BogMonster Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 I need a new printer. I currently have (had) an Epson Stylus Photo 810, which is great when it works which is not very often. It produces (produced) great results but if you leave it for more than a few days without using it, the sodding printheads block up and need about 10 cleaning cycles run to get the nozzles clean again, which uses a huge amount of ink. Once it is clean it will print fine but it is impossible to keep it working for any length of time. The cartridges are well in date and you can't replace the printheads. The final straw was today. I bought a new colour cartridge a couple of weeks ago and after 10 or so cleaning cycles to get it working to do something then, and then another 10 or so just now to try and print another photo, it is now 3/4 used up (at £20 something a pop) and £10 per A4 photo is stupidly expensive (and it still isn't working properly on all 6 colours). Consequently I have just cleaned it permanently with my fist and a new printer is now required. Any recommendations? I won't touch another Epson with a barge pole as I gather they are all prone to do this after a while, and I don't do much photo printing but when I do I want decent quality. Are there any whizzy new technologies that should be investigated or is inkjet still the only one at a sensible price? Not looking to spend a huge amount of money anything up to £200 would be ok. Comments please Ta S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 As far as I know there's still only laserjet or inkjet. I have a Hewlett Packard deskjet, and have had it for about three years now. Cartridges are expensive (2 of them), but it's picture quality is excellent. Laser stuff is best and a lot faster too. I didn't know that Epson were not very good. Both printers I've owned have been HP. Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthdicky Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 I've had a couple of Epson ones and I would never buy another one - none of them lasted more than 3 years and I was forever cleaning the heads to get it to print properly. I got a Canon IP4200 for about £80 (less now from Amazon) and am really impressed with it. Unfortunately cartridges are £10 each and it takes 6 of them, but it doesn't seem to go through them very quickly. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeagent Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 we've got an epson cx3650, it worked like a dream when we bought it, on the original cartridges, but since we started replacing them its been carp. i'd never by another one. we've got a small HP lazer jet at work, cost around £250, its amazing, and worth every penny. when we buy another for home, it'll be one of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted June 19, 2006 Author Share Posted June 19, 2006 Cheers. My Epson was brilliant when I first got it and the quality of photo prints on the proper paper is excellent but it only went about a year before developing this problem and has been getting worse ever since and it costs a fortune in ink because you have to clean it all the time. Seems to be "an Epson thing" you would think they would have sorted it by now..... Dad's older Epson is exactly the same but he just puts up with hen-s&&& print quality. I pulled it to bits yesterday for a better look found it was filthy inside (ink everywhere the sponge thing overflowing) and cleaned it all up, then on reassembly the mechanism went "sproingggg" everywhere. After 2 hours messing around I got it back together (apart from a spare spring which seemed to do nothing useful!) and it was no better, and shortly after that my fist went right through it now there is plastic all over my office because I just walked away.... in fact later on I went back and punched it again because I was irritated about something else anything in my house that gives more bother than its replacement's price tag is worth is treading on very thin ice..... Freeagent is that a colour laser and does it give photo quality prints? Inkjets are ok for "little and often" printing but seem to be a pain in the butt for anything else. Anybody use these dye sublimation type thingys or have they died out? It also needs to do ordinary printing as well though, maybe they aren't suitable for that. Having said that I have two HP Business Inkjet 1100's at work and they are brilliant, but I don't think they give photo quality prints. Going to try one with proper photo paper and see though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR90 Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 We're running an Epson R200 at home and other than seeming to need a new cartridge every month (it uses six) its fine and gets a LOT of use. Does get clogged when Chris tries to print on tissue or heavy hand made paper though. Color laser might be an option tough they tend not to do picture quality and beware the costs when you come to replace the drums!! Inkjet is prob the most competative market giving good quality at low cost. Printers are almost disposable and they make their money form the cartriges. I'd be tempted to look for an Injet with third party cartridge availability (though I gues this is less of an issue if your not using it often). DyeSub is top end of the colour printer market. Look for printers from the likes of tektronics. Price reflects their niche. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted June 19, 2006 Author Share Posted June 19, 2006 Trev my Epson is now disposable anyway, quite sure about that I shall be disposing of it properly with a claw hammer when I get home tonight. Or maybe the 7lb sledge. Haven't decided yet Been doing a bit of window shopping (isn't this interweb thing a wonderful invention?) and I quite like the look of the HP Photosmart 8250, separate ink cartridges etc which is good. Anybody got one? Comments if so please? Another question: does anybody know if the inkjet papers from different manufacturers will work in each others printers? I have about £100 worth of Epson photo paper, card, etc etc at home and I wondered if it would work ok in an HP. I should think so, I should think they are all pretty much of a muchness, just never actually tried it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bull Bar Cowboy Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 IIRC The nice thing about HP printers is that the print heads are built into the cartridges ………I suppose thats why the cartridges are more expensive. We are all HP here ……… me with a HP930C & and SWMBO with a HP6520. Mine does about 10K sheets per annum and has been no bother for the last 3 years. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
