I have 3 t-jet 3's and none of the three have worked right since I bought them almost 2 years ago when they first came out. I have one of the larger websites on the internet for custom t-shirts and in 2 years have not had 5 consecutive days on any of my machines combined where they have worked right. I misprinted or lost around 1,000 shirts or so since the beginnning and have went through 3 new machines they sent me as well as 5 printheads in the last 6 months, as well as new capping stations and new tubing. There is nothing that can fix these machines I have bought brand new every part there is for these machines and finally last week I got one working. I printed 300 runs during the weekend and all of a sudden the black does not print. I have a perfect nozzle check on all colors but no black. What is the problem with the t-jet 3's and what can I do with 3 lemon machines after 2 years?? Is US Screen any bit liable after this long? Please help. Also, i did run cleaning catridges through the black print nozzle and still no better on the black working. I have a printhead that is 2 weeks old a new capping station and pump assembly 5 days old and all new tubing with no clogs. No reason why my black should be not firing
Wow it sounds like you got some not so great machines. If I recall there were several people here when the tjet 3 came out that had problems with them. I think it was the machines themselves that were have registration problems though. But that does not sound like your problem. Have you changed your black damper? If not that may be the problem is the damper clogging. Also how is the humidity level where your machine is at? It should be 50% or higher as low humidity can make the flow bad also. Are you getting any black at all?
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Always do right; this will gratify some people and astonish the rest. ~~~Mark Twain BobbieLee www.brightlittlebeginnings.com
i am not sure what dampers are, if they are the little filters. I was advised by us screen to take those off to help with ink flow. As far as humidity not sure, but i printed 2 days during the weekend and got around 300 runs of just black ink only, with no problem then i went from one black good print to a little banding then to nothing, and havent had black since. The weather has been the same so I am not sure I am buying the humidity thing, and of course all other colors are printing perfect. My business has gone from 5,000-7,000 per day in sales to around 1,000 just because I am gun shy to take orders I am not sure I can fullfil. I am thinking of maybe selling each on ebay for 8-10,000 with all new parts and buy one Brother. I would rather have one good printer then 3 bad ones. Also just a note I have spent over 3,000 in parts in the last 3 weeks with no better results but the 2 good days I had printing
Yes the dampers are the filters. I cant believe they told you to take them off, as that is what keeps any particles from getting into your printhead. Do you have the cleaning solution that you use to flush your lines with? if you do, do me a favor and try putting around 15 or so drops in your capping station, and leave it parked on the capping station to soak for a good hour or so. Then after you soak it do a head clean and see if you get any black at all. It sounds like maybe your black channels are clogged.
The way I put the cleaning solution in the capping station, to make sure it doesnt get sucked out before hand is, I do a head clean and once the printhead goes over to the spit station, put the cleaning solution in the capping station. When the printhead comes back from the spit station and docks, turn the machine off. Let it sit that way for at least an hour, then start it back up and do a head clean. Do a nozzle check after this and see if you get anything at all on your black nozzles. I would rather replace a clogged damper/filter then replace a clogged printhead. I would seriously consider putting the dampers back to aviod this.
If there is anything that I didnt explain well let me know, and I will try to help I hope this helps to get it flowing again. Also the humidity will play a major factor on the flow of the ink. Some days I can have well over 50% humidity in the air and the next have 30% and my printer will immediatly start printing bad if the humidity is too low. I keep a digital hygrometer on my machine to keep track of it. They have ones you can get with a maganet on the back that you can stick right to your machine, and if the humidity gets low, I run a hot steam humdifier and it brings the humidity level right back up. Let me know if any of this helps
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Always do right; this will gratify some people and astonish the rest. ~~~Mark Twain BobbieLee www.brightlittlebeginnings.com
Hi,
I know it's not any help but i don't think i would have tolerated sub standard equipment for so long.
There can only be 2 issues as far as i can tell, either the machines are not fit for purpose, or you are not operating/maintaining them within required specs.
