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Author Topic: Printers  (Read 4671 times)

hover tim

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Printers
« on: January 02, 2012, 02:09:15 pm »

Hi all

I am looking for a new printer i dont want one of these that scan fax and print i just want a printer the only thing that is required really is cheap ink cartrige replacement its only used for printing documents and news letters so no need for printing photos any tips lads?

Tim
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regiment

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Re: Printers
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2012, 02:57:00 pm »

  if you live in cornwall   i have a epson stylus  cx 6600 going cheap  hardley used £15

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hover tim

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Re: Printers
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2012, 03:19:29 pm »

I do not live in cornwall but i have been there on holiday many times a very nice place how much does the ink cost for you printer
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Patrick Henry

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Re: Printers
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2012, 03:21:21 pm »

And I have a Lexmark X1100 with all the power leads, etc..it's had but very little use, includes spare ink cartridges and all the software to install it.

You are more than welcome to it, I now have a HP Deskjet F4180 which sits better on my desk.

If you want it...come and get it, it'll only end up getting dumped if not.




Rich
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rmaddock

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Re: Printers
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2012, 03:32:42 pm »

My wife recently applied all of her accountancy training to this very problem.  We ended up buying a very flash Lexmark Pinnacle Pro-901. It does all of the things you don't want but, over two years will cost us less in ink and paper than a much, MUCH cheaper printer. Partly 'cause the cartridges are cheap (<£4 for a 500+ page black cartridge) and partly 'cause it does double sided.

The "Which" wesite was quite good, if not immediately understandable on this subject. They've worked out cost per page figures for you. Sometimes you can subscribe to their special offer, find what you want and then cancel the subscription...costs about a pound.

Well done for asking the question though. The cheap printers cost a fortune to run.
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The long Build

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Re: Printers
« Reply #5 on: January 02, 2012, 04:36:28 pm »

Kodak Printers , More Expensive but the ink supposedly lasts a much longer time
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malcolmfrary

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Re: Printers
« Reply #6 on: January 02, 2012, 04:52:29 pm »

There was a thread with a good discussion on this subject on here a couple of years ago where the subject of using external ink tanks and drains was covered.  Obviously the printers will have moved on since then, but the principals should still be valid.
Since most of my printing is mono, my faithful laser printer does that - for colour I hijack my daughters colour laser (I bought the refills, I feel entitled).  When I changed over to Win7 I found that I could no longer get drivers for my faithful old scanner, so I had to shop around.  The cheapest way of getting a scanner was - an all-in-one.  The stand alone scanners were almost certainly much better, but for the kind of scanning I need, the cheapo all in one suffices.  The only downside is the "one press photocopy" feature.  I really will have to sort a cover for that button....
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JayDee

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Re: Printers
« Reply #7 on: January 02, 2012, 04:56:16 pm »

 Hello,

I use an Epson printer, which is fitted with a Continuous Ink System.
By far the cheapest way of buying printer ink.

I bought 4 bottles of ink, each 250 cc volume, for £25 total.
The cartridge in the printer has 4 small plastic pipes leading out to the ink reservoirs.

Each one is about 150cc volume, much bigger than the usual 10cc of an ink cartridge.
When getting low, the reservoirs are refilled, and away you go for another few months!!.

John.  :-))  :-))  :-))
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roycv

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Re: Printers
« Reply #8 on: January 02, 2012, 05:05:59 pm »

hi all, I bought a Brother (LC980BK) about a year ago.  I specifically went to a company that does cartridge ink re-filling when they had a sale on.  Paid £69 and next ink refill free, (3 cartridges that cost £6 each) which I have just done.  It does do everything else mentioned.

I was given a tip when in the shop and that was to buy a printer with a pump ink system, which this one is.  I could buy a kit that enables an external tank and gives the equivalent of £1 per cartridge refill.

My last printer did not have a pump system and the inks dried out.

I don't use that much ink so don't have one.
It is also the best printer I have had so far.

hope this helps, Roy
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Subculture

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Re: Printers
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2012, 05:08:34 pm »

If you don't want pictures, and are happy with black and white, I would get a laser printer, I find them far less bother, and cheaper to run in the long term.
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justboatonic

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Re: Printers
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2012, 05:38:03 pm »

If you don't want pictures, and are happy with black and white, I would get a laser printer, I find them far less bother, and cheaper to run in the long term.

This.

If you dont need colour or photo printing, there are quality laser printers that are quite cheap and will print about 1000 A4 pages even on a starter cartridge whereas an ink printer you'll get about 500 tops.

