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Posted: 2/5/2002 2:16:00 PM EDT
you handle your inkjet refills?  With 3 kids (4 if I'm counted in that bunch), the printer is always burning off "something important".  Have a Hewlett Packard 712C.... it has been a good printer, but the darn replacement cartridges are expensive as heck.  I just bought one of those refill kits, but it doesn't seem to print as nice as it use to.  Could have something to do with running the red and yellow dry before refilling, too.

Any help in this area appreciated.  Thanks.

vmax84
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 2:20:18 PM EDT
[#1]
I've got a Lexmark printer that you can find on sale for about $40. The ink cartridge costs about $32. It's cheaper to just buy a new printer, that comes with a new ink cartridge, and sell the old one on Ebay.
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 2:26:04 PM EDT
[#2]
Ponyboy ain't foolin'!!  its just as cheap to buy a new printer as it is to replace cartridges anymore (on lower end units)

in my oppinion, its a freakin waste. why should cartridges cost what they do?
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 2:34:49 PM EDT
[#3]
I have one of them animals, to make the ink cartridges last a bit longer, try going into "properties" from the print menu, and print in "econo-fast" for slightly lower resolution and under "COLOR" try printing in gray scale to make the color inks last longer when color is not really necessary. When printing a document in MS Word, I tell my family to use the "draft" mode.  The characters don't come out so dark, but it is still pretty readible. It will help you save ink and your printer will print faster.
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 2:55:56 PM EDT
[#4]
Keep an eye out for computer auctions.  I went to one a couple of weeks ago that had about 2 dozen HP 4si laser printers on the block.  IIRC they all went for $10 each or less.  The laser toner costs alot per unit ($60-$70) but last for thousands of pages.  
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 3:03:50 PM EDT
[#5]
I finally bought a laser.  There was a guy in DFW that had a bunch of used HP4plus's, with a jet-direct card, for $100 with new toner, so I jumped on it.  Best money I ever spent.

On the inkjet, every time I run out of ink, I seriously chunk the printer, and go get the latest $99 model.  

That way I keep getting new quality...
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 3:14:13 PM EDT
[#6]
Why do you think printer manufactures keep changing the cartridges?  To make it less cost effective for aftermarket companies to produce them once the patent runs out....

Gotta be some kind of racket.
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 3:35:12 PM EDT
[#7]
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 4:34:48 PM EDT
[#8]
I will go with the recomendations for hp4x printers. If you don't have to have color, they're the way to go. Print speed as good or better, and the highest quality text printing you could wish for.

Getting cartridges cheaper-Ithought I saw some house brands at iirc office depot that were cheaper.
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 5:10:52 PM EDT
[#9]
Go to [url]www.inkout.com[/url].  I get remanufactured in cartridges for around $30 or so for both the black and color cartridges.  And the quality is equal to the original HP cartriges ($30 for one).
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 5:11:08 PM EDT
[#10]
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 5:31:34 PM EDT
[#11]
I get what you're saying Troy.  We don't do heavy duty photo printout with our printer.  We should at least keep some HP ink cartridges around when we do print the occassional picture.

But the el'cheapo cartridges are great for printing long AR15.com links, TM's, etc.
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 5:54:52 PM EDT
[#12]
[url]www.carrotink.com[/url]

Bought from them for a year or so. Definately the cheapest 10 dolars for black 15 for color.
THey work very well ... never had any problems
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 6:07:32 PM EDT
[#13]
I use those ink cartridge refill kits. They are about 25-29 bucks and are good for about 4-5 refills. That's about $120.00 of ink for only $30.00.

Tip: Get the refill kits that are in the ready to go bottles = needle built in.

If the kit comes with a separate syringe, it's a little more work to open the bottles, draw up and fill. And they are a hassle to clean up.
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 8:41:05 PM EDT
[#14]
I have my own graphics and printing business and I have printed well over 1,000,000 ink jet prints over the past 7 years. You have to get a printer that you can get aftermarket cartridges for, not the refill kits, they don't work. However printers are ever changing and the technology is getting more complicated to develop cheaper aftermarket inks. I was paying approx $5 per cartridge from my supplier my Epson 980 ink. If you find the right type of ink it's just as good as the stock ink in print quality. Some work and some don't. I just finished a job of 60,000 prints and I used aftermarket inks and got professional high quality output and when compared to the stock Epson cartridges, there is no difference in print quality.
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 8:44:36 PM EDT
[#15]
Quoted:

...HP's current printers have the best color picture quality, but part of the reason for that is that they use the most expensive ink in the most expensive cartridges.  It's the old story: you get what you pay for.

