I just have to vent here…

I’ve been using printers for about 25 years now. From back when some had a daisy wheel prnt head, sort of like the IBM Selectric typewriter. Ink jet printers were a big step forward in quality and color and more affordable than the early laser printers. An HP Deskjet printer I bought over ten years ago still works. It’s rugged and dependable (model 820cse).

However, since that time, I watch as the quality and dependability of HP printers decreases, along with the size of the print cartridge. The model 820 printer cartridge holds 39 ml of black ink and I probably change it every year or so for around $20.

Contrast that to this new HP printer I picked up last year (model d4160). The second or third HP printer I’ve had to buy as recent ones conked out dead. It comes with teeny tiny little print cartridges about the size of my thumbnail. I’ve already replaced them a couple of times in the past year despite using the printer infrequently. The black cartridge holds only 11 ml of ink and costs $20. The color one holds a measly 5 ml of Singapore ink and costs $20.

So basically, I get about 1/4th the amount of black ink and 1/8th the amount of color ink with these new printers compared to my elegant old standby. Yet the cartridge prices remain the same. An outrageous $20 – or, two for $35. What a deal?

Now, to top things off, while in my local Staples store today, I see the add for a brand new HP d4160 printer on sale for $29. That price is $10 cheaper than buying two replacement print cartridges for it. I should have just bought the printer.

Better yet, printer manufacturers like HP, should stop gouging us for cartridges. They should immediately lower the price. The price of the B&W cartridge should be $5. The color one should cost only $2.50.

Why can't another company make printer cartridges for HP's and sell them for less? Is HP the only company authorized?

BTW, I have a HP printer/copier/fax/scanner and it's a piece of junk. And when I buy the color and black cartridges, it's over $60, which is ridiculous. I won't be buying HP ever again.

Dan, I agree with you. But my philosophy about inkjets these days is that they are merely disposable receptacles for the cartridges, which I try to get as cheaply as possible. I have been using OfficeSupplyOutfitters.com to get cartridges for my old Epson C62 (I got my Mom the same printer - that is convenient, believe me, if you want to swap cartridges, etc.). I get them usually under $10 each for black or color. (Hint: OSO has free shipping once in a while, usually around the holidays - a good time to stock up.)

Are these 3rd party cartridges any good? So-so. Sometimes they seem to crap out but mostly they are OK. My experience is that the cartridges dry out after a while anyway, even the name brand Epson cartridges. I don't print all the time, maybe a few pages a week, so I don't care if my $6 cartridges last only 6 months. I mind a lot more if I paid $25 for a cartridge.

If my C62 ever goes bad (I have two actually - got them on closeout for the same price as buying new cartridges) I'll just buy another "disposable" inkjet somewhere.

As for HP: I've had bad luck with HP products in general, especially in the last 5-6 years. I had an HP scanner for example that HP claimed was supported in Windows 2000 but after a service pack, it failed to work and they refused to update it. (This was a few years ago before Win2000 seemed so obsolete.) I've had other issues with HP products and I refuse to buy any more HP products.

Andrew

Okidata B4350 or Brother HL-5140 laser for B&W and a Brother Multi-function for faxing, copying, scanning, and color printing. Okidata and some Brothers are least costly for toner replacements as you don't have to put in a drum/toner combo, just a toner pack.

Good topic!

I've seen the Kodak's new printer ads touting the lower refill prices (full retail price: $10 black, $15 color) and just found this article from the NYT;

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/17/technology/17pogue.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

I need a new printer/copier as our old one is incompatible with our new PC, so I've been printerless for a while, and it infuriates me that a new printer is cheaper than 2 cartridges, what a waste!

Does anyone have any experience with Kodak printers?

The price per page just keeps going up!

I use the refill kits and have good results when I just top off the carts every so often. The active ink distribution devices in the carts will last a lot longer than the ink reserve does. This is a pain though. Once you get to know your particular printer, it gets easier. Also gets easier with little tricks, like getting stickers to cover holes, knowing when to top off, etc...

I'm still considering getting an older postscript capable solid ink, or laserjet. The cost per page is high enough I might as well get quality prints for my dollars.

The whole inkjet scene is pretty frustrating.

Stay away from the Dell, "you can only get ink from Dell" and Lexmark printers. Hard to refill and some of the highest cart prices around.

My current employer got one of these "all in one" deals, and it's actually a decent unit. Ink costs are through the roof though.

You can get ink cartridges for those Dell printers (I think they are made by Lexmark) from OfficeSupplyOutfitters as mentioned above. I got a Dell 720 inkjet free with my laptop but I gave it to a friend. However, the cartridges were about 2X more expensive at OSO than my Epson C62 cartridges were (thus one reason I gave it away!). Still about 1/2 price at OSO vs. Dell.

Andrew

That's really good to know. Will pass that along.

Don't you all just love the drivers with the nag screen and active link to the purchase site?

On the other hand, HP's laser printers just keep on printing year after year after year. I have a circa 1993 printer (HP Laserjet4L) thats gone through about 2 dozen cartridges and still works perfectly. But yeah, we're being screwed on the cartridge replacement end.

HP's high end printers, have an electronic code in the cartridge, if its not correct the cartridge won't work.

Most printer manufacturers sell the printer at cost, and make their money on cartridges.

I have the same HP printer as Dan(the 820) That thing is an absolute workhorse. 10 years+ and still working like new. Haven't bought a printer since about 1997, I think.(Hard to believe that model retailed new for $299US!)

I usually try to get about 3 fills out of a black cartridge(1 original + 2 refills), after that the print head usually plugs up too badly. I don't mess with refilling colour cartridges. Too much of a pain in the arse.(currently, I don't even have a colour ink cartridge in the thing--I don't need one.)

Parents of little girls know exactly what HP printers are all about.

Here's why: You get your little princess a Barbie doll. Cheap, right? But Barbie now needs new outfits, new shoes, a place to live, a car, a motorhome, makeup, hair extensions, a BOYFRIEND, a best friend, it never ever ends.

Regarding cartidge refills, it's been hit or miss with us. We had a 4L laser for ten years, but it gave up the ghost. Now we have a (sort of crappy) Officejet G85 printer/scanner/fax. The color cartridge runs out of ink so fast, we seldom print anything in color. But we go through the B&W like crazy. Unfortunately because we deal with a lot of people who don't use e-mail. Idiots.

HP used to be one of my customers, when they gave me a tour of the print cartridge manufacturing line, they introduced it as "Here is where we print the money!".

Nuff said.

It seems to me that all the cartridges are expensive/overpriced.

However, a laser printer while having a higher cost for the refill has a lower cost per page.

I have a HP LaserJet 4 Plus that I get 5000 to 7000 pages out of a toner cartridge that costs about $90. It's my "work" printer so I don't pay for the toner.

I also have a Samsung CLP-510 color laser printer that I bought about 20 months ago for $399 with a $100 rebate, so it cost me $299.

It stated in the book that it came with "starter" toner cartridges that were good for 2000-3000 pages and the "regular" cartridges were good for about 6000-7000 pages.

Well the starter cartridges lasted about a year.

There are 4 cartridges in the printer; Black, Blue, Yellow and Red (they have some other names for the colors, but that's what they really are!)

At Office Depot and Office Max the cartridges are about $79 each. $316 worth of cartridges for a $299 printer!

I ended up buying toner and the little "chip" off eBay for $135 for the whole set. The kit even came with a soldering iron and solder. (Just what I need another soldering iron!) It took me about an hour and a half to refill them, but it works fine.

Neat time it won't take as long as I won't have to cut the hole in the top of the cartridge.