[net.periphs] Printronix printers

dbm@unccvax.UUCP (Dwayne B Mcneil) (08/13/86)

My university has been using the Printronix P300 dot matrix printer (rated
at 300 LPM) for the past few years and overall we have been pretty happy
with it, but we are now looking for something with a bit higher duty cycle.
Someone suggested that we look at the P600 (since we are basically happy
with the P300), but from what little info I have on the Printronix P600 it
isn't clear if it is just a P300 running faster, or a different (ie: more
heavy duty) design.  

Are there any Printronix P600 users who would like to pass along their
experiences?

Thanx in advance,
Dwayne Mcneil (UUCP: decvax!mcnc!unccvax!dbm)

root@dosadi.UUCP (Maintenance Account) (08/16/86)

> 
> My university has been using the Printronix P300 dot matrix printer (rated
> at 300 LPM) for the past few years and overall we have been pretty happy
> with it, but we are now looking for something with a bit higher duty cycle.
> Someone suggested that we look at the P600 (since we are basically happy
> with the P300), but from what little info I have on the Printronix P600 it
> isn't clear if it is just a P300 running faster, or a different (ie: more
> heavy duty) design.  
> 
> Are there any Printronix P600 users who would like to pass along their
> experiences?
> 
> Thanx in advance,
> Dwayne Mcneil (UUCP: decvax!mcnc!unccvax!dbm)

Where I work we had a P600 for about 3 years.  I have two words to say 
about it.  Avoid it.  The P600 is just a P300 slightly modified to run
600 LPM.  The P300 wasn't designed to take this kind of abuse and the
P600 can't.  Before we replaced it, it was breaking down about 3-4 times
a WEEK (when being run approximately 6 hours a day, intermettently).
If you happen to be unfortunate enough to get one, I'd definitely 
recommend a service contract and a backup printer.  You'll be replacing
a lot of print hammers, hammer coils, and occasionally the entire
print shuttle.  Shuttles cost about $2000 last that I heard,
if I recall correctly.  We had ours under maintenance with Prime
(was hooked up to a prime), and our CE's were almost begging that
we replace it with something else.  They were definitely sick of
the beast.

By the way, I know that we didn't just get a bad one because Prime
replaced it with another P600 once.  I've also heard from a few
other unfortunates who've had to put up with these things.
I hear that you can convert a P300 to a P600.  I'd say that going
the other way around would be a much more popular mod.

Incidently, if you're wondering, we finally replaced it with a
Data Printer 1210 (750 LPM upper/lower, 1000 LPM upper only).
Other than some slight paper jam problems, it works wonderfully.
With a power stacker (probably would have to disable the paper
feed mechanism after the tractors.  No big deal), it would be
near perfect.

-- 

/Dave Edick/

{hplabs,ihnp4}!qantel!dosadi!root

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