Canon Pixma IP3000 printer ink question

[Simon Finnigan]

Basically, I`m looking at getting one of these printers, but spotted 2
different black ink carts, the BCI-3eBk and the BCI-6. The BCI-3eBK seems
to be slightly more expensive than the BCI-6. Anyone got a clue what the
difference is?

Also, I was looking at an Epson R200 - is there any reason I should be
panicking to cancel my order for a Canon and go for the Epson?

 

[Bill]

Basically, I`m looking at getting one of these printers, but spotted 2
different black ink carts, the BCI-3eBk and the BCI-6. The BCI-3eBK seems
to be slightly more expensive than the BCI-6. Anyone got a clue what the
difference is?

Yes, but it doesn't apply to the iP3000, which uses four ink tanks,
specifically the BCI-3eBk and three BCI-6(c/m/y).

The BCI-6b is a dye-based photo black. The BCI-3eBk is a pigment-based
black for text. The 3e is larger and has a higher ink volume.

Also, I was looking at an Epson R200 - is there any reason I should be
panicking to cancel my order for a Canon and go for the Epson?

Perhaps...have you considered the life expectancy of the printhead in
the Canon printer and replacement cost?

Personally I prefer the HP models because the printhead is part of the
ink cartridge. You never have to worry about clogging or failure.

I had a Canon i850 (previous model to the iP3000) and the printhead
failed after only 4000 pages and 16 months. There are plenty of reports
of printhead failures from other people. The cost of a replacement
printhead is nearly the cost of a new printer, so it's not very cost
effective.

 

[Simon Finnigan]

Yes, but it doesn't apply to the iP3000, which uses four ink tanks,
specifically the BCI-3eBk and three BCI-6(c/m/y).

The BCI-6b is a dye-based photo black. The BCI-3eBk is a pigment-based
black for text. The 3e is larger and has a higher ink volume.

Ahh right, thanks for that. Seems a bit annoying being able to use both,
but not being able to swap between mid-cartridge. What are you supposed to
do regarding choosing between ink types if you`re printing out lots of
documents with text and photos?

Perhaps...have you considered the life expectancy of the printhead in
the Canon printer and replacement cost?

Personally I prefer the HP models because the printhead is part of the
ink cartridge. You never have to worry about clogging or failure.

I had a Canon i850 (previous model to the iP3000) and the printhead
failed after only 4000 pages and 16 months. There are plenty of reports
of printhead failures from other people. The cost of a replacement
printhead is nearly the cost of a new printer, so it's not very cost
effective.

I tend to do a lot of printing using compatible inks, and by the time the
inks have blocked the print head, the money saved on using the cheaper inks
far outweighs the cost of buying a new printer I`ve used HP in the
past, but the inks are very expensive when you`re printing lots out,
certainly compared to fair quality compatible inks. I moved to Epsons
because of the availability of cheap inks, and now have a C64 that needs to
either print out every day, or be cleaned when it`s not been used for a
couple of days. No great hardship, I`ve gone through 15-20 sets of
compatible inks on this printer, which must be a saving of hundreds of
pounds, compared to £70 for a new IP3000.

Does anyone have evidence one way or the other that regular (i.e. printing
every day) using compatible inks does more damage/has a greater chance of
blocking the head than printing less often? I`d imagine that very regular
printing would help keep the heads clear, but I`ve got no evidence one way
or the other.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Bill]

Ahh right, thanks for that. Seems a bit annoying being able to use both,
but not being able to swap between mid-cartridge.

If you buy the iP3000 you can't use both nor swap black ink tanks - they
are physically different sizes.

The iP4000 uses both black cartridges.

What are you supposed to
do regarding choosing between ink types if you`re printing out lots of
documents with text and photos?

You print out the text and photos separately, or you live with it.

Does anyone have evidence one way or the other that regular (i.e. printing
every day) using compatible inks does more damage/has a greater chance of
blocking the head than printing less often? I`d imagine that very regular
printing would help keep the heads clear, but I`ve got no evidence one way
or the other.

If you buy good quality inks, I don't think clogging is any worse than
using the manufacturer's inks. It's the really cheap ink that causes
problems.

