Printer manufactures & re-filling process and issues.

[videobruce]

I'm interested in the manual re-filling process of the latest HP, Canon & Espon inkjet printers.

I have a older HP that uses the 78 & 645 cartridges and since HP has reduced the size of the foam pad inside the color cartridge and cheapened the print head to prevent you from sucessfully refilling them, I'm thinking about going over to Canon.

I understand Canon does have some models that have a repleceable 'cartridge' similar to HP instead of just replaceing the 'tank'. I'm concerned about clogged print heads that aren't easily replaced as the HP version. I really don't like HP, but I don't like the somewhat non-replaceable Canon models. (BTW, I do know about these 'chips' inside the Canon tanks)

With Espon, I haven't really followed them closely as HP & Canon seem to win out on most reviews.

Input please.

 

[Zepper]

check out http://www.nifty-stuff.com for lots of printer related topics. No queston that Canon is easiest on the pocket. Now that clone tanks are available for them it's no contest with integrated head cartridge models like most the low-line Canon, HPs and Lexmark. Epson still hasn't cured its clogging problem so they're off the table here. Check the SwiftInk threa at the top of the Hot Deals section. The iP4300 is great for under $100. shipped.

.bh.

 

[videobruce]

Yea, I see that i560 is their best printer. That's the 2nd time I have seen that model raved about.

Too bad you can get it anymore or I wouldn't of been asking this.

 

[Zepper]

The i560 is at least three generations old... The iP4300 is the current equivalent.

.bh.

 

[xgsound]

If you want to refill rather than use compatable cartdidges, it is my understanding that the new Canons can be refilled. When you do so the first time you have to go thru a few hoops, and from then on you can refill without any ink (it gets disabled) sensing. Swift ink now has compatibles ($3.95) for the new Canons, but it requires reusing the chip from the old tank.

The better Canons (with 4 or 5 separate ink tanks) have a seperate replacable printhead assy should it ever be necessary.

There is a mountain of personal experiences at the above nifty-stuff forum.


Jim

 

[Lemon law]

For those of you who do not understand the curse of the Canon chip---maybe I can explain.

Those of us lucky enough to still have Canons that use the non-chipped BCI-3&6 cartridges---can either refill their own cartridges---or use third party clone cartridges. And the printer does not care---with an optical sensor that signals low ink.

The new chipped Canons using the very similar sized CLI-5&8 series of cartridges have a chip attached to the cartridge itself---and the chip accurately measures ink used in a given
cartridge---and once the chip decides the cartridge is empty---it tells the printer to quit printing.---regardless if the cartridge has been refilled with ink or not. To get the printer working again you can do one of two things (1) Buy a new Canon OEM cartridge that comes with a new chip (2) Either refill the old cartridge--or transfer the chip from the old cartridge to a new clone cartridge-----and then go through the somewhat giant hassle of navigating various Canon Nag screen that threaten to void all warranties for each chip signaling no ink in the cartridge--- for each cartridge in the printer---and lose all ink monitoring---which means the user must pull cartridges often to visually check ink levels.

People have been hard at work to crack the Canon chip for a year now---so far no luck---but the ability to transfer the chip to a new clone cartridge is a small step forward.

But its so much easier on a non-chipped Canon----matter of fact I just had to refill two of them not an hour ago when my wife's ip 4000 showed low ink----all it took was a few minutes work and less than a buck of refill ink----I would have been out over $25.00 if I used Canon Oem's.---or if I were refill phobic--I could have used clone cartridges costing less than $4.00 for the two replaced cartridges.

 

[videobruce]

Originally posted by: Zepper
The i560 is at least three generations old... The iP4300 is the current equivalent.

How is the 4300 different from the 560 as that was one of the ones I was looking at?

Regarding the Canon 'chip', it is my understanding it isn't a issue to disable the chip altogether. I don't care about the 2-way commication between the printer and the O/S, it has been disabled with the HP as I use the corp. version of their driver that doesn't have all that bloated crap on it.
Regarding looking atk levels, what's wrong with just letting it run out and when you see that color is gone, just re-fill it then??
That is what I have done for many years with the 78 & 45 HP cartridges.

 

[Zepper]

The ink acts as coolant for the thermal nozzles - nozzles can burn out. iP4300 has two paper bins - the usual top bin and a bottom cassette so you can have two types of paper stocked or you can have the same paper in both and set it to automatically switch when one or the other runs out. It has automatic duplex (two sided printing) for short runs - that's too slow for long runs, but the old "flip the stack" method still works for the bigger printings. It is fun for us techies to watch the first few times though. And it may be able to handle thich stock better as there is an advanced setting in the driver to "prevent head dragging" on thick stock.
. I'm sure there are more differences - the spec sheets for both are available at usa.canon.com. The generations are: i560, iP3000 or 4000, iP4200, iP4300.

. However, if you can find an i560 that's in good shape, you might consider it as it uses the old 3 and/or 6 series tanks that are by far the most economical clones and the easiest to refill yourself. But they are at least 4 years old, so print head replacement may be nigh - not cheap, but a lot less than a new printer...

.bh.

 

[Lemon law]

Beg to differ on finding a replacement printhead---the i560 uses the same printhead as the i850, my MP730, and your ip3000.---as well as a number of other Canon printers.

The i560 is also a four color printer---using a large text pigmented black cartridge---and three dye based colors in cyan, magenta, and yellow.---as is the ip3000.

The ip4000, ip4200, and the ip4300 are five color printers---and gain that extra color by adding a dye based photoblack cartridge.

The ip5000 series has the same five color inks---but initially differed by having almost twice the number of nozzles on the printhead---but the ip4300 now confuses that distinction by having the increased nozzle count.

 

[videobruce]

Regarding Canon and their 'heated' print heads, with my HP, I let the unit print until I see a color start to run out and then re-fill on the spot.
Is this a problem with Canon??

 

[Lemon law]

In my humble opinion---that practice is not smart on a Canon--or a HP for that matter. But if you burn out a printhead on a HP--you can no longer use the cartridge---if you burn up a Canon printhead, its
big bucks.

 

[videobruce]

You don't burn HP printheads out, but you can dry them out.
You can also revive them with a mild amonia solution (Windex).

Those Canon heads, they have no sensor in them to shut them down if they start to overheat from no ink??

 

[Zepper]

Beg to differ on finding a replacement printhead

-L-L

I don't understand that as there is no follow on to the iP3000 anything below the iP4300 now has the integrated head cartridge. IAC, I have the three generations old correct, which was my main point.

IAC, I have never let my printer run totally dry of any color. I can notice subtle changes well before a total run out. And dittos to L-L, I wouldn't let either totally run out of any color as a new HP color cart can easily run more than half the cost of a new head unit for the i560/iP3000.

.bh.