What parts to hoard for a MP C3003?

[Zak McKracken]

Last year, I bought a used Ricoh MP C3003 and I'm absolutely loving it. I think I paid 400 or 450 Euro for it, I thought that was a good price. I has a 365k total B&W prints on the counter, a little more than I hoped for, but only a 6k color total.

I'm not a heavy user, just a guy who loves printers and copiers a little more than what's considered healthy. So I want this printer to last. But I also want to prevent what happened to me many years ago, when my Canon CLC broke down beyond repair: Not only did I have to drive the printer itself, but also a donor machine, a new-in-box fuser and 18(!) new-in-box toner cartridges to the landfill. Fortunately I was able to find another chump who was happy to come and pick it for free.

So now I'm in the process of saltening the deal by buying expensive stuff for my printer. What I have so far is:
1. An brand-new SR3130 finisher upgrade kit.
2. A brand new PU3040 punch unit for the finisher.
3. The PostScipt option SD-Card (PS printers are supported 'forever')
4. The OCR SD-Card (only the 3rd I bought wasn't spent)
5. The M3 browser unit SD-Card (Doesn't seem to do anything)
6. A Fax module. We have no telephone line anymore, but I hope to get it working with SIP, someday.
7. A set of genuine new CMYK toners.
8. A set of 2 staple cartridges
9. A new genuine black developer unit (D186-3053) (for the high B&W count)

What else should I have in stock to prolong this copier's life? I'm thinking about a transfer belt, but they're pretty hard to find.

[copier tech]

Last year, I bought a used Ricoh MP C3003 and I'm absolutely loving it. I think I paid 400 or 450 Euro for it, I thought that was a good price. I has a 365k total B&W prints on the counter, a little more than I hoped for, but only a 6k color total.

I'm not a heavy user, just a guy who loves printers and copiers a little more than what's considered healthy. So I want this printer to last. But I also want to prevent what happened to me many years ago, when my Canon CLC broke down beyond repair: Not only did I have to drive the printer itself, but also a donor machine, a new-in-box fuser and 18(!) new-in-box toner cartridges to the landfill. Fortunately I was able to find another chump who was happy to come and pick it for free.

So now I'm in the process of saltening the deal by buying expensive stuff for my printer. What I have so far is:
1. An brand-new SR3130 finisher upgrade kit.
2. A brand new PU3040 punch unit for the finisher.
3. The PostScipt option SD-Card (PS printers are supported 'forever')
4. The OCR SD-Card (only the 3rd I bought wasn't spent)
5. The M3 browser unit SD-Card (Doesn't seem to do anything)
6. A Fax module. We have no telephone line anymore, but I hope to get it working with SIP, someday.
7. A set of genuine new CMYK toners.
8. A set of 2 staple cartridges
9. A new genuine black developer unit (D186-3053) (for the high B&W count)

What else should I have in stock to prolong this copier's life? I'm thinking about a transfer belt, but they're pretty hard to find.

I would print off a PM report to see what parts are over life. You may be lucky & the machine has had the black PCU replaced if not most likely that will be the next item you'll need to replace.

Also as always update all the firmware then keep it updated on a routine basis to prevent future issues.

I hope you didn't pay too much for all those accessories ?

[slimslob]

Last year, I bought a used Ricoh MP C3003 and I'm absolutely loving it. I think I paid 400 or 450 Euro for it, I thought that was a good price. I has a 365k total B&W prints on the counter, a little more than I hoped for, but only a 6k color total.

I'm not a heavy user, just a guy who loves printers and copiers a little more than what's considered healthy. So I want this printer to last. But I also want to prevent what happened to me many years ago, when my Canon CLC broke down beyond repair: Not only did I have to drive the printer itself, but also a donor machine, a new-in-box fuser and 18(!) new-in-box toner cartridges to the landfill. Fortunately I was able to find another chump who was happy to come and pick it for free.

So now I'm in the process of saltening the deal by buying expensive stuff for my printer. What I have so far is:
1. An brand-new SR3130 finisher upgrade kit.
2. A brand new PU3040 punch unit for the finisher.
3. The PostScipt option SD-Card (PS printers are supported 'forever')
4. The OCR SD-Card (only the 3rd I bought wasn't spent)
5. The M3 browser unit SD-Card (Doesn't seem to do anything)
6. A Fax module. We have no telephone line anymore, but I hope to get it working with SIP, someday.
7. A set of genuine new CMYK toners.
8. A set of 2 staple cartridges
9. A new genuine black developer unit (D186-3053) (for the high B&W count)

What else should I have in stock to prolong this copier's life? I'm thinking about a transfer belt, but they're pretty hard to find.

I would avoid the Internal SR3130 finisher and it associated punch unit. They have a tendency to fail.

I would suggest either the SR3140 1000 Sheet Finisher or the SR3150 Booklet Finisher both of which use use the PU3053 punch unit. One thing with these external finishers, there are NO LIFT POINTS on the side that goes against the main copier. There are only easily bent cross supports. Easy to bend, hard to straighten back out.

AS for the OCR option, scanning with OCR detection can take minutes per page and the document will not be sent to the computer until all pages have been processed. On the other hand, OCR software on your computer can process pages per minute.

As for Fax, it is on its way out. There are a number of online services that provide email to fax services.

Do not stock pile toner. Find a reliable supplier. Toner will clump when setting too long on the shelf.

365K+6K is a total of 371K on the black development unit. Recommended replacement is at 600K. You may want to hold off for a while on that.

[Zak McKracken]

I would print off a PM report to see what parts are over life.

Thanks for the tip! That would be:
102 # ITB Cleaning Unit * 371k out of 300k
131 # Dust filter: Ozone Duct * 371k out of 300k
132 # Dust filter: Fan Duct * 371k out of 300k
142 # Waste Toner Bottle * 1810k out of 1000k

That last one is surprising, because it is way higher than any of the other counters anywhere.

You may be lucky & the machine has had the black PCU replaced if not most likely that will be the next item you'll need to replace.

No such luck; That one is indeed the one to go next.
I remember looking into that earlier, but also being confused. Am I correct to understand that the PCU and developer are sold separately, but that there's a third part number that's a combination of both together?
These PCUs are very hard to get. Are these drum rebuild kits any good? (I guess I know the answer; No).

Also as always update all the firmware then keep it updated on a routine basis to prevent future issues.

Yeah, as a professional embedded software developer myself, I always want to have the latest and greatest installed. I found your shop earlier, but didn't get around to place an order yet. I'm gonna drop you a line there, because I also need the regular user manual and installation manuals.

I hope you didn't pay too much for all those accessories ?

You probably think I did:
I paid $279 for the finisher, which was a pretty good deal.
The PU3040 was a little adventure: I got a US version and a EU punch assembly which I combined to an EU model, without the proper setting. Later I found a complete Scandinavian model, cheaply in Germany. Comparing that one with my US model taught me what the DIP switches did (See my other post)
The PostScript card was really cheap, no more than $30.
The OCR card was a drama: The first one was $130 and turned out to be spent. No refund from eBay! The second was $100 and worked. Yes, there are better and faster alternatives, but nothing beats the convenience of an integrated solution. But compared to all the hours I spend to trick the machine into using a spent card, it's still a good deal.
The Browser card was cheap, but I still didn't figure out what it does.
The Fax unit was dirt cheap: $15. But I'll probably have to go to a museum to see it work, LOL.
For toners I usually don't pay more than half of retail.
I paid $25 for the staples, I think.
And under $100 for the developer.