 

[measekite]

First I would not get the IP3000 but get the IP4000. The IP4000 takes
both black cartridges. The BCI-6 contains dye ink and is used in
printing photos. It enhances the contrast. The IP3000 does not use
this cartridge being a 4 cartridge printer. The other black cartridge
contains pigmented ink and is used for business printing. The proper
one is selected by the print driver.

For a few bucks more, when on sale, the IP4000 is better.

 

[measekite]

I hear much of the same thing.  But in many if not most of the cases of print head failure due to clogging, the user did not ALWAYS use factory ink all of the time.  There may be additives in the factory ink that clean the head.  I do not know but it is a possibility.

Bill wrote:


Simon Finnigan wrote:



Basically, I`m looking at getting one of these printers, but spotted 2 different black ink carts, the BCI-3eBk and the BCI-6. The BCI-3eBK seems to be slightly more expensive than the BCI-6. Anyone got a clue what the difference is?



Yes, but it doesn't apply to the iP3000, which uses four ink tanks, specifically the BCI-3eBk and three BCI-6(c/m/y). The BCI-6b is a dye-based photo black. The BCI-3eBk is a pigment-based black for text. The 3e is larger and has a higher ink volume.



Also, I was looking at an Epson R200 - is there any reason I should be panicking to cancel my order for a Canon and go for the Epson?



Perhaps...have you considered the life expectancy of the printhead in the Canon printer and replacement cost? Personally I prefer the HP models because the printhead is part of the ink cartridge. You never have to worry about clogging or failure. I had a Canon i850 (previous model to the iP3000) and the printhead failed after only 4000 pages and 16 months. There are plenty of reports of printhead failures from other people. The cost of a replacement printhead is nearly the cost of a new printer, so it's not very cost effective.

 

[Bill]

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Please turn off HTML...newsgroups are text based and this extraneous
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I hear much of the same thing.  But in many if not most of the cases of
print head failure due to clogging, the user did not ALWAYS use factory
ink all of the time.  There may be additives in the factory ink that
clean the head.&nbsp; I do not know but it is a possibility.<br>

I don't think the ink makes any difference.

I used third-party bulk ink and refill kits. But a friend who has an
i550 used nothing but genuine Canon ink tanks and his printhead failed
in a year and a half after a measly 2500 pages. There are quite a few
reports of other failures using just Canon ink too.

By the way, we're not talking about just clogging of the printhead
nozzles here. By failure, we mean the head died and will not print
anything at all. On my printer, the printing stopped mid-page and the
lights on top started flashing indicating a printhead error. My friend's
printer did not show any error codes, but it stopped printing mid-page
as well.

What ticked me off the most, is that Canon didn't want to admit they
made a marketing error when promoting their printheads as being
semi-permanent and lasting "the life of the printer". Clearly the heads
are not designed to last as long as they said, and Canon has since
changed their tune. They now say the printhead life expectancy is good
for 5,000-10,000 pages which is a big difference. Had I known that, I
wouldn't have bought the i850 in the first place since head replacement
cost is too high and must be factored into the lifetime running costs.

I recommended Canon last year when it was working well, but not anymore.
I've gone back to HP printers and will not buy Canon again.

 

[Simon Finnigan]

First I would not get the IP3000 but get the IP4000. The IP4000 takes
both black cartridges. The BCI-6 contains dye ink and is used in
printing photos. It enhances the contrast. The IP3000 does not use
this cartridge being a 4 cartridge printer. The other black cartridge
contains pigmented ink and is used for business printing. The proper
one is selected by the print driver.

For a few bucks more, when on sale, the IP4000 is better.

It`s new printer time right now, and the price difference is about £40. I`m
getting the IP3000 for about £73, the IP4000 is £111. That`s a BIG price
difference for slightly blacker blacks when printing reports. Most of the
stuff I print out for my own use is to be read by myself and a few others,
quality isn`t a massive issue (I`m not trying to get work based on these
prints). For printing on CD`s and DVD`s, and covers to look fairly good
(got a friend who records his own music, and sometimes does videos, and he
likes having friends duplicate etc them for him), maybe 100 covers a month
(and therefore 100 CD`s/DVD`s), and maybe another 50 pages of work, is it
really worth that extra cash? That £40 difference is enough to pay for
about 6-8 sets of compatible inks (using a brand I use for my Epson and am
very happy with).

