I need a Multi-(cpy,scn,prnt), w/Indiv. Ink Cart., and refill. Ideas?

[fedupw/lexmark]

Do not buy a Lexmark x5410 multi-function!!! This was a x-mas gift...More of an april fools joke. It provides nowhere near the advertised yield, cartridges are expensive to replace, and impossible to reset (cartridge(s) #28 blk, #29 c/y/m). I have tried various refill/compatibility experimentation has cost 3-4x original printer purchase price in $ plus all the time spent researching possible fixes.

I AM FEDUPW/LEXMARK:/

I run a small business and try to handle most correspondance thru e-mail. But print 50 to 80 pages - fast color mode (estimates, invoices, reports) per month ave. Scan 150/200 times per month (receipts, checks, notes & drawings/sketches). Copy <20 per month. I do not fax so that is unimportant. Seldom print photos and have an HP Photosmart 7350 for that. Networkable would be a plus since we use laptops w/802.11 abg, bluetooth, connected via DSL wireless/ethernet modem.


Overmyhead and overwhelmed with printer choices and ink refill/compatibility charts I hope to find "the one" machine that will meet these requirements and be simple to use and operate. I simply do not want to pay the outrageous replacement cost of and waste ink with tri-color cartridges.

Please save me from this, your experience is appreciated.

 

[ghwellsjr]

I'm still recommending a used Canon MP780 all-in-one as the best printer ever for what you want to do. The cartridges do not have chips in them making them easy to refill. You can also buy cheap compatible cartridges but I do not recommend that. It does not have the advanced features you want but you can hook it up to a print server or to a computer that can act as a print server.

The only problem is trying to locate one. Fortunately, lots of people are selling their used MP780's now, mainly because they want to upgrade to a wireless printer. The best way to buy one is on craislist or at a yard sale or a thrift shop. It is important to see it working before you commit to buy, which pretty much rules out eBay. I think a fair price for a fully functioning MP780 is $75. If you want more info, post a reply and I will point out some tests you can do to make sure it is working correctly.

 

[fedupw/lexmark]

ghwellsjr
TY, I had read some of your posts prior to leaving my request and am looking for MP780's as a possibility so any tests you can recommend would be appreciated. I haven't located any yet, but hope springs eternal.
In the original posting I gave as much detail as possible, not as requirements but to provide a good base of understanding to help with possible recommendations.
Another thing I might find useful is a current listing of refillable cartridges. In researching printers I had 1 review site open, 3 manufacturer's sites open (Canon, HP, Epson) and a few Ink suppliers sites open to try and cross reference - I had to give up my mind had turned to jelly just trying to navigate.
Thanks again for your advice

 

[ghwellsjr]

If you buy an MP780, you should use Canon original cartridges to refill. You really only need one set if you refill with the German method.

Before I get into the tests to perform on a used MP780 before committing to buy it, you need to know a little bit about the controls to do these tests:

Start by pressing the Stop/Reset button several times until the display no longer changes. Then press the Menu button three times. The display will say 3.MAINTENANCE and the name of the particular operation under that. Press the left (<) or right (>) buttons until you see the specified operation. Press the OK button to perform the operation. When done, hit the Stop/Reset button again several times.

You do not need to have a computer hooked up to the printer to do these tests but you will need some paper so bring some along, you can't depend on the seller to have paper available.

First, you want to see if it will pass the standard nozzle check. Be aware that there are two paper sources, the auto sheet feeder at the back and the cassette in a pull-out tray underneath the printer. The Feed Switch button lets you select which source will be used. You should put paper in both and try both. The printout for the standard nozzle check should look like this:

Here is a nozzle check that has problems:

Note the two different shades of cyan in the top band of color. This indicates an electrical problem in the print head that cannot be fixed with cleaning. You will have to buy a new print head for at least $55 so that will reduce the value of the printer accordingly.

There are other problems with the above nozzle check but you cannot tell whether they can be fixed by cleaning. Also note if there are any missing horizontal grid lines in the black pattern at the top. This is the most common problem. This grid pattern is for the large black pigment ink cartridge which is used only on plain paper. The smaller black cartridge is used only on photo papers. The color inks are dye-based and used on all types of paper.

Second, you want to see if the purge/prime/cleaning system is working. This consists of a pair of porous pads that the print head parks on, one for the pigment ink and another one for all the dye inks, and a peristaltic pump that sucks on the pads and deposits the ink on a bunch of absorbant pads lining the bottom of the printer. Follow this process to test the purge system:
1) Remove all the cartridges from the print head.
2) Perform a HEAD REFRESHING. This will take a minute or so.
3) Perform a NOZZLE CHECK. It should show a lot of missing segments.
4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 until nothing prints.
5) Put the cartridges back in the printer.
6) Perform a CLEANING.
7) Do a NOZZLE CHECK. It should look like it did before. If it doesn't, the purge system is not working and it will take a significant amount of repair work to fix it. You shouldn't pay much for a printer that has a defective purge system, if at all.

Third, you want to do an extended nozzle check. Click on this link and print out the instructions, you'll never remember them. The extended nozzle check will take only paper from the auto sheet feeder. Look carefully at the printout near the top of the page. Look for all the horizontal line segments. If any of them are missing, they may be permanently burned out and require a new print head to fix it. Here is what the extended nozzle check should look like:

Fourth, you want to learn how full the waste ink absorber pads are. The extended nozzle check will tell you this. Look on the top line in the image in the previous link for D=003.5 which means 3.5% full (that's because I had just reset it a few weeks earlier). If that number is much below 50%, you have a lot of life left in the printer. If it is much above 50%, there will be less time before you will need to replace the waste ink pads.

Fifth, you want to put something in the scanner and copy it. Do this in color and black. Do this with both the Automatic Document Feeder and by putting the original face done on the scanner screen. Look at the condition of the glass while the scanner is scanning nothing to see if there is a cloudy film on the underside of the glass.

If the printer passes all these tests and you decide to buy it, I have one more suggestion to assure a safe trip home for your new printer: repeat the step for the second test above expcept don't put the cartridges back in the printer, you want to transport the printer with the print head free of any ink.

Good luck and, oh by the way, where are you located?