. Tried al the usual head cleaning and was ready to throw it away and get another one, when I read an article about a service CD (only works in windows, I use an old XP laptop to run it) which has the option to empty all the colour ink lines into the maintenance tank, without the head getting hot, this is part of a service routine when renewing the lines or the head. So I got it. and ran the empty routine (filled a maintenance tank with the old ink) Then I put in new cartridges and did the initial fill (like when its new) this got most of the colours back, then tried a second fill on the left hand set of cartridges and every thing is now perfect. Full set of colours & print patterns on both sides.
One other thing I read which may be of interest to those in hot climates was a service engineers comment that a few mills or water added to the maintenance tank, tends to keep the capping station moist and helps to prevent drying ink. True or not I don't know but it seem logical, and it can't hurt. And I also read a user that placed a small glass of water inside the printer when it was not being used.
So my conclusion is that older ink probably sticks & clogs more than fresh ink, and obviously the ink on the print head will dry out if left log enough. So for £20 for the CD, cost of a maintenance tank, and dumping the old ink It save loads of cash on either a service engineer or a new printer. I got the service cd download from www.2manuals.co and there loads of other stuff on their site.
-
yes you have to buy that service program because it is missing in the printer software. Other Epson printers have such functions built-in but not the 4900.
But I tried to try the waste ink trick, but mine is covered by a sheet of aluminium foil . Anybody tried removing the foil to add water to keep the printhead moist?
Someone else commented (on canon printers) that they do not recommend ammonia, but glycerine to moisten printheads and damper, glycerine added to window cleaning solution without any ammonia. Dunno.
-
under the foil its just like all the others, if you look there is a small hole in the foil you ca use a syringe, or cut the foil open.
for epson probably foil is cheaper than plastic, and it will preserve the moisture in the tank unlike the 4880 types.
-
There is some special cleaning fluid I have seen on a german site: http://www.farbenwerk.com/Intensiv-Cleaning-Fluid-250ml
-
There is some special cleaning fluid I have seen on a german site: http://www.farbenwerk.com/Intensiv-Cleaning-Fluid-250ml
Any research available on whether it works, and its safety?
-
"Someone else commented (on canon printers) that they do not recommend ammonia, but glycerine to moisten printheads and damper, glycerine added to window cleaning solution without any ammonia. Dunno."
Yes, there are two glycerine reservoirs in the Canons to keep several pads from drying.
-
One can usually consider german stuff to be very serious. I just found it (by looking for tecco icc profiles)
I can guess that special cleaning fluid is safer than straight ammonia or windex with ammonia?
Next question is, I sometimes see used epson 3800 or 3880 for sale, some say it has been sitting, some say it works. But what is the difference between 3800 and 3880 ?
There is a campaign on SC P800 but it comes with so little ink so one has to buy a whole set very soon so one has to add that in the equasion.
-
One can usually consider german stuff to be very serious. I just found it (by looking for tecco icc profiles)
I can guess that special cleaning fluid is safer than straight ammonia or windex with ammonia?
Next question is, I sometimes see used epson 3800 or 3880 for sale, some say it has been sitting, some say it works. But what is the difference between 3800 and 3880 ?
There is a campaign on SC P800 but it comes with so little ink so one has to buy a whole set very soon so one has to add that in the equasion.
Whether the stuff is "serious" has nothing to do with where it's made. It depends on the chemical content of the solution and whether it is safe and effective for the intended use. You can't guess anything. There is no substitute for finding out whether or not it works properly by researching user experience or consultation with support people who would know.
The main difference between an Epson 3800 and 3880 is the Vivid Light Magenta in the latter. I do not recommend buying a used printer blind with no warranty. The P800 comes with enough ink to make a great many prints. Don't forget the ink used to charge the lines is also used for printing. I don't how much goes to the maintenance tank during initial charging but I have been told at the technician level that it is "not very much". And you get a new printer warranty.
