My Brother MFC-210 has a drinking problem..

[Louis]

Hello !

Yesterday, I wanted to print a color page using my 18 month old Brother
MFC-210 printer (fax/scan/copier/etc..).

The page never printed.

I noted the following messages in the small display :
- Yellow cartridge is empty
- Black cartridge low.


Ok. I bought (and used) this device mainly for it's scan / fax
functions - and, occasionnaly print a color page (I use a laser printer
for all my other print jobs).

In the last 18 months, I printed a maximum of 15 pages - it can't
explain why the cartridges are empty.


The only other explanation I can see is that every day, at 11 AM,
there's a noise coming from this printer - which looks like a "head
cleaning routine" and that routine slowly emptied my cartridges.

This occurs even if the unit is set to OFF !!

I'm used to cleaning routines with other printers (HP, Canon..), but
usually, it takes place when you power on the printer, not every day at
the same hour even when the unit is off..


My questions :

- is it normal for a printer to slowly "drink" it's cartridges ink this
way ?

- is there a way (other than unplugging the device) to prevent the
printer to perform its head cleaning routine every day at the same hour
?

- where did all that ink go ?

- isn't there an issue here where the "spoiled ink container" will
eventually be full ?

Thanks

 

[kony]

Hello !

Yesterday, I wanted to print a color page using my 18 month old Brother
MFC-210 printer (fax/scan/copier/etc..).

The page never printed.

I noted the following messages in the small display :
- Yellow cartridge is empty
- Black cartridge low.


Ok. I bought (and used) this device mainly for it's scan / fax
functions - and, occasionnaly print a color page (I use a laser printer
for all my other print jobs).

In the last 18 months, I printed a maximum of 15 pages - it can't
explain why the cartridges are empty.


The only other explanation I can see is that every day, at 11 AM,
there's a noise coming from this printer - which looks like a "head
cleaning routine" and that routine slowly emptied my cartridges.

This occurs even if the unit is set to OFF !!

I'm used to cleaning routines with other printers (HP, Canon..), but
usually, it takes place when you power on the printer, not every day at
the same hour even when the unit is off..


My questions :

- is it normal for a printer to slowly "drink" it's cartridges ink this
way ?

- is there a way (other than unplugging the device) to prevent the
printer to perform its head cleaning routine every day at the same hour
?

- where did all that ink go ?

- isn't there an issue here where the "spoiled ink container" will
eventually be full ?

Thanks

I don't know if or which printers might clean their heads at
regular intervals, but you will have to continually clean
the heads to keep them from clogging up so badly they aren't
usable anymore.

An inkjet is the wrong type of printer for such low usage
unless you are willing to buy new cartridges even without
having gotten capacity out of the prior cartridge. For such
a light usage per period I suggest a laser printer... though
this addt'l expense, especially if it's a color laser
all-in-one, can be fairly high, certainly a larger cost than
replacing all the cartridges every 18 months or so. For the
money and your uses, you would avoid moments when it can't
print because it's again time to replace the cartridge.

 

[scsisys]

I've got a Brother MFC-5440CN (all in one) and the same thing happens.
The unit is off most of the time and it sucks the ink out over a 4 - 5 month
term. I rarely use the unit and ought to just give it away.

 

[PeeCee]

Hello !

Yesterday, I wanted to print a color page using my 18 month old Brother
MFC-210 printer (fax/scan/copier/etc..).

The page never printed.

I noted the following messages in the small display :
- Yellow cartridge is empty
- Black cartridge low.


Ok. I bought (and used) this device mainly for it's scan / fax
functions - and, occasionnaly print a color page (I use a laser printer
for all my other print jobs).

In the last 18 months, I printed a maximum of 15 pages - it can't explain
why the cartridges are empty.


The only other explanation I can see is that every day, at 11 AM, there's
a noise coming from this printer - which looks like a "head cleaning
routine" and that routine slowly emptied my cartridges.

This occurs even if the unit is set to OFF !!

I'm used to cleaning routines with other printers (HP, Canon..), but
usually, it takes place when you power on the printer, not every day at
the same hour even when the unit is off..


My questions :

- is it normal for a printer to slowly "drink" it's cartridges ink this
way ?

- is there a way (other than unplugging the device) to prevent the printer
to perform its head cleaning routine every day at the same hour ?

- where did all that ink go ?

- isn't there an issue here where the "spoiled ink container" will
eventually be full ?

Thanks

Louis

I have a Brother MFC 3820 CN which also empties the cartridges over a couple
of months.
This particular printer was acquired at the right price, but on the basis
that 95% of the ink is going to be wasted it is heading for the sale table
at my next yard sale. It's for sure the previous owner was pleased to see
the back of it.

