I dont know where you sell, so I am assuming Ebay, but I was not aware they were still sold as NEW.
If I could get one that I know will work with Windows XP, and still had access to ribbons, I'd almost consider buying one if it was not too costly. OkiData and Epson would be considered, but not Lexmark (I have a bad opinion of Lexmark). My best quality once came from a 24 pin Panasonic, which was a very popular model at one time.
The good thing about the dot matrix is that the ribbons dont dry out like ink, from lack of use, and I have had toner go bad in my laser prn from lack of use too. For top quality print, or photos, I'd go to a print shop, but it would be nice to have a printer to just do plain text at home. I wish I still had that Panasonic, and I bet it would still work (IF they still sell ribbons). I remember when I would print out my shopping lists and daily notes, back when I had the dot matrix. These days I just write them with pen and paper, because it just does not seem worth the cost of expensive printer ink.
So, what is a good quailty NEW dot matrix from OkiData or Epson that is a 24 pin, works with XP and has ribbons available? (But not real costly)...
My laser printer suddenly began turning the whole page gray after it did nothing but sit unused for over a year, after I had moved my computer (but not the printer), to another house I was staying at. The house with the printer was not lived in, so it was not air conditioned in hot weather. I can assume the temperature got above 100deg F. on real hot days in the house, so I kind of wonder if the toner melted. That was the printer that only worked on Window 98, so I just tossed it after that since I was not going to spend the money for another cartridge for a printer that was not only obsolete, but may have had other problems.
Yea, I would find it much handier to print at home, but not for the price, considering most of the ink would dry up. I guess the inconvenience of driving to the print shop 3 or 4 times a year is worth the savings. However I'd welcome a dot matrix printer again, since they are very trouble free. And for plain text, like letters and such, that is all I need.
Its funny in a way, that I was just thinking recently that I started using computers in the late 1980s, and I got more use out of them during the 90's than I do now. I only had dos and later on Windows 3.x and Windows 9.x, but I did all sorts of home tasks, and even ran a small business at that time. All my printing was done on a dot matrix and cost me about $10 a year for ribbons and a box of paper.
I had software that could print a simple B&W road map to my destination, without having to go online, and lots of simple programs for making posters and signs.
The early internet actually provided the latest news and lots of useful repair info for darn near anything, while experts and professionals were out there willing to help anyone who asked for a mere "thank you".
Not no more. Pages are so bloated with useless crap many never get to the actual news, those damn captchas, sites that provide part of an article and want to be paid for the rest of it, webpages so overloaded with scripts that browsers lockup, videos that require high speed internet ONLY, and a lot of sites that run a person in circles and never go anywhere. And this dont include the hundreds of links to Facebook, which is the most worthless thing to ever happen to the internet. These days the internet and computers are just toys to most people and the net is just a place to post photos of themselves when they are drunk, while telling everyone what time they ate breakfast and took a shit that day.
Usenet is about the only worthwhile thing left on the internet, and it too is quickly dying. I soon forsee the newsgroups dead, at which time I am going to pull the plug on the internet. I can email from my cellphone, which is about the only useful thing left. As far as computers, I have begun to resurrect my 1990's systems with all the useful software that I still have on floppies.
My HP 3510 printer is giving me fits , keeps throwing a paper jam error even with no paper in it . I've had it almost completely disassembled , after a thorough cleaning it printed exactly one test page then went back to the paper jam thing . Anybody with experience diagnosing this ? I suspect there's a sensor in there or something , but I saw nothing while it was apart . Everything seems to be functioning correctly by direct observation . The other thiung it does is that when you clear the "jam" by pushing the proper key on the control panel , if will just keep feeding paper until it runs out . BTW , I ran the tests with a fresh install of the software on a comp that's never ran this printer before , so not likely it's a software problem . I've had pretty good luck with HP printers until this one , but I'm about to go with another brand after this . What really sucks is we just bought 2 pairs of cartridges for it , they were on a really good sale .
I know I am probably insulting your intelligence, but since the obvious is overlooked, have you turned the printer off and then back on again? Had a similar thing with a Brother and that took care of it/
I don't have a solution, but I know of two things that can cause jamming: Cheap, thin paper and not having the siding clamp firmly up against the paper edge to hold it in place.
