Well, they all end up in the trash eventually (just like everything else). I’ve tossed several printers, including a couple of Canon’s over the years, due to wearing out. They aren’t engineered to last forever.
The 9890 was replaced a decade ago, to me 10+ years is pretty good for any printer. There’s been two major updates to both the inkset and the head technology, and the now 3 year old p9000 has been around long enough to make some reasonable conclusions and it’s proven to be substantially better. Yes there are still times it cleans and yes it still uses some ink to do that, but so do all of these types of printers. The new Epson inkset has improved longevity, and Canon has actually regressed in that area. I assume that’s pretty important based on the type of work you are producing.
Certainly there are pros and cons to both brands, and both produce beautiful prints, so it seems to “lose faith in Epson” because your 10+ year old printer has worn out is a little illogical.
Don’t forget about HP. Their new printer is certainly worth considering as well.