[TeedUp]

So I just received a couple of cheap XP600 print heads from China, supposedly very slightly used, but I'm under no delusions. If I can get at least 6 mos use out of the two of them COMBINED, it will be worth the money.

Both came with a slight ding or dimple. The machine it's for (as extra spare heads) is still at least a month from delivery, and even if I had it I wouldn't want to have to test and clean the heads way before needing to use them.

So the question is, while I still have time to complain, can you tell they are absolutely bad and will give failed nozzle check, or is it hard to say what the nozzle check will look like, or have you seen this kind of thing before and they're usually OK?

Thanks much.

Wasn't sure best subforum for this topic, sorry if wrong one.

 

[into the T]

tough call, it looks superficial, but...

i would email them the pics and ask if they were like that when they packaged them, and whether they test the heads prior to shipping

 

[TABOB]

Print Head - Absolutely Damaged or Maybe Good?

If the dents are not close to the nozzles, they may be OK.

If I can get at least 6 mos use out of the two of them COMBINED, it will be worth the money.

6 months combined? you must be printing 24/7 or something.
How many prints do you get per printhead?

 

[TeedUp]

tough call, it looks superficial, but...

i would email them the pics and ask if they were like that when they packaged them, and whether they test the heads prior to shipping

I'm sure they were packaged that way, the heads each came securely and perfectly packaged in their own boxes inside a well packaged and perfect bigger box.

I am going to contact them with pics, and I'm sure they'll say they were tested (they also claimed they are "99% new" but we know that is a meaningless statement meaning used)

What I'm really wondering is if I should just press for return at this point while I am still able. I'm sure I'll be SOL if I wait if bad. You know shipping these back to China will be a small nightmare.

 

[TeedUp]

If the dents are not close to the nozzles, they may be OK.

How would I know that without nozzle check?

6 months combined? you must be printing 24/7 or something.
How many prints do you get per printhead?

Nah, just going by what other people have said about the maybe 9mos life of an XP600 head, a year if lucky (based on usage I'm sure much heavier than what mine will be in the next year), but these are no doubt not authentic Epson (like the rest from China) and used on top of that. At, 1/4 the price of an Epson head. 6 mos was just an arbitrarily low number that I would feel I got more than enough value, not a real calculation.

 

[TABOB]

How would I know that without nozzle check?

There is no way to know without a nozzle check.
You could grab a used Epson XP600 printer from ebay (probably around $40) and use it as a testing jig for these printheads.
This is how I do it because production printer downtime is lost time and money.

but these are no doubt not authentic Epson (like the rest from China)

Counterfeit printheads don't exist, because only a few companies can make them.
I think these are just factory seconds... Epson does not put dented printheads in their printers.
That's a good thing, because if they do work, they will last as long as a new printhead.

Nah, just going by what other people have said about the maybe 9mos life of an XP600 head, a year if lucky (based on usage I'm sure much heavier than what mine will be in the next year)

Exactly. These people are talking about wide format printers printing non-stop, around 30 square meters per day.
That's 250 A3 size sheets per day.
White ink is of course a printhead killer, but you should be able to get 6 months out of each printhead.

 

[binki]

So I just received a couple of cheap XP600 print heads from China,...

Stop buying cheap crap from china. problem solved. You're welcome.

 

[TABOB]

Stop buying cheap crap from china. problem solved. You're welcome.

Buying from China perfectly OK, as long as you know what you are doing and you can wait 4 weeks to get your parts.
I buy from China all the time... Sometimes because it's cheaper, but more often because it's the only option.

 

[TeedUp]

Counterfeit printheads don't exist, because only a few companies can make them.
I think these are just factory seconds... Epson does not put dented printheads in their printers.
That's a good thing, because if they do work, they will last as long as a new printhead.

I could be wrong, but my my information is that XP600 part number F1080-A1 SHOULD be Epson OEM, and part number FA09050 is Chinese made.

EDIT: Also, I don't think the math works for that. Way too many Chinese XP600 printers and heads on the market for them to all be authentic seconds of usable quality, especially when most don't seem to have any obvious flaw. Then there are "reconditioned" or used, which is a whole new discussion. These 2 at question were presented as "99% New", lol.

 

[TABOB]

I could be wrong, but my my information is that XP600 part number F1080-A1 SHOULD be Epson OEM, and part number FA09050 is Chinese made.

They are are all genuine printheads, and probably all made in China.
Printheads Epson is selling to other manufacturers have different part numbers and are unlocked (they will work on any printer).
Epson is using is using a digital lock to stop people buying cheap desktop printers just for the printheads.
Unlocked printheads however will work in desktop printers. It's like having a key but the door does not have a lock.

EDIT: Also, I don't think the math works for that. Way too many Chinese XP600 printers and heads on the market for them to all be authentic seconds of usable quality, especially when most don't seem to have any obvious flaw. Then there are "reconditioned" or used, which is a whole new discussion. These 2 at question were presented as "99% New", lol.

Chinese printers don't use factory seconds.
I bet Epsons instructions are to throw the dented printheads in the junk/recycling box, but the Chinese are notorious for selling everything they can get their hands on.
It happens with computer chips as well (CPU, GPU, etc).
Sometimes it gets nasty...