Storing unopened Canon printheads

[wilko]

LIke many on here I have a couple of new Canon printers in storage as replacements for when my current printers die. Feeling rather pleased with myself for having planned for the future, I sat back with little worries about Canon introducing new printers which have less scope for refilling.

However, I read somewhere that someone had contacted a Canon rep and had been told that unopened printheads had only a life cycle of 2 years.

Now this doesn't seem right as I have stored used printheads for longer than this. I would have thought that a sealed printhead would almost have a finite life if the packaging is unopened.

Has anyone experienced the longevity of sealed printheads?

 

[Mowerman90]

I have no idea if this Canon Rep is correct or not, but, I feel that the Canon Rep that made that statement would also tell you that refilling will hurt your printer.

 

[ghwellsjr]

Four years ago, I purchased 2 Canon i9900 printers and then almost a year later sold both of them. One of them was still in the unopened box and when the buyer opened it, the print head was bad, but fortunately, I sent him the warranty info and he was able to get a replacement. I never thought the print head went bad just from sitting in the box, I had always assumed it was bad from the beginning, but now you have me worried. I also have an iP4000 still in its unopened box that is probably close to 5 years old.

I really believe in having an identical backup printer and when I burned out my MP760, I was able to be online in no time. The worst part, if you don't have a backup, is the stress of making a decision about which new printer you're going to buy. If you already have a backup, you'll have plenty of time to decide. But of course this will only work if that new print head actually works when you take it out of its package.

 

[wilko]

ghwellsjr

I don't think your printhead went bad after less than a year. It must have been a faulty manufacture. I have stored unopened printheads for longer than that and they have been o.k.

I still can't believe that these printheads have only a lifespan of 2 years. If that were so, I am sure we would have heard something from members before now.

What I will not be doing is trying out my backup printers just to see if the printheads work.

I only raised the topic to see if members had any experience of using printheads which had been stored for some time.

Sorry to alarm you. It wasn't my intention

BTW I've just purchased a new IP4700 which will be put into storage unopened.

 

[WhiteDog]

The ip6600d which was bought new in 2006 was opened two weeks ago and ran perfectly. On the whole, I shall not purchase another Canon product, and I shall not likely purchase another print head either.

I am pleased with the HP B209 I bought for $73, and which can be easily refilled with Ink Tec refillers through the rubber-lined plastic clip.

 

[jimbo123]

not a canon, but i do have some info on HP.

i have an an old HP 870Cxi that i only use for envelopes. yesterday i replaced the HP 51645A ink cart, expiration date of 2002 and it works fine.

the print head is a part of the HP 51645A cartridge

i have a spare IP4500 waiting as a spare, but this 15 year old HP keeps chugging along.

J

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Printers: Canon MP830, IP4500, MX700, MX860, MP980
Method: German Durchstich Method
Ink: Hobbicolors ink, PMT-BK, UW8
Misc: Squeeze bottles - so much easier than syringes

 

[websnail]

I'm going to make a guess, an educated guess but a guess..

It sounds more likely that this is a "warranty" declaration and not a physical limitation... Canon printheads are packed with an inert "transport solution" filling the printhead system and they are sealed into a very strong metallised bag that you'd be hard pushed to imagine allowing much of anything in.

To put it another way, there are various service entities still selling printheads that are officially no longer manufactured by Canon and haven't been for a while but they make no mention of limited lifespan.