Mimaki cjv30-60 new print head

[gijoel]

Picked up a mimaki cjv30-60 for free. It had been sitting in storage for 7 years or more.

Appears it needs a new print head.

Back in the day I understand the heads were about $2k and get the reasoning for replacing it with a US sourced oem guaranteed head.

However, this being a 20 year old discontinued printer, I m seeing a range of prices for replacement heads.

Anyone have experience getting print heads from AliExpress? I see them on there for around $400. Anyone purchased one of these before? Are they work the risk of how cheap you could get them for? I understand these are "reconditioned" at least most say. Should these still be completely avoided? Right now I m not out anything, but don't really want to go down a money hole investing into this if perhaps I should just looking at putting the money into something newer.

$1500/$2000 isn't too bad either to getting something going vs the cost of something newest either. But kind of wanted to check and see if there was a difference between what I would be getting now a days for the $400 vs the $1500, I d prefer not to just be throwing money away.

 

[Neil]

I've never tried one.
It may be worth a shot, but the risk is 100% yours because once you touch it/plug it in/ run ink through, they will not accept returns.
Of course, being unused for 7 years means there could be other reasons that it won't work 100% too.

You could try taking that head out and soaking it in maintenance fluid. Inject some in the nipples.
Spend a week or so manipulating it and see if you can dissolve and pull out the dried ink

 

[Solventinkjet]

$400 is almost definitely a scam. I would be very careful.

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

If it's Indonesia, it's a scam.

 

[gijoel]

Thanks for the replies. It does seem kind of like a scam, but I wasn't sure if it was just a matter of how old the heads are and not being in high demand and wanting to get rid of them or something like that.

I did take the head out and soaked it while I was waiting on a new manifold to arrive.

The printer was flushed before being stored, with cleaning fluid. It appears that sitting and the time it spent, the cleaning fluid melted the ripples on the manifold.

Are there things inside the head that could have melted as well due the the cleaning fluid and time it sat? Putting it back together it's still struggling to pump up. Test prints I can't even get a speck of any ink to show up....

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

You can find refurb heads on places like Aliexpress for like $400. It's an older printer, if you want to run a cheap head for a bit to tide you over, build your expectations as such. I've picked up used/refurb heads for under $100 for Toshiba CE4's and they had a few deflections, but it got things running. If the head is suspiciously cheap and it's listed as a new head, probably a scam. Avoid wire transfers for purchases from unknown vendors (especially overseas).

 

[Neil]

The printer was flushed before being stored, with cleaning fluid. It appears that sitting and the time it spent, the cleaning fluid melted the ripples on the manifold.

Are there things inside the head that could have melted as well due the the cleaning fluid and time it sat? Putting it back together it's still struggling to pump up. Test prints I can't even get a speck of any ink to show up....

The maintenance fluid should not have melted the nipples or had any effect o anything in the head.

See if you can inject the fluid through each channel. Start by pulling to see if you can suck air back through first, then inject fluid in and pump slightly. If it goes through, try pushing a bit harder until you see a stream coming down through all the nozzles. Shine a light from behind to be able to see it well.
If the fluid goes through, you know the head should be able to work.

Then you can move on to why it's not pulling ink into the head. It's always the cap seal.
Check for blockages under the cap - put fluid in the cap and watch the tubes underneath as it does a cleaning make sure it drains away right to the end of both tubes.

 

[gijoel]

This was the old manifold...

I ll try taking the head back out and working with it with trying to pull and push fluid.

 

[Neil]

Youch! I wonder if they used something harder like lacquer thinners?
You don't need to remove the head to flush it.
Take it to the left side and put a take-away container/tray underneath to catch the fluid

 

[rvolkers]

try these folks

Large Format Inkjet, Sign & Dye-Sub Supplies | PA, NJ, OH | APCink

Large Format Inkjet, Sign Equipment & Sublimation Repair and Supplies. Specializing in Mimaki, Mutoh, OKI, Practix, Royal Sovereign, CWT and more...

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