Rant: Cost of printer cartridges.

[sam]

here are some cheep places to get cheeper ink
http://roloink.com/
http://www.inkcart.net/shop/index.ph...l=gg&listing=1
http://www.411inkjets.com/?AID=1555794&PID=706446

[edwelly]

I think that one reason HP's cartridages are so high is that they include a new "print head" - from what I understand (which is very little) this lengthen's the printers life quite a lot and offers a better picture over time -
this may not be true ---edwelly

[davidamarkley]

Yes, Lexmark, HP, and a few others have a new print head on all the new cartridges, this is both good and bad.

Good-It makes sure there aren't many print head clogs, because each one is only used once and pictures are better quality(just like new) with every new cartridge you buy.

Bad-Higher $$, and if you refill, they tend to not work like they're supposed to.

Epson, and I believe Canon also, do not have new print heads on their cartridges, so the ink can dry out in the channel between the cartridge and the print head, if the printer isn't used that often. I've repaired printers over the years and I tend to have more problems with the "print head-less" cartridge design than the one's like HP's, Lexmark's etc. But, then those seem to have a lot more paper-jamming issues, so you can't win for losing...

But, don't feel to bad... My ink is about $80-100 dollars a color!

'course, I have a laser printer!

David

[EndobioticChaos]

Refill kits are a bad choice. I actually think they specially design their printers so they'll clog up on any ink but their own. Refill kits just about always clog them up anyway.

Canon has some printers as well that take ink cartriges with the print head right on the cartrige. Like my BJC 1000 for instance. And with the ones that don't, you can change the print head quite easily.

[Dazbo666]

I usually go with "compatibles" when I get new cartidges for my printer. Less than half the price, and never noticed any loss in print quality...

Either that, or try refills??

The only time I ever used branded cartridges was during the 12 month warrantee period after I'd 1st bought it.

[sharder8]

Lexmark now will sell you a printer for less than what it costs them to build and market!

Why would they do that you ask??

Because they can make it up in ink sales!

Lexmark now has the lowest price printers, some of the highest priced in cartridges, and some of the lowest yield rates with those cartridges.

At the store at work at, we stress the HP printers. Why, because we have fewer upset customers come back, we have fewer returns for printers that quit in less than a year, and we have more happy customers that come back and ask opinions on what other products to buy!

In the last 2 years, I've learned:

Most returned printer brand -- Lexmark!
Most complaints about printer brand -- Lexmark!
Most complaints about yield rate of cartridges -- Lexmark!

Harder

BTW no1_vern, wait till you have to replace the drum! You cost per page will skyrocket!

Canon and HP put the toner and drum in one cartridge.
Brother, Panasonic, Sharp, Minolta, all sell toner and drum seperately.

[Peter M]

Lexmark has the highest imbalance between printer purchase cost and ink rates. (And no, buying a new printer everytime the ink is empty doesn't work - the cartridges shipped with new printers aren't even half full.)

Canon's printers print at the lowest cost, for two reasons. (1) Their ink carts contain nothing but ink. (2) There are 3rd party carts that cost even less.
If you buy their mid- to high-end printers, they even have separate carts for every color used.

Oh btw, the print heads aren't replaced with every cartridge - but in contrast to Epson's they ARE replaceable with a flick of a lever, and aren't nearly as expensive either.

[sharder8]

Canon's printers print at the lowest cost, for two reasons. (1) Their ink carts contain nothing but ink.

Ah, Peter --

What do you call the white fibrous material in the Canon ink tank that soaks up the ink???

Many of the Epson print heads are not consumer replaceable either! That makes the printer a throw away! (If the print head is replaceable, where do you buy them other than from Epson?)

Harder

[Omardeth]

they have us over a barrel , and they know this .

[Chiguy]

I just had to pick some up at a Sam's Club last week. It was almost $50 for 2 black ones. (I have a Lexmark Z45)