Question about Epson Stylus 880 and CIS

[Jeff]

Question for the experts.

I have an Epson Stylys 880 (Circa 2001) just opened for the first time.

I happenned to buy a CIS for it (This printer uses the older non chipped
cartridges)

My question is this:

Can I just use the CIS ink reservoir flat out or do I need to indoctrinate
the printer with regular cartridges first before using the CIS.

Thnx!!!

 

[Jan Alter]

Question for the experts.

I have an Epson Stylys 880 (Circa 2001) just opened for the first time.

I happenned to buy a CIS for it (This printer uses the older non chipped
cartridges)

My question is this:

Can I just use the CIS ink reservoir flat out or do I need to indoctrinate
the printer with regular cartridges first before using the CIS.

Thnx!!!

The best thing to do is call the company that sold you the unit unless
someone here, who is a reliable source, can give you first hand information
about applying it to the 880. Additionally I would not use the cartridges
that came with the printer at this point as they are way past their
usability date. Epson says not to use anything over 2 years old (when they
are vacuum sealed).

I would also download the driver (s) for the printer from Epson, as
there may have been an updated one produced after the one that's included
with your printer. You will need the print driver and the print monitor
driver to show how much ink is being used.
Congratulations, by the way. A brand new 880! I'm stlll using the 880
after six years very happily. To my usage it was the best all-around printer
Epson ever produced and cheap as anything to run on third party cartridges.

 

[Arthur Entlich]

It will probably be more difficult to get the CIS to flow if the printer
never had ink in it's heads, however, either way will probably work over
time..

Art

If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste,
I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog:

http://e-trashtalk.spaces.live.com/

 

[Arthur Entlich]

OK, a little more advice.

The printers come with some glycol mix in the heads to help to keep them
moist for the first ink charge. In a printer that old, this may have
evaporated. Depending upon the bulk ink you are using you may be able
to use a head cleaner and some clean cartridges just to get everything
dissolved and running smoothly. However, the inks within the printer
are 3rd party CIS, so check if the cleaning formula will work with it
as some are completely inappropriate to mix around.

Speak with whomever's bulk ink you are using for ink type compatability.


Art

If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste,
I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog:

http://e-trashtalk.spaces.live.com/

 

[RCC]

Additionally I would not use the cartridges
that came with the printer at this point as they are way past their
usability date. Epson says not to use anything over 2 years old (when they
are vacuum sealed).

Lucky you finding an as new 880. If you find a warehouse full, let us
all know and a line of buyers may well form.

I agree with the advice on not using old cartridges though - real recent
experience. At the weekend I found a pair of still sealed/packed Epson
cartridges in the bottom of a cupboard - I think they were about 4 years
old. Popped them into the 880 and then spent most of the afternoon
running cleaning cycles! Eventually threw them out and put in a new
pair of compatibles, a couple more cleaning cycles and all was fine.

So although it looks like manufacturers bluff to get you to throw old
stuff away, in this case they are right and they do seem to go off in
storage.

Here in UK I seem to be able to get compatibles so easily its not really
worth bothering with a CIS. They have worked fine for years, and
despite malevolent posts in this group, meet my needs perfectly. A bit
of initial trial and error with the ink, the paper and the custom
settings dialogue and I have a set of saved settings which give
excellent photo results, plus its good not have to care about cost when
the children run off homework, web pages and so on plain paper.

Its on a network and I work from home: between us we must get through
almost 2 reams of A4 per month - so 10,000 pages per year plus a few
photos. I probably spend about USD 70 on ink each year. Its the real
world, not the perfectionist dreamland that some seem to live in.

 

[Jeff]

The inks from that New 880 were consumed years ago in another 880, the 880
itself has not even been powered up thats why I was curious as to whether
CIS could be used initially.

Also, if the printer has to be moved across town once a CIS system is
installed, is that difficult?

Also, does anyonr know hoe many lifetime sheets this can print out?

100,000? more?

thnx

Jeff

 

[Jan Alter]

The inks from that New 880 were consumed years ago in another 880, the 880
itself has not even been powered up thats why I was curious as to whether
CIS could be used initially.

Also, if the printer has to be moved across town once a CIS system is
installed, is that difficult?

Also, does anyonr know hoe many lifetime sheets this can print out?

100,000? more?

thnx

Jeff

Although you should expect thousands of copies from this 880, from what you
are saying it may be far preferable to be using a laser if you are doing
monochrome work with it. Not only would the printing be faster and crisper,
if it is text, it would be cheaper as well, even if you are using a CIS
add-on.
If on the other hand you expect to be using color then you may as well
use the 880. Printing will be slower than with a laser, but I would rate the
color better and still cheaper than using laser consumables.