Max Nozzle dot Count on Canon IPF 8300?

[deanwork]

I have looked all over the web and I can't find anywhere where the maximum dot count should be expected on the 8300-8400 heads. Does anyone know when they max out. Both of my heads are well over a year old with a lot of work run through it but all looks good so far. It still isn't doing any un usual cleanings. But nearing the end no doubt.

[bill t.]

AFAIK there is no automatic dot ceiling resulting in a mandatory head change.  My highest mileage head as of now is 1.23 x 10^12 dots, the other one is at about 800,000 mdots.  Both were new 466 days ago.  I haven't kept detailed logs, but I think those are my best numbers ever.  I print several square feet of media about 300 days a year.  Oh, those are PF-05 heads as with the 8300, but mounted in an 8400.  Mostly PK ink at the maximum SP5 ink density.  My very rough estimate is that a pair of heads is good for at least 12,000 square feet in high duty cycle situations.

Keep watching the error codes, a persistent non-fatal error code is often the first indication of a head that is almost out of reserve nozzles.  The next thing is usually a sudden increase in cleaning cycles at the end of a print.  The end is near when you're up to a cleaning cycle every 2 or 3 prints.  Have noticed the sudden appearance of tiny ink dots on prints just before a head failure.

I assume you have the latest firmware for the 8300, that brought a big improvement in head longevity when it came out several years ago.  The Canon rep insisted I install it while he was on the phone during a head failure support call.

[Landscapes]

My stats are 425,000 Mdots, or just over this really, and the head was at 770 days, or just over this.  I took a pic of the screen, since the head was acting up, and sure enough, within a couple of weeks, it had to be replaced.  The other head went soon after, but I think this one was just below 400,000 Mdots.  Time wise I guess they lasted pretty good.  I clearly am not printing as much as bill t., but i try and make sure to do a print every 2 days so that it never sits for too long.

As bill also states, you can tell its about to die because of the constant cleanings and error messages.  I was a little pissed because it randomly started dumping ink all by itself without me initiating the cycle.  Would have been nice for it to just say the head needs to be replaced and leave it at that.  If I didn't have one handy, I'm not sure what I would have done because after it dumps the ink, the head moves to the centre, so there is so no way to put it into sleep mode at this point.  Its also a bad idea to have a new head sitting around for months because Canon will only warranty from the date of purchase, from what I read here, as opposed to date of installation. 

[deanwork]

I was just curious what the limit was for other people. 800,000 dots is great - what was the count on the other head? I would be happy as hell if I end up getting that. I take real good care of this printer and keep a dust cover on it when not in use. I try not to overwork it but use it everyday.

Yea My experience is that they really have improved the head life in the 5 Or 6 years that I have had this great machine. Will check to see if I have the latest firmware. I'm pretty sure I do. I also think that if you use it everyday as I do the heads actually last longer . I mostly use PK paper and do my Matt printing on th HPZ that has better dmax there ( and cheaper heads). I think matt rag paper will wear out any head faster.

I'm up to 650,000 dots on one head and 540,00 on the other with one of the heads at almost two years and the other at 400 something days. Still perfect nozzles. It is very rare that it does any head cleanings but I realize when that becomes frequent you are near the end. I never turn mine off except during lightening storms. When the end is there  I always end up with one dead color and the error message stopping the printer where you have to restart . Almost always when that occurs there is a missing color you see in the test chart. Since I do my bw work on the other printers I think my gray channels are lasting longer now.

The one thing I learned the hard way is don't ever do multiple cleanings in a row when the error message comes. I would even let it cool down before restarting. Multiple cleanings heat up your head board and blowing it will cost $ 1,000.00. I'm afraid a lot of people do that trying to finish a job before getting a new head and that will cost you big time. Then people say Canon printers suck, when it is really them overheating the head board. Learned that the hard way.

John



quote author=bill t. link=topic=120907.msg1003943#msg1003943 date=1507256086]
AFAIK there is no automatic dot ceiling resulting in a mandatory head change.  My highest mileage head as of now is 1.23 x 10^12 dots, the other one is at about 800,000 mdots.  Both were new 466 days ago.  I haven't kept detailed logs, but I think those are my best numbers ever.  I print several square feet of media about 300 days a year.  Oh, those are PF-05 heads as with the 8300, but mounted in an 8400.  Mostly PK ink at the maximum SP5 ink density.  My very rough estimate is that a pair of heads is good for at least 12,000 square feet in high duty cycle situations.

Keep watching the error codes, a persistent non-fatal error code is often the first indication of a head that is almost out of reserve nozzles.  The next thing is usually a sudden increase in cleaning cycles at the end of a print.  The end is near when you're up to a cleaning cycle every 2 or 3 prints.  Have noticed the sudden appearance of tiny ink dots on prints just before a head failure.

I assume you have the latest firmware for the 8300, that brought a big improvement in head longevity when it came out several years ago.  The Canon rep insisted I install it while he was on the phone during a head failure support call.
[/quote]

[Landscapes]

I'm up to 650,000 dots on one head and 540,00 on the other with one of the heads at almost two years and the other at 400 something days. Still perfect nozzles.

Are you doing a nozzle check from the service menu?  If its just a regular nozzle check, then I would expect it almost always be perfect, but it really gives you no indication of how healthy the heads actually are.  In the service mode nozzle check, you see many more nozzles, all of them in fact, and you can easily have lots of dropouts, but a still functioning printer since the nozzles have been remapped.

Sometimes I've had a couple of rows totally missing from a color, after something like a paper strike, and it was obvious in the service mode nozzle check, but the regular mode nozzle check printed out just fine.  So what you really want to be analyzing is the service mode nozzle check.

[deanwork]

I haven't been to the service menu for doing that in several years. I guess it is the best way to evaluate how much is left of a head. What do you press when starting the printer to get there?

 But like you said a lot of nozzles are going to be missing there due to the fact that they are being remapped. And I never understood exactly how to read it.Personally  I have never run across any banding or coarseness in printing that didn't have a clearly missing or faint printout in the regular check pattern.

Head strikes are very bad for the heads. I totally quit using the Harmon Baryta after it caused me to over heat a head and I won't use any media on that printer that has bad curling anymore.

Are you doing a nozzle check from the service menu?  If its just a regular nozzle check, then I would expect it almost always be perfect, but it really gives you no indication of how healthy the heads actually are.  In the service mode nozzle check, you see many more nozzles, all of them in fact, and you can easily have lots of dropouts, but a still functioning printer since the nozzles have been remapped.

Sometimes I've had a couple of rows totally missing from a color, after something like a paper strike, and it was obvious in the service mode nozzle check, but the regular mode nozzle check printed out just fine.  So what you really want to be analyzing is the service mode nozzle check.

[dpirazzi]

To get into service mode, press and hold Load and Navigate while powering on.

Glad to see others still using the 8300, I'm hopeful mine will last a bit longer as I recently replaced most cartridges. I've replaced each head once, first was under warranty and second about two years ago. I print sparingly these days, but have dreams of printing more...

Dave