P900 vs P5300 [aka P5370] Is there a "best"

[keithcooper]

After a lot of testing, Epson have just collected the P5300 I've had here for a couple of months... :-(

I'll have my detailed written review in due course, but quite a few people have asked how it compares with the P900, since they share a common print head and ink set.

I've produced a video [warning ~24 mins!] looking at the differences/similarities.

https://youtu.be/vAeJskE3ryc

There are lots of them, which may be crucial or completely irrelevant.

For example:
There's no borderless sheet printing on the P5300 - on roll only
Minimum sheet paper size 8"x10" on the P5300
Print quality is identical, but the P5300 is a tad faster [purely doe to being based on the P5000 chassis]

For anyone wondering how much cheaper the P5300 is to run, I estimate that costs [ink + printer] will match once you've used ~3 litres of ink
That's 15 P5300 carts [one and a half sets]  or 60 P900 carts [six full sets of ink]

PS I'll have all my profiles [25+] available with the written review, but this time I also have a full set of .mxf files of measurement data [i1iSis XL], from the ~2.9k patch targets I used]
If anyone wants to experiment, email me Northlight

[Eric Brody]

Thanks Keith. Your reviews are highly respected. I rely on you and on Mark Segal for objective, honest, useful printer information and reviews.

That said, I'm a P900 owner on my second machine. The first had such severe paper feeding problems that it was almost useless. Epson replaced it. My current machine, a refurbished one, has done well for about 6 months and has just started a new strange behavior. Occasionally, in the middle of a print using the rear feed the front load panel pops out just a tiny bit, the printer makes some unpleasant noises and unless I immediately push it in, it will produce some strange banding and essentially ruin the print. I also often puts two small notches in the leading edge of the prints from the rear feed. I'd just use the front feed but it is a bit a pain as well. I'm an amateur who loves to print. Not many ever end up on the wall but I love to learn and look at prints.

I've been interested in the P5370 since it was announced. In the day, I wanted to replace my 3880 with the P5000 but the P5000 was referred to as a "production" printer, eg might clog if not used regularly. The 3880 essentially never clogged even when left idle for weeks. The 5370 sounds like the best of both, a sturdy reliable mechanical machine combined with the excellent print quality and black ink switching of the P900. Yes, it's not cheap but my 3880 lasted 13 years (I should not have sold it-the black ink switching really was not that big a deal in retrospect). I'd be very surprised to hear of a P900 lasting that long.

I'll await your detailed review and continue to bumble along with my P900.

[pflower]

I can't comment on the P5300 or the P900 but I replaced my 3880 with a P5000 over 3 years ago and can highly recommend it for its build and print quality.  The roll paper feature is, in my view, worth it alone.

I think that concern about using this only as a full time production machine may be a little overstated.  At the outset I had some teething problems and an Epson Technician attended. I asked him about usage and he said that 1 A4 print per week ought to be sufficient.  Sometimes I print a lot, sometimes not so much and sometimes the printer is left shut down.  I do tend to make sure I print probably a couple of A3 prints each week at a minimum on cheap Epson paper. In over 3 years I have had no problems at all other than that initial teething problem.

 I was away 3 times last year with periods averaging 2-3 weeks each time.  I was in India this year for 4 weeks.  In all those absences the printer was simply turned off and in all cases there were no clogs, no missing lines on nozzle checks. Everything worked perfectly when turned back on.

You will, assuming the P5300 acts the same as the P5000, get periodic messages (usually about once every 6 months) asking you to do a "powerful clean".  This happens even if the nozzle checks are clear.  But Epson presumably put that there for a reason.  Keith has mentioned the acquisition cost but regardless of that the 200ml cartridges mean that the cost per 1ml is dramatically cheaper than on the smaller printer cartridges.

With the new print heads and new inks, no MK to PK switching the P5300 seems like a no brainer - as long as you have a strong friend who can help you lift it into place.

[langier]

First P900 took a few weeks to arrive after the pandemic. The front-feed tray never worked and within a few weeks, the paper feed also went south. I struggled with it till the end of the warrantee feeding a single sheet at a time. But when I wanted to print on Epson Exhibition Fiber, scratches went the length. Called Epson and they told me to use the front feeder which I could never pull out since I bought it. They replaced it with a refurb and all went well... for a few months.

Then it started to spit ink, on the prints and on the margins. Sometimes with consistent spacing, sometimes random. Then it sucked in 5-6 sheets and bricked...

Took it to the closest Epson repair and it sat there for months, my printer expert basically told me it was toast and it was time to call Epson.

I still need to give Epson a call in the hopes something can be worked out. But my luck with the P900 I hope isn't the norm as so far, two printers have crapped out on me at less than a year a piece.

This is contrary for my 25 years of using Epson printers. My 9900 that I bought 2nd hand is going strong for over 13 years. A 3880 in the family with an occasional service is now also 13 years old. To get me by while my P900 is sitting in the shop, I bought a used 3880 and had it serviced. Works like new and no issues with paper feed, ink, spitting ink, jamming. It's a built like a brick rather than being a brick. The 3880 also seems to print faster than the P900.

I liked the prints coming off the P900 and the auto-switching between blacks. But I can't afford to have a printer that fails in months and seems to be unreliable.

[nsnowlin]

My first P900 had so many paper misalignment problems that Epson replaced it with a refurb that was just as bad for paper handling.  The 2nd refurb from Epson likewise was just as bad.  The third one was equally awful.  I finally gave up and bought another new P900 a year ago.  Just out of warranty and it is now giving similar problems.  This time I will get a P5350 when they are released and take my chances.  Either that or just get a new P900 every year -- or go 24" and forget the 17" printers.  What are your thoughts on the 24" Epson printers?