The Best CIS ?

[macrovision]

I want to make one thing clear because I've had a rough week....If you want true from the heart advice about cis kits for Epson "R" line printers...it doesn't matter what company you get it from as long as the carts are spongeless and the outlet port is a valve and the reasons are as follows...sponges with break apart like the ones we use for dishes...this will eventually clogg your printhead and render it useless....the outlet valve provides a air-tight seal when the carts are in the printer and it closes if you take the carts out...it has a water-proof spring inside of it that shuts the valve THANKS!!!!

[bidefordboy]

Not to worry Mac. I suppose it's only natural, if you have been using a system for quite a while with no prob's & you see people knocking it, you are going to be annoyed. There are a lot of thing's I could have said when my system let me down, but what's the point, life's too short.
Anyway thank's for the link to the system I have now & if I have any problems I will get you to sort them out for me.
You know what, I've just been looking around inside my printer (for a screw I dropped actually), & I see there are air vents each side, now if I had bought the parts and built my own cis I could have routed the tubing through them, then I could close the lid or I cou.................................

[qlizard]

Just got my system from printforless. Looks very similar to the printonadime unit except the reservoir tanks are two chambers and shorter (still 100ml though). All the brackets look the same. He gave me a great deal! I paid for a system with no ink, and the tanks came full! He says its the latest chip and resets to 90% at 10% but we'll see.

macro, how can I tell if the outlet port is a valve without taking it apart?

[Captain315]

I have a JWLsales kit that I haven't hooked up yet but will as soon as the cartridges I'm using are empty. It will go on the existing R200 that I use right now. It may be a while though as I don't print that much.

I bought another R200 and CIS sytem that should arrive in a couple of days. One R200 will be for disc printing and the other for all the other things I have to print. It's too much hassle having to open and close the tray and reset the printing parameters.

I took a chance on a new company called "wholesale-ink". Their CIS is supposedly the same as the $90.00 ones but only sells for $45.00. Shipping was $5.00 less than the others also. The complete system with ink (already primed) cost only $65.00 including shipping. I might note that on close inspection, the photos of the system appeared to be the same as what the others are selling.

The guy I dealt with seemed nice and explained that theirs was a new company and was just getting up and running. They are setting up for some different printers in the near future.

I will get it installed as soon as it arrives and will let all of you know how it works and the quality of the ink. First thing I will check (read macrovision) is whether or not it has mechanical or rubber valves in the cartridges. After that, it will be a test of longevity.

[macrovision]

For everyone that wants to know...you can tell if it's a valve in a cart by looking through the cart (if it's clear)and if it's a gray cart (not see through) look directly into the outlet port...you should see a piece that looks flat and smooth (usually gray or white) this is the plunger that closes when you take the cart out...don't disassemble the cart...it's not good for the cis kit!!!! and if all fails ask the manufacturer!! And Bidefordboy...No there is not enough room in the printer to install tubing or a cis unit...I've taken my R200 Piezoelectric printer apart and put it back together so many times i'm having nightmares that we're married(and we are)

[macrovision]

Epson carts interior

[macrovision]

This is a real cis cart...clear and it cost $18.00 each... I used it to replace my cyan cart on the jlwsales kit while I waited for his replacement(2 weeks,15-20 E-Mails) the round center is what the printer uses to pressurize the cart it also contains the outlet valve

[macrovision]

it didn't upload ..

[macrovision]

clear cis cart $18.00 each

[macrovision]

sorry to post so much but I wanted you guys to see the pics...in the clear carts(not a good pic) you can see the round center going down you'll see the spring loaded valve(outlet)...this cart is dual printer capable..I didn't upload the case it comes with for the R200...it also fits the Epson C84 printer( the case is a plastic housing that makes it fit the R200/R300 printer models) In the jlwsales cis the cart is totally hollow...no chambers...and the round center(most important piece) is what the printer charges against for the ink...this piece also has the mechanical valve that provides an airtight seal and it closes shut to prevent leakage when the cart is removed Another important fact is that you should not remove your cis carts unless it is totally needed...this will cause major problems with the nozzles(if air drys some or all of the residual ink on the cones)these cones are PIEZOELECTRIC ELEMENTS...and if you have the newer auto-reset chips(resets to 90%)donot remove the carts just before they reset because they will reset to 100% if you do!!! I'll explain the piezoelectric part later or you can look it up on google...do a search for piezoelectric printers

