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News So Long Latex 792 and LX610 Inks...

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ikarasu

Active Member
Can you buy ink for any desktop printer that's 10 years old?

Technology advances... Ink formulas change, and they're not always backwards compatible. It'd be nice if hp produced ink forever... But eventually manufacturing costs outweigh sales and it's not worth it.

there's still demand for some printer models, like the Roland. Latex was new at the time and didn't sell many units... That and the fact you can buy a brand new latex for $8000, or a top of the line latex for $20,000 and it gives people a much easier upgrade path which most people take.

It'd be nice if hp made ink and parts for their ten year old machines...but keeping a dozen or two people who still use the machine happy isn't cost effective.

Now that latex has matured a bit they've kept with the same ink formulas, so it shouldn't be a problem in the future.
 
Christian @ 2CT Media

Christian @ 2CT Media

Active Member
ikarasu said:
Can you buy ink for any desktop printer that's 10 years old?

Technology advances... Ink formulas change, and they're not always backwards compatible. It'd be nice if hp produced ink forever... But eventually manufacturing costs outweigh sales and it's not worth it.

there's still demand for some printer models, like the Roland. Latex was new at the time and didn't sell many units... That and the fact you can buy a brand new latex for $8000, or a top of the line latex for $20,000 and it gives people a much easier upgrade path which most people take.

It'd be nice if hp made ink and parts for their ten year old machines...but keeping a dozen or two people who still use the machine happy isn't cost effective.

Now that latex has matured a bit they've kept with the same ink formulas, so it shouldn't be a problem in the future.
Click to expand...
Technically yes, because there is a healthy 3rd party support system for desktop printers including consumables and parts.

There are still many 260s in the wild still, but Im sure with this email going out to them they will be converting at some point. Cost of entry these days are very low and the newer 115 and 315 are faster and better than the 260 in almost every way it makes it easier to upgrade other than finances.
 
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ikarasu

Active Member
There are after market heads and ink for the 260 right now too. Mainly in China.. But one of my suppliers mentioned they're carrying it now too.

I've only heard bad things about aftermarket latex inks, so I doubt I'd ever try it until it matures more. But for those insistent on staying on the 260... There are Still options, just not convenient ones!

Hp is more of an ink dealer than a machine dealer... If there was enough demand to keep the 260 ink in production I think they would. Especially since people may upgrade to solvent and they can lose them as customers.

Either way, I get that it sucks. No one wants to buy a new machine when their current one suits their needs... But people have to be realistic and realize 8-10 year old machines may not continue to get support.... Just like older versions of windows and software no longer gets supported.

It's nice that the older 15 year old Roland's still get ink and stuff... But that's the exception and not the norm.
 
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CanuckSigns

Active Member
This is my biggest issue with HP's consumable heavy machines, you are at HP's mercy for parts. With a typical Solvent machine, if the ink is discontinued, you can continue to run the printer on 3rd party ink until a major part in the printer dies. With HP's disposable print heads you are dead in the water.

I understand it's an old machine and not as active in the field, but there are tons of shops running their business on older printers, while it doesn't fit my business plan if you are not printing a ton and speed isn't a major concern why not run an old machine that is paid off? Why be forced it buy a new printer when you have a perfectly functioning machine sitting in your shop.

HP's business model seems to be based on their desktop printer business model, sell the machine for cheap, make their money on ink, and force you to upgrade when it's no longer profitable for them to continue servicing your machine.
 
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InkjetAuction

New Member
2CT Media said:
The L260 is only 8 years, still long in the tooth but there are people in this industry using 15+ year old Roland's for some reason. Our company has adapted to converting machines every 3 years... But others hold their equipment much longer.
Click to expand...

Roland makes solid gear...and the fact that the systems were "essentially open" for the past 15+ years has made it easy for the technically inclined user to keep them running for years on a budget. So what I mean by "essentially open" is that the service code lockout was really only locking out the non-self maintainers. The code hasn't changed in 15 years and the self-repairers would buy the equipment knowing that they could milk the machine for a bunch of years for short money.

Now that Roland has eliminated the front panel service key -- and requires an app (with a current credentialed login - updated every 30 days) -- it's going to be a different ball game.

Imagine if you needed to call a service tech for a simple head alignment? Insanity. Something will need to change...and fast.

~E
 
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ColoPrinthead

Guest
So . . . I was correct when I told you all this was coming?
 
ABA Visibility Products

ABA Visibility Products

Premium Subscriber
ColoPrinthead said:
So . . . I was correct when I told you all this was coming?
Click to expand...

This was known. HP already did this to the 1st gen. It's being done to the 2nd generation next year, and at some point it will be done to the 3rd generation as they continue to develop this technology.

The only 2nd generation machine we have left is a LX800 upgraded to the 610 inks. It's been a real workhorse and has made us money-- far more than the cost of it and the consumables. Most of our production these days go on one of our 3000 level machines but this guy still gets all the banner and does it well day in and day it, often working 24 hours a day.

I'll be sorry to see it go but it just means another 3000 level machine is in our future-- bigger, better, faster, etc.
 
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TimToad

Active Member
CanuckSigns said:
This is my biggest issue with HP's consumable heavy machines, you are at HP's mercy for parts. With a typical Solvent machine, if the ink is discontinued, you can continue to run the printer on 3rd party ink until a major part in the printer dies. With HP's disposable print heads you are dead in the water.

I understand it's an old machine and not as active in the field, but there are tons of shops running their business on older printers, while it doesn't fit my business plan if you are not printing a ton and speed isn't a major concern why not run an old machine that is paid off? Why be forced it buy a new printer when you have a perfectly functioning machine sitting in your shop.

HP's business model seems to be based on their desktop printer business model, sell the machine for cheap, make their money on ink, and force you to upgrade when it's no longer profitable for them to continue servicing your machine.
Click to expand...

We are shopping for a new printer right now and while being initially attracted to the more eco-friendly aspects of HP's latex printers, its recycling program, etc... I just can't reconcile the fact that it isn't very earth friendly to build and sell something intentionally less durable that has a much shorter expected lifespan with built in obsolescence than a far more durable, long lasting machine and parts.

We've narrowed it down to a Roland TruVis VG-540, the about to be released SG-540 or Mimaki CJV150. Both seem like they are well built, durable models in our price range and have all the bells and whistles a smaller shop with average volume like ours needs.
 
eahicks

eahicks

Magna Cum Laude - School of Hard Knocks
I hate our 26500 anyway, so hope it does go into obsolescence. It takes 5 times the maintenance as our 560
 
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SignMeUpGraphics

Super Active Member
ikarasu said:
Can you buy ink for any desktop printer that's 10 years old?
Click to expand...

I just bought some genuine inks last week for our Canon MX850 inkjet bought in in 2008 - 11 years old.
We also have a HP 4250 laserjet from 2002 (which HP discontinued producing in 2005) that still runs genuine toners and just put through the 2nd maintenance kit which is done every 200,000 pages - 17 years old.
So the (not foolproof) answer to that is still yes.
 
S

SignMeUpGraphics

Super Active Member
TimToad said:
We are shopping for a new printer right now...
We've narrowed it down to a Roland TruVis VG-540, the about to be released SG-540...
Click to expand...

How did these even make the list considering the vast number of issues with the Roland range of late?
Unless you missed the numerous posts about them on here somehow :eek:
 
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