Epson Stylus DX7400 - Why is it SUCH a bad product??

Question

Have used Epson printers for years - never again after this printer! Has anyone else had problems with it and, more importantly, have you had anything other than PR blah blah from Epson customer services?

Answer 1

I have the same printer and have not encountered any problems with it - maybe your printer was just a one-off?

Answer 2

Have you cleaned out the paper path? Try using the canned air and blowing any debris out. Epson did have a problem with some ink cartridges not being recognized and this has been corrected. If you would have contacted Epson Support, they would have sent you out New Ink Cartridges to replace the ones that were not recognixed (there was nothing more they could do and it was posted on their website and others).

Key features that you probably are not aware of and are having a fit over are:

1. Leave the printer on:

It is recommended that you leave your printer turned on. The printer is Energy Star compliant. Every time you turn your printer off and then back on, it recharges the ink cartridges and actually uses ink. This is true for all printers. If you print often you should not have any problems with your printheads. If you do not print very often, it is recommended that you perform a nozzle check once a week to keep the printheads from drying out and becoming clogged. If this does happen, all you need to do is a printhead cleaning. This maintenance operation varies from printer to printer and will be explained in your user’s manual.

2. When you run out of ink, you will have to manually tell the printer

that you want to change the ink cartridge:

This is due to a safety feature that is on all Epson printers. It is very easy for children to open the lid of the printer. If your child opens the lid and the printhead carriage begins cycling (moving back and forth), your child’s fingers can easily get hurt. Therefore you need to tell the printer you want to change the cartridge. This information is in your user’s manual as well.

3. If you run out of a color, you cannot use the printer until it is replaced:

The reason for this is yet another safety feature for your printer. There are actually two reasons for this feature. First, if you are allowed to print with an empty ink cartridge, when you finally do replace the ink cartridge, your printhead maybe clogged. This is due to the fact that there is an ink reservoir in the printhead. If there is not any ink to keep the reservoir moist, it will dry out and become clogged. I use this illustration; it is the difference between new glue and dried glue. The glue will flow freely when it is liquid, but when it dries out it is set and hard. Now imagine this example in your printhead. Secondly, some printers allow you to print if a ink cartridge is empty. They do this by combining the remaining colors to produce the desired color. The only problem with this theory is that you will not get accurate, true colors, especially if you are printing photos. How are you going to accurately make yellow with cyan and magenta?

Epson is a great printer manufacturer, unfortunately you did not have all the knowledge you needed to make an informed decision when purchasing your printer. Hopefully, the information I have provided and the Ink cartridge problems knowledge, will change your mind about the Epson printers. I have been selling printers for 5 years and I only own Epson printers now, since I have learned the differences in the printer lines. If anyone asks me which printer I recommend, hands down, it is an Epson.

Answer 3

I've had problems with my Cx7400.

Answer 4

I've sold Epson printers for over ten years - they've always been good, especially with customer service. What's the problem, I've sold quite a few DX printers, never had a complaint.

Answer 5

I'd be interested to know what problems you've had. I use a DX3800 and haven't had any problems I can think of.

EDIT: I suggest you take it back to the shop and insist they send it to Epson. Mine is my first Epson after using Canon for years and I haven't had a problem. The over the top ink usage issue seems to be a problem with all printers nowadays but paper jamming and not recognizing cartridges is serious and sounds like a Monday morning printer rather than a basic problem with that model.

Answer 6

I have the exact same printer and it's driving me nuts it eats the ink at an alarming rate, and as it's on a shelf at knee level (no choice ) it's very awkward to load the paper which is constantly jamming !!!I Wish I'd stuck with my trusty Epsom Stylus ...the ink lasted for ages with that one...I really wouldn't advise people to buy this model it's a pain and very expensive to run.