PA Shutterbug Loc: Near Greater Pittsburgh Airport (PIT)

After 2 days of HEAVY printing my Epson Artisan 1430 stopped printing. Troubleshooting resulted in learning the ink jet pad needing Epson's ($$$) repairs. In one area, Epson's WWW site says to just buy a new printer since the repair would no be cost effective. $300 to replace a 2 year old device that was working beautifully before? Googling I found you can purchase a "reset key" for about $10. I'm concerned since the seller of the keys hails from an area of the world not known for being completely trustworthy. I'd gladly spend the $10 but concerns about credit card security, etc. give me pause.

Have any UHHers gone the purchase key route? Good experience or not so good?

Anyone have other advice? Thanks.

"Inquiring minds want to know."

N4646W

Not familiar with your specific printer, but if you can get into the maintenance mode, you can reset the counters. See if you can find a maintenance manual on google. This should tell you how. Also I would post this in the printer forum.

Ron

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Been using Epson printers for about 15 years, and this is the first time I've ever heard of a reset key (?????)!!!!!

Leicaflex Loc: Cymru

I used a free software to reset my Epson counter:

http://www.page-net.com/frame/pages/Epson%20printer%20resetting.htm

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

There is a lot online about Epson reset keys. $10 isn't much, but you're right to be concerned about your CC.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=reset%20mkey%20for%20epson

photostephen

With my credit cards (Discover, CitiBank MasterCard), I have the option of using a One Time card number. Once this card number has been used, it can not be used again.

To use it, I log into the credit card site, navigate to the One Time Codes, access a code, and then use it like a regular credit card number.

You might want to check with your credit card company to see if they have the same option.

gkuep1945 Loc: Dowling Park, Florida

There are several methods to reset the ink pad counter. This will only extend the eventual problem of the pad becoming over saturated. If you want to extend the life of your printer, you need to also either replace the ink pad or re-route the ink from the pad to an external tank of some sort. If you search www.youtube.com for "waste pad replacement" for your printer, you can view several alternatives. There are videos for almost every printer and situation.
I had an HP printer over flow the waste ink pad and the ink was flowing out the bottom of the printer. It was a big mess to clean up. I now have a tank on my printer. I went with a tank from www.printerpotty.com. It works very well. The company also sells software to reset the counter for when it reaches it's limit.
Good luck.

DaveC Loc: Illinois

I had that happen a couple of years ago to my Epson 2200. I had been printing with it for years when that message came up. I researched it and found that it meant that the ink pads that absorb the ink used when head cleaning were saturated. I don't remember what the cost was to have the ink pads changed. (And no, you cannot practically do it yourself. I checked on that also.) I also found that "key" to reset the counter. Only I found some free versions. Some more reading and research and I discovered that, if you reset the key, the ink pads, which are already saturated, will continue to get more ink, which they have no room to hold, and it will apparently get all over the inside of the printer and eventually ooze out the bottom and onto your table. I was lucky, I found an Epson support and repair place relatively near me and took it in . (That's where I got some of this information.) I had him replace the pads, (no, I don't remember what it costs, I think between one hundred and two hundred dollars,) And I asked him to save the old pads for me. He couldn't imagine why but said OK and gave them to me in a large plastic envelope. I couldn't believe that that amount of what appeared to be cotton pads and ink could even fit in my printer. The entire bag was soaked with ink and dripping. Resetting would not have been a good option. Now, that was a 2200, six ink cartridges, and an expensive printer to replace. (On the plus side, I would have gotten a newer model.) And it did run for quite a few years. If it should last until I get the message again, I will just buy a new printer, technology has moved on enough that it would be justifiable. But I'm still using it and it was a good decision.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

I'm also not familiar with your particular Epson....

But an older Epson that I've got has been "reset" four times and continues to work just fine.

I don't know if they still do, but Epson used to put a counter in their printers that would shut them down and tell you the printer was worn out, needed replacement (or service, in your case). This was merely based upon a count of the pages that have been printed and some engineering and/or marketing executive's calculation of what constitutes "obsolescence". Probably a lot of people believed the message that popped up and went out and bought a new printer.

I didn't believe em and went online looking for info, like you. I found a free "reset" applet someone had written for my printer and used that. Didn't pay for one.

