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View Full Version : ? Your choice of low end color ink jets...What has worked for you?



Jim O'Dell
01-20-2007, 12:13 PM
Our printer just died. Last Epson I will own, with the waste ink problems these things have. LOML uses enough color with her music students that she doesn't want to go to black only laser. What brand have you all had good/bad luck with? I'm leaning toward the low end HP. We don't do pictures quality stuff. At most I might do Christmas cards, although didn't even do that this year. Usually a picture of one of the dogs in a Christmas setting on the front, but the card stock for this is not great quality anyway, certainly not photo quality, so most anything that is decent will most likely work fine. I've heard of a 150.00 laser from a co-worker that the toner carts are very cheap. But like I said, LOML prefers to have color.
Any ideas would be appreciated! Jim.

Rob Russell
01-20-2007, 12:55 PM
I've always had HP printers and they've done well. It may be out of your price range, but color laser printers start at $300. For $400 you have your choice of several brands.

Chuck Wintle
01-20-2007, 5:49 PM
I have an HP 842c inkjet that is about 5 years old. Works perfectly except the cartridges are expensive. I have since switched to a Brother laser jet which is faster but has no color.

Joe Pelonio
01-20-2007, 7:10 PM
I'd day that HP has been the best for me the last few years, though I need speed and quality so have to pay for the cartridges, $35 BW $50 color!

I do have one printer used for normal things where speed and resolution are not as critical, that's a Canon. I bought it for $79 and the cartridges are $7 BW $13 color. I managed that by checking out the printers, writing down the model #s, then going to the ink section to compare prices.

Jim O'Dell
01-20-2007, 8:23 PM
Thanks guys!! I've had 3 Epsons. All were good printers over the years...at least the print quality was good. I figure that I've probably gotten my money out of them. But this thing with the Epsons and the waste ink. I know other brands do the same thing, but evidently to a much lesser degree. There are multiple websites geared to help get the Epsons back running when the printer "thinks" the pads must be full and about to overflow from the bottom of the printer. Just shuts the printer off. There is even a modification to show how to send the excess ink to a bottle outside the printer so it can't overflow!! I set that up last night. Utility programs to fool the printer into thinking that it had been reset and the pads changed. Did that! Still no print. Since I wasn't getting any ink into the bottle, and everyone said when they turned the printer on the first time they got a lot, I figure the pump for the ink was out in the printer.
Found a nice HP 8250. LOML's business partner and fellow piano teacher has one and has been very happy with it. Couldn't find one at CompUSA, Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot, or Sam's Club. Found it on line before I left to verify pricing... anywhere from 79.95 to 165.00 plus shipping. Lowest total price was 83.95. Plugged on to one of the shopping price bots and it said Circuit City had it for 79.99, free shipping, or you could pick it up in the store. Set it up and went and picked it up at the store...they still don't have it on display. Must be an internet only sale item. It's plugged in and working! Hopefully the ink will last longer that the Epson. If it doesn't produce the waste ink like the Epsons do, it's bound to be more effecient on using it!! Yes, it has the 6 color tanks, so did the last Epson. And LOML says that her business partner gets her ink at Staples, and they give 3.00 off per returned empty tank!! Or if you get the pack with one of each in it, you can use up to 3 of the emptys. That makes the ink a lot cheaper! Singles retail at 9.99 less 3.00 is 6.99 each. Full kit is 35.99 less 9.00 is 26.99. Not bad! Epsons were 18.00 for the black and 14.00 for the colors. And lik 55.00 for the multi packs.
So thanks again for your insight. have a great weekend! Jim.

Art Mulder
01-20-2007, 8:53 PM
Canon printers are known for having separate colour tanks. Probably not all of them, but enough. The Canon PIXMA line is pretty decent.

I have a Canon Pixma MP750, which is a multifunction - scan, print, copy (no fax) which we got on a pretty good deal. I was skeptical of the whole multifunction thing, but I am a convert. I find the scan/copy to be pretty useful.

...art

Larry Browning
01-21-2007, 7:57 AM
In my opinion Canon makes the best home printers top to bottom. Get a Canon, you won't be sorry.

Brian Hough
01-21-2007, 3:11 PM
I use a canon pixma mp130,paid $59.00 at staples.Best printer i've had for such a low price.

Russ Filtz
01-22-2007, 7:32 AM
I second with a Canon Pixma MP780. It is a multifunction WITH fax! Was $200+ when i bought, but I think I've seen it for much cheaper now. Has FIVE cartridges. One big black one for normal printing, then black plus CMY (cyan, magenta, yellow) catridges for color. The color ones are smallish and run about $8-12 each.

Color home printing is never cheap. I've not done it, but maybe convert/scan your color pages and send to wallyworld or similar via internet? Supposed to be cheaper for photos, but not sure on full size.

I think color lasers may be cheaper in the long run per page even with the higher priced cartridges. Prices on those have come down as well. I was looking at a nice Samsung one (forget the model), but went with the Canon as ink jet is better on photos. Get a laser that can print on normal paper to save even more.

Drew Bernat
01-22-2007, 9:30 AM
Canon for a color inkjet. Here's how I broke it down last time:

HP: Expensive cartridges due to the fact that they include the print head. Cartridges _expire_ of all things, and the printer will often say "you're out of ink" when you may not be.

Epson: Separate color tanks, but heads are included on the printer. Head cleaning mechanism discharges ~10% of the ink through the head to try and wash it out. I ditched my Epson when I wasted have a new tank trying to get yellow to print again.

Canon: Separate color tanks, and they're transparent so you can see how much is left. They'll warn you when you're low but will keep printing. Auto-off means no ink drying on the heads. Heck, I have a Pixma 3000 (oooold model) and it came with _duplexing_ and dual paper feeds.

Though if you're doing serious color printing, look into a color laser. I haven't done the math recently, but from what I remember you break even pretty quickly. Inkjet ink is priced incredibly high.