Thoughts on the Canon iP7250?

[Lumi]

I've been looking to get a 5-ink printer. I could get an old 4500 or get a new 7250. I don't think I'm too comfortable with the idea of buying a used printer wherein I don't know how it's been treated in the past and how close the printhead is to going kaput, however, I see the new 7250 is using CLI-551 inks which seem to be using black plastic instead of the transparent carts of older printers. A quick forum search also shows there isn't a resetter available for these carts yet.

Any thoughts on the Canon iP7250? I really like the idea of auto-duplex plus the wireless feature means I can store the printer elsewhere and still be able to use it. My work area horizontal space is quite at a premium and if I got a printer with wireless capability, I don't have to worry about USB cable lengths.

With the older printer, however, I can appreciate the simplicity of the CLI-8 carts and how easy it is to determine when it is needed to refill plus a chip resetter so the family is also alerted when to tell Daddy that the printer needs a refill instead of pointing fingers and shrugging shoulders when another print cartridge goes bad due to ink starvation....

Anybody with a 7250 here care to share their thoughts and experiences with the new printer? For the old-timers, I'd also like to hear how the 4500 still "walks all over" then new printers... or if you think the newer printers are better, I'd like to hear why as well!

Just looking to buy a new printer, currently have a Canon MP230 but I'm sick and tired of babysitting the PG-510/CL-511 carts and having to buy new ones after almost every 2-3 refills. The iP7250 is on sale for 50 now that's why I'm interested in it.

Thanks!

 

[The Hat]

You go right ahead and buy the iP7250 for 50 but do you realise your signing a contract with Canon
which will cost you an arm and a leg over the next twelve in inks.

There is no dough that the iP7250 is a great little printer but it has a very bad habit
of drinking all the ink you can give it, quite fast in fact.

Having the whole family using the one printer is a good thing but using the iP7250 is not,
it has a lot going for it, thats its attraction but cant you see the big hook that the worm is sitting on.

You can with some re-training refill these cartridges, which are only start-up cartridges by the way (4 ml)
and a new set of xl cartridges will cost almost double the price of the printer, still with me !..

Next thing to deal with is the chip on these cartridges, it cant be reset at all so youll have to print blind till you cook the print head,
which will mean buying another new printer (Cheaper than a print head) and O you get another set of set-up cartridges free.

If you were just using the printer yourself and no one else then its manageable, miserable but still manageable
but not when others have use of it, its a disaster waiting to happen,
you could always buy one for each member of your family, will I stop now or go on.

Cut to the chase and get the iP4500 and an extra set of cartridges inks and a resetter,
yes youll have to manage the USB cables but thats a small price to pay for continues printing.

If you cant get the iP4500, which does do duplex, even if you have to get a new print head later
it still will be cheaper than running an iP7250 for six months, failing that then get a Pro 9000.

You may not need an A3 printer but it is made as tuff as the iP4500,
so it will take all the abuse your family can throw at it, now one point about the family using any printer.

Tell them never ever to pull out a mis feed sheet backwards, away push it through and out the front,
it may take a hour but the printer will still work afterwards.

The best place to get supplies from in the UK is
octoink.co.uk even down to the extra empty CLI-8 cartridges you may need..
How do I know all this, well I bought one too? Ouch

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

The Hat will probably hate me for this. I'm not commenting on either printer specifically, but you might want to consider the hassle of dealing with a USB port. The maximum cable length is 16 feet(?), as I recall. With allowance for walls and corners, etc., that will get you maybe 6 feet from the computer. If you have a network, you have to share the printer through one computer.

I think The Hat uses powered hubs to extend the range a bit. You can get USB extenders for maybe $15 or so, which will each extend for another 16 feet(?). Supposedly you can use 2 or 3 together, but that's all. I have had little problem with two in series, but some people have reported that the one I have can occasionally cause your keyboard or mouse to drop out.

 

[Lumi]

Thanks, The Hat! I guess you bought an iP7250? I wasn't too worried about the cart refilling process; I've seen a few YT videos and it didn't look too different from the CLI-8 methods in the past (ball/plug or through-the-foam). I was more worried about losing the ink monitoring + black carts so you can't see the ink level + family members who just use stuff and don't bother checking = busted print head.

I guess everything is looking up for the 4500 and if I had loads of space for a printer, I'd not even be here asking this question. I wonder how long a USB cable can be? 16ft? Seems like I can get these for less than 5 on eBay.

