Home printer advice.

[RGDave]

Today, I discovered that the black cartridge in my HP printer had run out. I took it to the cartridge man (at cartridge world) and he confirmed it was empty. 7 weeks, less than 50 pages of letters and school homework.
Now, I may be getting re-manufactured off him for a just under a tenner or picking up special offers off the internet, but i.m.o. it's pathetic.
The chap reckons I should consider getting a Canon printer instead, apparently you get 14ml (?) of ink as opposed to 5ml and you can replace the cartridges on the colours all separately.
HP claim you can get 100+ pages from their small (regular), and Canon put it at 300+. So if the cart's are the same cost, surely it's a no-brainer. Also, there are numerous non-originals for the Canon PGI-5bk available all over the internet for as little as £4.....
So, a little trip to Staples, and they are getting some Canons in tomorrow for £49.99 (special price)....
almost a done deal, but everyone keeps saying Kodak work out cheaper in the long run???

Does anyone have any good or bad experience with printers? Any advice out there?

Either way, there's no way I'm sticking with HP

 

[G1BB0]

Epson all the way tbh

had HP, lexmark and so forth. I used to do a hell of a lot of printing dodgy cd covers/dvd covers and epson never let me down

I always buy compatible cartridges and use bigpockets.co.uk, svp.co.uk

Canon are very good printers but having not used them I dont know what the aftermarket carts are like

 

[RGDave]

I always buy compatible cartridges and use bigpockets.co.uk, svp.co.uk

Thanks for the tip-off.

I just found this offer on the net

http://www.ijtdirect.co.uk/CanonMG5250/

This is the £49 printer only the wi-fi version, and they're giving them away with enough ink?

 

[G1BB0]

http://www.svp.co.uk/search.php?search=5250&brand=any

4 quid a cart so x5 = 20quid, not too bad

in all honesty its been a while since I was buying on a large scale so not sure which printers would best suit

I currently pay around £1.20 a cart and it suits for kids homework etc

 

[brendy]

Epson or canon every time. You can also buy the CIS (continuous ink system) which will save you a packet. Alternatively Epson and canon printers have a roaring market in compatibles which work very well, even when printing borderless photos etc. hp really are expensive once the half filled free cartridge runs out, that is the same for inkjet AND laser printers.

 

[FaldosJumper]

Another vote for Epson

 

[RGDave]

Thanks chaps, my mind is being made up for sure.

I can't believe it's taken so long for me to wake up to the costs behind HP printers. I used to keep a printer for a year or so, change the cartridges once or twice, then buy another printer....thinking that it was hardly worth replacing cart's.

Either way, I'm definitely going to buy a good few spare black cart's.

 

[chris661]

Sorry for a bit of a hijack but does anybody have an opinion on a samsung laser for home? HID is needing something for coursework.

 

[brendy]

Cheap lasers will all do the job Chris, bear in mind replacement ink and you shouldnt have any bother. Print speeds can vary wildly amongst them too. Anything over 15ppm is considered ok, anything less is verging on inkjet speeds.

 

[chris661]

It comes with a starter toner cartridge plus a "normal" one for €60 IIRC and its wireless.

Just seemed like a decent enough deal.

 

[brendy]

Wireless can be a bodge sometimes, for 60 yoyos its worth a punt.....geddit?

 

[chris661]

Ba dum.....................................tish

Cheers matey.

 

[Pants]

Printer ink has got to be one of the most expensive "consumer" liquids available. Makes petrol seem very cheap.

As I can put up with most of my printing being in black and white, I've gone for a cheap(ish) Brother laser b/w printer. I've kept my expensive to run colour Epson printer for the occasional colour print. I just make sure that I run off something suitable off it every week or so on it to keep the nozzles clear.

 

[palindromicbob]

if the main use of the printer is documents then definatly get a laser. Espeacially if it is low volume printing. inkjets that arent used at least weekly can clog and render a new cartrdige useless

 

[Iaing]

if the main use of the printer is documents then definatly get a laser. Espeacially if it is low volume printing. inkjets that arent used at least weekly can clog and render a new cartrdige useless

Yes, this is most certainly true. Low volume on an inkjet can cause problems.
The only benefit to HP printers is that the print head is incorporated in the cartrages. It make them dearer though.

 

[RGDave]

In the end I got the Canon, but I managed to find the wi-fi one (Pixma MG-5250) from IJT direct. They sell carts on Amazon (for Amazon?) and did me a deal. I bought a load of ink (15 carts I think) and got the printer for nowt, discounting the £6.99 P&P.
All in all, £102.....should sort out the problems of using blasted HP and their pathetic 5ml carts...

http://www.ijtdirect.co.uk/CanonMG5250/

 

[sawtooth]

I have a Canon IP4200 and its been great. I buy full set of replacement inks (non-oem) from Fleabay for about £15. You can buy seperately and also there are 2 black ink carts in the printer.

 

[RGDave]

The city link man appeared at my door today. He bringeth gifts of Canon variety.

Pixma MG5250 (wi-fi) with a whole box of cartridges.

Set-up? hmmm...took some time. Done a few photos -very nice. Tested a few pages of text, also excellent.

Only "suspect" thing though is that the actual printer box contained everything EXCEPT cartridges.

My theory is either the company that did the deal nicked 'em to re-sell or they'd bought a job lot of printers from canon without cartridges to save on money and be able offer a "free" printer with £100s worth of their own cartridges.

So far, so good otherwise....