Buy InkJet Printer Ink? Screw that.

[mastacox]

I feel like I'm doing a lot of ranting lately, maybe I'm getting cranky in my old age? :headscratch:

To sum things up, let me put it this way: InkJet printers are a SCAM!

So I'm trying to print something off on my computer, and low and behold the damn thing's out of ink; after printing off less than 100 pages on the thing. I can shake the cartridge and hear ink sloshing around, but it refuses to even try to print. It's a Canon R220 for those of you who care, but now it's in the dumpster; so you see where this thread is going already.

I figure I might begrudgingly go buy some ink for the thing, since I've had to print a thing off here and there for the past month, and couldn't because the damn printer's out of ink. I've been avoiding/putting it off because I know ink is pricey.

So I go to the local Radio Shack to look at ink prices, and to my dismay, this is what I find:

- 5-pack color inks (magenta, yellow, cyan, light yellow, light magenta) $65.00
- Black ink cartridge, $25.00

So getting replacement ink for the printer costs $90!!!! PLUS TAX!!! Disgusting thing is, I bought the entire printer for around $70 from Best Buy about a year ago. So *******?! I sure as heck am NOT going to buy ink when I can get a whole new printer, and I'm not buying a new InkJet of any brand because ink is RIDICULOUS expensive, probably because they're trying to make some money back after selling their printers for under cost.

So I say screw it and drive down to Best Buy in Santa Fe. I knew there were laser printers out there that you could buy for about $100, and low and behold I find an HP LaserJet 1020 for $99... It prints at 15ppm, and cranks out 2000 prints per toner cartridge! Plus, the toner won't run if it gets wet, and it has an incredible first page out time of 10 seconds (not too shabby for such an inexpensive option). Toner cartridges cost around $70, but if I'm getting 2000 sheets out of each one I don't care...

So I bought the LaserJet, tossed the Epson pile in the dumpster, and am never going back. I'll buy a color laser printer before I go back to InkJet... I mean the HP Color LaserJet 1600 is only $225! And it does more than 1000 pages between fillups...

On another topic, what's with the billions of all-in-one units at Best Buy now? They literally have twice as many all-in one units as they have stand-alone scanners and printers combined!

So there's my rant for the day. That is all.

[cootees]

Get yourself a nice thermal printer if you don't do much color printing. It is rare that I ever have a need to use a printer though.. so my inkjet cartridges usually last me 1-2 years.

[neliconcept]

I use a canon ip6600D printer, so awesome with prints and things, but yeah I have noticed that it asks to change a cartridge, the freakin cartridges are near halfway full and im like wtf? I may buy a laser for papers and use this one for my photography, but newer electronics in general dont last worth a ####

[Cebby]

It's definitely a racket on the consumables. I'm glad that Sams' club started carrying ink for my inkjet. Worst time around my house is when everything runs out at once - 1 inkjet, 1 photo printer and 1 laser multi function thinga-ma-bob.

[Celica]

I hear you. I have the same hatered for inkjets. I usually print in color for Christmas and that was about it - had to buy a new cartidge everytime to print 25 pages - very pricey. So now I have a Color laser - best thing I ever did - awsome print quality. It is the HP 2840L if you are interested.

[CJM]

Never ever buy an epson unless you plan on doing alot of photo printing-thats where they shine.

Otherwise grab an hp and use it, 1 color cartridge, 1 black. My printer keeps telling me I am outta black ink but yet I keep on trucking..

[MTL_4runner]

I only use laser printers now for exactly the reasons mentioned above. I have a black and white Samsung ML-2010 cheapo I use at home and a color HP LaserJet 3500 at work (man that prints nice). The only issue is that if you buy a full set of cartridges for that color laser, you are basically buying a new printer (would you believe $600 for all 4 toner cartridges!!!). Laser still beats the crap out of Inkjet on almost every aspect and you'll never see me buy one of those razor blade dispensers again. :laugh:

[marko3xl3]

this is gonna be long...

I too have an Epson R200 and you're completely right about the ink problem. In fact, there's a class action suit out right now becuase of this problem (I'll tell you what it is soon enough). The crapshoot is that a class will only get a $40 ink coupon per printer so Epson wins again...stupid lawyers.

Here's the thing...we all know that Epson prints awesome photos (that's what I use it for, I also have a laser) and Epson knows that just as well. Ever since competition on inkjet's got high and there's so much selection, consumers get what's on sale and not quality (which is similar amongst brans unless you're a photographer anyway). We also know that printers are dirt cheap and companies always made their profits of ink. But now every and their mom is doing cheap re-fills and again, consumers fall into the trap because it suits their christmas cards just fine.

Well, Epson wasn't making enough money and they began programming their printers to read low ink even though there was still ink in the cartridge. You could put in a new one, take it out and put it back in, and it would register 7/8 full. Their "excuse" was actually valid...the printer head would "burn" and break if you ran it without ink, because printing occurs at huge temperatures (the ink actually boils). But in Epsons case, you have one head for 5 colors, so long story short, people saw through their scam and tried to nit pick them out of money which never works anyway. I doubt things are gonna change anytime soon either.

Bottom line is, if you need an OK inkjet...get a canon, if you need pro quality, get the Epson and a continuous flow system and fool the printer. I am currently running regular ink with a "chip resetter" which allows me to reset the cartridges when it displays full to get more prints out of it. Once I start printing more photos, I'll get a nice continious flow system.


If you wanna know more about the Epson lawsuit (and want to get your $40) go here: www.epsonsettlement.com

Though I think it's too late now anyways :gay:

[ChickenLover]

I've been putting off buying ink for my printer for the very same reason. For the amount of money I'd spend in new ink, I could buy another printer. Ridiculous.

I'll have to look into getting a laser printer too.