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DX4 Printhead from China

reQ

reQ

New Member
After thinking for a while about keeping older printer as a back up, i think i will do it. Would have to replace 1 print head there, just because few CYAN nozzles are not firing. Just wondering, did anyone recently or at all got a dx4 head from china & how did it work/what experience you had.

Also, how hard is it to remove old head & install new one? Roland tech of course wants $300 to do it. Doable by myself if i never done it?
 
reQ

reQ

New Member
I am in Canada. Roland dealer priced out new head little bit over $1500 before he installs it... so after installation - $1700-1800. I can get one from China for around $570 CAD. I did use only dealer's parts before, but what the heck, would like to see how 1/3 of the price print head will perform :)
 
brightbanner

brightbanner

i like vivid color
Please check the file in attachment about the DX4 head replacement.
If you can replace head refer it, please contact me, I will introduce a reliable head supplier to you.


Brent
 

Attachments

  • DX4 head replacement Roland.pdf
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Tizz

Tizz

New Member
I also have thought of buying one from China (sign in china site). Apparently they don't officially supply the head rank number. However they require you to email them for the head rank number and pay an extra fee for this in which they will email it to you! I'm not confident about it. But they have sold heaps. Probably got to do with licensing (not sure).
I personally plan on getting one from digiprint, head rank number supplied with purchase but their dx4 heads cost a little more.

Will also replace this myself (will be the first time though), shouldn't be so difficult I imagine. I've just about tinkered and replaced most of the major parts on my SP and even managed to blow the head fuse on the main board. A bypass fuse connection helped in this occasion. Lol
 
reQ

reQ

New Member
So, yeah. I will try to get a printhead from signinchina. My total will be $727 after shipping (canadian dollars) will try & frankenstein the install myself, hope i don't screw up lol

P.S. They state its brand new original printhead from japan. They take a picture of rank number & scrape it off before shipping due to Epson policies. At least thats how they explained that to me. So you get the rank number in email still.

Will update the topic once i get the printhead & attempt to install it.
 
strypguy

strypguy

New Member
I know of someone on a facebook forum that has successfully purchased and installed the print heads from Signinchina. He also told me to offer them less then asking price and they will deal with you on price. I'm planning on trying one for my SP540V when the black head gets a little worse. John
 
P

ProPDF

New Member
There is only one company and one place that makes DX4 Epson print heads and that is Epson Japan. There is no such thing as Epson DX4 print heads "Made in China" They are all made in Japan and the Chinese import them. If there WAS an aftermarket DX4 the prices would be much lower probably. There is no such thing as a second tier or grade quality....that is another myth. Just waterbased or solvent manifolds/seals. DO not worry about the head rank at all again another dealer scare tactic. Buy the solvent head from sign in china (dhl is the fastest shipper) remove your panels on the printer. Pull off dampers, unscrew 3 small screws pull head out. Remove the 2 ribbon cables gently, make sure the cable ends don't touch themselves or metal. Now remove the plastic bracket via 2 screws under the head you just removed. Put the oem roland bracket on the new head you just bought. When I say bracket it's not the black manifold with 2 nipples, I am talking about the plastic bracket the head is connected too that is connected to the print head carriage. Now connect ribbon cables and slide head back in....make sure it seats properly and is flush with carriage base. Hook everything back up and pull some ink through either via syringe to cap top or if you are lazy just do medium or powerful clean on that head group. Most the times you want to install new dampers at the same time....make sure you charge them with ink and that the seals are wet with cleaning solution before sliding on new head nipples!!! Stick the syringe to the end of your new or old damper regardless while its hooked to the ink line and pull ink through upside down. If not it will print and then show starvation after several ft/m. cause you didn't charge or prime the damper properly. While doing all this make sure you keep the machine powered off and after powering off hit the main front power button a time or too to discharge capacitors. Static and spilled beer should be kept away....hope this helps
 
reQ

reQ

New Member
perfectpdf said:
There is only one company and one place that makes DX4 Epson print heads and that is Epson Japan. There is no such thing as Epson DX4 print heads "Made in China" They are all made in Japan and the Chinese import them. If there WAS an aftermarket DX4 the prices would be much lower probably. There is no such thing as a second tier or grade quality....that is another myth. Just waterbased or solvent manifolds/seals. DO not worry about the head rank at all again another dealer scare tactic. Buy the solvent head from sign in china (dhl is the fastest shipper) remove your panels on the printer. Pull off dampers, unscrew 3 small screws pull head out. Remove the 2 ribbon cables gently, make sure the cable ends don't touch themselves or metal. Now remove the plastic bracket via 2 screws under the head you just removed. Put the oem roland bracket on the new head you just bought. When I say bracket it's not the black manifold with 2 nipples, I am talking about the plastic bracket the head is connected too that is connected to the print head carriage. Now connect ribbon cables and slide head back in....make sure it seats properly and is flush with carriage base. Hook everything back up and pull some ink through either via syringe to cap top or if you are lazy just do medium or powerful clean on that head group. Most the times you want to install new dampers at the same time....make sure you charge them with ink and that the seals are wet with cleaning solution before sliding on new head nipples!!! Stick the syringe to the end of your new or old damper regardless while its hooked to the ink line and pull ink through upside down. If not it will print and then show starvation after several ft/m. cause you didn't charge or prime the damper properly. While doing all this make sure you keep the machine powered off and after powering off hit the main front power button a time or too to discharge capacitors. Static and spilled beer should be kept away....hope this helps
Click to expand...
Thanks!
I will be changing cap. stations & dampers at the same time for sure + wipers, just to make sure everything is new & clean. My total price with installation is $2178.00 after taxes thru the dealer... 3x price of new head if i will be successfull swapping it myself :)
 
