I need a new printer with cheap inks

digitalwanderer

digitalwanderer

wandering
Legend
Whilst I love my HP932c and it has served my family well for years, the $30-40 cartridge refills have finally had it reach it's EOL the other day.

My wife picked up a cheapy Lexmark Z600 series which I find neat only because it's our first disposable printer...the printer was $20 on sale and a new color cartridge for one is $30. It's actually cheaper to just buy a new printer which comes with a cartridge than to buy the cartridge itself. :???:

So I have my HP set-up as a B&W printer since it's B&W cartridge is fine, and the Lexmark is on top of my PC acting as our colour printer...but I really would like to find a decent printer with CHEAP ink refills.

Anyone have any recomendations on what I should be looking for? It's just for family stuff, but with the kids going back to school it's going to get a lot of use. (Printers are great for school projects.)
 
DIY is about the only way to cheap injet ink.
That or simply bang the printer and tell the kids it doesn't work anymore ;)
 
Buy some kind of decent laser printer for docs/work papers etc, but check the prices for toner cartdriges.

For color, the best bet is to buy a cheap new printer everytime the ink runs out. Chances are, you'll be 6 months behind technologically but the printer will always be better than the last one. It isn't very environmentally friendly, but if everyone did this the manufacturers would be forced to change their business practices.
 
Mize said:
DIY is about the only way to cheap injet ink.
Click to expand...
It took me a minute or two of searching before I realized that "DIY" meant "do it yourself" rather than was a printer brand I'd never heard of. :oops: :LOL:

t0y said:
Buy some kind of decent laser printer for docs/work papers etc, but check the prices for toner cartdriges.
Click to expand...
They've gotten that cheap? I'll go check, I haven't even started looking yet...I really wasn't sure where to start and figured this thread and one very similar to it at EB would give me a go point. :???:

For color, the best bet is to buy a cheap new printer everytime the ink runs out. Chances are, you'll be 6 months behind technologically but the printer will always be better than the last one. It isn't very environmentally friendly, but if everyone did this the manufacturers would be forced to change their business practices.
Click to expand...
Damn, that sucks. What the heck will I do with all those "used" printers. :(
 
With the new RoHS requirement in the EU would the printer manufacturers have to take all those printers BACK as they do with any solder-containing stuff???

Lasers have gotten VERY cheap. Heck, Konica has a color laser on sale at Costco for like $300.
 
HP's business line of color deskjets might do me, they have the individual color wells at least....I figure that will save me some.

Still looking...
 
new printer with cheap inks
Click to expand...


BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH





*takes deep breath*



.....*looks at those words in particular, together, in the same sentence again*



BHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH


You mean, you're looking for a printer, from a printer company, that the cost of which is not subsidized by ink?

---

And the nice thing about the DMCA's unintended consiquences (or maybe intended) is that, they get to shut down anyone making offbrand ink cartridges! They broke our encryption between the cartridge and the printer! Waaah!


---

Sorry if this post comes off sounding stupid.

I simply HATE the "give them the razor, sell them the blades" business model that EVERYONE is moving towards. (*&&*&^$%&!
 
Ok, so my HP932c finally died and I'm using the cheap-assed Dell 725 that came free with my wife's laptop....I'm looking for a new printer.

I'm liking this Canon PIXMA iP4500, it's cheap yet good and has separate colour ink cartridges...anyone have any input?
 
I've had my now ancient Canon A3 printer for ages. Uses optical sensors & not chip/eeprom for cartridges. Also why I didn't get the HP/Epson. Only used for photo output, but no probs with DIY ink refills from bulk ink. Results are good if you source quality ink. Don't print enough for a continuous ink kit...
 
If you're not super, super picky about colors or longevity, then don't buy OEM inks.

There are a TON of 3rd party inks that are decent, just need to do some research as to which ones are good and which ones to stay away from.

And on that note, you need to stay away from the newer canons which REQUIRE ink cartridges that are chipped, which not coincidentally, are only Canon's.

Oh, and one last thing to note. The cartridges that you get with a new printer are NOT full. Consider them starter cartridges.
 
Lasers all the way. I have a 1993 Laserjet 4P here that just keeps on truckin. B&W toner is insanely cheaper per page than inkjet. Hell, color lasers are even getting cheap now. My dad has a Color Laserjet that prints just amazing quality. And, with lasers, there's no running ink if you get the print wet somehow.

It is painfully obvious that ink jets go by the razor refill profit strategy while lasers are more out to satisfy businesses that aren't going to pay for that BS.
 
digitalwanderer said:
It's actually cheaper to just buy a new printer which comes with a cartridge than to buy the cartridge itself. :???:
Click to expand...
I am tempted to do this but can't simply bring myself to go through with it due to the incredible waste attached to it. I just fork out for dreadfully over-priced cartridges and feel glum in the wallet but sleep a little easier at night :cry:.

It's truly a dreadful business model which, in this recent shift towards "environmental conscience"-oriented businesses, printer companies deserve to be nailed to the wall for.
 
I have one of the HP business class all-in-one units and it has worked really well. Refills per color are roughly $15 and should last about 1000 pages.

The scanner/copy and fax isn't bad to have around either.
 
swaaye said:
Lasers all the way. I have a 1993 Laserjet 4P here that just keeps on truckin.
Click to expand...
I still have mine in the basement. 600dpi, PCL5/PS2, bullet proof build. Never jams. A profligate 32MB RAM, too. Picked up an HP 2550n color laser a few years ago that's worked well. Came with half capacity starter cartridges, but I got a full set thrown in on a promo deal. Bummer about newer Canon bubblejets having chipped cartridges.
 
stevem said:
I still have mine in the basement. 600dpi, PCL5/PS2, bullet proof build. Never jams. A profligate 32MB RAM, too.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's neat how they take regular 72 pin SIMMs. I've loaded it up to max before, but it dramatically slows down its "boot" process so I just stick with 10MB. That's plenty for clip art and text prints. I don't really need to print out full page photo prints on it lol.

600dpi is more than adequate still, too. Every OS out there supports it natively, AFAIK. Great printer.
 
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