A question for Epson 3880 users past or present.

[Justin]

A while back I was fortunate enough to come across a secondhand lightly used Epson Stylus Pro 3880 printer. It's my first printer larger than A3+ and I've been extremely happy with it and have thoroughly enjoyed using it.
One aspect of the printer that I would very much appreciate some feedback on is the black ink switching. I've read several posts on the internet about the ink switching sticking valve problem that causes the ink to leave blobs and empty into the maintenance cartridge.

I was wondering if this issue is likely to be kept at bay by switching fairly regularly, i.e. every couple of months, or is the issue most likely to be caused by not switching reguarly?


For past or present 3880 users;

1) How many years use did you get from your printer?

2) Did you encounter the leaking valve issue? If so, how often did you switch the blacks?


Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[luxborealis]

I’ve been us8ng my 3800 for about 5 years. I rarely switch inks, staying with the matte black ink almost exclusively. I have never experienced what you have described.

Every once in a while a get a small unusual burst/spray of irregular course black ink dots in one corner of a print (see photo), but that’s it.

[Farmer]

If you make sure you have the latest firmware, the printer will periodically switch if you haven't done it yourself for a long time in order to run a clean.  There's no advantage doing anything else, really.

[praja343]

I have a 3880 since 2012, rarely switch (may be 4 times in that period) and had to get the valve fixed and the PK cartridge replaced (the valve emptied the cartridge). The fix is expensive ~$350 but the printer is fine after the fix.

[Ferp]

Thankfully I've not experienced this issue, but I've read a fair bit about it.  There's no hard proof of what causes it, but contrary to other views in this thread, my impression is that it is caused by infrequent switching, including leaving a printer dormant for an extended period.  My recollection is that the automated switching process referred to by Farmer is not all that frequent.  There are very few reports of people seeing it happen.  A repair of the switch is costly enough to be only marginally economic at best.  My view FWIW is that monthly or bi-monthly switches are fairly inexpensive insurance.  After all, if we could just rely on the firmware to do the switch then these problems wouldn't be happening, but they do.  I suppose it's possible that in response to the problem Epson released a firmware update that triggers automatic switches and the problem doesn't occur in printers with the updated firmware, but that's unproven and I'd still prefer the inexpensive insurance of moderately regular switches to a costly repair.  The fact that there are some people who have switched only infrequently and haven't had the problem only proves that it doesn't happen to every printer, and is no guarantee for yours.

[Jeffrey Saldinger]

Right after I got my P800 in October of 2016 I had a similar question (http://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=114096.msg939002#msg939002).

I don't know enough about the inner workings of the 3880 vs the P800 to know how much the answers for one apply to the other, but once a week I've been printing a 9x6 rectangle of flat black MK on inexpensive matte paper.  The switching and prints have been fine.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

My 3800 succumbed to the black ink blob problem after some 6 or 7 years. I almost never switched inks during that time, preferring the glossy ink for everything. So, I suspect that NOT switching occasionally is what led to my problem.

Now I have a P800, and I swap inks and print something on Matte about once every two months. 

So far so good.

[Farmer]

If you intend to use actually use the MK, then doing a monthly switch is a good idea because you're talking about the ink in the line.  If you are just concerned about the valve, then the firmware-driven changes should be plenty.

[Ferp]

If you are just concerned about the valve, then the firmware-driven changes should be plenty.

I've not seen any evidence to support this proposition.  If it were so, why then have some people had problems?  Why hasn't the auto switch prevented them?  I consider that the cost of insurance (occasional but regular manual switching) is low relative to the cost of fixing problem.

[Farmer]

Well, it's hard to provide evidence without control groups and detailed studies, but most people reporting this issue have machines that are 5+ years old, so straight up age would be part of any failure there.  Furthermore, we don't know that those who have reported it updated the firmware or not.

I can only go on the information and experience that I have and present it.  By all means do regular switches if you like - I agree it's inexpensive.

[pluton]

I have a 3880 now, previously a 3800 that ran 5 years and then acquired the ink valve disease.  That 3800 rarely switched from PK to MK.
JToolman states [paraphrasing here] that the valve failure is caused by either not switching, or not switching enough.  With my 2 year old 3880, I have decided to waste an extra MK + PK cartridge per year on occasional PK-MK-PK round trips, with the occasional matte print thrown in.  Call me in 4 years...

[Justin]

Thanks for all the feedback so far.

