Any of the big printers trouble free?

[Darin Boville]

I have an Epson 3800 and it never gives me any trouble, no matter how long it sits between uses. Are any of the larger printers as trouble free? I'm sort of maybe thinking about getting one but I don't want another time-suck where I have to become a printer technician expert just to get my images to print. :)

I live in an environment with more humid air (coastal) if that helps...

--Darin

[paulr]

i want to hear answers also. You've practically sold me on a 3800. I didn't know trouble-free printers existed.

[Darin Boville]

i want to hear answers also. You've practically sold me on a 3800. I didn't know trouble-free printers existed.

Well, at least mine is (and many others). On the other hand, there is a thread here now about magenta ink clogs and other about problems after shipping one to France. But mine? I do a little clog check once in a while and so forth. But it sits for months at a time and then I print a project all at once. No real problems (though I had a real mystery problem for a while that I solved by dumping the firewire and going with Ethernet).

But with the increased cost and hassle of bigger printers I sure don't want to have a nightmare getting it to print...

--Darin

[Greg Lockrey]

My 9600 is as trouble free as my 3800.... maybe needs a little more head cleaning but I always can depend on it. My 4800 has been the most troublesome albeit a good printer too. It don't like to sit though.

[paulr]

Darin, my needs may be similar. If I get a grant to print the project I'm working on now, the choice will be to buy a 24" printer or to pay my friend to do it. I prefer doing it myself. But realistically, the printer will sit idle or mostly so for long stretches. I'd need one that can handle this without destroying itself or $1000 worth of ink.

I'm also interested in Cone's color inks ... the price is right. If they have good clog resistance and shelf life, they'll make any epson more compelling.

[Lenny Eiger]

The larger printers have more metal parts vs plastic, and tend to be a little more reliable. However, there is no such thing as trouble-free in any printer. Period.

One can get lucky and go for a good long while sometimes. But its the luck of the draw. Epson designs their printers to last only a certain amount of time, usually just about the same period as the warranty. They are made to fail. I mention Epson because I have direct experience with them, vs Canon or HP. I am using Roland's now, and they are built like tanks.

But all these printers have trouble. They will until we get better technology than what we are using now...


Lenny

[Greg Miller]

My 4800 has been very easy to live with. It is coming up on its 6 year birthday, and is now 2 generations old. I would think (hope) that the newer models would be at least as good, if not better, in preventing clogs.

I paid $1,850 for it, so that works out to $26 per month to own it. It has been well worth the investment.

[erie patsellis]

Canon iPF8300, with the ongoing rebates and such, you're really only paying for the ink and printheads. Easily the most trouble free printer I have owned in the last 15 years, spanning various HP, Encad and Epson models. It doesn't mind low/intermittent usage as well.

[Jim Jones]

My Epson 3800 has made 4226 prints, large and small, with only minor problems over the past five years and four months. Should it fail now, I'd buy another Epson.

[Jim Andrada]

I have a 4880 and like it a lot - it seems durable enough. My only issue is head clogging if I don't print for a couple of weeks. Of course Tucson is pretty dry (understatement!) and things do dry out quickly. I notice that I have less trouble in the summer monsoon season when the humidity is higher. Zero relative humidity most of the year causes trouble but the easy answer is to print a couple of small full color prints every week or two - uses less ink this way than doing intensive head cleaning. I've thought of putting a humidifier in the room with the printer but it would be uncomfortable for me so I don't do it.

[bob carnie]

I own Epson and Cannon , both are workhorses and due to that there are ongoing head replacements, and small issues.. That I do not call trouble but ongoing maintenance.

I see prints from HP as well and they all seem to be good investments.. In my plans I always purchase equipment where I can get competent technicians to fix any issues.. That is hard to find with Epson , Cannon and HP.
For my large format laser printer , we are lucky to have Macula around.. World Class technicians , properly trained and financially motivated to be the best.. any thing can go wrong with the Lambda and this company can fix it next day with parts. At $500 per hour they better be good.

This is where the vendors of ink machines have really let the ball down, They are hoping the public (us) will use the machines for three years and buy the next great printer with and extra xyconiiannn ink set to make our prints that much better, and for any young people on this forum, this would be one area of expertise to learn if you are finding it difficult to make ends meet. Ink machine repair and Custom Profile services IMO would be a growth area in our industry.
To the OP I think you are very safe in purchasing any of the new large format printers, just make sure service or maintenance issues are considered with the purchase.

[Darin Boville]

Any rumors of any whiz-bang new machines coming out at Photokina?

--Darin

[Brian Ellis]

I've owned four Epson printers over a period of about ten years, the 1160, 1280 (still in use on a daily basis by my wife), 2200, and now the 3800. Never had a real problem with any of them. Cleaned the nozzles here and there, aligned the heads a few times, that's about it and even those things were very rare. The 2200 sat upside down in a box in my garage with the ink cartridges in the printer (mover's screw-up) for four months through an Oregon winter. Plugged it in, ran like a charm. I've owned them in humid climates (Florida), dry climates (central Oregon), and now humid summer in Wisconsin.

[sully75]

4900 is very sweet. No problems so far. Knock on wood.