View Full Version : Ok, what inkjet printer is the most reliable and clog-free?
I'm open to 13" and 17" widths. I prefer Epson, because I'd like the option of using Cone inks, but I'll switch brands if required. I also lean toward a current model, just for the sake of longevity, parts, etc..
The printer will not see constant use. I'm simply not going to make a print every day because a bunch of engineers don't know their trade.
How's the 3880?
Gem Singer
3-Dec-2012, 18:21
The Epson 3880 is the one.
IMHO, the best 17" printer available for the price.
Darin Boville
3-Dec-2012, 18:49
The Epson 3880 is the one.
IMHO, the best 17" printer available for the price.
Double +1 or whatever you are supposed to do when you agree and want to underline someone's comment. I've got a 3800 that just goes and goes...
EDIT: I forgot to add that I live in a foggy environment--may be a factor.
--Darin
Jim Andrada
3-Dec-2012, 18:50
I have the Epson 4880. It is a really great printer but if left unused for any length of time (with Epson inks) it WILL clog up - sometimes quite badly. I make it a pint to print some small color image every couple of days to avoid wastinghuge quantities of ink for cleaning.
I would buy a 3880 in heart beat if I had space for it. I have 2400 that just keeps going--kinda' like the energizer bunny.
Jim's advice to use an Epson printer regularly in order to prevent clogs is right on.
--P
Nathan Potter
3-Dec-2012, 20:20
I've been using an Epson 3880 now for two years. Use it very sporadically. Longest time without use has been 4 months and sometimes 2 months. No clogs and perfect operation.
No experience with other brands though.
Nate Potter, Austin TX.
I've been using an Epson 3880 now for two years. Use it very sporadically. Longest time without use has been 4 months and sometimes 2 months. No clogs and perfect operation.
No experience with other brands though.
Nate Potter, Austin TX.
I would say exactly the same thing about the Epson 2880.
Larry Gebhardt
3-Dec-2012, 21:10
The 3880 has proven very reliable for me. Only had two clogs in the last two years and I sometimes go a month or two without printing. And the clogs were easily fixed in one cleaning cycle.
Jan Pedersen
3-Dec-2012, 21:23
Another vote for the 3880. I have had mine for about 5 months now and also only print occasionally. I have made habit of making a small print every other week or so to avoid clogging and so far it has worked flawlesly.
I use it for both colors and QTR and it does both very well.
Oren Grad
3-Dec-2012, 21:33
I've been using an Epson 3880 now for two years. Use it very sporadically. Longest time without use has been 4 months and sometimes 2 months. No clogs and perfect operation.
Same here. My 3880 sits idle for a month or two or three at a time in between bursts of steady activity that are usually a few days long. So far it has been clog-free.
Yet another vote for the 3880. Mine has been absolutely trouble free in the last 2 years. Not one clog. I print sporadically, sometimes going a month or more without printing. I live in Virginia (generally humid) but the house is climate controlled probably 363 days out of 365 :)
One nice thing about the 3880 is that you can print right up until a cartridge is out of ink - the printer will stop mid-print; you replace the cartridge and when printing resume you cannot tell the point at which it stopped.
Bob
My Epson 3800 has gone many months at a time between print sessions with no clogs. I do turn it off (rather than just letting it go to sleep) when I'm not using it for more than a couple of days, and this seems to help prevent clogs. I've never even had to run a clean procedure with it.
Rick "thinking an older used 3800 might be a cheaper way to add a printer for dedicated Cone inks" Denney
Another vote for the 3880, although it's rarely gone a week without printing. But no clogs! Although I did stick a sheet of A4 Epson Traditional Photo Paper (Exhibition Fibre?) through it, which is very slightly curled and it didn't like it near the end of the print. I think the platen gap needs widening a little for that paper. Other than that, print quality is phenomenal.
richardman
4-Dec-2012, 03:27
The older Epson tends to clog, but the newer ones do not.
The most clog free and frugal ink usage is probably the HP Z printers. I have the Z3100 (24" small piano size) for over 4-5 years now and it has never clog. It wakes up once in a while and do some cleaning. The ink usage is extremely low as well.