[qlizard]

Macro, what would it look like if it were not a valve?
I see a white piece in there but can't tell what it is. My cartridges have a sticker on the side, so I can't tell if it's clear or not. It says to not remove the sticker. Whats that all about?

[macrovision]

QLIZARD,Don't remove the sticker...underneath is a thin plastic film and if you break the seal your F**ked...the cart will be rendered useless....the film is a airtight....waterproof seal that withstands the charging from the printer....the carts your using are indeed a valved cart....mines are the same as yours (on the front it says"INKJET CARTRIDGE")...your good to go!!!!

[macrovision]

and qlizard the cart is gray...not clear...don't worry about it...your good to go...post any issues you have and contact the manufacturer about warranty

[osnola22]

captain 315, Do you have a web link to this CIS you bought?

[Skith]

I would be interested to hear if anyone has tried a kit from MIS (www.inksupply.com). The kits are more expensive, but come with a 60 day limited warranty. Here is a link to thier FAQ: http://www.inksupply.com/cobrafaq.cfm

MIS also sells Archival quality Inks (not for all printer models) as well as Quadtone and B&W (for B&W photo printing).

I would also be interested in hearing Macrovision's opinion. The systems are not cheap, at more than two times the cost of those mentioned in this thread. This is a professional grade company, and they even offer kits for wide format printers used by graphics artists and professional photographers. (example:Espon Stylus Photo 10000).

[macrovision]

skith....Guess what I was gonna buy my CIS from Inksupply.com but it cost more than my printer....60 day waranty is Okay but I'm not secure with the hose in the top of the bottle thing....our cis kits use gravity (hoses at the bottom of the tanks) the MIS company has hoses in the top of the ink bottles....I don't know how reliable that is and I'm pleased with the $100 cis I bought....If you can afford the MIS cis kit...I think you should go for it because they are indeed professional grade and I feel comfortable with 100% american companies....federal law states that we can hold them to what they advertise....and file law suits for defective merchandise

[Captain315]

osnola22:
The url is: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=51310&item=6762456760&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

I see that he's gone up to $49.95 or Buy It Now for $55.00. I don't know if the unit is a good one or not. I will have to wait and see what happens when AND IF I get it. He ships via the USPS and we all know how that can end up. Take a look at it and see if it interest you.

[macrovision]

Captain315....I am impressed with the wisdom you have used to find a dependable cis system....I am speaking with honesty....believe it or not that cis is indeed spongeless and it has a proper outlet valve....Even though there is a wapper on the front of it I can tell you the manufacturer is the same as the other cis (printonadime,printforless,toppy-jess) The box may say "BLUE FLY" and there's a flower like symbol on the top of the tanks...I can see it in the picture on E-Bay....thanks for looking past ill-minded advice that we all seemed to follow that ended up being a waste of our money and time....The tanks may be smaller than you think(I hope not)but even though my printonadime tanks are small it doesn't use alot of ink like the previous cis I was using...it doesn't leak and I don't worry about leaving it for a couple of days or walking away while it's printing(I print with the top down...No worries)....I don't have you shut it down to reset the ink levels...and It came with detailed instructions as well as a video-cd.....I hate to mention this again but the comany has a 30 day warranty,very good consumer care, and and their located in the U.S.A. ....This means that they can't advertise falsely....the only thing I don't like about that kit is the chipset goes back to 100% when it resets the inklevels but don't worry I think that you made a better choice this time...as always "WE'LL SEE" 8)

[Captain315]

