[Digital SPG]

I have got an Epson Photo 830. I dont use it often. But when I do i have to spend ages cleaning the nozzles. Just wasted nearly 1/4 of my ink and it is still not printing right [smilie=a:

Is this a problem with all inkjets? Or is it just me?

[Steep]

That's the problem with Epsons, if you don't use them the ink drys in the jets and blocks them.

If you are having problems getting your printer clean, try this method to save ink.

You need isopropyl alcohol (not meths as it has bits in it) a syringe and possibly a tube to extend the syringe.

Switch on the printer and be ready to either unplug the mains lead or switch off at the socket, set the machine into a cleaning cycle and as soon as the head clears the casing cut the mains so it stops there. Take out the ink carts and look down into the well where they fit, you will see some sharp hollow pins where the inks feeds into the head for each colour. You need to squirt the alcohol down each of these flushing it through the head to clear old dry ink.

I use a syringe from an ink refill pack I bought years ago, by itself it fits nicely over one of the pins but to make it easier I attach a thin pipe ( a clean extender pipe off a tin of wd40 or any spray that comes with one ) between the syringe and the pin. The pins are metal and quite tough but be careful not to damage them anyway. Once you have squirted 1 or 2 mil of alcohol down each pin you can refit the carts and continue with the cleaning cycle. Remember that the alcohol goes right through mixing with the ink and makes a mess the other end so you should also run a couple of sheets of paper through as well to soak up any loose ink before trying anything important.

I've used this method for many years on Stylus 400, 740, 830u, it works well with most models of Epson except the ones starting with C (C40 C60 etc) as they have a different type of head.


You can also buy special cleaning carts that do basically the same thing if you don't want to get down and dirty with it yourself, google will help you there.

St.P

[Matty]

i used to have trouble with my C42 but this new CX6600 i have is great, no problems at all yet!

[digitalfailure]

I've suffered this problem before with an Epson 880 and my current 950.
In fact, i'll probably end up cleaning the thing again when i get round to setting the printer up again.

Since the last time I printed with it, i've reinstalled windose and never got round to it

My printer seems to throw ink away even when the nozzles aren't blocked so i'm sure i'll be having fun.

Canon's printers don't suffer with this i'm told because unlike the Epson printers, the print heads and nozzles are part of the cartridge as opposed to being seperate items.

[silkstone]

It's HP printers that have the print head as part of the cartridge. The heads are separate on Canon - as with Epson - but for some reason they don't seem to chew up as much ink on start-up or get blocked as easily - at least they don't on the i9950. Much as I appreciate the output quality of Epson printers, previous bad experiences with blocked heads and high ink consumption during the cleaning cycle put me off.

EDIT/ With the i9950 you can easily remove the print head for cleaning if necessary - it's just held in by a cam-action lever. Advert ends. :lol:

[Digital SPG]

Another thing to add to the list of ever growing wants.

[Biggus]

I've had it with Epson printers for the foreseeable future, C80 had an ink leak (3rd party cart), and the cartridge company paid out for a replacement printer which was a C82. That has now gone fubar on a genuine yellow cart. (printer is out of wty), and I CBA to have any more to do with Epson. Currently still using the spare C84 (which was a freebie), but will be getting a Canon iP4000 as the main inkjet (I use a Samsung laser for normal printing).

I've used HP & Epson inkjets & now it's time to try Canon.

[Pook]

Are you leaving it switched on? I use Epson printers... always have, and I've found that if left on, they block a great deal. Switch them off as soon as you're finished, and leave them off until needed again, and they hardly do this.

Another thing I've noticed... call me cynical if you will, but the cheaper Epson printers seem to use more ink.. Hmmm... and it's more expensive. Makes you wonder. I reckon Epson don't make much, or any profit on the low end printers, and make their money on inks. Like Razors... you can buy a new razor for a few quid, but when you need new blades, they're sometimes £10 a pack for certain razors.

The 830 is still a great printer however. It has a lot in common with the old 810, which I still use. That does the same thing. Leave it switched on, and it will clean it's heads all the time... every time you use it in fact. Keep it switched off, and it's much better.

[Biggus]

It was left switched on for a few hours at a time, but that's about it. In fact there was probably just as much ink used each time it was switched on (self-cleaning) as when it was printing :?

A m8 of mine has a Photo 925 and has had no problems with that including using 3rd party carts., and another m8 has an R200 which seems to work ok too, but I've seen more than enough Epson problems elsewhere to persuade me not to buy them for a while, even for my customers.

[Pook]

Originally Posted by Biggus

It was left switched on for a few hours at a time, but that's about it. In fact there was probably just as much ink used each time it was switched on (self-cleaning) as when it was printing :?

A m8 of mine has a Photo 925 and has had no problems with that including using 3rd party carts., and another m8 has an R200 which seems to work ok too, but I've seen more than enough Epson problems elsewhere to persuade me not to buy them for a while, even for my customers.

Hmmm... I will admit mine does it when left switched on, but I meant left on for days at a time, not a few hours. Baffled mate... I've never owned a 830, but the 810 doesn't do this. All Epsons seem to clean themselves more than other makes, but not to the point of being a problem... never with mine anyway.

[Steve]

I have had heard this time and again in the past when ever Epson printers are discussed and have personally experienced it twice myself with a printer my father owned and one I had the misfortune of using for a while. I don’t know why it is that Epson’s seem to suffer with this issue more than some other manufacturers but I have yet to see my Canon printer have any kind of head blockage.

[Pook]

Originally Posted by Steve

I have had heard this time and again in the past when ever Epson printers are discussed and have personally experienced it twice myself with a printer my father owned and one I had the misfortune of using for a while. I don’t know why it is that Epson’s seem to suffer with this issue more than some other manufacturers but I have yet to see my Canon printer have any kind of head blockage.

To earn more money through ink sales perhaps? :lol: I really do think they could stoop that low sometimes. Cheaper ones being the worse culprits.