istruggle2gate11 Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 IIRC The nice thing about HP printers is that the print heads are built into the cartridges ………I suppose thats why the cartridges are more expensive. Ian Yep, thats right, HP anyday over Epsom. Have you considered a colour laser? As an experiment last year at work we bought a konica minolta network A4 colour laser for £350 - its been absolutely faultles and produces great photo prints on STANDARD paper! We now have 6 of them. Warm up times can be slow, and although toner replacement is expensice (circa £100) they do about 8000 sheets before needing either toner or drum. Looking on misco now, thay are only £200 + the dreaded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy996 Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Another question: does anybody know if the inkjet papers from different manufacturers will work in each others printers? I have about £100 worth of Epson photo paper, card, etc etc at home and I wondered if it would work ok in an HP. I should think so, I should think they are all pretty much of a muchness, just never actually tried it. At home I have a Epson CX3650, at work I have HP inkjets, Minolta and Xerox colour Laser printers. For the money I have found nothing to beat the small Minolta colour lasers, although the toner costs can be a little eyewatering. The same print runs using an inkjet would cost the GDP of a small island nation. Epsons always seem to get 'old' and cranky, HPs seem to last longer in reasonable working condition, although I'd strongly recommend the extended warranty as the service, so far, has been good. As for the papers, all inkjet manufacturers would not recommend mixing manufacturers papers and inks, as these are designed as a chemical package. Epson's professional ranges, (the stupidly expensive stuff they sell to photographers), offer a guarantee that the staybrite inks and papers are colourfast and provide consistent tone, so the prints can be used as printer proofs, (pantone colours, the whole kahuna!). I'd suggest that you are cautious with the coated papers, but stock card should not represent an issue. If you are printing for posterity, I'd NOT mix and match, but just making hard copies of snaps, I'd print away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeagent Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Cheers.Freeagent is that a colour laser and does it give photo quality prints? we've not tried proper photo quality paper thnrough it so i don't realy know.. it gets used mainly for producing colour proofs for customers to aprove so its pretty good... i think it was about £250...? if i wanted another inkjet printer right now it would be a canon... my mate at uni has got one, and its brilliant... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted June 19, 2006 Author Share Posted June 19, 2006 898kor do you have a model number for that laser? I might have a look. Had a look here today but everything on sale here is 2x the price in UK so will get one when I am over there next month. Freeagent, I also have a Canon on the "maybe" list, are the bigger canon printers good then? I used to have a BJ10e and have used BJ10, BJ10e, BJ20 and BJ30 bubble jets about six or seven in total and not one of them worked properly (paper feed mechanism which didn't) and they used to suffer from printheads drying out too. I don't do that much printing so anything that clogs up printheads is a non starter and will quickly end up looking like the one sitting 3 feet to my right. Well some bits of it are 3 feet to my right I think its probably going to be an HP 8250 but will look around PC World etc when I get there. Prob find all the models have changed at least twice by then anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeagent Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 thinking about it, most of the inkjet printers at uni are Canon... they seam ok, but get used daily... i think a lot of the problems are just a feature of ink jet printers, the nozzels dry out if they are not used regularly (make that every day) ...we've given up using our home printer for photo printing, as every camera shop does 100 6x4 prints for around £7.50 now, and its not worth buying glossy paper for that.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted June 19, 2006 Author Share Posted June 19, 2006 Mmmm try finding a camera shop doing that here though My HP Business Inkjet 1100 at work has no problems with drying out and it doesn't get that much use with colour, had it about 2 years now. I would get one, but the photo quality isn't quite good enough, you can tell it isn't a photo printer and can see the dither patterns if you look closely, which you couldn't on prints from the Epson when it was working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
istruggle2gate11 Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 898kor do you have a model number for that laser? I might have a look. Had a look here today but everything on sale here is 2x the price in UK so will get one when I am over there next month. The one that is over a year old is the 2300DL - of course, now obsolete. There are two others in the "budget" area by konica - The Magicolour 2400W colour laser A4 at £198 includind the dreaded or the Magicolour 2430dl Network (same printer just network ready) for £246 inclusive. Prices are from Misco Magicolour 2430DL Details Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted June 20, 2006 Author Share Posted June 20, 2006 Thanks I was looking at the 2400W last night. Price of replacement toner at £95 each x 4 required was a bit "wibble" though I wonder how long the "supplied" ones last if the whole printer is only £200 ... my guess is "not very long" Still thinking HP Thingummyjet 8250 because of having 6 separate ink cartridges at £6.99 each which is sensible money when 1 runs out before the others (as they always do in multicolour cartridges) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
istruggle2gate11 Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Thanks I was looking at the 2400W last night. Price of replacement toner at £95 each x 4 required was a bit "wibble" though I wonder how long the "supplied" ones last if the whole printer is only £200 ... my guess is "not very long" Still thinking HP Thingummyjet 8250 because of having 6 separate ink cartridges at £6.99 each which is sensible money when 1 runs out before the others (as they always do in multicolour cartridges) When we have had a new one at work, they have lasted about 2000 sheets, where replacement ones are lasting up to 10,000. That said, the HP8250 seems very good also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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