I replaced the printhead in an Epson 1100 today.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Not too bad a job, really. About 110 clams from Cobra Ink Systems, shipped.

But MY WORD was that printer nasty!!

I really probably made a mistake by not getting new waste ink pads, but Richard also sent me a waste ink bottle, so the pads won't get as much ink going forward.

This printer has been on Pigment Based Inks since day one. There is a "dump" pit of some sort....as the printhead moves as far as possible to its right (operators left) that was completely full of coagulated ink. Thick as jam.... I went through a half a box of Q-Tips digging that crap out. It's probably an inch deep and might hold nearly as much volume as a golf ball.

But you know what? I'm tired of the newer printers whining about Non Epson Carts. I'd fix this one again before I'd buy another 7110. Never a single complaint about Richards carts in my 1100's or my 1400's. EVER. They are still apt to need attention for "clogging" and need (of course) refilled and even primed occasionally.

We do JetPro SoftStretch and a few dark transfers on the 1100 and office stuff. Never films.

[Frog]

I cringe at paying $110 for a new printhead for a printer that cost me $90.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

I know.

But I SNAP OUT OF IT (!) every time the missus calls me out of the dungeon to "fix" the same danged thing over and over and over and over....namely a nice new shiney 7110 printer that is constantly nagging about Non Epson Carts after spitting out half a page (ruined) of 70 cent Dye Sub Paper with expensive Dye Sub Ink, only to "Finish" the last half on another unusable 70 cent sheet. All simply because Epson wants me to buy their criminally overpriced ink, when it won't even work for our purposes.

*&!?!!#*&×@!

[abchung]

I cringe at paying $110 for a new printhead for a printer that cost me $90.

I mis heard the quote on the new print head that arrived today..... I thought I heard $107....Cost me $170....

Do you guys have to redo your linearization? because it is giving me better dots and opacity. I am extremely happy with it. But $170 is a killer.

Sent from my SM-G900H using Tapatalk

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

I cringe at paying $110 for a new printhead for a printer that cost me $90.

I mis heard the quote on the new print head that arrived today..... I thought I heard $107....Cost me $170....

Do you guys have to redo your linearization? because it is giving me better dots and opacity. I am extremely happy with it. But $170 is a killer.

Sent from my SM-G900H using Tapatalk

You know....I didn't look at my CC Bill!!

But now that you mention it, I remember them saying what sounded to me like 107. I hope I didn't mis hear what was actually spoken as ONE HUNDRED SEVEN(tee). 

Did yours come from Cobra?

I didn't do any linearizarion, and was not prompted to.

Stan

[abchung]

I am in Indonesia, and Indonesian is not my first language that is why I mis heard it. I got it from Epson local shop.

FYI. I use original Epson refill inks for their Epson L355 printer which works good enough for me for halftone dots. It cost about $7 per 70mL.

Sent from my SM-G900H using Tapatalk

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Ahhh....

Okay, I just looked up my CC bill and it was $107 plus S&H, but I had gotten some other stuff from Cobra, as they are my main vendor for Epson inks and supplies. So I just didn't notice it on the bill.

And I'm with Frog on the high price of replacement parts. I know with warehousing expenses and inventory, shipping etc. the cost of replacement parts exceeds what they cost in manufactured goods.

I can't imagine what it would cost to build a car, piece by piece, from all OEM dealer sourced items. The drive train alone would EASILY triple the entire vehicle's price tag!

Unfortunately, there is no Auto Zone equivalent for print heads.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Update:  After sitting all night, I fired the 1100 up and a nozzle check showed PINK where the Yellow should be. I printed a purge page (that the recently and strangely missing(?) Gilligan informed me of a while back) and each stripe of CMYK color printed just fine, EXCEPT the Yellow which printed a uniformly pukey PINK from the first row to the last.

.
.
.
.
.
After calming down, I called Richard at Cobra and he said to pull out the Yellow cart and look for Magenta ink that had cross contaminated from the capping station, and sure enough, there it was. Just at the lower opening, but it was clearly Magenta ink.

Huge swings in barometric pressure can do that, and I know it.  But I doubt that in this case.

I used a LOT of Greased Lightening from Ace Hardware to clear the capping station (and the starboard side 'puke pit') and I sucked it out of the capping station repeatedly with a syringe--right through the pump and exit hose. I'm wondering if enough of that solution in the ink management pump could have caused this.

But, at any rate, I did a couple a head cleaning and a couple of purge sheets (thanks Kevin!), and all is well now.