Canon Pixma 780 and Canon Pixma 830

by Chad Stout
(Rocklin, CA USA)

My views on Canon Pirxma 780 and Canon Pixma 830 :

Canon's Customer Service is more than excellent, but their multifunction printers have a 2 year lifespan under normal conditions. I chose Canon because refilling their cartridges is easy due to their print head being a separate device rather than one where the print heads are integrated into the cartridges.

Functionally, Canon makes a great machine! They set up easily, the software is excellent and the machine is easy to program not only through software but through the front interfaces.

However, I have had 3 Pixma 780's and one Pixma 830 over the past 6 years. The Pixma 780 was replaced by Canon twice with refurbished units after the new one and the second refurb failed.

I didn't expect that much from a home multifunction machine that sold for less than $180, but I did expect longer lifespans.

The latest failure of my Pixma 830 was a power supply that you smell burning as I entered my home office. The machine is 2 years old and Canon would not replace it. I now have two dead Pixma machines in my workshop and am looking for a more reliable home multifunction machine.

I strongly suggest anyone buying a multifunction machine for a home office to purchase an extended warranty, preferrably 2 years or more. For the money you'll spend on the warranty insurance the hassle of suddenly losing a critical component of your office environment is worse than the cost of a warranty.

Perhaps I'm dreaming! Is it possible to find a printer for less than $200 that will last more than a couple of years anymore? I don't know, but I'll certainly advise if I find one.

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