P

ProPDF

New Member
You will be fine...if you get in a pinch and don't feel comfortable just order the parts from sign in china and have the dealer come out to install your parts and pay attention the tech....you are more than likely going to have to do some head alignment calibrations afterwards which is the other half of the process. The dealer will always warn you they can't warranty your supplied parts....tell them that's ok....because the minute you have your first successful head crash they won't warranty their own parts if the heads have marks on the face.....which will happen.
 
reQ

reQ

New Member
I will be doing it right before my xmas holidays. To make sure i have no jobs for it waiting to print. That way i will have more than enough time to figure it out & fix it if i screw it up
 
P

player

New Member
reQ said:
I will be doing it right before my xmas holidays. To make sure i have no jobs for it waiting to print. That way i will have more than enough time to figure it out & fix it if i screw it up
Click to expand...

There is a merchant member here from the US that has good dx4 pricing and also offers instructions and will walk you through it with phone support. It may be a bit more than China, but a US company with technical support, English speaking, and a warranty would be better than China and worth the small price difference.
 
reQ

reQ

New Member
player said:
There is a merchant member here from the US that has good dx4 pricing and also offers instructions and will walk you through it with phone support. It may be a bit more than China, but a US company with technical support, English speaking, and a warranty would be better than China and worth the small price difference.
Click to expand...
who is that merchant?
 
ChicagoGraphics

ChicagoGraphics

New Member
perfectpdf said:
There is only one company and one place that makes DX4 Epson print heads and that is Epson Japan. There is no such thing as Epson DX4 print heads "Made in China" They are all made in Japan and the Chinese import them. If there WAS an aftermarket DX4 the prices would be much lower probably. There is no such thing as a second tier or grade quality....that is another myth. Just waterbased or solvent manifolds/seals. DO not worry about the head rank at all again another dealer scare tactic. Buy the solvent head from sign in china (dhl is the fastest shipper) remove your panels on the printer. Pull off dampers, unscrew 3 small screws pull head out. Remove the 2 ribbon cables gently, make sure the cable ends don't touch themselves or metal. Now remove the plastic bracket via 2 screws under the head you just removed. Put the oem roland bracket on the new head you just bought. When I say bracket it's not the black manifold with 2 nipples, I am talking about the plastic bracket the head is connected too that is connected to the print head carriage. Now connect ribbon cables and slide head back in....make sure it seats properly and is flush with carriage base. Hook everything back up and pull some ink through either via syringe to cap top or if you are lazy just do medium or powerful clean on that head group. Most the times you want to install new dampers at the same time....make sure you charge them with ink and that the seals are wet with cleaning solution before sliding on new head nipples!!! Stick the syringe to the end of your new or old damper regardless while its hooked to the ink line and pull ink through upside down. If not it will print and then show starvation after several ft/m. cause you didn't charge or prime the damper properly. While doing all this make sure you keep the machine powered off and after powering off hit the main front power button a time or too to discharge capacitors. Static and spilled beer should be kept away....hope this helps
Click to expand...

Are you sure about dx4 heads or any heads for that matter not being made in China?
 
P

player

New Member
player said:
Bump so someone can tell us who the MM is that sells print heads with technical support.
Click to expand...

I think it is this company: Premier Color

Epson DX4 Print Head / Mimaki JV3 Print Head / Roland Soljet Print Head / Roland Versacamm Print Head / Roland SP300 Print Head / Roland VP300 Print Head / Roland VP540 Print Head / Roland SP540 Print Head


I just checked the currency conversion. They sell DX4 heads for $875 USD. Converting that to CAD it becomes $1173. Then there is the 3% fee Visa or PayPal or whomever will charge you. Then shipping, and 13% tax on the whole thing. (You will get the tax back though.) (I don't know why this stupid forum wants to make this all a website link...?)
 
P

player

New Member
reQ said:
$350 USD more compared to signinchina, which will translate to pretty much same price after shipping/exchange rate/duties etc to my local price
Click to expand...

Yes but you must have read threads here where people buy heads from China and they are defective or whatever and of course they are out the cash. The risk to reward ratio isn't worth the trouble for me. When I have had heads changed on my old SP540V by Roland there was lots of other tests and calibrations that they did. They also checked the cable tension and other alignments that they know how to do. If you get a good Roland guy. Tom from Daly Digital in Hamilton is the best guy I have ever seen. He knows the stuff, takes all the courses, and has been working on this stuff for many many years... Call him and ask what he would charge to sell you a head and walk you through the install. (If he will do that.)
 
reQ

reQ

New Member
player said:
Yes but you must have read threads here where people buy heads from China and they are defective or whatever and of course they are out the cash. The risk to reward ratio isn't worth the trouble for me. When I have had heads changed on my old SP540V by Roland there was lots of other tests and calibrations that they did. They also checked the cable tension and other alignments that they know how to do. If you get a good Roland guy. Tom from Daly Digital in Hamilton is the best guy I have ever seen. He knows the stuff, takes all the courses, and has been working on this stuff for many many years... Call him and ask what he would charge to sell you a head and walk you through the install. (If he will do that.)
Click to expand...
Of course there are people who bought them from China & got bad heads but there are also plenty of people who bought them & installed themselves & they work perfectly fine. I am willing to take a chance & see what i will get. Worst case scenario is that i will spend $700 for nothing :)
 
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