Epson LQ-350 vs Epson LQ-590II

Detailed Technical Comparison & Buying Guide

Epson LQ-350 Epson LQ-350
VS
Epson LQ-590II Epson LQ-590II

Epson LQ-350

✅ Extremely reliable and very low running costs.
❌ Noisy operation and limited to monochrome.

Epson LQ-590II

✅ Excellent build quality.
❌ Slightly higher running costs.
Feature Epson LQ-350 Epson LQ-590II
Number of Pins 24 Pins 24 Pins
Printing Columns 80 Columns 80 Columns
High Speed Draft 347 cps (10 cpi) 550 cps
Draft Speed 260 cps (10 cpi) N/A
Letter Quality Speed 86 cps (10 cpi) 121 cps
Copy Capability 1 original + 3 copies 1 original + 6 copies
Mean Time Between Failure 10,000 Hours 25,000 Hours
Ribbon Life 2.5 Million Characters 5 Million Characters
Print Head Life 400 Million Strokes/Wire N/A
Paper Feed Path Single sheet rear, Continuous paper rear, Paper output rear N/A
Control Emulations ESC/P2, IBM PPDS N/A
Noise Level 53 dB(A) 55 dB(A)
Interfaces Parallel, USB 2.0, RS-232 USB 2.0, Parallel

⚖️ Expert Verdict

Both are 24-pin specialists for high-resolution impact printing, but the LQ-590II is built for a much higher duty cycle. The LQ-350 is compact and perfect for a small back-office that needs crisp invoices occasionally. The LQ-590II, however, is a proper industrial beast with faster speeds and a wider carriage option. If you're printing hundreds of multi-part forms a day, the 590II is your winner for its sheer endurance. For a smaller operation where desk space is a premium but you still need 'proper' letter quality, the LQ-350 is the smarter, more compact choice.

What Owners Are Saying?

Epson LQ-350

William S.
"Still the best for multi-part invoices. Loud as anything but it never dies. 24-pin head makes the text surprisingly legible for a dot matrix. Frugal on the ribbons and proper tough."

Epson LQ-590II

Rachel
"Fast as lightning for an impact printer. The MTBF (mean time between failure) on these is massive. Strategic choice for our heavy-duty billing cycles. Very sorted."

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