Sunday, April 26, 2009

HP Printers
Disposable Crap?

When I think disposable, I think of little cheap cameras and diapers, but a printer that retails of over $600? No way. At least, not until now. You see, after much research, I "invested" in an HP Photosmart Pro B9180 to reproduce fine prints. And it did, for a while. I hardly used it, but I left it on so the injectors would always auto clean. This printer uses pigmented ink and requires such codling. Since I didn't use it often (ink and paper cost a fortun), the warranty has run out. Suddenly, the piece of crap no longer prints.

While happy to run blank paper through its rollers, it simply won't print. So I contact HP and go through many many e mail exchanges doing this and that as instructed. No dice, the sucker is out of commission. Contact their partners, Best Buy, for help, they say. They cannot help me either. No one wants to fix this out of warranty machine.

Many of you know how much I love doing my photography and that I trained as a fine art, B&W, large format photographer. With my darkroom closed, this printer (a big investment for me) was my way of making permanent some precious few images I wanted to hang on my wall. Now, forget it. No more darkroom and no more printer. With no one to fix it and my unwillingness to dump $500+ into another paper weight, I need to close that chapter on my life. I guess I can still use the online printing services out there, although I don't know how expensive they might be.

Shame on you HP for turning out such expensive and unreliable junk. I have asked you for a way to send the machine to you for repairs at my expense and get the same old, same old in return. If your R&D folks want it, they will find it at my curb sadly awaiting the garbage men.

Paddle safe...
DS

4 comments:

Ben said...

For anybody that hasn't seen this thing in person- the picture doesn't do it justice. It'about 2 feet wide, has considerable heft to it (there's actual METAL inside there!), has 4 print heads and takes 8- yes 8- print cartidges which include 3 shades of black/grey. This is not an ordinary inkjet.
Silbs- if this thing hasn't found its' way to the wrong end of the firing range yet, I'd like to investigate it once more. That paper sensor is still sticking in my mind. I just need to bring the proper tools up to prove/disprove it. I'd hate to see such a piece of equipment go to waste from something so stupid (despite HPs attempts otherwise)

Silbs said...

Anytime, Ben. If anyone can fix it, it would be you. Hey, look at the beautiful grand daughter you made :)

JohnB said...

He had some help with making that beautiful grand daughter. Perhaps she can assist with the printer too.

On another note -- have you contacted Milwaukee PC? I'll ask who does our printer repairs here at work too.

Silbs said...

Thanks. I have a hunch the problem is in some electronic (chip) component.