Print Head for Epson Stylus Color 640 Inkjet?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gazza
  • Start date Start date
G

Gazza

Hi,

You may have seen my 'Canon: ip4200 vs ip4300' thread. Anyway, this is my
situation.

I had not been printing much out using my Epson Stylus Color 640; the odd
black-ink-only letter and even fewer documents using any colours. Then,
some relatives asked me to print out some photographs for them. Nothing
printed. I invoked the cleaning routine umpteen times. Nothing. I
replaced the cartridges with new ones (albeit all my new cartridges were
third-party and had been stored for several months). Again, nothing.
Tried yet more cartridges, and more, in between, trying the cleaning
routine over and over again. Not a thing. Ordered some cleaning
cartridges from the Web (about 10 pounds). Got an e. mail back saying none
were in stock -- two weeks for them and Could I get in touch? I haven't
and Should I bother? Read in Which? UK consumer magazine that print heads
for Epsons could not be obtained except by sending the printer off to be
repaired, but I'd already come across a UK site that offered them -- for
over 40 pounds. Now, the print head included Epson cartridges.
Presumably, one can't obtain a new print head without having to have a full
set of new Epson cartridges (LOL). If I'd always used, and was
determinded, in future, to use, only printer-manufacturer cartridges, the
~40 pounds would be okay, because I'd be getting Epson cartridges I'd be
buying anyway (an Epson black cartridge costing about 6 pounds and an Epson
tri-colour cartridge costing about 12 pounds, leaving the price of the
print head at about 22 pounds -- cheaper than a new printer, although a new
print head and cartridges wouldn't 're-new' the rest of the printer, of
course). But I only use third-party inks, so a new head plus cart's seems
uneconomical. Maybe the supplier would split the head and cartridges.
Maybe not. Sending the printer off for repair would, I imagine, cost at
least the 40 pounds. This is why I'm wondering if there's anyone/anywhere
out there that I could get a second-hand print head from for around 10
pounds or less. Perhaps somebody has an Epson Stylus Color 640 with a
working head, but which no longer works in some other way(s), or, maybe,
somebody just wants to upgrade from their Stylus. I am not totally
printerless; my workhorse Epson DFX-8500 dot-matrix does fine, NLQ
documents, but it's hardly for photographs (unless newspaper-like, dotty
black-and-white/greyscale ones are desired). Any suggestions?

Yours,
Gary Hayward.
 
Gazza said:
Hi,

You may have seen my 'Canon: ip4200 vs ip4300' thread. Anyway, this is my
situation.

I had not been printing much out using my Epson Stylus Color 640; the odd
black-ink-only letter and even fewer documents using any colours. Then,
some relatives asked me to print out some photographs for them. Nothing
printed.
Click to expand...
I invoked the cleaning routine umpteen times. Nothing.
Click to expand...
I replaced the cartridges with new ones (albeit all my new cartridges were
third-party and had been stored for several months).
Click to expand...

Well that is the reason. Now if you get an IP4300 and use Canon OEM ink
you will not have a problem. My IP4000 is two years old, never a
cleaning routine, always had OEM ink, and never had a clog or any other
problem. I know it is tempting to use inferior ink and accept it
because of economics but it is like pay me now to pay me later.
Again, nothing.
Tried yet more cartridges, and more, in between, trying the cleaning
routine over and over again. Not a thing. Ordered some cleaning
cartridges from the Web (about 10 pounds). Got an e. mail back saying none
were in stock -- two weeks for them and Could I get in touch? I haven't
and Should I bother? Read in Which? UK consumer magazine that print heads
for Epsons could not be obtained except by sending the printer off to be
repaired, but I'd already come across a UK site that offered them -- for
over 40 pounds. Now, the print head included Epson cartridges.
Click to expand...
Presumably, one can't obtain a new print head without having to have a full
set of new Epson cartridges (LOL).
Click to expand...

As it should be. Epson is protecting the customer's investment
If I'd always used, and was
determinded, in future, to use, only printer-manufacturer cartridges, the
~40 pounds would be okay, because I'd be getting Epson cartridges I'd be
buying anyway (an Epson black cartridge costing about 6 pounds and an Epson
tri-colour cartridge costing about 12 pounds, leaving the price of the
print head at about 22 pounds -- cheaper than a new printer, although a new
print head and cartridges wouldn't 're-new' the rest of the printer, of
course).
Click to expand...
But I only use third-party inks, so a new head plus cart's seems
uneconomical.
Click to expand...

