Hello again!! Looking for a new printer, please post suggestions.

[alexandereci]

Hello again everyone! My Canon iP1200's color cart quit on me again. I've been replacing this cart every 4 months or so, can't really keep it going for longer than 6 months, even with everyday printing, the YELLOW color just quits before all others.

A trip to the mall brought me surprises. I've been out of the "printers loop" for maybe more than a year now (when was my last post?), so I was surprised to know that iP1200's are no longer on sale, but iP1300's are, and they look just like the 1200 and even use the same cart. WTF? Anyway, I saw a iP3300 on sale and the store is offering it on installment, US$14 a month for 6 months or something like that, which is really affordable for me.

So that got me thinking... my iP1200 has been serving me faithfully even through all the crappy color carts, but maybe it's time to retire it.

So, I'm on the market for a new printer. Possibly, this will be the 3300, so I'm looking for positive and negative reviews on this particular printer. I'm especially concerned about it having a fixed print head. With my 1200, if the printhead quits, I'm just looking at a US$24 replacement OEM cart, I KNOW that when a fixed print head quits, it's cheaper to buy a whole new printer. So, any word on this?

Also, how hard is it to refill these carts [PGI-5 BK (Pigment) / CLI-8 Y/M/C (Dye Clr)]? With my 1200 carts, I just drill a hole in the top and refill the cart by injecting ink into the sponge through the hole. Not exactly rocket science, but I have to refill after 80 pages or so to make sure the cart doesn't run dry.

Like I said, I've been out of the loop here for quite, so all the new techniques and trends are lost on me; I ask that posters be gentle

Thanks very much and I look forward to the replies.

 

[panos]

http://www.google.com/search?q=site...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-iP3300-Inkjet-Printer-1437B02/dp/B000NNKA40

Get the ip3300. Many users here use fixed printheads by choice. The tanks can be refilled and resetted. Search for "durchstich" and "redsetter" here.

 

[alexandereci]

Get the ip3300.

Wow. Straight to the point! Thanks!

A few questions though:

1. Why do you guys prefer fixed printheads?
2. What's up with the chip on this printer?
3. I know I can refill the ink, and the "no monitoring" and having to visually inspect tanks is not a problem, but I read somewhere from this site that the tanks are just good for a few refills then the printer acts all weird. Is there any truth to this? Or can the tanks be refilled as often as possible without problems?
4. Will I need a chip resetter?

Looking up your search terms now.

Thanks again!

 

[alexandereci]

I see durchstich is for that German ink refill technique, and redsetter is a chip resetter... correct?

So is a chip resetter an essential item for the iP3300? Or can I get by without one?

Apologies for the many questions, I have limited time online... straight answers or links to relevant posts would be greatly appreciated!

 

[stratman]

1. Why do you guys prefer fixed printheads?

Works for me. Someone else will need to answer this question.

2. What's up with the chip on this printer?

Canon's way of trying to prevent people from refilling. Might also be more accurate or be a safeguard. It is more PITA than blessing for refillers.

3. I know I can refill the ink, and the "no monitoring" and having to visually inspect tanks is not a problem, but I read somewhere from this site that the tanks are just good for a few refills then the printer acts all weird. Is there any truth to this? Or can the tanks be refilled as often as possible without problems?

Some have reported issues. Most refillers appear to not have a problem. Maybe they had defective chips. Consider having 2 pair of cartridges for each color for faster swaps and in case a chip goes bad.

4. Will I need a chip resetter?

No. You can continue to manually watch the ink levels in the cartridges. You could also use a small application called InkMon to help keep track of levels. (http://www.inkmon.org/). The chip resetters are nice but not essential. If you're on a budget, my opinion is to get a better printer and manually eye-ball the ink levels +/- InkMon.

If you are in the USA, have you thought about a refurbished Canon printer, like the IP4200? Inexpensive and has a Black CLI-8 cartridge for nicer blacks (no mixing of CYM) and built in duplex. Fo more info, see http://estore.usa.canon.com/webapp/...ategory_rn=12054&top_category=12054&pageView=. Comes with new printhead and new ink cartridges. Cheaper than buying just the ink cartridges alone!

 

[alexandereci]

If you're on a budget, my opinion is to get a better printer and manually eye-ball the ink levels +/- InkMon.

What do you mean by "better printer"??

1. Why do you guys prefer fixed printheads?

What I mean is, are fixed printheads better/more reliable than in-cart printheads? Are they easier to unclog? What are the advantages and disadvantages of fixed printheads over in-cart heads?

 

[stratman]

Besides what I've already posted, the IP4200 has more nozzles, better resolution capability, and a lower noise level. The IP3300 appears to print a bit faster and weighs less.

IP4200: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/c...ategoryid=184&modelid=11641#ModelTechSpecsAct

IP3300: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/c...ategoryid=184&modelid=14881#ModelTechSpecsAct

If your happy with three-color prints then get the IP3300. If you'd like the image improvements of a four-color printer with duplex capability then consider the IP4X00 line, and, look into a refurbished one from your country's Canon website if money is a major limiting factor in your purchase.

 

[alexandereci]

How many tanks does the 4200 have? Local stores do not sell photo-CYM, so no luck there. Basically, no pigment-based inks, they're all just dye-based.

If the 4200 can work without the other black tank, I might consider it, though I have to see if the local store has it or the 4500.

If your happy with three-color prints then get the IP3300. If you'd like the image improvements of a four-color printer with duplex capability then consider the IP4X00 line, and, look into a refurbished one from your country's Canon website if money is a major limiting factor in your purchase.

Isn't the 3300 a 4-color printer (black, C, Y, M)?

 

[alexandereci]

I just visited the local Canon outlet, and realized that the ink tanks are TINY!! Or at least they looked bigger in the pictures. Can anyone tell me how much ink (in mL) it would take to refill an empty cart?

Also, why do the German refill method? Can't you drop ink on the ink port and wait for the sponge to absorb/discharge it to the ink chamber?

Also a bump on the question regarding advantages of fixed print heads over in-cart print heads. Any takers?

 

[wilko]

Just go with the IP4200. I'm in the UK and wish I could get it that price. The five ink tanks give much better results for photos and the duplex double side printing is brilliant.

The German ink refill method means that you don't have to to worry about resealing the cartridge refill hole after refilling.

The Canon printhead is a replaceable item which should last the lifetime of your printer providing you use decent ink and use the printer regularly.

The IP3300 is a decent printer but I don't think it offers duplex printing and certainly doesn't give you the 5 inks that the IP4200 offers

A Resetter will give you ink monitoring and is a useful purchase but not essential in the UK where you can disable this and rely on visual checks.

Not sure if this applies in the States but you can move the chip onto a new cartridge or you can now buy a compatible chipped cartridge.

However, if you're into refilling it's probably best to purchase a resetter as they're coming down in price all the time.

Refilling will cost you a fraction of Canon carts with good quality ink from Hobbicolors for example.

I have 2 IP3000 printers, 2 IP4000 printers and 1 IP3500 and 1 IP4500. The IP 3000 printers were brilliant value for money and offered duplex and CD printing (in the UK). However they and the IP3500 do not produce photos as good as the IP 4xxx range.

If you have a choice between the IP3300 and IP4200, go for the IP4200