I would assume anybody operating 3 had the required experience to do so competently, so that would lead me to think the machines are unreliable.
Which harks back to my initial point, what assistance if any has the supplier/ manufacturer offered with regard to warrantee ?
Have they acknowledged the machines have not performed as they should?
Have you documented the problems and communicated this in writing?
Does your state have a Lemon (or 3) law?
DTG intrigues me but the initial cost and reliability issues i have read about are above my appetite for risk.
I wish you well .......i had a Yugo once so i know how frustrating machinery can be.
i will absolutely give that a try in the morning ASAP and also the us screen guy said to take the filter off because he said they clog so easy and it prevents ink flow. I tell ya the customer service is horrific. I love my t-jets when they run but boy when they don't it hard to get them back in shape. Again thanks for your help and will post on here immediately my results
I use 3 t-jet 3's as well as screen printing equipment. I also use vinyl lettering and heat trasnfers and do for more intricate designs I have a printer/plotter for dark shirts. I also sublimate t-shirts. I have almost every print method in house, but 90% of my business is orders under 12 and that is my bread and butter on the t-jet 3
I am looking into the lemon law. I think that US Screen gives you faulty advice on fixing the machine and holds out as long as possible so that you pass the refund stage of the machine. Once i passed that part of them refunding my money for the machine, they got very hard to get a live person on the phone. I would leave messages as well as emails and nothing. You have to remember I gave them certified checks totalling I think 51,000 in a matter of 2 months and have had headaches ever since. I dont want to bash the company. I just want a machine that prints. I would give them back both there machines if I could get just 1 blazer that worked lol at this time I am desperate if I can't solve this problem in the couple weeks. I am going to close shop, and to think US Screen built my business up to almost 1,000,000 in less than 8 months and then with the faulty machines may have put me out of business just as fast. I feel for people who have bought these machines on lease or people who are less fortunate then me that use life savings etcc on these machines to provide for their family and getting a lemon. NOT FAIR AT ALL
Printing without dampers. :O !!! It's no wonder you had to replace your printheads so often! All the gunk (especially white ink particles) is heading straight into your printhead.
I would consider selling the T-Jet3 (known for their unreliability) and get yourself a new machine. Even the Blazer would be better suited for your requirements but the Brother is certainly a nice touch especially if you are doing 5000-7000 orders a day!!
I used to own a t-jet about 2 or 3 years ago (the original red table top machine) when i startd printing "white ink" everything went south so i sold it and purchased a brother. The printer printed well as a CMYK printer but as soon as i added white ink to the mix it was major headaches. I remember having knots in my stomach at nite over that machine.
I purchased a warranty for my t-jet before being sold to give the next owner some coverage and didn't promote the machine as a white ink printer although i included the white ink setup with the printer. The buyer did figure out the "white ink" printing method and did sell it for a while but if my memory serves me correctly they stopped pushing white as much citing the work involved achieving it and the consistency of the white ink wasn't there.
I haven't looked back since purchasing my brother.
If you can switch over to brother you'd be very happy just know you can't print white ink (the GT-541) model. They are due to come out with a white ink one around March.
Just sell them and get something else. If it's for a business, and you say it's doing well, cut your loses, stop wasting time and get something other than the T-Jet 3.
Sorry for your bad luck.I also had a T-jet and have since switched to a brother and love it .I hope to get the new Brother 782 when it comes out.Can you provide us with the website of your online business please.Good luck down the road.
T-Jet 3's Putting me out of business 
Re: T-Jet 3's Putting me out of business 
I hope this helps to get it flowing again. Also the humidity will play a major factor on the flow of the ink. Some days I can have well over 50% humidity in the air and the next have 30% and my printer will immediatly start printing bad if the humidity is too low. I keep a digital hygrometer on my machine to keep track of it. They have ones you can get with a maganet on the back that you can stick right to your machine, and if the humidity gets low, I run a hot steam humdifier and it brings the humidity level right back up. Let me know if any of this helps 