-Troy
View Quote


From my vast testing over the years, Epson wins for best photographic quality, not HP or Canon or Lexmark. The piezo heads of the Epson printers are superior and last longer than thermal heads, just my experience.
Link Posted: 2/5/2002 9:27:41 PM EDT
[#16]
Suggest you bite the bullet, acknowledge that computers are here to stay, and get a laser printer.  In the long run they are both cheaper and much less aggravation than an ink-jet.

Granted, they won’t do color (unless you’re willing to spend $4000 for one!).  However, you can leave your ink-jet hooked up to the computer and use it for color when you want it.

I’ve got a NEC SuperScript 1400, which cost a bit over $300 a year or two ago.  I don’t know how it compares to what’s out there now, but it’s certainly worked well for me.  Easily one of the smartest purchases I’ve ever made.
Link Posted: 2/7/2002 7:16:09 AM EDT
[#17]
I just got the new Lexmark C750 color Laser Printer and it's by far the best out there I've had. Including HP8500 ($9,000), Canon CLC 700 ($25,000) and QMS Magicolor 6100 ($4,000) just sold it for $800 and it was like new! The Lexmark was only $3,300 and runs circles around any laser printer out there. 20 pages per minute color, no exaggerations, and the quality is either 1200 or 2400 dpi.
Link Posted: 2/7/2002 7:26:27 AM EDT
[#18]
I solved most of my print problems by simply printing at work and school. [;)]

BrenLover
Link Posted: 2/10/2002 2:11:55 AM EDT
[#19]
Link Posted: 2/10/2002 8:52:40 AM EDT
[#20]
Quoted:
Ponyboy ain't foolin'!!  its just as cheap to buy a new printer as it is to replace cartridges anymore (on lower end units)
View Quote


Wrong approach. You shouldn't buy or use those El Cheapo printers anyway.

Blargh: Lexmark, Compaq, and every other printer under $180.

Yay: Canon, Epson, Kyocera, HP.

My Canon BJC 6000 was $249 retail (got it for $29 though, since they discontinued the model), and ink tanks (one for each color) cost about $12 (or $19 for the black).
Link Posted: 2/10/2002 9:59:33 AM EDT
[#21]
Quoted:
I finally bought a laser.  There was a guy in DFW that had a bunch of used HP4plus's, with a jet-direct card, for $100 with new toner, so I jumped on it.  Best money I ever spent.
View Quote


FALARAK, what is DFW?

I am in search of a jet-direct card for my HPLJ4+. I would really like to share my printer on my home network without having my computer on all the time.

If you don't use your jet-direct card... I am willing to trade for some 30rd mags.
Link Posted: 2/10/2002 10:12:28 AM EDT
[#22]
Link Posted: 2/10/2002 11:10:08 AM EDT
[#23]
I have an Alps MD-1000 color printer (broken) and that was by far the best thing going for cheap color. It was ribbon CMYK based color and I used to print on coated stocks far exceeding ink jet quality. Unfortunately they discontinued their printers, and mine has a motor problem and nowhere to get it fixed [>(]

I also have an HP 6Lxi with Jet direct print box hooked up. Laser is just the way to go unless you have specific needs for color (buy your kids some crayons and they create their own colors hehe).

For those of you looking at picking up a new laser check this out:
[url]http://www.us.buy.com/retail/computers/product.asp?sku=10297157&loc=214[/url]

Now I cannot say yet from firsthand experience but I have one to be delivered monday for my brother to use on his new pc im building. I have heard from many that this printer is kick ass for the price, as well as all the online reviews. The toner replacements are the same cost as HP toners (around 60) and yield aprox 3k prints. Cannot go wrong with the USB and Parallel hookup. Buy.com is rated the lowest cost on the printer plus has no shipping charge program going on now.
Link Posted: 2/10/2002 12:15:07 PM EDT
[#24]
I have an hp 940c and I refill the cartridges using a kit from Lab Software [url]misterinkjet.com[/url] I printed sample pictures using factory cartridges and refilled cartridges.I noticed no difference in the quality of color and I am quite pleased with the results.
BTW: I have an hp 6L laser printer for sale. It has a kingston memory upgrade and a new toner cartridge. It sometimes fails to feed paper so it needs service. I'll take 35.00 to recoup the cost of the cartridge.
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