Actually, it pissed me off that Epson did this. Just imagine if our cameras and cars, toasters and refrigerators, and everything else had a built in "suicide" module that made them stop working after a pre-determined number of uses, like Epson built into these printers! We'd raise hell, wouldn't we? That was my third or fourth Epson printer.... And it's partly twhy I've avoided buying Epson since. I've bought HP and Canon instead. Those also are lower cost than Epson to operate... inks and such.

But, sure, I'd pay $10 rather than buy a new printer or pay $300 to have the old one "serviced" (which probably is just someone at Epson running the same $10 reset key on the printer!)

If you're concerned about the seller and your credit card... do a careful online search to see if there are postings and feedback about them and their reset key's effectiveness.

Or, you might be able to find a similar key from another source that you feel is more trustworthy. Or, see if you can pay via PayPal or some other service, that protects you from fraudulent access to your accounts.

cameralLady

I owned an Epson printer once and will never own one again. I had just stocked up on non refundable ink and the printer quite working. Much time was spent washing out the ink of ink jet pad until it was white again, I reinstalled the ink pad, and it still would not work. Epson scams the public by putting in a secret counter in their printers that permanently shuts the printer down after X number of copies are printed -planned obsolesce!
Epson lost a class action law suit because their printers told the users it was out of ink before the cartridge was dry; this was another unethical scam by Epson trying to get more of your dollars.

PA Shutterbug Loc: Near Greater Pittsburgh Airport (PIT)

So, the Artisan 1430 is back on line, working properly. It took less than 30 seconds to reset the waste ink counters and I was off to the races! Not a commercial, just an endorsement. http://www.2manuals.com/.

one_eyed_pete Loc: Colonie NY

I have reset the waste ink counter twice on my Epson printers. I found instructions on line for free plus a video on how to reroute the waste ink drain tube outboard using aquarium air line tubing and a small plastic container. Different Epson printer models are different. For my printer I was able to do the reset by a keystroke combination on the printer control panel. I expect Epson sets the waste shutdown limit very conservatively but if you reset without redirecting the waste ink to an external container, be very careful when a cleaning cycle runs. I was amazed how much blue-black ink I collected in the Rubbermade snack container behind my printer. That waste ink really stains.

mgemm

[quote=PA Shutterbug]"After 2 days of HEAVY printing my Epson Artisan 1430 stopped printing. Troubleshooting resulted in learning the ink jet pad needing Epson's ($$$) repairs. In one area, Epson's WWW site says to just buy a new printer since the repair would no be cost effective. $300 to replace a 2 year old device that was working beautifully before? Googling I found you can purchase a "reset key" for about $10."

I had a similar problem, only more so. Probably old news now but you can get a reset utility that allows one single trial key, free. That's presumably all it takes, but somehow they say you can only reset once. And replacement ink pad kits are available there too.

Anyhow, I found this discussion while searching for a current class-action lawsuit against Epson over the ink pads issue. Here's what I just went through....

The printer software warned that replacement of parts was necessary as they were nearing the end of their working life. Then, a week or so later, there was a notice that the printer required service, and it LOCKED UP. The ink and paper lights were flashing orange, alternately, and I could not get it to do anything except turn on and off. The print head could not be moved. I opened it up and released the lock on the print head, but the printer still would not function.

So I called Epson and they DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE SITUATION but instead said that I could take it to a service center, or buy a new printer WITH A SPECIAL DISCOUNT because it probably was not economically feasible to fix the printer!

I ordered a new printer (seemed like a good deal, and cheaper than Amazon).

I decided to either sell the old one or donate it, if I could get it working. I found the key and information about the problem, and got the printer working again.

My R280 must predate the ink cartridge issues, as I have always used compatible re-manufactured cartridges with no problems, so I guess I'm lucky there. Thing is, it was working perfectly, printing photos and CDs, and gave me no warning of the shut-down, or the reason for it. But more to the point, the tech support people MUST have known what was going on and deliberately misled me. OK it is old, and if I replace the ink pads (kit available same place as the reset utility) something else will wear out. I also understand why there must be a reset utility-- you need to unlock it to move the print-head out of the way to get at the ink pads and presumably their own service people need it, but there is no explanation (or excuse!) for making it usable only once. I'm fine with replacing the printer but hate to think what bombs are in the new one's firmware. Not a happy camper and really do feel that I have been the victim of something resembling extortion.