Yes Macro, I noticed the 100% also. He says it has the new chips so I'm just waiting for it to get here and see if it works like the others do. I just sent him a letter asking why the 22% increase in cost. He may tell me to kiss his a** but I have to ask. Unless it's justified, it just means that he's trying to make a killing off it. I don't mind paying for something but I sure do hate to be screwed and not get at least one kiss. :P

The $45 I paid was MORE than reasonable to me. Maybe he just feels like it should pay more for his time and effort. I wouldn't mind paying $55 if it's as good as he claims. He says it's the same system as the ones selling for $90 + . I hope I can come back in a couple of days and give a good PRELIMINARY report. Naturally, its longevity will have to be seen. I just caution anyone thinking of purchasing this unit to wait a few days until I get a chance to evaluate it and see what it will or won't do. Also, I'd like to see what his reaction will be to the letter I sent. He seems nice, but then, he IS a YANKEE. I would tend to be a little "ruffled" if I got such a letter (and I'm a die-hard CONFEDERATE).

Just got the reply (took 10 minutes for him to reply).

Hi Tom, well that was really an introductory price, we will lower the price again. Just waiting on large shipment to come in.
Thank you, WHOLESALE_INK

No too shabby for a YANKEE.

Will be getting back to everyone that's interested just as soon as I can. Thanks for the nice letter Macro....

[nickelzy]

Goodness gracious - I do appreciate your willingness and desire to inform and educate people about the CIS systems, but that latest post (and some of your others) are over the top and quite excessive. I don't mean this in a negative way, but I wonder (as I've read every post on this forum concerning CIS systems) why you are so unbelievalble zealous when it comes to CIS systems. Don't get me wrong, you are indeed helpful, but some of the comments you have made leave me scratching my head.

[bidefordboy]

As Macrovision said, it looks like a lot of the systems now becoming available are made by the same manufacturer, and being sold by different resellers.
Captain315, your system looks the same as the one I purchased frm Toppy-Jess. If it is then you got it at a good price.
The reason I went for my system was that it is supposed to be fitted with the 90% chips which will avoid wasting ink when the levels reset. But I have'nt got there yet, my levels are about 50%. Will let you all know if it works.
Also the ads can be a bit misleading. When I first looked at the Toppy-Jess ad on ebay I thought the tanks were 110ml, but the 110ml is actually what is in the tanks, in the tubing & in the carts. So I suppose the tanks alone are between 70ml & 90ml.
Your system from wholesale-ink also has different mounting brackets than the Toppy-Jess system but should work just the same.
At the moment I am very happy with my system which is running perfectly, and I have noticed that I am using a hell of a lot less ink than I was with my last system.

[qlizard]

Goodness gracious - I do appreciate your willingness and desire to inform and educate people about the CIS systems, but that latest post (and some of your others) are over the top and quite excessive. I don't mean this in a negative way, but I wonder (as I've read every post on this forum concerning CIS systems) why you are so unbelievalble zealous when it comes to CIS systems. Don't get me wrong, you are indeed helpful, but some of the comments you have made leave me scratching my head.

I don't want to get off topic, but who's to say what someone should feel passionate about? A lot of people feel strongly about wine, golf, and reality TV. I don't give a crap about them. I like football, food, and Pink Floyd and would bore you to tears about any one of them. Macro's on a roll here, and helping me out a lot. I appreciate the passion, especially when the intentions are good.

[dmagic1]

So where would you say the best deal is on the new CIS with the 90%chips and with the valve-type carts?
I want atleast ~100ml tanks and ink included.

[macrovision]

I hate to post from back to back but I just wanted to say that my printonadime CIS auto-resetted to 100% for the second time...I will be using it alot for the next week or so and I think by the end of the next week it should re-set again and it better not be 100%...I did take one cart out because I saw an air gap(half an inch)between the cart and the hose...I resolved that issue but then it didn't do a auto-clean cycle the first time I turned it on but it did two auto-clean cycles the next two times I turned it on but hasn't done that again...on monday I'm gonna E-Mail the company because I don't like false advertising!!!!!