[Ferp]

..... but most people reporting this issue have machines that are 5+ years old, so straight up age would be part of any failure there.

It's a fair point that this failure takes time to appear, which makes sense if as seems likely, it is caused by an accumulation of sedimented pigment around the switch.  I'm less inclined to simply call this age-related, especially if regular switching prevents it.

Furthermore, we don't know that those who have reported it updated the firmware or not.

There's an assumption in this thread that this rarely-seen auto switching was introduced in a post-release firmware update.  Is this a known fact or speculation, and it's know, which update was it?  That Epson FAQ that was mentioned in another thread:
https://epson.com/faq/SPT_CA61201-VM~faq-149366
was published in Nov 19 2009, so not all that long after release of the printer.  If auto switching was introduced via a firmware update then it would have to have been a very early one.  Moreover, that FAQ makes no mention of having to installing an update to get that behavior.

Re JToolman's comments, I regard Jose as often informative but rarely authoritative.

[deanwork]

I guess the fundamental question for me me is why in 2018 are we still talking about doing Mk to Pk ink switching and flushing at all. I just don't get it.

It's a fair point that this failure takes time to appear, which makes sense if as seems likely, it is caused by an accumulation of sedimented pigment around the switch.  I'm less inclined to simply call this age-related, especially if regular switching prevents it.

There's an assumption in this thread that this rarely-seen auto switching was introduced in a post-release firmware update.  Is this a known fact or speculation, and it's know, which update was it?  That Epson FAQ that was mentioned in another thread:
https://epson.com/faq/SPT_CA61201-VM~faq-149366
was published in Nov 19 2009, so not all that long after release of the printer.  If auto switching was introduced via a firmware update then it would have to have been a very early one.  Moreover, that FAQ makes no mention of having to installing an update to get that behavior.

Re JToolman's comments, I regard Jose as often informative but rarely authoritative.

[BobShaw]

Have had the latest firmware for a long, long time and doubt that there is any auto switching in it.
A switchover takes a long time and is pretty obvious.
My black PK ink failure occurred at about 6 years.
They replaced the the ink delivery system and the capping station. The cost was about $600AU plus it used about a third of the ink so at least $200 extra. Probably would have been better to buy a new printer but there were no discounts at the time.

Having said that I like the 3880. My most used slot is the rear manual feed for feeding in sheets I cut from roll for panos. Roll capability sounds attractive but the paper thicknesses allowed on the P800 are more severe than the 3880. At the moment waiting and just buying ink 3880 cartridges one at a time. I use Mirage Print.

[Farmer]

I guess the fundamental question for me me is why in 2018 are we still talking about doing Mk to Pk ink switching and flushing at all. I just don't get it.

This gets discussed a lot.

You can have a printer with both PK and MK available at the same time, and people who only use one and not the other complain about having to feed ink into the unused channel over time.  You can have a switch, and people complain about switching.  Now you have an option on some to switch without flushing and that also sparks debate (even though it's just an option, not mandatory).  You literally can't please everyone.

[Ferp]

I guess the fundamental question for me me is why in 2018 are we still talking about doing Mk to Pk ink switching and flushing at all. I just don't get it.

Because in this thread we are talking about a printer that was released just on nine years ago, and therefore was designed nearly a decade a go.  It's a more relevant question for the latest series of printers, although as Farmer notes, you can't please everyone.  Also because the 3880 was such a reliable printer and hence long-lived, save for this issue.

Have had the latest firmware for a long, long time and doubt that there is any auto switching in it.
A switchover takes a long time and is pretty obvious.

Auto-switching is like the Yeti, never seen in the wild.  There was one report here several years ago of someone who claimed to have seen it and wondered what on earth had happened.  That Epson FAQ says it happens.  You'd have to avoid switching for six months and then never leave the printer alone in order to see it.  Or record your MK & PK levels every day.

[HSakols]

My first 3880 died after a year, but Epson immediately sent me a new one.  I have had no problems since then.  I also wait over a month at times before printing.  Compared to the 4800 the 3880 is a gem!  I just use it with photo black ink and have never switched to mat black.  At some point I want to try printing on mat papers again, but I am not into wasting ink by switching inks.

[Leszek Piotrowski]

My 3880 is 4 yrs old and print once a month or so. Always use Photo Black. No problems to report. The room is kept clean and printer is always covered when not in use.