Thrilla, the MP230 is currently hooked up to my son's PC so that they don't have to turn on my main PC/gaming PC if they need to print anything. If I could go for the wireless printer, then anyone can print... but I guess I'd rather deal with USB cable tidying than deal with print head cleaning and replacement.

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

Supposedly the limit for USB 2 is 5 m (16 feet), but you can string up to 5 active repeaters together. Or you can get a USB to ethernet (Cat 5) converter for longer lengths. No guarantees, though, and it may be difficult to power all those repeaters.

 

[The Hat]

Supposedly the limit for USB 2 is 5 m (16 feet), but you can string up to 5 active repeaters together.
Or you can get a USB to ethernet (Cat 5) converter for longer lengths. No guarantees, though, and it may be difficult to power all those repeaters.

Yes I bought the iP7250 and gave it to my grandson, I was glad to be rid of the thing
but I still fill the compatible cartridges for him.

I dont (Like) trust Wi-Fi printer connections one little bit,
If someone turns on another Wi-Fi device or micro wave then your print can turn out gobbledygook.

The USB cable sizes that ThrillaMozilla gave you are correct and you can go a huge distance of up to 100 metres
if you use a twin USB /Ethernet box set (Very expensive),
I use USB hubs to achieve the same thing much cheaper, my run is only 20 metres for 10 printers.

You can also get a manual USB 4 port share switch with will allow you to print from any one of up to four computers
to countless number of printers with the aid of multiple USB hubs
by simply just pressing the scroll lock button on any keyboard twice.

But one thing you have to be careful with is connecting a Canon all-in-one printer to a USB hub,
the scanner on them may not work with-in that arrangement.

Happy Printing..

 

[Lumi]

This is insane. I was searching for iP4500s on eBay and the nearest ones were nearer Manchester, about a 2-hour drive one-way. The prices were reasonable, but I'm not sure I wanted to spend as much on petrol.

Then I search for a Pro 9000, and find one just next door!

The Hat, thanks for your replies. I was kinda on-the-fence with the iP7250 with the wireless option the only real attraction, but as I can easily source 16ft cables, that should be more than plenty for my wiring needs. I don't need any fancy connection setups, I can just turn on my son's PC when I need to send something to it for printing.

One last request though: as I am scouring the market anyway for "good old printers," what other printers do you guys recommend? I know the iP4500 is a favorite, but if I had maybe 5-6 other models I can search for, that would be great. I know a few friends who would appreciate a good, reliable printer. Thanks very much!

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

I dont (Like) trust Wi-Fi printer connections one little bit,
If someone turns on another Wi-Fi device or micro wave then your print can turn out gobbledygook.

I don't know what the problem is, but something is wrong. I have a good, strong signal in the house, and have always found wi-fi to be flawless, just like any other network connection. In particular, your microwave oven should never interfere with any communications, so something is very wrong there.

 

[The Hat]

One last request though: as I am scouring the market anyway for "good old printers," what other printers do you guys recommend?
I know the iP4500 is a favorite, but if I had maybe 5-6 other models I can search for, that would be great.
I know a few friends who would appreciate a good, reliable printer. Thanks very much!

The best Canon printers are already past their sell by date but its not their age that matters but the mileage on their clock.

Look for any of the printers that uses BCI-6, CLI-8, CLI-521 and CLI 525 cartridges and you have a fair chance of getting a good one,
you may have to invest in a new print head so factor that in also.

Good luck with your search and good hunting, there as scarce as the big Yeti.

, your microwave oven should never interfere with any communications, so something is very wrong there.

Its not just my microwave its all microwave ovens and the dozens of hand held Wi-Fi devices including the broadband in every household..

 

[Lumi]

Hmmm... I got a Pro 9000 at 120, compatible inks, "hardly used/minimal use" as claimed by the owner. A bit on the high side, but then again if I'm going to be hassled by cables, might as well include the option to print A3, right? ::wink! wink! nudge! nudge!::

I figure if the seller will sell for 100 or 110, that should be a good deal?

As someone with no experience with such printers, I wonder if this is worth it? I owned mostly 2-cart printers in the past, the ones with tri-color and black. I did have a 4-ink printer before, iP3000 IIRC.... strangely enough, I can't remember why/how it went bad. If I do get an A3 printer, I have some projects myself that I would love an A3, full-color print capability as well as some projects for friends such as birthday banners and the like so the printer WILL get some use, just probably not as heavy-duty-everyday-use.

Thoughts?