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A4 printer recommendation
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PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2020 10:29 am    Post subject: A4 printer recommendation Reply with quote

Hi
I'm looking for a quality A4 photo printer and I have whittled it down to two models. A Canon PIXMA TS8350 ans an Epson Expression Photo XP-8600. Does anyone have any experience with either of these printers or have other recommendations?
Thank you.


PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2020 4:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll give you my most likely biased opinion regarding the two printer brands. Every Epson printer I've owned -- and I've owned probably half a dozen -- I've ended up throwing away. Why? Because the ink systems became irreparably clogged and no matter what sort of cleaning method I used, I was unsuccessful in cleaning the nozzles. The last Epson I threw away was an all-in-one, similar to the one you're considering. I've owned only one Canon printer -- a PIXMA ix6800, which is a printer only -- and after three years of service, it's still going strong, working as well as it did the day I bought it. My Epsons typically started exhibiting color clogs after about a year of service. Now, to be fair, I suspect that if I would have printed color documents on my Epson on a regular basis -- say several times a week -- I may have not had the problems my Epsons suffered from. But most of the printing I do is simple text -- I only occasionally print in color. Thus I'm thankful that my Canon is able to produce quality color documents when I occasionally need them.

I looked up the two printers you're considering on Amazon. The Epson sells for 2.5x the price of the Canon. It also has only one review, whereas the Canon has 443. The Epson has one 4-star review, whereas the 443 reviews of the Canon are averaging 4 stars. That's pretty decent feedback, you ask me. I pay attention to the customer reviews of products these days. Makes for a more informed purchasing decision.


PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2020 5:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you Michael for your input. As far as price is concerned, in the UK the Canon sells for approx £150 and the Epson is available atm for £90, both new. Most of the printers I've owned over the years have been Canons and I was happy with all of them. I've never owned an Epson which is why I was asking about peoples experience with the brand and also because of the current price difference. Anyway, I've taken on board your comments and I think I'll go with the Canon. As far as the cost of ink is concerned, both are on a par with each other i.e. expensive!


PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2020 8:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One poo poo voice flushes the Epson? My experiences.have been entirely different. A month ago I printed a mailing label on my Epson that had been in the outdoors shed for over a year, maybe two years. Plugged it in, turned it on, printed no problem, first try. The shed humidity varies from 0 to 100%, temperatures from 20F to over 100F.

I've been meaning to ask the forum how many of those Canon Pixmas they sold for less than $100 a few years ago are still working? More than a few members bought them. http://forum.mflenses.com/us-canon-pixma-pro-100-w-paper-free-ship-59-after-rebate-t79802.html


PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2020 3:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have similar experiences like Michael and had to throw away all my previous Epsons due to stuck and irrepairable ink system but same with the one and only Canon printer I had so far as well.
Most probably this was always caused by longer idle periods and the usage of cheap after market inks and cartridges.
My recommendation therefore: Don't use any other than the original ink cartridges, otherwise you'll end up in troubles sooner or later.

I'm finally on Epson again but a model with the very big ink tanks and cheap original ink refill bottles (Eco-Tank system). So far no problems at all, irrespective of usage frequency.
Therefore my clear recommendation for an Epson Eco-Tank printer: Lowest running cost, 100% trouble free and excellent printing quality on good paper (I'm sticking to Epson paper for best result). Maybe not the cheapest model to buy but the higher cost upfront is a very good investment in the long run.