No offemnse taken , and yes I've done that - multiple times . I've been dealing with this for several days . I've tried everything I could think of before actually disassembling and cleaning it today .
I'm using 20wt G-P paper , the sliding guide only goes to 8.5" . I also tried some card stock thinking it might be the paper . If it were the paper , it wouldn't throw a jam error with no paper at all in the printer ... this paper feeds fine in my Samsung ML-2010 laser printer . I'm thinking the newer Hp printers are junk ... it really irritates that I just bought 3 sets of cartridges that are now for all intents and purposes useless to me . (I mis-typed in my original post , we got 3sets not 2.)
Sounds like a bad paper sensor. It would be a trivial problem if the printer told which sensor was not reporting correctly. Be sure one is not blocked by a little chip of paper.
Are you using the same operating system as before?
I had a laser printer years ago that worked alright with Windows 98. When I upgraded to Windows 2000, it would not work and drivers could not be gotten. Of course that meant it id not work on Windows XP either.
But even when it did work with Win 98, it always pushed 2 or as many as
10 sheets of paper thru at once. So, I would only feed it one sheet a time and have to insert another page if the document was bigger. I just lived with it, and for awhile I used a dedicated computer with Win 98 just for printing, regardless what computer or OS I used to create the document.
The only OS in use here is XP Pro except the box hooked to the TV , it's XP home .
This printer was working reasonably well until recently - it had occasional failures to feed paper . The only change in the home intranet is a new wireless router , the problems started before it was installed .
I'll be looking at it some more tomorrow , my frustration level today was dangerously close to using a hammer on it . I looked for a sensor and didn't see one , but I might have missed it . Lotta small parts in there !
This is usually caused by a bad paper jam or pulling the jammed paper in the opposite direction. The sensor or arm that is out of alignment...without finding and adjusting...it's a lost cause. I've had good performance from Epson Workforce.
The sensor is usually a photo eye, coupled to a LED emitter. Sometimes the light reflects off the paper and sometimes the paper blocks the light. The latter style is more likely.
Have you googled the model number to see if there is some specific help. HP usually has pretty good info on their web site about their products. There may be a maintenance manual.,
Considering the cost of ink for ink jet printers, I would only own a laser printer. But since I probably print something about 3 times a year, I just take my data to the library or local print shop and let them print it. I have not owned a printer for at least 5 years. Printers seem to screw up from non-use too. I'll just let the library or print shop deal with the paper jams, costly ink, and all the hassles, and psy them $10 or $20 a year for my occasional printing needs.
After all, computers were intended to stop all the paper usage, and I just email most of my stuff, or view it on my own screen. As far as photos, most home printers cant do them justice anyhow, unless you invest a large amount of money in the printer, and ink, and buy costly special paper. At 15 cents (or less) per photo, at the local pharmacy or Walmart, why bother buying all that stuff.
Businesses need printers, but not most home users.
I should also mention that the most durable and reliable printers I ever owned were the old dot matrix ones. Too bad they no longer sell them (new), or sell the ribbons for them.
We have had the same problem with officejet pro 8000 printers - and it is also an issue on the 8500 MFC.
You need to replace the printer.
Not a bad enough problem in my opinion to make me go to a different brand - I've had worse problems with Lexmarks, Canons, Epsons, Xerox, and many others.
I've got quite a few 8000s with close to a quarter millin copies on them, and a whole lot with over 100,000.
I wouldn't, on the other hand, touch a cheap "consumer" printer of any brand with a ten foot pole any more.
The problem isn't paper jams. It is PHANTOM paper jams. I don't think there is a solution. HP has no solution. I know a lot of techs who also have no solution other than "bin it"
Find a good NIB/NOS printer that uses the same cartridges - or even a good used one - and hope it outlasts the ink!!!
I had the same thing happen with my last Canon - only I had installed a constant Ink Supply System at a cost of a couple hundred dollars- and then bought another $200 of ink when the initial fill was almost done. 2 days after buying the ink - It died. Before I even added any.
On a lot of the new printers there IS no paper sensor. all they have is rotation sensors (rotary encoders) on shafts. If roller number 1 turns 90 degrees and sensor #2 only turs 87 degrees, it reports a paper jam (numbers just pulled out of the air - to illustrate the concept.)
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