[RoseHawke]

Well, it looks like another one may have bit the dust. Seems like we run through about a printer every two years or so. The problem being that we don't print that much stuff so the nozzles evidently get irredeemably clogged. this one is/was an Epson C86 ("DuraBrite" ink) and after replacing all the color cartridges today it refuses to print anything but some black. It was beginning to need cleaning the last time I used it a week or two ago. I ran it through what feels like umpteen cleaning cycles but no go. I did a google for Epson and cleaning and apparently there are cleaning cartridges available but these are all aftermarket Epson "compatible." At this point it hardly matters as I may just be going and buying an $80 printer to replace this $300 one since they keep dying on me, but has anyone ever tried any of these "cleaner" cartridges? Do they work at all? If I can get the printer working again that'd be great, otherwise, pfffffttttt.

 

[bharada]

Cindy, I've tried the cleaner carts in a clogged printer and aside from being smelly and messy, they do very little on a badly clogged print head. Replacing the print head is about the only option you have when it gets to the point where umpteen cleaning cycles don't make a speck of difference.

I replaced my last "photo" printer with a cheap, Canon all-in-one. My daughter uses it regularly to print out her school work, and I print the occasional photo on it. Any time I need better quality, or bulk quantities I use Costco's online photo service.

 

[RoseHawke]

That's what I wanted to know. If they're not going to do any good no sense in wasting my money. I thought such a thing might be more snake oil than anything. Wish I hadn't just bought $60 worth of ink at Sam's Club in order to find this out :icon_conf . Oh, well, c'est la guerre.

 

[bharada]

Consumer-grade inkjet printers have become commodity items. The manufacturers almost expect you to throw them away and buy a new one when the print head clogs.

I looked into buying a replacement print head for a clogged Canon photo printer and found that it cost as much as buying a new printer.

One thing that seems to hold true for me is that factory ink does reduce the amount of clogging my printer experiences. I don't track reports on which 3rd-party inks are equal to factory so I just avoid them all.

 

[ianiwane]

For your next printer get a HP. All HP inkjets have their print heads on the printer cartridges. When you change the cartridge you change the print head.

 

[RoseHawke]

Had an HP back when that we spent almost $600 bucks on. When it screwed up way before we thought it should have is why we went to Epson :hihi: and bought the $300 dollar jobby. We seem to be on a descending spiral here. In another couple of years I figure we'll be spending $30 on a printer. I think we've tried 'em all. It's not as if we're hard on printers by a long shot. Sunny's pushing for a B/W laser as they're almost dirt cheap these days, but I do like to print out the occasional photo and it helps when I print out .pdf files of magazine articles to have the accompanying photos in color.

So HP are the ones with the integral heads? I was just talking to him on the 'phone about this and he said he remembered something about that but couldn't remember who the manufacturer was. I'll pass the info along. At least that'd do away with the clogging nozzle problem although I'm sure the ink will be more expensive because of it. OTOH if I have to throw away a printer every couple of years I'm not saving any money!

 

[bharada]

I like the HP for the built-in print head, but I hate them for not using individual color carts. At work, the collateral I print has a lot of red, so I'd go though the magenta ink of my HP printer cart after 35 pages or so. Still lots of yellow and cyan ink, but out the whole cart went. At $30 a pop it get's very expensive throwing out all that ink.

 

[typically]

Rose try returning the ink to costco they will take just about anything back opened or not. just tell them that you bought the wrong model. check out this hilarious link to see what im talking about haha i laugh out loud every time i read this
clicky

 

[RoseHawke]

I noticed that. Fortunately my colors tend to all run out close to the same time. Within 5% anyway. This is the first time I've actually let a cartridge run completely out so that it wouldn't print. Usually I replace 'em way early 'cause I couldn't stand the flashing red light on the printer that would not go away until you had more than (I think) 5% of ink left in your cartridge.

 

[Rex Grigg]

Best advice.

Get a color laser printer.

 

[RoseHawke]

Planning on it Rex. Eventually. I think we're just gonna get an ultra-cheapy HP to do us right now though.

As an aside, do you know if there's any problems with toner getting "old?" I don't want to throw away half of a hundred dollar toner cartridge because it's not working like it should any more!

 

[TheOtherGeoff]

you shouldnt have a problem with it as long as you dont let it sit too long. i let one sit in the box brand new for about 3-4 years, that stupid completely dried out on me. i was pretty mad at that.

i use an HP for my computer, hoave no problems with it. my parents have a canon photoprinter and it does a good job. however, if i need something printed i do it at school cause we have lasers and they spit it out like nothing

 

[bharada]

Cindy, if it's just toner it should last almost indefinitely. Just remember that with a laser printer, especially one that has the imager/fuser/corona/… all as independent components replacement costs for those add up pretty fast.

Also, color lasers will never be able to give you that glossy photo paper look. They are getting better, IQ wise, but the technology still calls for melting and flattening a resin bead onto a piece of paper, so it will always have some detectable graininess to it.

I think you're approaching from the right direction, though. With even the cheapest inkjet printer having good to excellent print quality there's no reason to buy into the high-end models unless you need a large format printer.

 

[conduct]

HP 2600N Color Laser Jet is the way to go. I bought one 2 years ago and we print allot. My cartages are still 60% or so. Plus what is real nice it has built in NIC for $300 I will never go to a ink printer again. The toner cartridges run from $60 to $80 for replacement when needed but one cartridge will yield 2000-2500 pages.

 

[typically]

the color laser (hp color LaserJet 2500) we have at work is lame! the prints look nothing like they should always blown out or really yellow or really green. so if you are wanting to print photo's id see if you can get a demo on the printer before you buy it. they still havent gotten laser to match ink jet prints yet

 

[conduct]

the color laser (hp color LaserJet 2500) we have at work is lame! the prints look nothing like they should always blown out or really yellow or really green. so if you are wanting to print photo's id see if you can get a demo on the printer before you buy it. they still havent gotten laser to match ink jet prints yet

Sounds like someone needs to calibrate the printer there if the colors are off. Calibrating the printer will make a worlds of difference seen this before when changing the toner. To dark of one color or blurry. We have 3 at work here and they run great. Never had one problem with them nor complaints.

 

[Rex Grigg]

HP 2600N Color Laser Jet is the way to go. I bought one 2 years ago and we print allot. My cartages are still 60% or so. Plus what is real nice it has built in NIC for $300 I will never go to a ink printer again. The toner cartridges run from $60 to $80 for replacement when needed but one cartridge will yield 2000-2500 pages.

I also have a 2600N. Now if HP would only release Vista drivers for it........:icon_twis

 

[conduct]

I also have a 2600N. Now if HP would only release Vista drivers for it........:icon_twis

Taken right from HP site:
Today, a solution for your product is not available in Microsoft’s Windows Vista. Some drivers will be available as early as January 2007. HP expects to complete the certification process for applicable drivers by July 2007. Drivers will be posted as they are completed.

 

[RoseHawke]

Well, we ended up getting a Photosmart D5160. Sunny was sucked in by the CD/DVD printing capability so I let him talk me into it. I don't know how well it will work for that (haven't tried it yet) but It works just fine for normal printing and on "Fast Draft" selection absolutely spits out copy. And really, I printed out two copies, one "Fast Draft" and one "Normal" and I really couldn't tell any difference. I'm sure on a photo it would be different.

 

[Rex Grigg]

I know what HP says.

But look at this page. HP is recommending the 2600N as a Vista recommended printer. But.....there are NO drivers for it. Now does that make sense to you?