Alright, take a breath, I'll answer these as best as I can as we are not the ones selling you the machine - Mesa is.
1. I know some of the parts are replaced when a printer is refurbished, but I'm concerned about the parts that AREN'T replaced. I'm guessing that the belts that run the print head and the platen aren't replaced (as well as the motors)?
All answers will be what we (SWF East) would do when refurbing a printer, Mesa may have different criteria.
No, we generally do not replace the print carriage belt unless it shows signs of wear. It is not an item we have to replace very often. There is no belt that drives the bed, it is driven by a friction roller and friction boardon the bottom of the bed.
What is the normal lifespan for these parts, or the whole printer for that matter? Does DTG have a rating for this printer that indicates the total number of prints I can expect?
Lifespan on these parts will vary greatly due to the variance in graphics printed. The print carriage belt, when kept clean will generally last a couple of years under moderate to heavy use.
In regards to a rating, the answer is no. I know of machines that are at or near the 50,000 garment level that are still working fine. There is really nothing in the printer (other than the chassis) that I would consider a "cheaper to replace the printer than repair" type of part.
2. I've been told the printhead is rated for 20,000 prints, but I can realistically expect 10,000 prints. Is this accurate?
Printhead rating - not sure where that comes from other thna the Epson website. Anytime you hear this it is safe to assume that the Epson site is where it came from and is based on letter sized sheets with text only on them.
With proper maintenance, I would expect 3,000-5,000 imprints per printhead. Figure in a dime per imprint for printhead wear and tear and you should be ahead of the game. The most I have heard of is 18,000 imprints out of a printhead.
3. The Kiosk II I've seen demo'd had a rocker switch on the front, towards the bottom of the platen, that allows you to print multiple passes without having to push the load button for each pass, but the manual I downloaded for the Kiosk II doesn't show this switch. Should this switch exist on the Kiosk II? (And for that matter, does the HM-1 really NOT have this switch?)
That item is a Mesa add-on. It simply overrides the LOAD button when it is turned on. Upside is that you don't need to be there to load for the second pass (often the color to go on top of the white) - but, if you mistakenly send multi-copies, they will all be printed on the same garment until you stop the process. The switch is not a DTG product - so you will need to get instructions on its use from Mesa.
4. The Kiosk II manual I downloaded mentions a Waste Ink Reset Switch. Is it possible that a Kiosk II might NOT have this switch and, if so, does the lack of this switch indicate I have an original Kiosk that has been upgraded?
All Kiosk II machines will have the Waste Ink Reset Switch, if it does not, it is a Kiosk refurbished to be a Kiosk II - the waste ink reset switch is the one thing we are unable to do in house.
5. Is there a counter on the Kiosk II that tells you how many prints have been printed?
No, since virtually every part is replaceable (including the motherbaord where this data could potentially be stored) there would be no way to keep an accurate count.
Hope this was helpful.
1. I know some of the parts are replaced when a printer is refurbished, but I'm concerned about the parts that AREN'T replaced. I'm guessing that the belts that run the print head and the platen aren't replaced (as well as the motors)?
All answers will be what we (SWF East) would do when refurbing a printer, Mesa may have different criteria.
No, we generally do not replace the print carriage belt unless it shows signs of wear. It is not an item we have to replace very often. There is no belt that drives the bed, it is driven by a friction roller and friction boardon the bottom of the bed.
What is the normal lifespan for these parts, or the whole printer for that matter? Does DTG have a rating for this printer that indicates the total number of prints I can expect?
Lifespan on these parts will vary greatly due to the variance in graphics printed. The print carriage belt, when kept clean will generally last a couple of years under moderate to heavy use.
In regards to a rating, the answer is no. I know of machines that are at or near the 50,000 garment level that are still working fine. There is really nothing in the printer (other than the chassis) that I would consider a "cheaper to replace the printer than repair" type of part.
2. I've been told the printhead is rated for 20,000 prints, but I can realistically expect 10,000 prints. Is this accurate?
Printhead rating - not sure where that comes from other thna the Epson website. Anytime you hear this it is safe to assume that the Epson site is where it came from and is based on letter sized sheets with text only on them.
With proper maintenance, I would expect 3,000-5,000 imprints per printhead. Figure in a dime per imprint for printhead wear and tear and you should be ahead of the game. The most I have heard of is 18,000 imprints out of a printhead.
3. The Kiosk II I've seen demo'd had a rocker switch on the front, towards the bottom of the platen, that allows you to print multiple passes without having to push the load button for each pass, but the manual I downloaded for the Kiosk II doesn't show this switch. Should this switch exist on the Kiosk II? (And for that matter, does the HM-1 really NOT have this switch?)
That item is a Mesa add-on. It simply overrides the LOAD button when it is turned on. Upside is that you don't need to be there to load for the second pass (often the color to go on top of the white) - but, if you mistakenly send multi-copies, they will all be printed on the same garment until you stop the process. The switch is not a DTG product - so you will need to get instructions on its use from Mesa.
4. The Kiosk II manual I downloaded mentions a Waste Ink Reset Switch. Is it possible that a Kiosk II might NOT have this switch and, if so, does the lack of this switch indicate I have an original Kiosk that has been upgraded?
All Kiosk II machines will have the Waste Ink Reset Switch, if it does not, it is a Kiosk refurbished to be a Kiosk II - the waste ink reset switch is the one thing we are unable to do in house.
5. Is there a counter on the Kiosk II that tells you how many prints have been printed?
No, since virtually every part is replaceable (including the motherbaord where this data could potentially be stored) there would be no way to keep an accurate count.
Hope this was helpful.