-
Next question is, I sometimes see used epson 3800 or 3880 for sale, some say it has been sitting, some say it works. But what is the difference between 3800 and 3880 ?
The primary difference is the ink set (upgraded with vivid magenta in the 3880) and, or course, the age (the 3880 is old, the 3800 is ancient).
-
Yes you're right - Vivid Magenta, not Vivid Light Magenta - the latter is in the 4900. One can get confused! :-)
-
Yes you're right - Vivid Magenta, not Vivid Light Magenta - the latter is in the 4900. One can get confused! :-)
I think the 3880 has vivid light magenta, too, as did the 3800. Is that what you meant? The change was to vivid magenta, not to vivid light magenta?
-
Purely by memory - I think the main ink change was to add Vivid Magenta. Anyhow, it's all academic by now. Both printers are discontinued and I'll stand on my advice to Nora that buying a used one without knowing it intimately is risky.
-
Purely by memory - I think the main ink change was to add Vivid Magenta. Anyhow, it's all academic by now. Both printers are discontinued and I'll stand on my advice to Nora that buying a used one without knowing it intimately is risky.
All true. My 3880 appears to be dead from nozzle clogging/failure and I can't resuscitate it. I have about 75% of the ink remaining, so if I could find a cheap used 3880 on eBay with relatively few prints on it, and some remaining ink, I may take the gamble over a P800.
Not to change this thread from replacing a 4900 to replacing a 3880...
-
Fair enough - you know it's a gamble.
-
for academics, the 3800->3880 changed *both* magenta and light magenta to their vivid counterparts.
-
I wanted to close the loop on the original post.
I ended up taking the printer to my local Epson Authorized Service Center. They ran some tests and tried to use solvents to dissolve the clog. What they ultimately found out was the pumping unit had failed and was not getting adequate suction - leading to the ink clogging and drying out. They replaced the pumping unit and the printer has worked flawlessly for nearly two months. The cost of the repair was around $500 - not cheap but far cheaper than a new printer or printer head.
The tech at the service center told me that this printer is on its third part number for the pumping unit. Apparently the original design of the pumping unit had issues, and that design has subsequently been modified.
The chemical used to try to dissolve the clogs is available to consumers. It's referred to at Epson CRO2 Shipping / Cleaning fluid. It goes by other names as well. It costs around $30 for a liter - enough to last a very long time. This is exactly the same fluid used by Epson at the factory for shipping a new printer. It also can be used for storage for up to a few months or longer. I bought a liter for regular maintenance.
-
Eric,
This is indeed very helpful information and coheres with the advice I have received from my service tech here in Toronto.
Could you, however, elaborate on how this Epson fluid is used? Do they pump it through the print head using bespoke cartridges or is it just applied externally?
-
The chemical used to try to dissolve the clogs is available to consumers. It's referred to at Epson CRO2 Shipping / Cleaning fluid. It goes by other names as well. It costs around $30 for a liter - enough to last a very long time. This is exactly the same fluid used by Epson at the factory for shipping a new printer. It also can be used for storage for up to a few months or longer. I bought a liter for regular maintenance.
Thanks for the update Eric. Where did you buy the fluid? Thank you.
-
Eric,
My story is consistent with yours. After 18 months of frustration, I had my 4900 serviced by an authorized repair center;they replaced the pump unit for the same total price of approximately $500. The printer has worked beautifully ever since. If I need to do a power clear, it clears the head..simple.
The printer does make great prints; it is nice to get back to that...
Best Regards,
George
-
Sorry but I missed the questions.
I bought the fluid from my local Epson repair shop when my printer was being repaired. I have seen it on eBay and a few web sources, but I have also seen people overcharge on the price.
I don't have to use it very often as I regularly use my printer. To use it, just place a few drops on each stations where the print head docks.
When I initially took my printer for service, the shop tried applying a few drops to each station to see if it would loosen up dried ink and allow a seal. Unfortunately, it would not seal indicating the pump unit needed to be replaced.