Have an R2400, thinking of getting a 3880

[nemo295]

I've had an Epson R2400 for a number of years and although the prints it makes look good, I've finally had enough with the clogging and ink waste issues, so now I'm considering buying a 3880.

I'm interested in hearing from those who've had an R2400 and have moved up to a 3880. I know the 3880 is better in terms of clogging and ink efficiency, but how much better do the prints look? Is it a fairly subtle improvement or will it knock my socks off?

[AFairley]

Compared to a 13x19 print, a 17x22 print will knock your socks off -- at least it did mine.

[nemo295]

Compared to a 13x19 print, a 17x22 print will knock your socks off -- at least it did mine.

If they were both 13x19 prints, how would they compare?

[Tom Frerichs]

I went from an R1800 to a 3880, and although the quality was better, it didn't "knock my socks off." But maybe I have very snug socks.

On the other hand, the price of ink per print and the considerably lower ink usage caused by not having to clean the heads constantly were very, very appealing.

[nemo295]

My sense is, all else being equal, that the 3880's print quality will be maybe 10-20% better than the R2400's, but not "night and day" better. But even 10% better than what I'm getting now would be really nice.

[lfeagan]

I feel for you. I had a 2400 also. The clogs drove me crazy.

[David Good]

Doug, to my eyes it was a subtle improvement. Paper handling is much better through the rear feed, no need to constantly change inks as they last longer, switching from glossy black to matte black is painless, and skin tones appear smoother with the addition of the Vivid Magenta. Hardly any clogs even if it sits idle for a few weeks (unlike my old 2400). Build quality is also a bit better going fro a consumer model to a semi-pro. If you don't want to use rolls or mind the lack of vacuum paper feed, go for it. It may not knock your socks off, but I suspect you will be very pleased with the upgrade.

Dave

[nemo295]

It may not knock your socks off, but I suspect you will be very pleased with the upgrade.

Thanks, Dave. That's more or less what I assumed, but I wanted to hear it from someone with actual experience.

[I.T. Supplies]

There should be a good quality between the R2400 to the 3880.  If you want a much better quality printer, the Epson 4900 will the best within the 17" models.

3880 does have the better printhead and larger inks.  So, if you sell your prints, it will be more cost effective.  R2400 has 18ml tanks, 3880 has 80ml and the 4900 has 200ml.

Plus, the R2400 has a roll attachment where the 3880 doesn't, but the 4900 does.  So, there are the pros and cons between the 2 17" models from the smaller printers.  Both Epson 3880 and 4900 have nice rebates this month.

Chris W
Atlex.com

[JeanMichel]

Hi,
I to have a 2400 and have been very pleased with it. I rarely experiences any clogs, and those were cleared with a single or perhaps a double pass of cleaning. I have been thinking about getting a larger printer and I have pretty much concluded that it makes more sense to get a 24" printer. The capital costs difference is not that great and you get more print size options.
Jean-Michel

[lfeagan]

Hi,
I to have a 2400 and have been very pleased with it. I rarely experiences any clogs, and those were cleared with a single or perhaps a double pass of cleaning. I have been thinking about getting a larger printer and I have pretty much concluded that it makes more sense to get a 24" printer. The capital costs difference is not that great and you get more print size options.
Jean-Michel

That is the same conclusion I reached when I upgraded from my 2400. A 24" print is a thing of beauty.

[Dale_Cotton2]

I've had the 3800 -- not the 3880 -- for a number of years but have heard that the 3880 is no different re clogging. I just want to caution you not to assume the 3880 will be clog-free no matter what you do. You'll need to make at least one print per week to keep ink flowing through the nozzles. Really doesn't seem to matter how small a print. Missing a week or so won't usually result in a clog and if it does the clog will be easily clearable.

If you follow this routine then after a year or two you'll still start seeing the occasional clog ... as a result of the presumably preventative maintenance automatic full-cleaning cycle that Epson throws in gratis every so often.

The non-dilute magenta ink seems to be the most prone to clogging.

None of this should scare you off the 3880. I had an Epson 4000 before the 3800 and can fully sympathize with you re owning a clogging-nightmare printer.

BTW: remember to factor in the cost of the ink that comes with the printer when comparing the purchase price of the 3880 to whatever you paid for the 2400. If you subtract the street price of all the ink in the 9 cartridges of the 3880 from the total purchase price, the two printers are likely nearly at par.

[I.T. Supplies]

To be honest, we've had our own 3880 in our office for about a year+ and really no clogging issues.  We also print on it a lot.  The cost between the R2400 ink and 3880 ink is about $.15 different.  Our price, the R2400 ink is about $.75/ml while the 3880 is $.62/ml.

The 3880 should be a little more room to have better selling price for prints (if that's what you would be using it for), and larger printing ability.

I know that not all printers will work the exact same way for the same model, but that is what I wanted to inform everyone.  It may have clogging issues, but I don't believe we've had any as of yet.  Many of our customers have mentioned that the 3800 had much more clogging than their 3880 (since the print head is updated with a Teflon coating).

[Les Sparks]

I've had my 3880 for a little less than a year. I don't do a lot of printing, but try to print at least one print a week when I'm home. I turn the printer off when we're away from home (been away for up to a month). I've had a couple of clogged nozzles that were cleared with a single nozzle clean cycle. I'm really pleased with the print quality.
Les