My very good Canon MG5350 scanner/WiFi/miniature colour display/printer is now showing fault error code B200 which relates to print head connections, even though it has used only about 4 sets of inks. I have had the head out and cleaned it but it is still faulty. I don't want to risk buying a new head and then find it is still faulty. And what new MG5350 are still about on offer are about £300 !
I want another canon, say £100, or so, for which there are compatible inks. I used to get 2 x 5 inks for about £11. I get the impression Canon are not selling such printers any more. Cartridge patent protection may be? Or, if they are, they are expensive.
The MG6650 seems similar to the 5350 and is on offer for about £90 but I can't see any cheap inks for it.
Ant suggestions?
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Think very carefully if you really need colour. After inkjets drove me mad I got an HP mono laser. Absolutely no regrets.
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I already have an HP1010 black laser jet, that has been/is very good, thanks. There is not an official win-7 driver for it, but another Win-7 printer driver works OK-- I renamed it HP1010/xxxx. I think HP wants customers to buy another printer!
I lost the first printer for not printing often enough to keep the head clean. At the time, a new head cost almost as much as a new printer. For the 5350 I mark a calender when I print, and copy a coloured A4, at least once a month. That A4 has all the colours in just large enough amounts to keep the head clean and all has been OK for the last 2-3 years.
There are lots of instances reporting the B200 head connections fault.
I guess Canon probably monitor what cartridge you put in their new printers, and then display 'wrong cartridge', or perhaps they claim patent rights for a new cartridge design, to stop the use of cheap ones. Anyone know that? I will google it.
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I believe in retro tech for printers. Have been using HP deskjets for years.
Currently using 990Cxi (x3) which offers double side printing. Absolutely no problems with refilled (home & commercial), cartridges, the 2nd home one generally does not dry out over 3-4 months and even if it does a saucer of warm water/paper towel sorts it out in 20 minutes.
Fully supported by Windows 10 and Linux Mint - and now for the best bit! I dont think I have ever paid more than £8 including, in some cases, new branded ink cartridges.
I have just been gifted 2 x new Kodak scanner/printers. The colour photo printing to the edge is impressively good, but I am not sure that i will ditch the HPs. The Kodak scanners are also good under W10. My last Canon scanners both were not supported under W7 despite trying a lot of attempted workarounds and I was not prepared to buy the only commercial software that was available. Canon seem to have planned obselence down to a fine art.
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>> I believe in retro tech for printers.
Alas you can't buy new retro.
You have to blame consumers, they wont buy a new printer for hundreds of pounds (the true cost of manufacture, and profit for the supply chain) so makers have to resort to the low initial / high running cost model.
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>> I believe in retro tech for printers.
Alas you can't buy new retro.
Why buy new?
>>>and now for the best bit! I dont think I have ever paid more than £8 including, in some cases, new branded ink cartridges.<<<
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>> >> I believe in retro tech for printers.
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>> Alas you can't buy new retro.
>>
>> Why buy new?
>>
Because most of the old ones are broke. Or about to.
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>> I guess Canon probably monitor what cartridge you put in their new printers, and then
>> display 'wrong cartridge', or perhaps they claim patent rights for a new cartridge design, to
>> stop the use of cheap ones. Anyone know that? I will google it.
Usually they wont whine about wrong or incorrect cart, they will print, but it will whine - all the time - about having no ink - but it will still print.
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I have a new Canon MG7550 which is still being used with the original Canon inks, but I've already stocked up with the full six compatible cartridges set (four sets in all) from inkredible:
www.inkredible.co.uk/canon-pixma-mg7550-ink-cartridges
Cost me 4p short of £25 including delivery for the four sets! Seem to have risen quite sharply in price since then as I paid £6.24 per set.....
