Printer Ink Cartridge Prices

[Typhoon]

5 years ago I bought an Epson eco-tank printer for nearly £200, which came with four bottles (Black/three colours) to fill the tanks. I've had to buy a bottle of black ink since, a genuine one costs £20-£30, and I'm due to replace the colours which will be around £35. The printer's still going strong and I use best quality print. Way better than buying a cheap HP or something, and then continually being ripped off for ink, I understand that the printers won't print even if there's ink left, and they can't be topped up.

If my current one fails, I'll buy another eco tank job. Well worth it!!

Absolutely agree. Mine was around £300 in May 2021, came with 2 sets of ink bottles. Although it is a personal printer, I do multi-page mailings to be sent to members of an organisation several times a year as well as printing photographs for family members. I reckon that I have a third of the tank left for each colour, and slightly more of the black from the first set of bottles.

I used to have an HP until I couldn't get the cartridges anymore, even from HP. The Epson ink bottles are so unsophisticated that a third party would have no problem with providing them, even if Epson gave up.

 

[Enthusiast]

The HP printers generally claim the cartridge is empty if you put in a compatible one but it still prints.

They have a better ruse now. If you have a wireless printer that is connected to the internet you receive regular software updates. I bought a set of compatible cartridges, had them a month or two before sticking one in, only to find it had been "blocked" by a recent update. Contacted the cartridge people who explained this to me (and sent a replacement that worked). They also told me how to disable automatic updates - which I've done.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

They have a better ruse now. If you have a wireless printer that is connected to the internet you receive regular software updates. I bought a set of compatible cartridges, had them a month or two before sticking one in, only to find it had been "blocked" by a recent update. Contacted the cartridge people who explained this to me (and sent a replacement that worked). They also told me how to disable automatic updates - which I've done.

Another argument against the 'everything connected to everything all the time world' where the computer is able to decide what is best for you whether you want it to or not.

 

[contrex]

You think that's bad... look at the prices for a laser printer toner cartridge!


( Guess who has one and the toner is about as low as it can get... )

I have an HP colour laser and I get non-HP branded cartridges for a very reasonable price from a UK supplier whose name is like 'SmellyInk'. I would never go back to inkjets.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Feb 2023 ==

I have long preferred a laser printer. Bought a Dell 1320C way back in mid noughties which lasted until tw years ago. Once the original cartridges werer spent, I went to 'Stinkyink' who provided good replacements at under £10 each so £40 would give another 1500-3000 colour prints.
Since then I have an HP M283 MFD (multi-function device - printer, scanner, copier, FAX). Initial cartridges ran out late last year so replaced the lot, cost more than the printer for original high-capacity ones, however, they should last 3-10 years of use with no problems when left unused for 3 months. Copy is both good quality and durable so worth the cost.
I don't have the high cost per print to worry aboutthat was always a concern with inkjets.

I've been using Stinky as well. In 2015 I decided a colour laser would be much cheaper to run than my Canon Pixma inkjet. I found a Brother printer at Staples for just over £100, and rang up my local branch. 'Sorry, they're out of stock'. Then the guy said, 'Did you need that model or are you just looking for a colour laser?' I said 'The latter'. He said 'We've got an HP m251nw colour laser you can have for £50. It's ex-demo so no packaging, driver disk or manuals. Toner cartridges are still sealed'. I Googled the list price (over £200) and said 'I'm coming over'. It's big and black and heavy and works a treat. The original toners (half capacity starter ones) lasted 6 years and Stinky were very cheap for replacements. A couple of months ago I found an Epson printer/scanner put out on a front wall near my home. No cartridges, but the scanner works just fine. So I have a poor man's laser MFD in effect.

 

[RJ]

I'm on HP305 for my home/work printer. I get through at a fair pace as I use it to print destination boards for my buses along with duty packs, log cards etc. I don't like paying real money for things like this (water filter cartridges too!) so I generate Nectar points for free then use them to pay for the ink cartridges at Argos. Not struggling to hustle out here.