OBoy, it sounds to me like you are really saving money and made a sound
financial decision.
Maybe the supplier would split the head and cartridges.
Maybe not. Sending the printer off for repair would, I imagine, cost at
least the 40 pounds. This is why I'm wondering if there's anyone/anywhere
out there that I could get a second-hand print head from for around 10
pounds or less.
Click to expand...

Start by valuing your time. Get the Canon printer of your choice that
you are considering. Use Canon ink and enjoy what you are printing.
Now you do not see a recent eater of Spinach getting out of the hospital
and asking for a Spinach salad in the nearest restaurant.
 
This is why I'm wondering if there's anyone/anywhere
out there that I could get a second-hand print head from for around 10
pounds or less. Perhaps somebody has an Epson Stylus Color 640 with a
working head, but which no longer works in some other way(s), or, maybe,
somebody just wants to upgrade from their Stylus.
Click to expand...

I've had more than one fail, nothing prints. Have been lucky and found
s/h printers. I assume problem is with the electronics rather than the
head, if it were the head then I would expect some nozzles to print,
(the one or more blocked nozzles problem). My understanding is that
the electronics selects the nozzles that need to fire, then a common
"fire" signal fires the selected ones, and I assume (without an oscilloscope)
that it's this strobe signal that is failing.
Asking price for s/h seems to be 10 to 20UKPDS, but can be beaten down
to 8 to 10 pounds, ask to see it working, if you can't, say it's a big risk and
bargain accordingly.
 
Gazza said:
Hi,

You may have seen my 'Canon: ip4200 vs ip4300' thread. Anyway, this is
my
situation.

I had not been printing much out using my Epson Stylus Color 640; the odd
black-ink-only letter and even fewer documents using any colours. Then,
some relatives asked me to print out some photographs for them. Nothing
printed. I invoked the cleaning routine umpteen times. Nothing. I
replaced the cartridges with new ones (albeit all my new cartridges were
third-party and had been stored for several months). Again, nothing.
Tried yet more cartridges, and more, in between, trying the cleaning
routine over and over again. Not a thing. Ordered some cleaning
cartridges from the Web (about 10 pounds). Got an e. mail back saying
none
were in stock -- two weeks for them and Could I get in touch? I haven't
and Should I bother? Read in Which? UK consumer magazine that print heads
for Epsons could not be obtained except by sending the printer off to be
repaired, but I'd already come across a UK site that offered them -- for
over 40 pounds. Now, the print head included Epson cartridges.
Presumably, one can't obtain a new print head without having to have a
full
set of new Epson cartridges (LOL). If I'd always used, and was
determinded, in future, to use, only printer-manufacturer cartridges, the
~40 pounds would be okay, because I'd be getting Epson cartridges I'd be
buying anyway (an Epson black cartridge costing about 6 pounds and an
Epson
tri-colour cartridge costing about 12 pounds, leaving the price of the
print head at about 22 pounds -- cheaper than a new printer, although a
new
print head and cartridges wouldn't 're-new' the rest of the printer, of
course). But I only use third-party inks, so a new head plus cart's seems
uneconomical. Maybe the supplier would split the head and cartridges.
Maybe not. Sending the printer off for repair would, I imagine, cost at
least the 40 pounds. This is why I'm wondering if there's anyone/anywhere
out there that I could get a second-hand print head from for around 10
pounds or less. Perhaps somebody has an Epson Stylus Color 640 with a
working head, but which no longer works in some other way(s), or, maybe,
somebody just wants to upgrade from their Stylus. I am not totally
printerless; my workhorse Epson DFX-8500 dot-matrix does fine, NLQ
documents, but it's hardly for photographs (unless newspaper-like, dotty
black-and-white/greyscale ones are desired). Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

I used to have an Epson Stylus Color 740 printer, and was therefore
interested in Epson printer matters.
One bit of info I gathered, was that some _specific software_ needed to be
used after fitting a new printer head. That software is not generally
available.

Sylvain.
 
Before giving up on your Epson printer, email me and request my free
Epson Cleaning Manual.

It will explain how to unclog the printer heads, and how to make you own
cleaning cartridges for pennies.

Art

e-printerhelp(at)mvps(dot)org

(at) = @
(dot) = .
 
The heads not only very rarely fail, but the way they fail usually is
not the full head not working.

Sometimes the full heads do just clog up, due to ink under the head
which builds up or other reasons.

I have seen many people bring back a machine from the repair shop after
they were told the head is "dead" and should be replaced, only to have
those people contact me and get the printer working very well with the
use of cleaning solutions.

Art
 
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