Anyone seen prints from both these printers side by side - is it really
worth £40 extra for better results using normal paper? How much faster is
the IP4000 than the IP3000 in the real world - fast enough to make a big
difference on a 50 page printing run?

 

[SleeperMan]

It`s new printer time right now, and the price difference is about
£40. I`m getting the IP3000 for about £73, the IP4000 is £111.
That`s a BIG price difference for slightly blacker blacks when
printing reports. Most of the stuff I print out for my own use is to
be read by myself and a few others, quality isn`t a massive issue
(I`m not trying to get work based on these prints). For printing on
CD`s and DVD`s, and covers to look fairly good (got a friend who
records his own music, and sometimes does videos, and he likes
having friends duplicate etc them for him), maybe 100 covers a month
(and therefore 100 CD`s/DVD`s), and maybe another 50 pages of work,
is it really worth that extra cash? That £40 difference is enough to
pay for about 6-8 sets of compatible inks (using a brand I use for my
Epson and am very happy with).

Anyone seen prints from both these printers side by side - is it
really worth £40 extra for better results using normal paper? How
much faster is the IP4000 than the IP3000 in the real world - fast
enough to make a big difference on a 50 page printing run?

Let me drop in...
First, that extra black cart not only make slightly more black, but also
much better photos. And now we're at most important decision - do you plan
to print photos? If not, forget 4000, as you won't need extra black, since
that one only spits out in high quality mode on photo paper. If yes, it is
worthed that extra cash. I've had i550 (4 carts) and now 4000 - difference
is really big. Speed is i think the same on both models.

Regarding what Bill said elsewhere...

True...heads do die...on my i550 died after appr. 18 months...but since i
refilled (and this IS the most easy on canon carts) in this time i not only
saved for a new one, but i even gained. Sure, i'd gain more if my i550
would still run...somehow i strongly doubt it ws ink's fault - it wasn't
some cheap one or universal...
but to be honest, Epson owners do report about head clogging beyond repair,
too... and what's more, in that case (supposely) head can't be replaced, not
to mention that in Canon head replacement is just not worthed, so we're
again at the same spot.

Let's say this...if my current 4000 dies in about same period, THEN i will
seriously consider about some Epson or HP... (i hope they will become faster
until that time ) you know, once is accidentally, twice is goodbye...
But, i've had two Lexmarks and carts are AWFULLY expensive, so from that
time i just don't like carts with integrated heads.
Why did i have two? Because when my first went out of ink, it was cheaper to
buy a new one (with 2 carts included) than buy just one cart separately.
Then i was tired of buying a new printer each time...

 

[Simon Finnigan]

Let me drop in...
First, that extra black cart not only make slightly more black, but also
much better photos. And now we're at most important decision - do you plan
to print photos? If not, forget 4000, as you won't need extra black, since
that one only spits out in high quality mode on photo paper. If yes, it is
worthed that extra cash. I've had i550 (4 carts) and now 4000 - difference
is really big. Speed is i think the same on both models.

Well, I found out that the IP4000 was on the high street for £100, which is
a much smaller difference than before. Plus it meant I got my hands on the
printer today, rather than waiting ages for it to be delivered. I`ve
printed out a few photo`s, and am truly impressed by the quality. The text
is OK, the duplexing has come in handy already, so all in all I`m impressed
with this little beauty!

True...heads do die...on my i550 died after appr. 18 months...but since i
refilled (and this IS the most easy on canon carts) in this time i not only
saved for a new one, but i even gained. Sure, i'd gain more if my i550
would still run...somehow i strongly doubt it ws ink's fault - it wasn't
some cheap one or universal...
but to be honest, Epson owners do report about head clogging beyond repair,
too... and what's more, in that case (supposely) head can't be replaced, not
to mention that in Canon head replacement is just not worthed, so we're
again at the same spot.