The major downside is that after 3-4 years or so, the belt will break :-( Also, not so good if you want to experiment with digital negatives and such as most people target the Epson there. Otherwise, with the builtin spectrometer, it prints beautiful B&W and colors. I have printed many 24"x60" panoramic off it never fails to impress.
Brian Ellis
4-Dec-2012, 06:39
I've owned four Epson printers, currently the 3800. All have been essentially trouble-free. One of them is about 9 years old and still being used almost daily by my wife. I don't print very often.
Jim Jones
4-Dec-2012, 08:28
My 3800 has produced 4500 prints, large and small, over the past 5 years with few minor problems. Sometimes it sets for a few weeks between jobs. I've used only Epson inks and usually Epson paper. Since much printing is B&W, some color inks are used very long after their use-by date. If this printer ever fails, I'd buy a 3880.
Thanks everyone. You've convinced me that either I should get a 3880, or that I have the worst printer karma ever and should give up.
richardman
4-Dec-2012, 12:12
Paul, get a 3880. If my HPZ3100 dies, I will get a 3880 :-) (or its bigger cousin)
There's a $300 rebate though the end of the year. I may have to do it.
Has anyone used one with the Cone pigment inks?
Bill_1856
4-Dec-2012, 16:12
Is the 2880 the same, only smaller?
Joel Truckenbrod
4-Dec-2012, 18:29
I use Cone K7 inks with my 2880 (not directly comparable, I know) and I have to follow the "print often" routine to avoid clogs. This said, the prints are beautiful and dot free (a gripe I have with ABW prints upon close inspection) - well worth it IMO.
Bill_1856
4-Dec-2012, 20:11
Looking at the B&H listing for Epson 3880, it appears there are three of them. Can anyone explain what the difference is, and why it is/isn't important?
Greg Miller
4-Dec-2012, 20:36
Looking at the B&H listing for Epson 3880, it appears there are three of them. Can anyone explain what the difference is, and why it is/isn't important?
The Designer edition is the same as the base model except that it also has a network interface card - so you can connect the printer directly tio a network (to a switch or router) in addition to plugging into a computer's USB port.
The Signature Worthy edition is the same as the base model except that it also include 125 sheets of Epson paper.
neil poulsen
4-Dec-2012, 23:06
I consulted with someone today who said that his 2880 clogs.
I have a 3880 that I've used sporadically, and I've not had a clog. Again, months at a time can go by, and no clog.
I've been talking to my friend who prints professionally ... has a room full of large format Epsons and Canons. He's convinced humidity makes a big difference and that clogs are more likely in dry weather. I basically live in a victorian barn, so humidity is not really controlable here.
Do any of you who have such blessed, clog-free printers keep them where the humidity swings low?
Greg Miller
5-Dec-2012, 07:23
I'm not that far from you. I have an Epson 4800 that rarely clogs and only after long periods of non-use. The printer is in my office that gets some air conditioning in the summer and forced air heat in the winter, with many months just the windows open. I have never noticed any patterns to the clogging other than the long periods of non-use. A few cleaning cycles is all I have ever needed. I have never used the power cleaning cycle.
Before I do a print job, I run the Auto Nozzle Check and Head Cleaning from the Printer Service Utility - this prints large rectangles of each ink and is much more likely to detect a clog than the nozzle check that just prints diagonal lines. It rarely finds a clog. Not that this says a lot, but I just ran an auto nozzle check after not having printed for about 2 weeks and it came up clean.
I've been using a 4880 for a few years and have really only had one clog, and that was after a particularly long period of non-use. I certainly don't print daily or even weekly.
I've been very happy with the printer.
Oren Grad
5-Dec-2012, 09:20
I've been talking to my friend who prints professionally ... has a room full of large format Epsons and Canons. He's convinced humidity makes a big difference and that clogs are more likely in dry weather. I basically live in a victorian barn, so humidity is not really controlable here.
Do any of you who have such blessed, clog-free printers keep them where the humidity swings low?
I have forced hot air heating without a humidifier. Epson recommends a 20-80% RH range for operation at all, a 40-60% range for optimum print quality and a 35-45% range for "optimal operation", which presumably means health and welfare of the hardware. It regularly dips into the 25-35% range here over the winter, but I've had no problems so far.
