Heads going dry

[gez]

I'm looking to buy a new printer. Initially I wish to print about 50 sheets of A4 in colour, thereafter I will probably only print about 10 sheets a month.

One thing that concerns me is that I go away on vacation for a month or even 2 months at a time. Inkjet cartridges seem to have a tendency to dry up over this period.

Can someone suggest a printer that I should buy.

If I do go away, I am happy to accept that I will need to get new cartridges and throw the old ones away, but will the heads be clogged up? I've been told that HP technology on cartridges is different to other manufacturers, and that the heads do not go dry with ink when not in use. Is this true?

thanks

Gez

 

[jflan]

HP designs usually have the printhead on the cartridge.
For intermittent use this would be a good choice.
If the printhead fails, replace the cart...get a new printhead.

Other mfr's use the printhead-on-cartridge design in some models.
Dell/Lexmark and there are a few Canons, I believe.

If you are on Vista avoid Dell/Lexmark at this time.
Their Vista drivers are very weak.

For light service the new Kodaks may be worth a look.
I don't know what design they use.

 

[gez]

HP designs usually have the printhead on the cartridge.
For intermittent use this would be a good choice.
If the printhead fails, replace the cart...get a new printhead.

Thanks for this advice. This confirms what I was told by the salesman at the shop. This will sway me to buying a HP.

 

[Smile]

HP designs usually have the printhead on the cartridge.
For intermittent use this would be a good choice.
If the printhead fails, replace the cart...get a new printhead.

Thanks for this advice. This confirms what I was told by the salesman at the shop. This will sway me to buying a HP.

I can confirm that if you place your printer in an air tight plastic bag (and has printed some photos before packaging) the printer would last very long time before head dry up. That is if the bag is air tight enough to keep the moisture inside.

This works because the printer makes sponge wet that collects ink and when print head is cleaned, if placed in an air tight bag this will make enough moisture without condensation in the bag to keep print heads from drying.

 

[gez]

I've just seen an advert for a HP Deskjet DJ1470 for 20 ($40). The print speeds seem slow (but that does not bother me). However I cannot find much information on the HP website.

Is this a new product or is it only available in the UK.

Seems very cheap, so I assume there must be a catch somewhere. The print carteridges are priced similar to other HP printers. Anyone heard of it?

Thanks

 

[Smile]

I've just seen an advert for a HP Deskjet DJ1470 for 20 ($40). The print speeds seem slow (but that does not bother me). However I cannot find much information on the HP website.

Is this a new product or is it only available in the UK.

Seems very cheap, so I assume there must be a catch somewhere. The print carteridges are priced similar to other HP printers. Anyone heard of it?

Thanks

Interesting can't find any info on google, its 10$ cheaper than my pixma ip1600. If it's easy to refill then go for it otherwise don't know. Need to know more info like nozzle size in picoliter etc.

 

[InkMon]

I have two printers and being retired we often go caravaning for a couple of months. We have been on 3 extended trips away. Before I go I do a clean on each. The printers are an Epson RX530 and a HP720c. Now Summer in Australia is hot and although it has been a concern to me I have never had a problem. It would be interesting to hear of other peoples experiance on this. I make sure I print or do a nozzle check weekly whilst I am at home. It does not matter on the HP as the print head is part of the cartridge.

As a thought a timer could switch a computer on at regular times, a program on start up could print a page and then turn the system off. The timer would remove power a few mins later. The only tricky bit is the momentary switching of the computer on switch, could be solinoid activated.

This would use say one sheet / week(Hope it does not jam) worry,worry have to be a programed to do a clean cycle, the ink will run out Worry again. Ah! bugger it ,buy a new printer.

Any thoughts on that scenero

 

[ltsang]

Hi Mr. Gez,
from the experience I have with HP, epson and canon, the conclusion is still canon. canon. canon. If you look at the topic I posted last week asking why HP refills dry so fast you know their cartridges can dry up very fast, after refill my 92 cartridge, I left it outside the printer for 10 minutes, the ink drys so I am sure if you go away for a week you'll have a dried print head, however with oem, things are much better. Another point is if you are printing 10 pages of A4 pictures, I bet you will run out of ink in the middle of printing because the newer hp cartridges are holding less and less ink - from 5 mils to 2 mils! As for Epson printers, they are better in terms of ink inside each cartridge is about 15 mils each color, but there is no resetter for refilling the newer epson cartridges yet so you ended up buying the whole set of compatable cartridges which still cannot compare with being able to refill the ink yourself, also since the epson print heads are part of the printer, if you have a clogged print head, that is the end of your epson printer. The only printer left is the canon which have a reasonable size ink tank and you can see how much ink is left, the refill of canon cartridges bci8s are very easy once you tried. In case of a clogged print head.
you can easily take it out and clean it. I don't like the canon printers that use the pg40 41 print heads. they are expensive to replace (more than a new printer) and not as easy to refill. These are just my own opinions

 

[mikling]

gez, for cartridges with integrated printheads there exists something that users can purchase that solves their long term storage issues. These items are called cartridge clips. To use these clips, you remove the cartridge from the printer and you snap the cartridge into them. They completely seal the head from the air and thus prevent the printheads from dying out. Better yet, one can also tape over the top of the cartridge and prevent them from drying out from the vent as well thus totally sealing the cartridge.

The effectiveness of this is evidenced by even HP supplying clips on certain photoprinters where the interchangeable black and photcartridge were stored under the cover within a clompartment. Some refilled cartrdiges arrive with clips and you can acquire these conveniently at some refill kiosks/stores or places that sell refill equipment. They are effective and work well.

Print cartridges with heads are never meant to be left exposed to the air. While they are in the printer, a sealing cup is placed over the head to prevent drying but this seal is not as effective as a pressure seal as in a clip.

 

[gez]

I have two printers and being retired we often go caravaning for a couple of months. We have been on 3 extended trips away. Before I go I do a clean on each. The printers are an Epson RX530 and a HP720c. Now Summer in Australia is hot and although it has been a concern to me I have never had a problem. It would be interesting to hear of other peoples experiance on this. I make sure I print or do a nozzle check weekly whilst I am at home. It does not matter on the HP as the print head is part of the cartridge.

As a thought a timer could switch a computer on at regular times, a program on start up could print a page and then turn the system off. The timer would remove power a few mins later. The only tricky bit is the momentary switching of the computer on switch, could be solinoid activated.

This would use say one sheet / week(Hope it does not jam) worry,worry have to be a programed to do a clean cycle, the ink will run out Worry again. Ah! bugger it ,buy a new printer.

Any thoughts on that scenero

G'day

I switch off the mains electric when I go away, so this is not an option. I could however get a family member to go in once a week and print something, but none of them are computer savvy.