Is Epson Artisan 800 any good?

[jonalava]

I spotted a really nice deal to get the epson Artisan 800 for 100$. I already have the great Canon IP4500 which is running like a charm, but I am really tempted by this Epson as I need a scanner and would prefer an AIO over a printer + a scanner...

My questions are:

- Is it true that the Artisan 700 and 800 have frequent paper jams?
- I know that newer 710 and 810 have automatic duplexer built-in, but not the 700 and 800. Is it a real hassle to do double side printing manually on the 800?
- As I am not in a hurry, would it be better to wait for the 810 to go on sale at its end of marketing life?

Please, give some input quickly as the deal is ending soon...

Thanks!

 

[david1965]

jona, if you could, get an Epson Artisan 810 AIO not 800. Epson fixed the paper feeding issue on 810. I had an 800 from last year and totally trashed it.
Paper jams were all the time, and it would try to feed itself like 8 sheets at a time. I called epson customer service, they admitted these problems.
i hope this helps.

 

[siusiuenen]

Dido here. You should get Artisan 810 over 800. Keep an eyes on Frys. They're usually the first place give out the best sale for discontinues model and i don't think you have to wait for so long.
Actually double size printing on older Epson printer you don't have to turn the side of paper on every single one but on the middle of the print job and only one time. ex: if you print 100 pages, and you set the printer to print double size then at first, it'll will print page 1, 3, 5,.... then notice you turn the size of the whole pack of pages then it continues to print page 2, 4, 6.

 

[jonalava]

Thanks guys!

I guess I'll wait for the 810 to go on sale...

For those who are indeed interested in the Artisan 800, you can get it for 100$ CAN at Bestbuy.ca (online only). The deal is ending on april 15.

 

[mikling]

If you get one and it gives trouble over and over again eventually Epson will hand an 810 over to you. You have a 2 year warranty if you register it.

 

[Leonardjohn]

- I know that newer 710 and 810 have automatic duplexer built-in, but not the 700 and 800. Is it a real hassle to do double side printing manually on the 800?

Actually the Epson 710 and 810 Artisan's do not have a built-in duplexer, they have a $29.99 add-on duplexer.

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/ProductQuickSpec.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=63077201

I hardly ever use the duplexers on these printers, they do not handle the heavier 61 lb 11mil paper.

Other than that, no problems with 800, I print invoices, proofs, and postage everyday without issue.

cheers

LJH

 

[jonalava]

If you get one and it gives trouble over and over again eventually Epson will hand an 810 over to you. You have a 2 year warranty if you register it.

So Mikling, are you considering this deal to be a good one?

From what you know, is the paper feed mecanism on the 810 is any different than the 800?

 

[mikling]

I can't tell. But I am now the owner of a 710 courtesy of an Epson warranty on a 700. Only time will telll. If they hold up then they are really nice AIOs especially if you print on CDs. I noted that there is a 2 year warranty with provisos of registration. I'd suspect if it craps out after a year there will be no more 800s around with which to replace the original. There is literally nothing as well featured and can print with the high performance this thing can at this price point.

"One-year limited warranty to all purchasers; toll-free support and second-year warranty require registration within 60 days of purchase. With registration, Epson provides phone support without charge for the life of the product. Telephone toll charges may apply."


Sometimes you have to roll the dice.

 

[jonalava]

I can't tell. But I am now the owner of a 710 courtesy of an Epson warranty on a 700. Only time will telll. If they hold up then they are really nice AIOs especially if you print on CDs.

Thanks for the input! Did you ever experience any feed problem with either the 700 or the 710? Based on your experience, is the 710 better than the 700. How did the 700 failed?

 

[mikling]

The 700 was defective in that it kept registering that I wanted to Scan to PDF. Initially it was fiddly at first but the feed did settle down. Also initially I ran into some microbanding but it looks like it was due to air trapped in the lines. That has since gone away as well.