Tyler Boley
5-Dec-2012, 11:02
I use a humidifier when I have to, in Seattle that is rare, only during extremely cold dry spells in winter when the heat is running a lot. But the other trick I use sometimes during these spells is to place a wet sponge in near the head every night. Just don't forget to take it out before printing!
Tyler
Epsons are great printers. I nave a Canon ipf6300 about 2 years old. Works like a charm - never clogs or skips a beat. Print heads are user replaceable, if ever a problem, unlike comparable Epsons.
There's a $300 rebate though the end of the year. I may have to do it.
Has anyone used one with the Cone pigment inks?
I have used the Cone K7 inks with three different Epson printers, including the 3800. In my experience the Cone K7 inks do not have greater tendency to clog the nozzles than the Epson Ultrachrome and K3 inks. An in terms of B&W printing (monochrome) there is no question in my mind but that print quality is better with the K7 inks. You will see the difference in several ways, but the most obvious is in finer grain and more nuanced tonalities in the upper mid-tones and highlights.
Sandy
I should have specified that I want to use Cone's color inks with the 3880. I don't currently have a piezography setup. I was considering switching my 2400 over to his k7 inks, but considering all the trouble it's giving me that seems like a bad idea.
I definitely agree with you that cone's b+w inks look better than Epson's ... and all my experience is with the old 4-ink versions.
Leonard Evens
5-Dec-2012, 15:08
I agree. My Epson 3880 stands idle a lot of the time, but it never jams. And it makes great prints.
Previously, I used an Epson 1280, which I still have. It would clog up all the time. I was usually able to get it working, but it took a while working on it.
Kirk Gittings
5-Dec-2012, 15:12
I believe Cone's color inks are not nearly as Archival as Epson's. Check Aardenburg to confirm that.
Last I checked they were quite close, but I should look again.
The beast showed up, and printed solidly for one afternoon without a hiccup. Sadly, this enough to impress me. I'll let you know how my luck holds up.
If anyone else is considering one of these, there's a $300 rebate if you buy by Dec. 31.
It's actually quite a good deal, because the printer ships with its 80ml cartridges full. This adds up to $450 worth of ink included in the purchase.
I'm realizing that in the past I've used more than half my ink clearing clogs and changing cartridges. If this printer is as realible as people say, the ink should go a long way.
Oren Grad
24-Jan-2013, 23:13
Do any of you who have such blessed, clog-free printers keep them where the humidity swings low?
An anecdotal PS on the humidity question, in case anyone comes looking at this thread: we're in the middle of a nasty, several-day cold snap just now. Temperature outdoors at the moment is somewhere down toward 0 F. Anyway, I've been running my 3880 this evening at 20% RH, without a problem. My hand looks like crinkled sandpaper and the laundry out of the dryer is alive with static, but the printer hasn't missed a beat.
The one that doesn't produce the pizza wheel effect; or defect.
gnuyork
28-Jan-2013, 06:03
As a long time Epson user 1280, R2400, I decided to jump ship and buy a canon (ipf 8300) based on A. incredible rebates and trade in offers, and B. what I have read about clog issues - basically non existent. I did a run of some serious printing for a while, and the print quality was fantastic. I used a new paper to me, so I could not compare directly with the Epson, but in the end it didn't matter. I was blown away with the prints from the canon (as I would have been on the Epson most likely). The bottom line - I went months without printing, and the next time I printed, I did not need to do a nozzle check or a head clean. The printer just worked like it was brand new.
So take that for what it's worth. Long time Epson fan, now using canon and no complaints.
rdenney
29-Jan-2013, 08:23
As a long time Epson user 1280, R2400, I decided to jump ship and buy a canon (ipf 8300) based on A. incredible rebates and trade in offers, and B. what I have read about clog issues - basically non existent. I did a run of some serious printing for a while, and the print quality was fantastic. I used a new paper to me, so I could not compare directly with the Epson, but in the end it didn't matter. I was blown away with the prints from the canon (as I would have been on the Epson most likely). The bottom line - I went months without printing, and the next time I printed, I did not need to do a nozzle check or a head clean. The printer just worked like it was brand new.
So take that for what it's worth. Long time Epson fan, now using canon and no complaints.
