Canon printer print-heads

[norfolkandgood]

Maybe four or five years ago I bought a Canon pixma i8500 A4 printer because all the reviews/tests I could find recommended it as the best A4 photo printer.
For many years I have not paid the outrageous prices for original manufacturers inks and never had a problem using Jet-tec inks in two different Epson printers. I have continued this with the Canon - however, I have had to replace the print head 3 times at a cost of about £60 a throw. It seems to have happened again - the black occasionally prints but mostly it doesn't.
I have cleaned and deep cleaned the head several times to no avail.
The question then - do I buy another printer ( ?make?) or do I soldier on with new print heads?, and if so do I risk another Canon? They still seem to come out best in trials but I am unhappy at the thought of paying for full price inks.
I see the suggestion to update the printer drivers, just in case, and I will try that but I am not hopeful!
I have also had the green print syndrome and just invested in a ColorMunki to try to sort that problem out but the printer failed before the ColoMunki arrived.
Any help would be much appreciated!

[mikeparker59]

Had the same problem with a canon ip3000, Stopped printing black, I had been refilling the cartridges myself. As the printer was out of warranty I bought a new Canon ip4200 and only used Canon originals in that one, I've had it about 4 years now with no trouble, Looking on e-bay I mananged to get a print head forthe 3000 for about £30. So put the old printer back into use using compatible ink for general purpose printing, keeping the 4200 for A4 size prints using Canon ink.
Now I've had no problems at all with the 4200, but the 3000 stopped printing black yet again so maybe compats are not such a good idea with Canon printers? Having said that the 3000 suddenly started printing black OK some months after stopping working, so possibly my original print head was in fact OK.


Before the Canon I had an Epson, which developed a mechanical fault, but printed reliably with compats however I was never really happy with the colour reproduction. I still find the best results come from using Canon ink and Canon paper.

[cosmicma]

gotta agree on using original cartridges with canon printers iv'e had my s9000 for over 7 years and it's still prints flawlessly
however the cost of inks has now made it cheaper to have stuff printed 3rd party than to print at home

[mikeparker59]

Agreed the inks were fairly reasonable when I first bought my 4200 but are now reaching silly prices. as I've still got quite a lot of A4 paper I bought in bulk I'm still printing at home, but will definitely look into having prints made elsewhere when my paper has gone.