I'd advise everyone not to use lexmark printers. They are expensive and do not like recycled cartridges. In fact Lexmark are one of the main protagonists against the use of recycled cartridges, full stop.
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dodgy geezer

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Re: Printers
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2012, 05:42:44 pm »

I have half a dozen printers running here, including a semi-professional A3 Epson Photo 2100. That one, and the RX700 have a CIS. I have used CISs for around 7 years now, and recommend them wholeheartedly if you do a lot of printing. Here are a selection on ebay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=inkjet+continuous&_sacat=0&_dmpt=UK_CamerasPhoto_Printing_PrinterInkCatridges_JN&_odkw=inkjet+cartridge+continuous&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

If you don't, I still recommend refillable cartridges. Here is an example on ebay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-EMPTY-REFILLABLE-AUTO-RESET-CARTRIDGES-REFILL-EPSON-PX700W-PX700-PX-700-W-/220871910967?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_Printing_PrinterInkCatridges_JN&hash=item336cfde637


My rule of thumb for printer companies is:

Canon - good quality printers, sold at a high price, inks sold at a medium price
HP - good quality printers, sold at a medium price, inks sold at a high price
Epson - reasonable quality printers, with very high specs, sold below cost price to get you hooked. Inks sold at a very high price.
Lexmark - low quality printers, sold at a medium price. Inks at a medium price.  
......

So I would recommend buying Epsons, but NOT using their ink. Get a CIS if you want to do lots of photos, or a refillable if you just want to do the odd page.

So now it comes down to where you get the inks. Some on ebay can be very cheap, and I have found them to have variable quality. Some can be quite expensive!
I use a professional outfit who sell OCP inks in small 100/250ml amounts, but at cheap professional prices! OCP are a German quality provider, and provide precise original ink matches. The company is http://www.promaximaging.com/ and are well worth phoning up for a quote, even if you think you have an unbeatable Chinese price. You should expect to pay well under a pound for a typical cartridge refill. The last time I bought any ink was over a year ago, but I seem to remember paying less than 50p per Epson cartridge equivalent. I wonder how much it is now....  


 :-)) :-)) :-))
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The long Build

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Re: Printers
« Reply #12 on: January 02, 2012, 05:44:36 pm »

This.

If you dont need colour or photo printing, there are quality laser printers that are quite cheap and will print about 1000 A4 pages even on a starter cartridge whereas an ink printer you'll get about 500 tops.

I'd advise everyone not to use lexmark printers. They are expensive and do not like recycled cartridges. In fact Lexmark are one of the main protagonists against the use of recycled cartridges, full stop.

I had a lexmark and fully agree with this statement..
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Bryan Young

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Re: Printers
« Reply #13 on: January 02, 2012, 06:03:09 pm »

I'd still go for the "stand-alone" printer/scanner etc. solely on the grounds that if anything goes wrong with one function you don't lose the use of everything. Also, I'd advise buying the very best bit of kit that you can afford. There's a world of difference in quality, longevity and so on between a "cheapie" and a fairly "high-end" product.
Also...and this may ruffle a few feathers...take no notice of the little screen that comes up telling you that ink "might" be running low. Carry on printing until the "ink is empty" sign comes up. Nowadays with the ink cartridges being fitted with "chips" the manufacturers seem to enjoy putting up a warning sign when the cartridge is still about half full.
I'd also advise buying a printer that has individual "tanks" rather than one large combined one.
There are scads of outfits selling inks cheaper than those produced by the printer manufacturers....some are better than others, but most also sell the genuine product at a discount.
I tend to use Canon products and have never had any complaints to make. BY.
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john s 2

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Re: Printers
« Reply #14 on: January 02, 2012, 06:39:46 pm »

For the basic colours on my printer. I use a refill kit to fill my own cartridges, when the cartridge fails i either change it at a refill shop or look in my local shops cartridge recycling bin.For a suitable replacement to refill. I totally agree that printer displays are not accurate. John.
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regiment

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Re: Printers
« Reply #15 on: January 02, 2012, 06:55:33 pm »

not a clue see    comments by dodgy geezer
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dodgy geezer

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Re: Printers
« Reply #16 on: January 02, 2012, 07:06:11 pm »

Some more thoughts....

You have to balance the 'buy the best you can afford' approach against the 'buy for a few years and then buy another with much improved technology' one. High-end longevity is no use if the world moves under you and you end up with a 1920 Rolls-Royce...

CISs and refillable cartridges all come with a chip embedded in them that auto-resets the 'running low' message. So that never occurs...

I think the Canons are probably the best quality - they certainly have the best optics.

If you are going to use a printer often, or for a long time, you need to understand that ALL inkjet printers have a waste ink system.  Whenever a printer does a "clean printhead" operation, some ink is forced through the printhead's ink jets to clear them of debris such as dried ink.  That ink must go somewhere!  HPs have a reservoir where the ink gradually evaporates, and which needs clearning occasionally. In the Canon and Epson printers, the waste ink system is a large absorbant pad which is located below the platen and runs the entire width of the printer.  That's a fairly large pad and under normal use it takes a few years of use before that pad becomes saturated with waste ink.  When it becomes saturated with ink, the printer will stop working until that pad has been replaced.  You will usually get a message "Printer needs Maintenance", and the printer will no longer print. And it will cost £50 or so to take it to a shop for the pad to be changed.

To avoid this, you need to divert the waste ink overflow to an external bottle, and use a utility to reset the maintenance counter.
This one  http://www.ssclg.com/epsone.shtml is the one I use for Epsons.....

