The true cost of my cheap, home, inkjet printer

The true cost of my cheap, home, inkjet printer

Author
Discussion

jjones

4,427 posts

194 months

Friday 26th June 2020
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QuartzDad said:
Not so much now the kids have left school, mostly seems to be a bazillion returns labels for the missus' shopping habit.
Same, apparently paying £2.50 to return each one is great value...

Still she has single-handedly kept Hermies afloat.

Sheepshanks

32,861 posts

120 months

Friday 26th June 2020
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page3 said:
With Instant Ink it’s worth point out it also covers faulty cartridges. Due to lack of printing the black cartridge had dried up and stopped working. Usually I’d just have to buy a new cartridge, but with instant ink they just send another.

For me it’s m working out much cheaper, even though I was originally very set against the idea.
Do you leave it turned on? My HP L7780 printer does a little dance every few days if it's not printed anything.

I turned it off once when we went on holiday and the print heads dried up - it's got two of them and they were something like £80 each.

mph999

2,715 posts

221 months

Saturday 27th June 2020
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I gave up on inkjets years ago as I never used them enough before they dried out. I don’t print much in fact I can go two or three months before printing something again so just got a little HP LaserJet which is perfect.

peterperkins

3,155 posts

243 months

Saturday 27th June 2020
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Colour Laser home printers aren't really that expensive now.

I use an HP M254dw. Colour Wireless laser network duplex printer approx £200

I have no idea on page cost. I bought a set of pattern toners and just ignore level warnings until it actually stops printing.

But I do know if I press print after 3 months sitting idle it will do exactly what it says on the tin without fuss or drama.

That reliability is worth it's weight in gold.

Colour photos? Just use an online service they are much better and cheaper than most stuff you could produce at home.

Koviw

2 posts

47 months

Saturday 27th June 2020
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Well, its quite common: cheap printer, expensive ink, and cheap ink for the expensive printer.
In case of my hp2136 syringe + common ink let me save a lot, and I don't care about it when breaking down.
Refilling is about 2.5 £ and prints as much as the original one.

The_Doc

Original Poster:

4,904 posts

221 months

Saturday 27th June 2020
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I reckon cheap printers are like cars.

Use them often and they run smoothly, if you use them once a month don't expect such reliability.

The insides seem mysterious and nobody fancies fixing their own.

The manufacturers are very keen that you use their (special) parts, but you needn't.

Spending more on one might get you a better experience , but the first rule of Bangernomics says the cheap one might be great if you can manage the hassle and the replacement