Which printer do I want to replace my recently deceased Epson 1400?

[motoguy]

Title sums it up. My journey with CISS started with my Epson R200. When I burned through a couple of them, I went to the R1400. The R1400 suffered an early death when my one of the tubes on my CISS tubing ribbon came loose, hooked the print cart, and proceeded to strip some gears / something on the belt...the when the cart met the slightest resistance (even the resistance from the CISS ribbon), the cart would be stuck on place, and the belt would just keep on spinning (to an aweful grinding sound).

I replaced the R1400 with another R1400, and stupidly, decided to re-install the old CISS sytem. Not only that, I decided to install it late at night, when I was tired, and in a mindset that facilitated a poor attitude. It didn't take long before I managed to get that one hooked with poor routing (and dropping a screw into the gear mechanism), so that 1400 is now toast with only a few dozen prints on it.

Damn it.

So, I'm looking at alternatives. At this point, I'm thinking of going with refillable cartridges vs the CISS tubes. That damn ribbon tube has cost me 2 printers now (the 2nd one my own fault, really). In addition, with the wifey now using the printer while I'm at work, I have doubts about the CISS tubing / routing remaining correct. I just think refillable cartridges would be best for my needs at this point.

So, what printer do I want? DVD printing is a must for me, which is why I stuck with the R200 / 1400 line. The wide-format photo capacity of the 1400 is nice, too. I printed mostly DVD's and color prints (DVD cases, etc), but the wife will be printing a lot of photos of the kids at this point. Do I just want to order -another- R1400, refillable / resettable cartridges, and call it a day? Or is there another printer out there that may better suit my needs / wants?

 

[msmart]

I was in a similar boat a few years ago. Using a CIS with Epson R200s and then a 220. I too print on DVDs and when the the 220 head clogged up, I bought a Canadian version of the Canon iP4500 and started refilling. Once you get the hang of refilling, you won't miss the CIS, I sure dont.

You can usually find iP4500s on craigslist on a regular basis for cheap. There are sites with information on how to hack the U.S. Canon printers to enable disc printing. You just have to buy an F tray on eBay. But the iP4500 isn't a wide-format printer so it may not work for you.

BTW, welcome to the forum.

 

[The Hat]

msmart You can usually find iP4500s on craigslist on a regular basis for cheap

The other alternative is a Pro 9000 II it will print everything he wants (with the little adjustment you made on the 4500).

His other half will thank him forever for a really great trouble free printer,
which we know can be refilled so easily its a win win situation,
he just has to keep a good eye on Craigslist or rebate sale.
This of course all depends on whether motoguy is a loyal Epson man or not..

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

There are refurbished Epson 1400s on sale at the Epson Clearance Center for $179. I have one running with pigment inks using cartridges and inks from Precision Colors. I use Epsons because I'm paranoid about running a printhead dry, and an Epson will recover from that but a Canon will simply burn out and need to be replaced. Also it's a much cheaper option for the ability to use pigment or sublimation inks if needed.

 

[motoguy]

Well, I guess barring any significant reason to go with another make model, I'll pick up another refurb Epson for $179. I know this printer is several years old at this point, so I wanted to see if there was a strong reason to go with another model instead. If there isn't, I'll pick up the printer and some refillable carts from inkjetfly (I purchased my CISS from them as well).

I may pull apart these old printers and see what I can repair. I think the damage is less to the belt, and more to the tray that carries the print head / slides on the guide rail. It would appear that the belt sliding through the (stuck) tray has managed to "saw off" the teeth that keep the tray attached to the belt. The end result is that a new tray would be needed, and with a replacement cost of $50+$20 shipping, plus the time of taking apart, plus the wear on the first printer...I'm not sure a replacement for $179 doesn't make more sense. Again...

Besides, I have no doubt it will be weeks (at least) before I have the time to tear into these printers. In the meantime, I want to have a printer set up. For the $100 (or less) premium, I'll probably just get...another.

But I'll be going with refillable carts, this time. As a single guy who could "keep an eye" on the CISS ribbon while printing, the CISS system worked well. With the wife and kids printing while I'm gone, I think the refillable carts are the way to go. Are the Inkjetfly refillable carts a good way to go? I still have plenty of their ink level (in both the CISS system, and some left in the refill containers). If the carts work well, and the reset chips work well, I'll probably just pick up one from them.

In the meantime, if there's a good reason to go with something other than the Epson, I'm all ears.

 

[motoguy]

Wow. Apparently there has been some sort of run on the 1400. I didn't realize it has become so hard to find / expensive. The Epson refurb store is out of stock (that's where I bought the last one), and all the online / eBay prices are ridiculous, compared to what I paid for my last two 1400's. I see that Epson had these on closeout, so have they discontinued the 1400? If so, and if it's a popular printer, maybe that's why they've become so scarce and pricey.

Anyway, I guess I'm back to looking for alternatives (unless I run across a "good deal" on a 1400). Wide format was nice, but not required. I'd rather have DVD print capabilities. I'm open to suggestions on other printers that:

1) have good print quality
2) DVD capable
3) wide format would be nice, but not required
4) have a solid, reliable refill cart or possibly CISS system available.

It looks like the 1430 is the direct replacement for the 1400, but I'm still looking to see if there are functional refillable carts / cis systems out there. Much of what I'm reading states that the 3rd party systems for the 1430 are still kind of a crap shoot.

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

The problem with the 1430 is only the newest of the new chips out there work with it. Bad vendors are probably trying to get rid of their 1400 chips by sending one anyway and "maybe it'll work".

I've heard odd things about the 1430 being less well built (which is weird since it looks like a Workforce 1100 shell instead of a Stylus Photo/Artisan shell) and that it uses more ink, but I don't have any personal experience with it. I wasn't in a rush at the time so I waited to get the refurb instead of spending $300 - $80 mail in rebate on a 1430.

Keep an eye on that Epson refurb, I spent about 10 days checking it before I was able to snag one. Monday morning seems to be the day they release the most new inventory all at once, though it is constantly updated. It's like eBay, except with less dollar store junk.

 

[OutOFtheinkwell]

Just a hint. If you really like a printer and the deals are good, consider buying an extra one to keep around.
I like the Epson 1400 and bought two some years back for $139.00 refurbished. I'm still using the first one and it works great even though we refer to it as "Our piece of junk". That is an inside joke as my wife says every time we praise a piece of equipment it goes belly up!

 

[motoguy]

Well, I've been checking the refurb site multiple times daily for the last week or so. No luck so far, though I haven't given up hope yet. However, I'm considering the idea that I may have to move to the 1430. Do we have any suppliers of "known good" refill carts / chips for the 1430?