 
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dodgy geezer

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Re: Printers
« Reply #17 on: January 02, 2012, 07:10:03 pm »

(Question I assume is being answered..)

"...I seem to remember paying less than 50p per Epson cartridge equivalent. I wonder how much it is now.... " 


not a clue see comments by dodgy geezer

When Promaxx come back after the holidays I'll phone up for a quote and post it here if you're still interested...
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wbeedie

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Re: Printers
« Reply #18 on: January 02, 2012, 08:44:42 pm »

An Epson P50 from Amazon about £80 5 packs of six cartridge compatible inks about £15 or a CISS ink system no cartridges just bottles fill them up yourself about £25 ,The rule for cheap inks is get a dearer printer a cheap one you are as well throwing out and getting a new printer instead of paying top dollar for inks
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RaaArtyGunner

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Re: Printers
« Reply #19 on: January 02, 2012, 09:25:05 pm »

Comments/Answers no doubt, are influenced by local conditions.

Over the years have had several brand of printer.

Currently Brother printer, for ease of use, inks don't dry out and can be refilled as explained elsewhere.

However here in oz, printers with all the bells and whistles are dirt cheap, if not the same price as a print only printer, if you can find one.

It has got to the ridiculous state, that often I can replace the printer for a few dollars more than cost of the replacement inks and have done so.

The new printer comes with upgraded printer technology, features, smaller, compact etc and yes the old one goes in bin.
Same with maintenance, if they play up, generally after a year and after warranty runs out, cheaper to buy new one than pay service charges $80 an hour, new Brother printer $65.
What a waste, but that is the throw away society we live in.
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derekwarner

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Re: Printers
« Reply #20 on: January 02, 2012, 09:29:56 pm »

read the words........ %% marketing....read the fine print.......should be a law  :police: against it  >>:-( .......

'Save on costs ...up to 50%....no one better  :embarrassed: up to 70%'.............so if you are a believer you could think you are only paying 30% of the real costs.......too good to be true  %)
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malcolmfrary

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Re: Printers
« Reply #21 on: January 02, 2012, 11:56:17 pm »

Over the years I have found with injets that -
Cannon, great print quality, separate colours, replaceable head (neither exactly cheap), expensive servicing resulting in a change of make.
Lexmark, used in one of my workplaces because, as the IT man said "Built like brick outhouses".  But the colours are in a single cartridge, and some sellers of remade cartridges wont include Lexmark in their range due to reliability issues.
HP, similar to Lexmark in results, but similarly not cheap to run.  Good printing when new from both.
Epson, eternally cleaning itself.  A mate swears by them.  He haunts computer fairs buying cut price cartridges, a continuous feed system might be a better answer for him, since he prints pictures semi-professionally.  Excellent results.
Can't comment on other makes until they come to me and offer a sample for trial.
New printers are usually cheaper than their refill because they have much less ink in their supplied cartridges, and the printer manufacturers are not in business to sell printers - their main aim is to sell ink.
For a regular user, high capacity makes sense, but for an occasional user, there is a problem - the heads can dry out, and have difficulty clearing, with the higher capacity ones losing out with a lot more trapped ink.  As I understand it, lasers are immune to this kind of thing, but inkjets do give better picture prints.
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Shipmate60

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Re: Printers
« Reply #22 on: January 02, 2012, 11:59:54 pm »

HP have expensive cartridges but the print heads come as part of the cartridge so dried ink heads can be rectified.

Bob
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dodgy geezer

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Re: Printers
« Reply #23 on: January 03, 2012, 12:21:06 am »


Epson, eternally cleaning itself.  A mate swears by them.  He haunts computer fairs buying cut price cartridges, a continuous feed system might be a better answer for him, since he prints pictures semi-professionally.  Excellent results.


Yup - Epsons sell on specification, with a resolution is usually better than competing makes. The trouble is, to get that resolution, you need very small inkjet holes. And very small inkjet holes get clogged easily.

I don't think Epson see this as a problem. Because it only happens after a period of use, and because to unclog the holes you use up Epson ink which they sell at fantastic prices. Whatever your printer, buying your ink from a cheap source is a no-brainer. Tell your friend about http://www.promaximaging.com/ and give him a cheap set of ebay refillable cartridges for his birthday...   %% %%
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meechingman

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Re: Printers
« Reply #24 on: January 04, 2012, 08:27:33 pm »

I must be lucky with my Epson R300 then!  :D It's only ever had one set of Epson inks in it, and that was what it came with.

I then went to Jet-Tec cartridges bought locally or on line, until I got a really bad set. The supplier just swaped them over for their own generic no-brand replacements. Last few times, I've used 'Cartridge People' on line, taking full advantage of their special offers.

Apart from that one set of duff Jet-Tecs, never had a moment's bother, nothing that routine printer maintenance doesn't sort out in five minutes.

Photo output is superb, the only thing is that it's not that fast. What the heck, I'm in no hurry and b/w printing is done on a laser anyway.

The R300 wasn't cheap when I bought it, I've gone that route before with cheap Canons and Epsons and regretted it. You do get what you pay for. I'll go for another Epson when (if) the time comes.
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