[bidefordboy]

dmagic1

The only system I can see at the moment on ebay that has 100ml tanks & 90% chips is the 'printonadime' one. With ink this would cost you $90.
There is one by 'printforless' that has 100ml tanks, but the chips reset at 100%, also the ink is extra. You have to bid for it or email them and ask for a 'buy now' price.

Macrovision

I understand you have the smaller tanks. Is the ink stopper a clip on device or is it part of the moulding ?
It would be a good idea if we could get a portable ink stopper that you could use on any system. Then if we did have a problem with our system & needed to stop the flow of ink, it could be clamped off near to the leak.
Anyone got any idea's for a tool like this ?

[macrovision]

My ink stopper is actually a roller in a plastic housing that appears to be super glued on the side of the tanks it's made like a ramp with the tubes in the back...it actually looks easy to make if you have hobby equipment like a dremel...wood....like a minature rolling pin on a minature ramp..cool?
Ijust spent 10ml of ink and one hour fourty-five minutes cleaning my print-head nozzles by hand.....The nozzle check came back with lines missing in the light magenta area(next to yellow) and no matter how many clean cycles I ran it was the same results! So, out comes MR.WINDEX with ammonia D....A tiny squirt on each nozzle....(NOT TOO MUCH BECAUSE IT WILL CORRODE THE RIBBON CABLE UNDER THE CARRAIGE) I let it sit for about two minutes...used paper towels to dab the excess chemical....and BAM!!! GOOD AS NEW!!!!Perfect nozzle checks and perfect prints....I think it's caused by taking the carts out of the machine...It give the residual ink a chance to dry....I took them out to re-prime...That's when MR.TROUBLE showed up!

[macrovision]

Now once again I forgot to post something so please forgive two posts back to back....about what company has the best deal....DUM DE DUM DUM DA!!! My printonadime auto-resetted different colors at different times to 100%...the company advertises 90%...no-one was bothering the damn thing..I turned it off...turned it on later...NO PROBLEM...but the next time I turned it on it did that dreadful auto-clean cycle.....I'm so freakin' happy that I know how to detach the waste-pad (It has a spring and a hose underneath it)I rinse it off...dry it..and re-attach it every freakin time that happens.....Basically maintaining the printer because my previous print(also an R200) Gave "GENERAL ERROR" messages because of auto-clean causing ink to leak into the gears of the waste-pad...the movements are monitored by the printer and even if you reset the protection counter it will give the error message...cleaning the waste-pad is actually very easy once you do it!! I enjoy maintaining equipment anyway and yes I'm passionate about Electronics in general. Not to mention I expect it to do it's job 100%...not for me to do it's job 100%!

[dmagic1]

@macrovision

You do know that little pad isn't the only waste pad?
The main pads actually are very hard to remove and clean. There has been a good bit of discussion about this in the other topic, along with some mods to let the waste ink drain out.

[macrovision]

I know that the little pad isn't the only waste pad...I've taken the R200 completely apart and I can tell you that there is a waste pad on the far left...and in the bottom of the printer on the right...but the main waste pads are the two on the ridgt that contacts the print-head in the parking position the one that has the wiper blade on it is the most important one....it cleans the print-head of excess ink during printing(you'll see the printhead go there every 3 or 4 passes during dvd printing) modding this takes more than some speak about in this forum...as I've stated I know about the internal make-up of the R200 and the main waste-pad isn't asorbant and it has a tiny exit port on it....Ink will not pass through the opening easy and I'm afraid that the main pad with wet ink on it (not what's already drained... what's still on the pad)will eventually cause clogging in the nozzles so I don't give it a chance..."Better safe than sorry"

[macrovision]

Noe if you want to know a little more about the Epson "R" line (piezoelectric inkjet printers) look at this web page. http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-inkjet-printers-work.htm and if you want more technical data just post your Inquiries...not that I know everything about my R200 but I might have more insight having successfully taken it completly apart and putting it back again and it still works properly...That's how I spend most of my days for the last 15+ years.