Is a Pro 100 my best bet?

[avolanche]

My last refillable printer is failing, so I want to get something to enable me to continue
refilling. The recent rebates on the Pro 100 make it very appealing (as well as being able to purchase print heads reasonably). Most of my printers. over many years of refilling, have failed because of bad print heads...so that's a big concern going forward.

Also, I'll be using this as my only printer and it will get regular use printing day to day stuff as well as photos. My photo printing is less regular (i.e. not every week). I know I could buy a cheap laser for documents, but I much prefer using just one printer.

So, my question: Is there another printer that I should consider that will have print heads available for a good while. Looks like the Pro 100 will be that way, and I probably will end up buying backups and backup heads as it appears like refilling with newer models is becoming less likely.

Thanks!

Fred

 

[The Hat]

The most reasonable printer out there right now for refilling is the Pro 100 beyond a shadow of a dough, and if you get yourself a few spares cheap, then you’ll be comfortable for a very long time, with little worries.

However, if you’ve had the misfortune of having your printer fail because the print head burned out on you, then this too can happen to the Pro 100, it’s not the heads that have the problem, its most likely the way your refilling, 99% of head failures are due to poorly maintained cartridges...

 

[avolanche]

The most reasonable printer out there right now for refilling is the Pro 100 beyond a shadow of a dough, and if you get yourself a few spares cheap, then you’ll be comfortable for a very long time, with little worries.

However, if you’ve had the misfortune of having your printer fail because the print head burned out on you, then this too can happen to the Pro 100, it’s not the heads that have the problem, its most likely the way your refilling, 99% of head failures are due to poorly maintained cartridges...

Hat, Could you expand on what I might be doing wrong with refilling. I always use genuine Canon cartridges that I carefully flush. I don't overfill or use "unknown" inks. I make sure I use the printers regularly. I have refilled for years. I got about 3 1/2 years from each of my last two Canon ip4200 printers and both were printhead failures. Perhaps that's the lifespan of a printhead?

Thanks, Fred

 

[Roy Sletcher]

Hat, Could you expand on what I might be doing wrong with refilling. I always use genuine Canon cartridges that I carefully flush. I don't overfill or use "unknown" inks. I make sure I use the printers regularly. I have refilled for years. I got about 3 1/2 years from each of my last two Canon ip4200 printers and both were printhead failures. Perhaps that's the lifespan of a printhead?

Thanks, Fred

My thoughts on the subject.

I am convinced that the genius of The Hat's reply is in the final sentence of his message, "...99% of head failures are due to poorly maintained cartridges."

We become so obsessed with the all important nozzle check, so that once we have a a good clean nozzle check we lower our vigilance and go "Full speed ahead" with our printing, and easily overlook other danger signals.

Remember a nozzle check really ONLY tells you that in a static test all the nozzles fired correctly for a brief time. Nothing else! Admittedly is is the most important and fundamental test. Without a good nozzle test nothing else is relevant.

If the condition of the cartridge, sponges, or filling techniques are sub optimal, it is possible that during extended printing a cartridge in poor condition can starve the nozzles to the extent that print head damage or failure is possible even though it exhibited a perfect nozzle check less than an hour previously.

When I swap out a set of CLI-42 refills, after the nozzle check I print a set of solid colour purge images and examine them closely to ensure no sign cloudiness in the solid colour, or any signs of ink starvation.Takes all of 10 minutes, uses probably 10 cents of ink and a few sheets of paper and is very easy to do on a regular basis now that the preferred procedure is to swap all 8 carts at once.

There is more, but will stop now as this is already twice as long as intended.

rs

 

[avolanche]

Thanks, Roy

Are the purge images specific to the CLI-42 colors? Do you print a page per color , or more like a test pattern? I'll give it a whirl.

Thanks,
Fred

 

[The Hat]

Hat, Could you expand on what I might be doing wrong with refilling.

The problem is, we all get too complaisant and comfortable with our ability to refill the CLI-8 and similar carts, that we don’t watch the game all the time, so when something happens we can do a rewind to catch it, but not so with our printers.

