Looking at Epson printers, any advice?

[alexandereci]

6 months after I posted here looking for a new printer and asking for advice, I'm here again, seeking help with a few questions. I've gone and bought a Canon Pixma iP1000 last February, and it just quit on me a week or so ago. No worries, I've run it through its paces and beyond -- it still prints fine on black, but I've got clogs on my M and Y that just won't go away (tried the alcohol and ammonia soaks, no luck). I'd go and pick up another iP1000 without batting an eyelash, the problem is that this model is "phased out" or no longer in production and stores don't stock and sell it anymore.

I'm now looking at newer Canon models (1200, 1600, 2200) but I'm glad I looked, because these printers now use a HP-like cartridge (small with a built-in printhead) that uses DYE ink --- and I can't get any dye inks locally. So even if I can afford the printers and I can afford the cartridges (that cost 4/5 of a new printer with ink), I don't want to get any of these printers that uses the CL-40/41/51 cartridge. There is a Canon 3000 for sale but it is a bit out of my budget and getting cartridges for it will be a pain -- nobody sells any locally -- and I don't want to shell out something that might go the same route as my iP1000. To be fair, I knew from the start that a cradle-assembly would be a pain to maintain and that a built-in printhead-on-the-cartridge assembly would be better but more expensive; though my iP1000 has served me well (no problems at all while it was working!), I don't want to have a iP3000 paperweight.

I decided to consider Epson printers. I'm thinking, I've tried HP, Canon, so why not Epson? I'm looking at a C87 and C67 printer, both have individual tanks that look like they are refillable, and I see cartridges for these printers on almost every store I go to. However, I recall Epson having to have a chip-resetter thing, I wonder if these printer models need that? Can anyone offer thoughts or advice on these two Epson printers?

I'd like to continue using a Canon printer if I can, but I'm not about to buy one of the "new" models that have chips and use dye ink -- does anyone know of any other Canon printer that uses the BCI-24 cartridges?

 

[alexandereci]

Anybody? Nobody? Osage? Nifty? Grandad? Hmm...

Anyways, been to the computer stores and seems like everybody's stocking iP1200 the way they stocked iP1000s a few months ago. Canon iP1200 and Epson C45 are the "most common" printers available, with an Epson C67 at half the price of a Canon iP3000, and only one store is kind enough to have these "higher model" printers in stock.

Like I said, I'd like to use a Canon printer if I can, one that uses the BCI-24 cartridge if possible, but it seems that I'm out of luck on this department as no printer is usint this cartridge anymore --- everyone has moved on. I'm not buying anything using a 5ml "I need suction" HP cartridges (as the common low-cost HP printers are using), it's just too much effort for so little return. I **could** get an HP and get a CIS for it, since someone is selling kits here, but I'm just doubling my cash output for something that I can do myself given better stuff to work with.

So HP's out of the running due to hard-to-refill-and-small-capacity cartridges, Canon's out too since they're now using new cartridges (going the HP route too, it seems) and dye inks and can't get any of those here.

Epson's now looking good, with individual tanks for each color, and the cartridges seem to be like the Canon's CLI-8/BCI-6 tanks, but I wonder if the Epson tanks are easy to refill? I mean, it it like Canon's "point and shoot" or is it like HP wherein you'd need some special cradle to efficiently suck out air in the cartridge to create "negative pressure"?

Also, I've found a program online that claims to be able to reset the printer (or reset the chips in the printer's ink carts), I do hope this will work and if it does, it'll be a minor but necessary hiccup to printing. It claims to work for the C45/C67/C87 group of Epson printers as well, but having no prior experience on chips, I'm not sure if this will do the trick. And thoughts?

I do hope I'm not the only Epson user (or soon-to-be Epson user) in this Canon-filled forum. I don't want to buy a printer to find out later on that I can't refill it or that it doesn't work if I don't shell out major bucks for each refill, I do hope someone can help me out.

 

[alexandereci]

Okay, I now feel stupid. Been typing and seems that I've confused "dye" with "pigment" inks. I CAN get dye, it's pigment inks that are not available here. Ooohhh....

Now Canon iP1200 seems to be back in the race. That's a good thing, since I like the idea of a head-in-the-cartridge thing --- I can mess up the head and don't have to worry about getting an overly expensive printhead, just buy a moderately-expensive new cartridge. Also, since iP1200 uses dye colors but black pigment, I've been using black dye on my supposed-to-be-using-pigment BCI-24 black cartridge, so I know it can be done. However, the iP1200 uses chips and such, right? Hmmm... back to research.

Weird posting on my own thread, but better to keep a "log" of my thoughts...

 

[mikling]

Epsons are easy to refill. All you need is a resetter for a few bucks to totally reset the chip. Check http://www.precisioncolors.com
If you use them regularly with good quality ink, they pose no reliability issues either.

 

[alexandereci]

Thanks for the reply mikling. Do you know any site that instructs how to refill a T0621/631-634 cartridge?

 

[mikling]

The cartridge numbers you present suggests possibly an European or Asian market. The chips are all that is different, the body style casing is the same. Go to the store and look at the cartridges and verify that is so. The cartridges on my website are for NA markets.

 

[alexandereci]

Yes, this is for Asia. I noticed that a lot of carts "look" the same but are different on the chip area (and some sort of "idiot-proof" plastic tabs perhaps to prevent inserting the carts in a different slot), and on the "lock" area, but the general shape (and perhaps the dimension) are the same.