DX5 head source fo JV33 etc

[SightLine]

Its the same as if you want to buy just a replacement printhead for an R1900....

http://www.compassmicro.com/partsdetail.cfm?ID=4437&Printer=853&backpage=1

You will pretty much find this on any DX4, DX5, DX6 printheads from any authorized Epson parts distributor. If they do not list it on the site you will hit the wall as soon as you call or try to order. You also see that the direct distributor part price for that DX5 head is what I would consider "fair".

What really got this started was the DTG machine market. Many of these machines also use Epson heads and DTG printers (if not used near daily just like ours) get horribly clogged very fast. Also many of the DTG printers that have been on the market were built without decent cleaning/maintenance routines in the firmware further compunding the problems. They all have capping stations and wipers but many of the small t-shirt shops balk at the idea of their printer just burning a few bucks in ink every day while it just sits there. I've read of plenty of users disabling cleaning cycles totally on those printers thinking it's just a waste of ink..... They spend 3+ grand on the printer then cheap out on maintaining it. In the DGT setting those printers are much more often run by amatuers and low volume shops who end up with a head clogged so bad the only thing they do is try to get a new print head. This is why the one distributor above singles out so many DTG printers. I actually found out about the R1900 in particular using a DX5 head from a apparel forum....

 

[signage]

They spend 3+ grand on the printer then cheap out on maintaining it. QUOTE]

Show me a 3+ grand T-shirt printer! They are more like 10 to 20+ grand! It is because Epson in not getting the ink sales they were hoping for because their head and head drivers are being used by other manufacturers!

 

[SightLine]

Never really priced dtg printers so I was taking a wild guess. Had no idea they ran that much - wowza! They are paying just as much for a printer that might have a 20 inch width that we do for 60 inch machines. I realize there is some things that had to be engineered to allow them the clearance for shirts, properly holding the shirts down etc but I had not guessed it to be that much.

They spend 3+ grand on the printer then cheap out on maintaining it. QUOTE]

Show me a 3+ grand T-shirt printer! They are more like 10 to 20+ grand! It is because Epson in not getting the ink sales they were hoping for because their head and head drivers are being used by other manufacturers!

 

[ruckusman]

I took a look at the compass Micro site for comparison, and in the way of an explanation/apology when looking for the DX4 heads for the Epson 10600 - they are only available to authorised Technicians, citing difficult installation blah blah blah...
Figure you all know about that already.

The DX5 price did seem very reasonable

 

[artbot]

well, i've come to need a new dx 4 for the jv3 (black channel the one that does all the work for me). so i get to taking the the epson 10,000 head apart and guess what i see? epson puts a nice little fluid gasket like shield (about .5" x 1") between the manifold and the pcb. this is a great idea to keep that possible drip of ink from every falling into the wiring of the head and shorting it out. i figure the part cost about $.00000001. but the industrial printers must not need an ink shield. 'cause i've certainly never seen one on my trusty "mimaki dx4's"

the scenario is "protect the epson printer heads so epson don't have to replace them under warranty". but, do everything possible to let user error kill any non epson printer dx4 head. that is the only explanation i can come up with.

death to epson.

 

[96XP]

(based on some posts here) I guess that might also explain why there is a white sticker on the bag inside the Roland Ecosol Max ink cartridge covering up the word Epson?

 

[Robert M]

Ink tax

That is the agreement you make to use Epson heads, you must use their ink

 

[Robert M]

New printer

Artbot

have you seen this one
has ricoh heads, www. gunsjet . com
www.gunsjet.com

 

[artbot]

those some very nice looking printers. the look pricey. i was impressed by the website too. chinese websites tend to be a mess.

 

[premiercolour]

You won't know until you tried it. So who wanted to spend $500 just to try it? A customer actually tried it on Mutoh Valuejet 1604. It worked, for six months. Some customers tried, they didn't register with the printer.

Original Mimaki JV33 Printhead
http://www.yessolvent.com/original-mimaki-jv33-jv5-print-head/

Solvent Manifold for DX5 Printhead
http://www.yessolvent.com/solvent-print-head-manifold-for-mutoh-valuejet/

 

[SightLine]

Pretty much this. You can take your chances, or not. Do keep in mind you will either need to separatley order a solvent manifold for the scavenged head or transfer the solvent manifold from your existing head. I do not own a JV5 but I do know that a JV5 DX5 head will work in a JV33 but a JV33 head will NOT work in a JV5. I think Mimaki had specific head detection in the JV5 firmware from the very beginning.

I can only say for certain that it works on a JV33 and for it to work properly on a JV33 you must downgrade the firmware to version 2.2 or lower. If the JV33 has firmware version 3.0 or higher it will reject a scavenged head.

Scavenging alternate DX5 heads is not for everyone, there is a certain risk involved in that it may not work as expected. I've surmised in the past that Epson simply has a line on the heads in which they install different value resistors on the heads board specifically to give them and licensees of their heads a method to prevent using alternate sources for DX5 heads. I actually have 2 dead heads here, an IH47V DX5 and a IH33V DX5.... one of these days I'm going to finish carefully removing the white goop from their boards and really see what the difference is.

You won't know until you tried it. So who wanted to spend $500 just to try it? A customer actually tried it on Mutoh Valuejet 1604. It worked, for six months. Some customers tried, they didn't register with the printer.

Original Mimaki JV33 Printhead
http://www.yessolvent.com/original-mimaki-jv33-jv5-print-head/

Solvent Manifold for DX5 Printhead
http://www.yessolvent.com/solvent-print-head-manifold-for-mutoh-valuejet/

 

[ruckusman]

You can use Xylene and soak the heads to loosen the goop - I've done it with car ignition parts that I'd replaced just to verify my diagnosis

Note it's a slow process, Xylene is fairly nasty and fumes and skin contact should be avoided. Also it will attack any remaining plastic parts attached

peace out

 

[artbot]

xylene/xylol will melt a print head manifold into chewing gum in 30 seconds.


this is a set of photos of a piece of a dx4 head manifold dissolving in xylol.

all these chemicals are unfriendly to short chain plastics

toluene
xylene/xylol
benzene
paint thinner

 

[ruckusman]

were you unhappy with the manifold in some way?

 

[artbot]

Ha! no... i make my own varnishes/inks. so, i have this zip lock bag of chopped up printer parts (dampers, pump tubes, etc). i soak the parts in the different recipes to test for any solvent resistance issues.

 

[ruckusman]

Good technique, very clever

...and I bet you can mix up a mean Martini with a bit of a kick

 

[artbot]

it's odd that the manifold is the weakest part, solvent resistance wise, of the entire printer (solvent manifolds). mimakis and possibly other printers could handle much harsher inks if it weren't for this weakest link. as for the martinis oddly enough our household for the last two months has decided to go alcohol free. thought it would be a tough sacrifice but now that we are here, i prefer it and so does my gf.

 

[SightLine]

Nice price! The head rank will probably not work. I got an error "input is unusual" or something along those lines. Leaving the old had rank worked just fine though.

 

[Rooster]

You can still input the head rank ID manually.

Hold down function and remote when you push the power button on the front. You can then scroll down through the function button to a set of adjustments under the tag #adjust. Under #adjust you'll find you can manually change the head ID, provided you have one to input.

 

[SightLine]

In the service menus is where it gave me the error.....

You can still input the head rank ID manually.

Hold down function and remote when you push the power button on the front. You can then scroll down through the function button to a set of adjustments under the tag #adjust. Under #adjust you'll find you can manually change the head ID, provided you have one to input.