Canon Pixma MP970 Is It Regarded As Rubbish Nowadays

I am on my 3rd and last MP970. I bought these quite a while ago, as you can imagined. MP970 has been more than adequate for what I need. I use it mainly for printing small 4x6 photos and DVD labels. The output is excellent. I have a Dell color laser for printing docs. I recently acquired a TS9020 just to test it out as I know the printhead on the MP970 will give up eventually. The 9020 is pretty good as well. Yes, it has a grey cart. I am still on the original OEM carts with the 9020. Photos printed from the 9020 is just as good, if not better. I think Canon is simply trying to move people away from the easily filled carts to new opaque ones.
I believe they have recently come out with a newer model, TS9120 with yet another set of carts, this time with a photo blue!

I was really interested in your post many thanks, three MP970 I guess two ended up with the print head going, my First canon printer was a predecessor of the MP970, the biggest difference was that it never had chipped cartridges and did not have a film scanner but did print CD\ DVD’s, I cant remember the model number which is annoying, and I remember refilling the tanks with good quality ink made by JET TEK, and it printed great but had a problem with leaving quite a noticeable white boarder on DVD printing, and I remember quite a few postings from people with the same problem.

I eventually sold it on eBay and the guy was over the moon with it that is when I purchased the MP970, but this needed a chip re-setter which died some years back at the same time JET TEK drooped the photo ink due to lack of sales, despite pleads from me, their ink was smashing, I was recommended ink made in Germany by SUDHAUS which was great by then I got my new chip re-setter, eventually the SADHAUS stopped the ink, so my printer has had a long and happy life I guess.

Thanks for the recommendation on the TS9020 especially as you use you're printer very similarly to me Not too many pictures but use the CD printer a great deal, how do these new printers work can you buy quality inks or have Canon put a stop to it and why are they going back to photo inks you mentioned the TS9120.

When I search Amazon UK for the TS9120 it brings up a Canon PIXMA TS8150, but it was only a quick search but maybe the models are different in the UK where I am.

Thanks for taking the time and you’re advice I will keep an eye on this thread in case you come back on any thing.

Kefp said:

I am on my 3rd and last MP970. I bought these quite a while ago, as you can imagined. MP970 has been more than adequate for what I need. I use it mainly for printing small 4x6 photos and DVD labels. The output is excellent. I have a Dell color laser for printing docs. I recently acquired a TS9020 just to test it out as I know the printhead on the MP970 will give up eventually. The 9020 is pretty good as well. Yes, it has a grey cart. I am still on the original OEM carts with the 9020. Photos printed from the 9020 is just as good, if not better. I think Canon is simply trying to move people away from the easily filled carts to new opaque ones.
I believe they have recently come out with a newer model, TS9120 with yet another set of carts, this time with a photo blue!

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Sorry just as a foot note my original Canon Printer which was not chipped ink tanks was a I965 it took 6 ink.

RadioTech said:

noticeable white boarder on DVD printing

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This is typically a software issue, not a printer fault.

Thanks i wished i known that at the time

stratman said:

This is typically a software issue, not a printer fault.

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RadioTech said:

Thanks for the recommendation on the TS9020 especially as you use you're printer very similarly to me Not too many pictures but use the CD printer a great deal, how do these new printers work can you buy quality inks or have Canon put a stop to it and why are they going back to photo inks you mentioned the TS9120.

When I search Amazon UK for the TS9120 it brings up a Canon PIXMA TS8150, but it was only a quick search but maybe the models are different in the UK where I am.

Thanks for taking the time and you’re advice I will keep an eye on this thread in case you come back on any thing.

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For MP970, I have been using ink from Precision Colors. (Converted from Hobbicolors.I am based in Southern California) Works well!! I also use dye ink instead of pigment for the big black PGI5 as this is the one that clogged most often with my previous 970s when it's not used often. So far so good, no clog no leaks.
When the the 9020 requires new ink, I will more than likely use Precision Colors as well. Canon still sells OEM for this - CLI271.

On this side of the pond, we see the Canon PIXMA PRO‑100 going on sales $60-80 after rebate quite often. I have been tempted many times but it's just too much of a printer for my needs - multiple grey cartridges etc. So I went with "lower quality" TS9020 for the same price.

BTW, my MP610 is still unopened in a sealed box!

My 94 year old uncle has a lightly used 610. He told me he hasn't completed his will yet so I better be nice to him.

Kefp said:

For MP970, I have been using ink from Precision Colors. (Converted from Hobbicolors.I am based in Southern California) Works well!! I also use dye ink instead of pigment for the big black PGI5 as this is the one that clogged most often with my previous 970s when it's not used often. So far so good, no clog no leaks.
When the the 9020 requires new ink, I will more than likely use Precision Colors as well. Canon still sells OEM for this - CLI271.

On this side of the pond, we see the Canon PIXMA PRO‑100 going on sales $60-80 after rebate quite often. I have been tempted many times but it's just too much of a printer for my needs - multiple grey cartridges etc. So I went with "lower quality" TS9020 for the same price.

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If you were to compare the Pro-100 and TS series side by side and then weigh them, then you'd really notice the night and day difference and when the Pro-100 is that inexpensive. You gotta sit up and take a breath and rethink value.
You know there was a time car mfrs promoted a car was heavier and thus better. We know that is not true nowadays BUT in this situation the heavier printer IS better because that weight is spent on making the chassis more rigid and meant to flex less and having precision machined parts internally....that constitutes to weight. Few printers at that price point have a precison machined guide for the printhead.....your old 970 has it but that was then. The comparison is like purchasing an automobile of different categories for the same price. You can walk drive off the lot with a Lexus LS or for the same cost drive off with a Corolla. Which would you jump into? The LS running costs will be higher but in the printer world the running costs will be the same....and you can reuse the cart bodies from the 970 on the 100.
With proper use, the life expectancy of a Pro-100 is 30,000 8x10 at which point the waste ink pad gives up. ( based on commercial continuous printing)
Now let's translate this into use. A box of 150 sheets of Kirkland Photo Paper is 1 3/4 inches high. How much photo paper can you print with the Pro-100? Approx. a stack 29 feet high! Twenty Nine Feet. Approx 3 stories high. Don't worry about wearing this beast out!
How much photo paper do you go through? Think the TS will do the same without wearing out? The functionality of the machined guide is replaced by a piece of folded sheet metal in the TS and that is just for starters. Then the size of the waste ink pad. Big printers have bigger pads....you cannot put big pads into a small compact printer!
Quite literally in all ways, the Pro-100 might indeed be the last photo printer you will need and it is refill friendly to boot.

I have an extra one in case but realistically I better will both of them to possibly two generations down.

Thank you for your comment on Pro-100. I agree with the value and the quality of Pro-100. It's the size/bulk etc and the fact that I print so few photos nowadays - hence .....
Don't get me wrong, I do agree that Pro-100 is of superior value.