Epson R2400: Would You Buy It Again?

[john_newell2]

I've googled the archives here and the web for reviews and comments on the

Epson R2400 because I'm about to pull the trigger on a new printer. Initially

I thought I'd get a 1280 or an R1800, but the better B&W capabilities of the

R2400 make me lean that way. The only semi-concern I see with the R2400 is the

waste (time, ink and $) when changing the black cartridge, but that seems less

of an issue with the R2400 compared to its larger siblings.

 

So...the question is: have I missed anything? R2400 users, if you had it to do

again, would you still buy an R2400, or would you buy something else? Why?

[steven_.]

I do not own a 2400 however based on all I've read this is a superb 13" printer with great B&Ws right out of the box. That said consider this! The 2400 lists for $850 and the new 3800, a 17" printer lists for $1300. The 3800 comes with a complete set of 80ml ink cartridges worth about $500 making the real price of this printer about $800 (1300 less 500) and the replacement cost of the inks is about 1/2 that of the 2400. Ultimately you are getting more printer for fewer dollars and less costly consumables and prints equal to or better than those from the 2400. Assuming you are willing and have the additional money up front to spend than this is a no-brainer.

[colin_mattson1]

I currently own an R2400, and I would certainly buy one again. I do only rarely switch

between blacks, but the process uses so little ink that it doesn't bother me to do it when I

need to.

 

That being said, I also agree with Steven: If you've got the money to spend up front, the

Stylus Pro 3800 is a great deal. Not only are you getting something like 4-5 sets of R2400

cartridges for far less than it would cost, but you also get the superior technical support

and repair policies associated with the Stylus Pro line. You can also then plug the printer

directly into your network if you want to print from multiple computers, and move up to

17" printing at will.

[iancoxleigh]

I agree with Steven, the 3800 is the better deal. It also isn't proportionally much bigger either.

[inspiration point studio]

I own a 2400, but I won't buy it again. That's because I can get better prints from outfits like

Adorama. A 16x20 print only costs $1.99 on sale. Regular price of 11x14 is only $4.99. How

many prints are you going to make on a 2400 to justify its cost? Furthermore, Adorama uses

Noritsu printers with wider gamut, download their printer profile and compare it with the

Epson profile in Photoshop, the Epson always give me problem with shadow area.

[john_newell2]

Thanks for the answers so far - on the price, I looked at the numbers, but right now the R2400 is very attractive because I can get a refurb for $458 from Epson, after factoring in a couple of discounts, and that price is v-e-r-y tempting - I think???

[shirleyb]

I agree with the recommendation to buy the 3800, the cost you'll save on ink would make it well worth it. I sell photos at art shows so I do quite a bit of printing. I had the 2200 which I loved but the ink cartridges hold very little ink. I upgraded to the Epson 4000 to be able to print up to 17" and also have the roll paper and with the 110 or 220 mils cartridges, my ink costs are about 40% of what it cost me before. With the 3800 you can also print up to 17" wide, and although you may not use that a lot, it is nice to have the flexibility even for once in a while. In the long run the 3800 will be cheaper.

[dickhilker]

Sounds like a great deal, John -- I'd go for it! I have a 2200 and 7800 and love them both. You won't regret your decision!

[mksnowhite]

I've had both 2400 and 3800. The 2400 worked flawlessly but the ink cartidges are small. I bought the 3800. The first one lasted a couple months before it broke...paper wouldn't load and it had horizonal lines through the prints. Epson overnighted me a replacement. Right out of the box it wouldn't work....it made an awful grinding noise. Espon overnighted me another one after I held the phone up to tech and he could hear the noise the 3800 made. Finally number three 3800 seems to be working...but I've had it less than a month so we'll see. On the plus side I got 3 sets of ink from Epson, which cost more than the printer.

 

When the 3800 works it makes beautiful prints. When it doesn't...well...it can put you in a jam if you really need a print.

[ericf1]

Have had the 2400 for several months now and would definitely buy it again. The cost of consumables and the value of the ink contained out of the gate is interesting. Compared to the deal you outlined and if the upfront cost is important, you won't be dissapointed with the 2400.

[john_n._wall]

I have had a 2400 for 3 years and use it almost exclusively for B&W -- I love mine and would buy it again in a heartbeat. On the other hand, it is an older printer, now, and Epson has cut the price of refurb models AND announced a new high-end printer. So I suspect that a new model at this price point is in the pipeline. If you could wait a bit, the new model might be an improvement, OR it might drive the price of 2400s down to new lows. Ah, the reality of the world of electronics.

[disneyry]

"I can get a refurb for $458 from Epson, after factoring in a couple of discount"

 

Mind sharing what the additional discounts are?

 

Thanks.

[KenPapai]

I LOVE my 2400 but now I would not buy it again and would rather buy the 3800 like the others. This is a no brainer. Easy choice. You cannot justify a 2400 now that the 3800 is available. I'd love to print 17 by 24 inches!

[ilkka_nissila]

Well the cost of a full set of replacement inks for the 3800 is quite considerable. So you need quite a bit of printing volume to justify the larger printer.

[douglas lee]

Colin, the 2400 supports network printing, too.

 

I own a 2400 and if doing it again, I'd buy the 3800. Seems I am always changing ink

cartridges and I don't print that much. (Well, maybe I do!) I am very impressed with the 2400,

however.

 

Does anyone know a) the quantity of ink in a 2400 cartridge and b) a rough estimate of how

many prints one can get out of a set of ink cartridges for the 2400?

[luis_diaz5]

I wouldn't buy it again and I love the quality of it's printing. Reason why I won't buy it? The front door after opening to

change inks doesn't lock well and I bought this printing in the months of it's introduction so whatever length of time til

today. I probably buy a new one and have this one as a back up and for regular printing. (I did this to a previous Epson

and it literally clogged up in a few weeks of non-use.)

Another issue I've had has been printing on thicker stock paper. Even though for the most part they all have been

Epson paper (except for regular manual roll and sheet feeder papers) there is something tricky that in some instances

can take me 3-5 hours to figure out how to make something print. Not to mention the inch you lose from the printer

needed that amount of space in order to pull the paper through. I can only hope they have fixed this issue in the next

generation printers. I would definitely look into a very wide epson printer after this one. The R2400 prints beautifully and

ink supply to me has been reasonable even though Epson was sewed by people for being stingy with the amount of ink

actually used in a cartridge. So for sure I would buy Epson and I don't trust any other company for scanning and printing

hardware.