Replace or Repair Again - Canon IP8500

[JoePineapples]

Ok heres the story I have a Canon IP8500 I have had it for about 9 years

So last night I get the Ink Waste Full message and also the printhead test show me that I have some elements down or blocked

Printhead is going to cost me 90-100 USD if I can find one and the pads are a bitch to change

• Just wondering is it worth it ?
• New Canon just seem harder to refill the new carts bci-351xl i haven't seen a resetter for it at all ?
• How do the new 6 color printers measure up to a 9 year old 8 color one
• If I need to replace what should i buy I need to print CD/DVD and double sided paper .. and that all

 

[The Hat]

I am sorry to hear your trusty old friend is dying but it was inevitable that was going to happen one day, had you known just how good the little printer was, you could have gotten one or two spare print heads back then.

My advise is to search the four corners of the globe for a replacement head or a refurbished one and worry about the waste ink later, you could easily go another 4 or 5 without having to change the pads if not then remove clean and replace, not that big of job. (Messy)

Now for the bad news there are no good small new printers that can print Duplex out there now and you would have to use compatible carts with ARC on them to make it worthwhile and not get screwed by OEM prices.

There are however the larger Pro printer range that will fill you dreams with easy refill carts, resetter, inks and CD printing available very reasonably priced, but you would have to do your own manual Duplexing, sorry..

 

[Ron350]

Joe don’t get rid of that 8500.

In 15 years I have only seen one 8500 in a thrift store and I bought it.

If nothing happens this winter I plan to sell all of my Canon printers except for one 3000.

 

[CakeHole]

Id ask myself first a few things...
How much do you print?
How much will a new printer with all the functions you want cost?
How long has it been since the last ink pad change? (no point replacing print head and ink pads if that is happening often)

Decide from there if the cost to get the 8500 up and running and time spent to get it up and running is worth it, if it is to you then replace the print head, pads etc.

If its not then id be looking at larger (by that i mean physical size of the device) printers. HP have a few nice larger devices now that are built well and you can (although harder to find) get refillable carts for them.

 

[JoePineapples]

The ink pads just need to be rinsed,dried and reinstalled they just don't make them anymore (don't think I have seen any for sale)

It's just the newer printers are crap they aren't built to last I compare the ip8600 to new canon it's like night and day
But your right I can buy a Pixus MG7530 for the same price as a new printerhead it will print double sided and CDs
However it takes BCI-325/326XL ink carts which I haven't seen a resetter so as the Hat stated I will to use ARC carts or compatible carts

The printer is on it's second head so it's not doing too badly.. it's just the black that seems to have issues

 

[The Hat]

If it’s only just your black then you can continue to use that damaged head in your printer indefinitely, it won’t do any harm.

It’s a matter of setting your Media to Matte photo paper and just continue to use your normal plain paper, the prints will take a little longer that is all, and photo printing will also be unaffected.

This is merely a compromise till you can find a new head and you can then clean the waste pads when you know for sure your printer is going to be back in action once again..

 

[CakeHole]

The ink pads just need to be rinsed,dried and reinstalled they just don't make them anymore (don't think I have seen any for sale)

It's just the newer printers are crap they aren't built to last I compare the ip8600 to new canon it's like night and day
But your right I can buy a Pixus MG7530 for the same price as a new printerhead it will print double sided and CDs
However it takes BCI-325/326XL ink carts which I haven't seen a resetter so as the Hat stated I will to use ARC carts or compatible carts

The printer is on it's second head so it's not doing too badly.. it's just the black that seems to have issues

What country are you from? I until now had not even heard of the MG7530 i only ask as i googled and it returned basically only links to Japanese websites for "MG 7530".

Have you considered a IP8750 if you want a fair amount of features? They will do A3 paper, Disc Printing and more around £200-250 her ein the UK. That model also has refillable carts available for it with arc chips so would be cheap (relatively speaking) to run.

PS i know what you mean about build quality of Canons today, i own a MP610 which is built like a tank compared to new Canons. The thing i hate most about new Canons is how flimsy the scan lid is. In actual use im sure it does the job fine but it just feels so cheap and nasty. Typically now if a person wants build quality id point to higher end Epsons with document feeders on them, larger format Brother printers or HPs with document feeders, all those compared to most Canons are built considerably better and feel solid in the hands. A friend recently got a HP 8610 and the build of that is very good.

 

[PeterBJ]

Re Canon regions: I compiled this list from a Chinese cartridge vendor's site:

Canon regions:
Region 1 for South America and Mexico market
Region 2 for North America market
Region 3 for Japan market
Region 4 for Middle East and Russia market and African market
Region 5 for Europe market and Australian market *)
Region 7 for Asia market
Region 8 for China market
*) With the introduction of the PG-x50/CLI-x51 cartridges Australia and New Zeeland got their own region 6:
PGI-650, CLI-651 C/M/Y/BK/GY

 

[JoePineapples]

What country are you from? I until now had not even heard of the MG7530 i only ask as i googled and it returned basically only links to Japanese websites for "MG 7530".

Have you considered a IP8750 if you want a fair amount of features? They will do A3 paper, Disc Printing and more around £200-250 her ein the UK. That model also has refillable carts available for it with arc chips so would be cheap (relatively speaking) to run.

PS i know what you mean about build quality of Canons today, i own a MP610 which is built like a tank compared to new Canons. The thing i hate most about new Canons is how flimsy the scan lid is. In actual use im sure it does the job fine but it just feels so cheap and nasty. Typically now if a person wants build quality id point to higher end Epsons with document feeders on them, larger format Brother printers or HPs with document feeders, all those compared to most Canons are built considerably better and feel solid in the hands. A friend recently got a HP 8610 and the build of that is very good.

I live in Tokyo .. At the time the canon was the only one that had a English drivers and the CD software was English .. looking that the IP8750 it's takes BCI-325 carts it seems the XLs are the high Cap tanks and the MG 7530 takes them too but checking the spec it also takes the non-XL version

Canon 6 carts set are about 5,500 JPY which about 70USD .. you can buy a "compatible" set for 800JPY (10USD) I have always tried to use refilled canon carts as the "compatible" carts are a unknown
Also the newer XL carts are a film chip which is unswapable or so i'm told

 

[JoePineapples]

I have decided to keep the IP8600 But it's seems printhead on it's way out as the other color are failing now ..
So I'm going mothball it I will strip down and clean the pads/purge unit and wait until I can get a new P/H for it
(Many moons I used to be bench engineer for HP/Canon/QMS Printers so shouldn't be too hard)

In mean time get a cheap canon and use non- OEM ink carts See how long it lasts