I`ve had Epsons clog up on me a few times, but when you`ve gone through 20
sets of compatible inks, who cares? I worked it out for a friend, getting
through a single set of compatibles, throwing the printer away and buying a
new one was cheaper than using Epson inks, so after 20 sets, there`s some
serious money been saved there. The Canon original inks seem to be cheaper,
but the compatibles are much cheaper again, so I`ll stick with getting the
compatibles from the place I got my Epsons from. They seem to do good
quality ink, and apparently even give your printer a service if their ink
knackered the head. Never bothered taking them up on the offer, but you
never know

Let's say this...if my current 4000 dies in about same period, THEN i will
seriously consider about some Epson or HP... (i hope they will become faster
until that time ) you know, once is accidentally, twice is goodbye...
But, i've had two Lexmarks and carts are AWFULLY expensive, so from that
time i just don't like carts with integrated heads.
Why did i have two? Because when my first went out of ink, it was cheaper to
buy a new one (with 2 carts included) than buy just one cart separately.
Then i was tired of buying a new printer each time...

I`m just getting rid of 5 of those £10 Dell printers, rebadged Lexmarks.
Buy cheap Lexmark compatible ink, snap a tiny bit of plastic off the cart
holder, and time to save 50% on a refil. They`re going to friends who don`t
print much, so the "expensive" ink doesn`t bother them. The ink is cheap
for them, but compared to £7.50 for a complete set of 5 inks for my new
Canon, it`s expensive for me

Thanks everyone for thier help - I`m glad I went for the higher model, but
I`m very impressed with the printer anyway. Well reccomended!

 

[SleeperMan]

Well, I found out that the IP4000 was on the high street for £100,
which is a much smaller difference than before. Plus it meant I got
my hands on the printer today, rather than waiting ages for it to be
delivered. I`ve printed out a few photo`s, and am truly impressed by
the quality. The text is OK, the duplexing has come in handy
already, so all in all I`m impressed with this little beauty!

told ya...!!!

I`ve had Epsons clog up on me a few times, but when you`ve gone
through 20 sets of compatible inks, who cares? I worked it out for a
friend, getting through a single set of compatibles, throwing the
printer away and buying a new one was cheaper than using Epson inks,
so after 20 sets, there`s some serious money been saved there. The
Canon original inks seem to be cheaper, but the compatibles are much
cheaper again, so I`ll stick with getting the compatibles from the
place I got my Epsons from. They seem to do good quality ink, and
apparently even give your printer a service if their ink knackered
the head. Never bothered taking them up on the offer, but you never
know

Even cheaper is to buy only ink set from some good reseller. Refilling carts
by yourself can't be easier - just drill a small hole at the top where ink
reservoir is, fill ink and seal the hole with electrical tape. voila!!!

 

[Simon Finnigan]

told ya...!!!

When the difference was £40 and the same delay, I couldn`t convince myself
it ws worth the money. Less than £30, and having the printer there and
then - that`s much easier case for convincing myself that it`s a good idea

Even cheaper is to buy only ink set from some good reseller. Refilling carts
by yourself can't be easier - just drill a small hole at the top where ink
reservoir is, fill ink and seal the hole with electrical tape. voila!!!

I don`t get as much spare time as I`d like, and the thought of messing about
with ink like this when a new cart is £1.50 doesn`t appeal. It takes
minutes to earn that much money, and I ALWAYS end up spilling ink
everywhere. You can say it`s as easy as you like, me and ink are mortal
enemies

 

[SleeperMan]

When the difference was £40 and the same delay, I couldn`t convince
myself it ws worth the money. Less than £30, and having the printer
there and then - that`s much easier case for convincing myself that
it`s a good idea



I don`t get as much spare time as I`d like, and the thought of
messing about with ink like this when a new cart is £1.50 doesn`t
appeal. It takes minutes to earn that much money, and I ALWAYS end
up spilling ink everywhere. You can say it`s as easy as you like, me
and ink are mortal enemies

hahaha...in this case, you have the point...although the cart is filled in
less than one minute, you CAN spill ink around, sure...

 

[Mapanari]

@news.siol.net:

hahaha...in this case, you have the point...although the cart is filled in
less than one minute, you CAN spill ink around, sure...

Watcha do is buy one of those refill kits with the syringe the first time,
then just the bulk inks later and reuse the syringe.

Takes me about 4 minutes to fill all the carts that way.