This is relatively new for Canon--their early bubblejet designs clogged if you left them unused for 20 minutes, even worse than Epsons.
I think it's safe to say that printers are better than they used to be concerning clogs, no matter who makes them.
One thing I do with my Epson is turn it off when not in use, not just let it go to sleep. Turning it off cleans and parks the printhead, apparently. I routinely go months without making prints, and have not had a clog problem yet on my 3800.
Rick "whose old 1270 would clog up" Denney
Six week update on the 3880: still going strong. I've now gone through a couple of stretches of printing moderately high volumes, and a several stretches of neglect. Most recently it went over a week without use during the coldest and driest part of the winter. I basically live in a barn, and the printer is parked four feet from my Modine industrial gas heater. I turn off the heat at night. Needless to say, I don't keep antiques or expensive musical intruments in this place.
I had two ink head clogs during the first couple of weeks. Both of them cleared with a single automatic head cleaning cycle. The amount of ink used during the process was not visible in the hardware or software ink level meters. This is a big step up from the 2400, which would go into endless cycles of clogging and depleting all its ink.
I haven't had a single clog in the last two weeks, and this period included the longest downtime and the worst weather conditions.
Prints look ridiculously good on all the papers I've run through it.
I've been keeping a small tray with a wet sponge inside the printer, and a plastic cover over the top. The idea is to turn the thing into a small humidor for the print heads. I don't get the impression this makes a big difference, but it can't hurt.
I do occasionally get an error message when I turn the thing on. It says "service call error." But turning off and on again makes it go away.
Still using the cartridges that came with the thing. A couple of them are just past half empty.
Ken Lee
29-Jan-2013, 12:25
I have an Epson R2400 and based on how small the 2400 cartridges are, it sounds like a 3880 would pay for itself in terms of ink saved over time (paper size not withstanding). Is that a fair statement ?
My 2400 experiences a "Communications error" now and then, halting in the middle of a page and going into endless cycles of who-knows-what.
Is there a recommended vendor, or would it be wiser to purchase one locally and drive it home ?
I have an Epson R2400 and based on how small the 2400 cartridges are, it sounds like a 3880 would pay for itself in terms of ink saved over time (paper size not withstanding). Is that a fair statement ?
My 2400 experiences a "Communications error" now and then, halting in the middle of a page and going into endless cycles of who-knows-what.
Is there a recommended vendor, or would it be wiser to purchase one locally and drive it home ?
Eventually, yes, if you're using Epson ink anyway. I forget exactly how the math worked out but ink in the 80ml cartridges costs a lot less than in the 14ml cartridges.
I personally couldn't get the 2400 to do anything besides clog and waste all its ink trying to clear itself, so obviously it was no good in my situation. Some people have great luck with it—they're only fighting against worse economies of scale.
I don't know if Epson is still offering a rebate like they were before the end of the year. They seem to do it fairly often. If you buy from B+H, you'll get free shipping and no tax. It comes with $450 worth of ink. This makes the base hardware cost only $650. A $300 rebte makes it $350.
I plan to convert mine to John Cone's color pignment inks. These cost about 1/3 what epson charges. The refillable cartridge kit is about $150, and then after that the carts last indefinitely. You just buy bottled ink.
SpeedGraphicMan
29-Jan-2013, 14:33
Am awaiting delivery of a new Epson 9900!
(Quietly screaming WOOOO HOOOO!!!!!! inside)
gnuyork
30-Jan-2013, 20:44
I got the Canon from Atlex. They had the best price (even better than b&H) and free shipping, on top of the rebates and trade in offers. By the way I "traded" the R2400 for the canon, but they let me keep the Epson. They just needed proof that I owned one. That alone saved me $1000. I think the rebate was another $1000-1500... This was a year ago in April or May... or was it march - doh, I can't remember.
By the way I "traded" the R2400 for the canon, but they let me keep the Epson. They just needed proof that I owned one.
How funny.
ryanmills
16-Feb-2013, 20:25
I have had a 3880 and 2880 for over a year now. I have made hundreds of prints on them and from time to time they sit for a few months. I also do a nozzle check before each run and to date I have only had to do a nozzle cleaning once and it was perfect right after that.
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