Canon i850 printhead is toast - replace or upgrade?

[beatle]

After about a year of service, my Canon i850 printer is toast. Colors are missing entirely, the printhead cannot be aligned, and there is heavy banding where there is color. I've tried cleaning the printhead as Peter advised with the paper towel. I've also tried rinsing it as a last resort. I used Megatoners' ink carts, FWIW.

I notice on ebay a seller offers the printhead for $53 + $3.85 s/h, but this does NOT include any ink. I emailed the seller to verify this. At this price point, it hardly makes sense to keep this printer when I can buy an IP3000 for $92 shipped from Newegg. I don't print any photos, but I do print a lot of graphics (mostly maps) so speed is important, but as long as the text, lines, and colors are readable on the map, I'm satisfied. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Peter]

Let the printhead soak in fairly hot water for half an hour as a last resort.

As for replacement heads: The "i" series printers have the heads declared "permanent" although they're not. This means that it's not a "consumables" item but covered by manufacturer's warranty. The printer is hardly very old, so I'd have a go at having it replaced under warranty.

But even if it isn't under warranty anymore, I'd go for a new head rather than a new printer, simply because the iP3000 hardly is a replacement for the i850. You'd at least have to have the iP4000.

 

[beatle]

Sadly, I already cleaned it last night (I swirled for a few minutes, but didn't just let it soak for 30 minutes). I'm soaking it now.

 

[Comp625]

If you do get a new printer, let me suggest that you should at least get the IP4000 over the IP3000 because it is rated as being a couple pages faster in draft mode. The new IP printers also have duplex printing which you may find to be useful.

 

[LED]

beatle
...it's 1 no brainer...for $35 more you get 1 new better printer with a 1 yr warranty and Canon Ink carts to boot which would run you $35 anyways !

 

[SynthDude2001]

I'd also suggest moving up to the iP4000 if you can (or even the 3000, I guess). I have the 4000 myself, and it would be worth it even just for the auto two-sided printing - the awesome quality in text and photos is just icing on the cake. I paid about $120 for mine.

 

[beatle]

I called Canon and they said they would service the printer - I just have to drop it off. I do need to buy some Canon ink so they don't reject me on the spot. So now it'll be ~$30-$35 to have my i850 fixed...

2 sided printing would be nice, however...

 

[LED]

Couple of options and things to consider...
1)How much is time and Gas worth to you? (2 trips to get it fixed.)

2) If it were me then I would go ahead and get it fixed, buy the upgraded printer, Keep all the Canon ink and fill the i850 with Generic ...then sell it for say $50 in order to get the new on free

 

[beatle]

It's too bad the IP4000 doesn't use the same ink carts that the i850 does. Otherwise, that sounds like a plan.

 

[LED]

Oh ...well @ least you can keep the Black and then bump the price to $60-70 or maybe buy the ink for the 4000 just because you need to buy some and tell the Service you already have ink for the i850. That way they'll think you're really supporting Canon

 

[beatle]

I'll probably just buy some ink, get it fixed, and then dream of a deal on the IP4000.

 

[Christobevii3]

IP4000 for $100
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4164263