(Canon Pixma MG7550 6 Cartridge Multipack (inc. Grey) - Compatible Ink Cartridges £6.24 (4) £24.96)
The Canon cost £130 at Argos and I qualified for a £10 voucher which you can use to buy smaller items or put towards a more expensive future purchase.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Wed 8 Jul 15 at 18:01
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>> I have a new Canon MG7550 which is still being used with the original Canon
>> inks, but I've already stocked up with the full six compatible cartridges set (four sets
>> in all) from inkredible:
>>
>> www.inkredible.co.uk/canon-pixma-mg7550-ink-cartridges
>>
Mrs ON runs our printer, mainly for her photos. She has used Incredible inks in our Canon printers (currently MG series) for several years with only one cartridge not working, this was replaced immediately without question.
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Word on the web is that Canon's newer printers display a message that they are unable to display ink levels because the inks are not Canon ones. "You can still print if you press reset for 5 seconds, but the ink levels will not be displayed". If the ink runs out, head damage may occur I guess, as the ink dispensing is heat-pulse driven.
However, I did find an ink site that said theirs had recently been re-chipped and work 100%, with the printer I was thinking of buying, an MG5650 as it had one good review and is available for about £70.
Then I went and looked at the printer and was very disappointed when I compared it with what I have now. It had a flimsy plastic cover over a very small space containing the inks. A sort of hole that's tight to work in. The scanner lid was also very thin.
So I came back and took a gamble, that a £68 delivered new head will fix my problem. It may, it may not.
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I am trying to stay with a 5 cartridge printer as that quality is OK for what I want.
Also, the small display screen is very good on the printer I have.
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Just seen my MG5350 printer is still being offered by Canon as an upmarket model. One site wanted £400 for it, another £300. No wonder I like it.
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Fitting the new head results:
Head arrived and was fitted today. The 7.5 cm (3") colour display all looked very pretty again with all the buttons and selection wheel working and looking normal and no fault being displayed. Only one problem. It only prints blank sheets ! ! ! Whether copying something or printing text from the PC.
I did a full reset so printer was, as delivered. Same result.
So where do I go now. Do I have a duff new head? Or has the logic board, driving the head, gone wonky?
It would be useful to have an old head to hand that at least partially works so I could test the logic board is doing something.
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is there some process or diagnosis routine to pump ink through the heads?
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Are you sure the print head and the ink tanks are properly fitted?
I took the print head out of my Canon printer once to clean it - ink marks were getting on the paper. I refitted incorrectly and got blank prints until I refitted.
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If I take the inks out and then the head and wipe the print end of the head with my finger, I get a trace of ink, so the ink seems to have been sitting there waiting to be sprayed.
Also a lot of the logic is working. The display tells me when I have no head in and asks for one. The old head back displays B200 again. Put the new head back without the inks above the head and it shows all 5 are empty. Put inks in one at a time it shows what has been done. So signals from the print head + box of inks are being used. There is just no power pulses to the head to spray the inks. Also the 'printing' moves the paper just as it did when working.
Playing with all the print settings gets nowhere. I saw that intensity was 0, and thought perhaps the faulty head had caused the turn off of pulses to the head, but changing that to 1 or 4 did not make it print (not sure what intensity means as a print term unless it is ink density on the page). I did a factory reset to no avail.
Seems either the print pulses to the head are not being produced, or they are but the head is unable to use the voltage. No current flow.
Trying another head would be helpful, but I don't fancy buying one. I perhaps could get a duff MG5530 to extract its logic board, but not sure I want the hassle.
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Time for a new printer.
Anyone here used a PIXMA MG5650 successfully with compatible inks? 'Rite Inks' look a possibility.
One for zero may be?
Printer (~£70). Good write-up. Bit flimsy with the plastic but I shall just have to get used to not sitting on it.
[ Correction to my previous text about the MG5350. Canon are not now making it, so someone tells me. The ones now being asked £300 - 400 for, are those left from previous stock]
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>> One for zero may be?