I am as guilty of this practice as anyone else, so the criticism is pointing in my direction as well, and I do what Roy does at cartridge change, I do the nozzle check first and then print the nearest graphic file to hand, and if it looks ok then I am ready to go.

So, Roy’s silly little method is just about fool proof, because a cart will fail if put under pressure within one or two sheets, if there is something wrong, it will show up straight away and steps can be taken to remedy the problem easily before it can cause long term damage.

I always keep one finger on the cancel button just in case...
Does that answer your question Fred...

 

[avolanche]

The problem is, we all get too complaisant and comfortable with our ability to refill the CLI-8 and similar carts, that we don’t watch the game all the time, so when something happens we can do a rewind to catch it, but not so with our printers.

I am as guilty of this practice as anyone else, so the criticism is pointing in my direction as well, and I do what Roy does at cartridge change, I do the nozzle check first and then print the nearest graphic file to hand, and if it looks ok then I am ready to go.

So, Roy’s silly little method is just about fool proof, because a cart will fail if put under pressure within one or two sheets, if there is something wrong, it will show up straight away and steps can be taken to remedy the problem easily before it can cause long term damage.

I always keep one finger on the cancel button just in case...
Does that answer your question Fred...

Got it

thanks!

 

[Roy Sletcher]

Thanks, Roy

Are the purge images specific to the CLI-42 colors? Do you print a page per color , or more like a test pattern? I'll give that a go.

Thanks,
Fred

Hi Fred,

See you are from East Tennessee. Hope you were not too close to the recent fires. I spent a few days in Gatlingburg and Pigeon Forge few years back when visiting the Smoky Mountains. I still recall the courtesy and friendliness of the local people.

I have no special insight to refilling. Everything I know I learned at this site or by making mistakes. Sometimes more than once. The printer gods are fickle and unforgiving.

Being paranoid and vigilant about refilling doesn't do any harm. Increased vigilance pays off when changing carts or when the printer has not been used for a period of time. When printing large expanses a of saturated colour it may be advisable to monitor the output for the slightest sign of starvation. IE: large areas of blue sky and blue water will stress the cyan. Better to abort than burn a print head.

As far as the purge files go I make my own for stress testing individual colours. As long as the CMY colours are pretty saturated you should be OK. Have included a couple for you to adapt to your needs. Don't think the colours have to be chromatically pure. Bit of Y or C in the solid magenta is OK. Yellow is difficult to see. Get a UV flashlight from the Dollar store.

One last thing I pay attention too, maybe unnecessarily, is that the refilled top and bottom sponge is equal, or close to equal in colour. Over many refills the top sponge's absorption ability seems to decline and appear visually lighter in colour. Time to purge and clean when refilling does not seem to penetrate the top sponge.

All this and much more is in the excellent videos by Jose Rodriguez (Our JToolman) on Youtube. Google him if you haven't viewed them. He answers questions as well.

Disclaimer - YMMV.

rs

 

[avolanche]

Roy,

Yes, we were too close to the wildfires for comfort. We are in Walland, which is in the foothills of the Smokies,very near Wears Valley and Gatlinburg as the crow flies. We had a separate wild fire from the Gatlinburg, Chimney Tops, Wears valley fires. It was a couple of weeks before those. We had a once-in-a-lifetime
drought here....absolutely no rain for several months....then the fires......then almost 10" of blessed rain since. Had several friends who lost homes in Gatlinburg. It's been a very emotional thing for us locals.I visited Gatlinburg as a youngster when it completely shut down in the winter and Pigeon Forge had very few businesses. Thanks for asking!

I appreciate the files and will start to do the prints as you suggested. I assume you do them on photo paper?

Fred

 

[The Hat]

I appreciate the files and will start to do the prints as you suggested. I assume you do them on photo paper?

Hi Fred,
Here is a test print that will uncover any discrepancy’s in any of your carts, now if you can print this test image on two sheets then your printer can print anything, you can use either plain and photo paper or both if you wish.

http://www.printerknowledge.com/attachments/cartridge-test-jpg.2438/

Just copy and paste or save it for later..