As a general comment on Printer reliability, in my garage right at this
point in time, I have something like 12 HP inkets, 1 Epson inkjet and 6
Brother inkjet and laser printers. Interestingly the HP's all still work and
were retired simply because the owners wanted faster or Multi function
units, The sole Epson is dead and is the only one I'm associated with that
has died.
The Brothers on the otherhand are all 'Broken', snapped gears, wornout
Drums, broken sensors, broken paper pickup/paths.... Then there is the
Brothers that have died and 'not' ended up in my garage.

It's for sure I'm highly unlikely to buy a new Brother in the future.

Best
Paul.

 

[paulmd]

Hello !

Yesterday, I wanted to print a color page using my 18 month old Brother
MFC-210 printer (fax/scan/copier/etc..).

The page never printed.

I noted the following messages in the small display :
- Yellow cartridge is empty
- Black cartridge low.

Ok. I bought (and used) this device mainly for it's scan / fax
functions - and, occasionnaly print a color page (I use a laser printer
for all my other print jobs).

In the last 18 months, I printed a maximum of 15 pages - it can't
explain why the cartridges are empty.

The only other explanation I can see is that every day, at 11 AM,
there's a noise coming from this printer - which looks like a "head
cleaning routine" and that routine slowly emptied my cartridges.

This occurs even if the unit is set to OFF !!

I'm used to cleaning routines with other printers (HP, Canon..), but
usually, it takes place when you power on the printer, not every day at
the same hour even when the unit is off..

My questions :

- is it normal for a printer to slowly "drink" it's cartridges ink this
way ?

- is there a way (other than unplugging the device) to prevent the
printer to perform its head cleaning routine every day at the same hour
?

- where did all that ink go ?

- isn't there an issue here where the "spoiled ink container" will
eventually be full ?

Thanks

I would contact Brother about this one.

http://www.brother-usa.com/support/

 

[Plato]

- is it normal for a printer to slowly "drink" it's cartridges ink this
way ?

Well, its normal for ink carts to dry out withyout use.

 

[Noozer]

Well, its normal for ink carts to dry out withyout use.

Not when stuffed into a properly working printer.

 

[Plato]

Not when stuffed into a properly working printer.

One should do at least a test print several times/week just to keep the
carts from drying out.

 

[Noozer]

One should do at least a test print several times/week just to keep the
carts from drying out.

Why? Printers seal off the head when parked. My Epson printer lasted more
than 8 years printing from 1 page per month to a couple dozen a week. The
printer was rarely shut off. It was still working great when I sold it so I
could upgrade to a printer that prints on CDs.

Any printer that dries out from sitting unused is defective (or at least
poorly designed).

 

[Louis]

Noozer a pensé très fort :
You really think that a dried ink cartridge gives the "ink low" or
"cartridge empty" message alll of a sudden ?

My experience is that a dried cart behave like a normal cartridge
except it won't print.


Remember it wasn't left totally unused, since the printer performs a
head cleaning routine every day.

Why? Printers seal off the head when parked. My Epson printer lasted more
than 8 years printing from 1 page per month to a couple dozen a week. The
printer was rarely shut off. It was still working great when I sold it so I
could upgrade to a printer that prints on CDs.

Any printer that dries out from sitting unused is defective (or at least
poorly designed).

If we rely on scsisys and PeeCee posts, it looks like many Brother
models have this defect/poor design.. :-(

 

[kony]

Noozer a pensé très fort :

You really think that a dried ink cartridge gives the "ink low" or
"cartridge empty" message alll of a sudden ?

My experience is that a dried cart behave like a normal cartridge
except it won't print.

It could depend on the printer and cart design, and what the
designer decided to call the error event. If it is a cart
problem solved by replacing the cart, it's just semantics.

Remember it wasn't left totally unused, since the printer performs a
head cleaning routine every day.

Maybe the daily head cleaning was excessive (probably),
though it would need to do so periodically on many printers.
It's unrealistic to expect to continue using same cartridge
for over 18 months. They don't have an infinite lifespan.


All printers, carts, print heads, and ink formulations are
not the same. Chaulk it up to price differences, poor
design, technological improvements towards higher print
quality, or other reasons we may not forsee. While your
printer might have lasted 8 years, a cartridge generally
does not even if never used. Even their (cart) shelf life
while new/sealed is pretty short - they get rotated and
thrown away by sellers if not sold within some time period
(unless the seller is disreputable).



It might be poor design, or it might be the design
compromises one thing to gain another. 18 months is not a
short period of time to have an open ink cart sitting in a
printer.