Nope sorry, no wise words from me on this one, tho I ama confirmed canon man,never bought a 5 cart model, and as my few forays into 3rd party ink have all been complete disasters I only ever use Canon ink.
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>>..now being asked £300 to £400 for...>>
A lot of money for a printer now four years old since launch.....:-(
Here's a review when the asking price was £130:
www.alphr.com/canon/canon-pixma-mg5350/31528/canon-pixma-mg5350-review
My previously mentioned Canon MG7550 seems as good specification wise, if not better...:-)
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Stuartli, thanks for the reply. I paid £91 for mine.
Just back from looking at yours in Currys. Likely I will buy one. 6 cartridges with the extra grey, and using a large and small black like the 5-cart ones.
Canon are clamping down on use of compatible inks. Printers doing a wobbly saying not canon ink ---- "you can still print if you press reset for x-seconds, but there will be no ink-level indication." [turned off, no doubt]
Just chatted with Canon lady and she confirmed that continuing to print with a run out ink will damage the head, eventually -- burnt out heater I suggested and she agreed. Says the MG7550 stops printing when ink is low.
I found an ink, blue or black, that had foamed up and gone dry! Fermented? It may have damaged my head. Perhaps keep them in a cool place in future.
But the BIG question about canon printers is, when will you know, for sure, that your compatible inks are OK in your MG7550?
In the past I have used First Call Inks. The cartridges have a big Fi on the black label.
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I've been using nothing other than compatible inks in firstly a Canon and then an Epson printer for 19 years after the original inks were used up...:-) The prints have stood the test of time as well.
I don't know about the MG7550 yet as it's still on the original Canon inks.
I've always bought my compatible inkjet cartridges over the last 10 years or so from 7DayShop.com, diskdepot.co.uk or, in the case of the latest Canon printer, inkredible.co.uk.
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I have never bought any canon ink other than was in the printer and the last two printers were canon. Please tell me the result when you use the compatibles in the 7550.
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Bought Canon MG6650.
It is much the same as the GM7650 6-ink one, except for 5 inks. The supplied cartridges are black plastic so you can't see the ink level! Not sure if that is to hide the stingy amounts of ink or to keep light out.
Plugged it in as instructed and screen said Fault 5011, "switch off and on again, if same, get it serviced." It was.
The Home button did nothing. Lifted the ink-cover and the ink-carriage stayed where it was --- hidden at the left and difficult to get at, but I managed to pull it across, put the 5 inks in. Result: still same.
Installed from CD and used the diagnostic icon it produced. That said OK for the several things it listed. At the end it had a 'test print' to click, but it did not. Printer display was still the same. Tried a bit of text print to see if the Cannon printer was listed. It was.
Today I returned the printer to a well known store for a refund. (Got it via web) Serial number of printer was 1300 odd. I will try and wait for a later one before buying another.
The '5011 fault' is much mentioned on the web for other printers.
Back to my MG5350: What killed the two print heads in my late MG5350 printer?
I re-used the existing inks with my new head because they were largely full when last used 3 weeks before. It was only when I was dumping the MG5350, that I saw the blue one was solidified froth! I suspected it might have fermented, but do inks ferment?
Yes they do. I recently read that Canon inks include an anti-bacteria agent.
I think we should endeavour to find out what others do. Cheap inks?
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>>I think we should endeavour to find out what others do. Cheap inks? >>
i have been using Canon (BJC 600e) and Epson R300 compatible inks over a period of just under 20 years without no problems whatsoever. My Canon MG7550 replaced the Epson (a pure photo and, somewhat reluctant, text printer), which was nine years old, because it also has a high quality scanner and other advantages relevant to the current technological era.
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Printer inks generally contain a biocide.
What often happens is that the third party inks are a different chemical makeup than the oem inks and when they mix the result is either solidifying or turns to a jelly like substance both which screws up the jetting with the heads. Inks are not the same as they differ according to head technology, nozzle size, drop size and many other parameters.
