cheap printer and ink

EdmondShiels3

Hi I need to buy a new printer and want to get the cheapest one that also has cheap ink. I also want to find out where on the internet is the cheapest to buy ink.

Overheal

that more depends on how you print.

Looking at HP printers (because theyre the only ones I found with a reliable database for ink/page yield), a cheaper printer like a deskjet 3000 series will take 2 cheap cartridges, #60 or 61. Doing the math though, these have a lower yield than say the #950 system on the more expensive Officejet 8600 Pro. The 950 ink is more expensive to buy, but has much higher yield and better quality (ink instantly dries on the page, too) meaning the cost of printing on the 8600 can actually be up to 8-10 times cheaper than on the deskjet. But again, it really depends on how often you need to print. Most people will be happy with a mainstream option like a photosmart/new envy series printer using the 564 system, which for a little bit more cost than deskjet will still offer 1/3rd the cost to print. And better usability features like wireless printing from devices.

At retail prices over here, the cost per page is roughly (B/W):

61XL (480 pages): $0.10
564XL (700 pages): $0.036
950XL (2300 pages): $0.015

A lot of printer companies will try to fool you with cartridges that are dirt cheap on the shelf but have a thimble of ink in them. As I said, I prefer HP for actually providing a source of yield data. And the other brand that was notorious for the practice, Kodak, is now bankrupt.

http://hp.com/go/learnaboutsupplies

invaderzimirl

i totally agree i have a HP 6500 AIO and have printed almost 4000 colour pages and to do so i used 16 cartilages (including the $ currently in the printer and the Started cartilages which have reduced link in them) my printer uses 920 cartilages and argos sells the XL colours for €14.99 and the black dfor just over 20 i thinnk.

ive had the printer for over 4 years and never once had an issue with it

Overheal

So for your print settings zim,

4x (3x15 + 20)
4x(€65) = €250 for 4000 sheets = 6.25 cents per print. Less if you factor Setup cartridges and the ink in your system.

Factoring color into that, thats really not bad at all. I try not to guesstimate color printing for folks though just because its all so subjective to the content being printed. The page yields estimated by HP are pretty fecking standard, assumed for plain text documents amounting to a 5% sheet coverage (that is, black ink actually fills 5% of the page surface area as letters)

invaderzimirl

I use standard use most likely 95%+ colour printing very little black only
officejet are designed to be less quality on photo but better normal print jobs

HP always underestimate what they can do in output.

but the point i want to make is

as you mentioned €250 for 4000 if you use fake/refilled your prob lucky to get half that and then you have to replace not the cartilage that is cheaply sold as above had shown but the print head that is YES removable but you cant buy.
I'm planning on using my printer for the next few years, and if/when it dies ill get a new HP printer as the shampoo commercials say rinse and repeat.

im a firm believer in pay good money not MAD MONEY for something and it will last. if you spend €100 on a printer that lasts 2 years with lower cartilage output you will have to replace prob in less then 3 years. you pay good money after bad spend 180 for one that will last 7 years first off.

EdmondShiels3

Thanks for your help and I would like to find out if this printer is any good Epson Expression Home XP-305 Wi-Fi Small-In-One with LCD screen Printer http://www.amazon.co.uk/Epson-Expression-XP-305-Small-In-One-Printer/dp/B008OHNID2/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1379964642&sr=1-1
and what is the general opinion on Epson printers. Do completable ink cartridges work with it

EdmondShiels3

I also want to find out are compatible ink cartridges bad for a printer.

kennyp

EdmondShiels3 wrote: »

Thanks for your help and I would like to find out if this printer is any good Epson Expression Home XP-305 Wi-Fi Small-In-One with LCD screen Printer http://www.amazon.co.uk/Epson-Expression-XP-305-Small-In-One-Printer/dp/B008OHNID2/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1379964642&sr=1-1
and what is the general opinion on Epson printers. Do completable ink cartridges work with it

Hi Eamon,

Epson are generally good printers and this one has some good features for the money.

Regarding inks if your printing photos or other things and you want the best quality then originals are best and usually give a higher yield than others.

OEM or compatibles are usually ok but I have come across some horror stories of leakages etc. They generally they don't provide as high a yield but are pretty good.

I would advise to stay away from buying refilled inks as they almost always have less in them and are much more prone to faults - the big manufactures have been loosing profit for years from refills and are now designing the cartriages to be used once to help stop this - also they are chipping many of them so once they are used up and refilled they do not report correct levels to the printer.