There is legislation that says that printers must work with third party inks but work can be basic and not support features like ink level and head protection and maintenance.
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I dunno, only posts every 6 months but always something useful!
Do the OEMs have to share specs on ink, nozzle size etc. etc. ? Or do the TP manufacturers have to work out what they can?
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Steve, thanks for that.
In regard to the Reconditioned Canon Cartridges being offered --- on a site that sells the standard Canon ones --- do you know what ink they hold. Is it Canon or compatible ink?
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Its most likely that if its not from the oem then it is not their ink or necessarily to their spec. oems take steps to ensure their logos and trademarks etc only appear on their own products. Thats why the oems name is often mentioned but the logo is not present. You will also find the oems markings are often erased from cartridges for the same reason.
From experience aviod third party consumables. They can be troublesome. It is a lucky dip however but the experience is mostly poor.
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Stuartli,
Any news to report on the use of 'compatible' inks in your MG7550?
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>> Stuartli,
Any news to report on the use of 'compatible' inks in your MG7550?>>
I've not forgotten your request. The answer to date is none as the MG7550 is still firing away on the original Canon cartridges...:-) :-)
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Just used the printer for a couple of pages of text - still around 35 per cent ink in virtually all the cartridges...:-)
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my canon ip4500 died, no power, perfectly good printer that accepted compatibles after doing a lot of research decided to get another canon this time a3 size as i tend to print photos.
Its a canon pixma 8750 got in pc world where it was reduced by £30.
first impressions well it prints a lot better as it has a 6 ink cartridges compared to the 5 on the old one.
Yes it does support compatibles, and rather than paying upto £60 for the full set i can buy it for 25percent of the price.
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Mine gets most use at Xmas time, for cards. Not that I am a great user.
I have skeleton card-layouts, one for a Landscape and one for a portrait, that were made using CorelDraw and I drop and size suitable Xmas pictures etc., into the allocated places. Nicer than the 'run of the mill' shop card and unique. After the master is produced, it is copied using the Canon. A printer before Xmas, is the need.
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Can't find the thread now in which I promised to let a forum member know the outcome of switching over from Canon original cartridges to compatible versions from INKredible.co.uk for my Pixma MG7550 printer.
Well the originals have continued to churn out plenty of A4s right up to yesterday, but the warnings about low ink became more and more persistent.
So I replaced all but the Black cartridge (still plenty of ink left) with the compatibles, which match the originals for chips, active lights etc.
I've been comparing prints done today compared with yesterday of the same event and, quite frankly, I can't detect any difference quality wise or operation wise so far...:-)
What I can tell is that the financial savings - as has been the case over the past 20 years of using Canon and Epson compatible inkjet cartridges - are very much to be appreciated.
As for longevity, I have photographs from the mid-1990s onwards that are as good as the day they were printed, so no complaints on that score either...:-)
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>> Can't find the thread
I did ;)
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>> I did ;) >>
Thank you!
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Hi Stuartli, Pleased to hear the good news.
I suppose the only question left is, will you get the usual warnings when an ink cartridge is low?
But you can see what ink is left in them. The Canon ones I have seen used black plastic.
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>>I suppose the only question left is, will you get the usual warnings when an ink cartridge is low? >>
The chipped compatible cartridges have the same square light on top of each cartridge as the originals, which flash when appropriate to warn that an individual cartridge's ink level is getting low.
There is, of course, also the usual printer's on-screen display of the approximate ink levels in each cartridge.
I must say that the Pixma MG7550 turns out stunning photographs, apart from being a versatile all-in-one. It's the first time I've considered an all-in-one as I've previously preferred a photo printer such as my previous Epson R300 and I'm very happy with it.
I could have got an Epson or Canon all-in-one for a similar or lower price at the time (£95 in 2006), but reckoned there must have been some compromises to make it possible.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Sun 3 Apr 16 at 11:41
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Canon current printer that accepts compatible inks - Aretas
