Need to replace printer.

[Bekeart]

HP and planned obsolescence forcing me to buy another printer.
Can no longer buy HP 15 ink cartridges.
Some offered on fleabay - ordered - received a Not OEM 15A.
Install in printer - Display shows ERROR.

Want Ink Jet with reasonable priced replacement cartridges.
Want Copy feature.
Only need/use Black - Do not NEED color printing.
Low volume printing - ten/ifteen pages per month.

Looked at some on walmart - was not dazzled with brilliance

Bekeart

 

[venomballistics]

been here myself with an HP that would cost me around $20 in ink every time I went to use it if it sat more than a week.

after extensive research, I went to and Epson Ecotank whose software occasionally tells me to actually look at the half full tanks of ink nearly two years later


Here's a randomly selected example.
EcoTank ET-2803 Wireless Color All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer with Scan and Copy | Products | Epson US

 

[twodog max]

You beat me to it on HP. I have one and it is a *** and practically useless. Impossible to scan with it. I had another before but Windows 10 would not run on it.
No more HP for me of any kind. Got email last week notifying me that as of October 1 HP will no loner support my HP PC. GRRRR

 

[colkid]

When you buy the ink cartridge printer you will have this problem on low usage.
I bought a Hp printer Color Laserjet Mfp M277dw for about $330 in 2010. It used the dry ink cartridges. It is more expensive but the dry works much longer.

 

[Baxter6551]

I have the HP ENVY 6000 series. Just a printer / copier. Couple times I have wished I bought another one with scanner / fax. This has the "instant ink" subscription where you pay $3.00 a month to print up to 50 pages but they send you "free" ink when the machine tells HP it is low on ink which has only happened a couple of times in like 4-5 years. I'm probably getting ripped off but it prints good and I hated the cost of ink cartridges. It defaults to double sided printing so saves money on paper. I think our Retirees Association bought that Eason Ecotank mentioned above and they print higher volume and just recently bought ink after like 4 years.

 

[glenwolde]

We have an old HP LaserJet we got in 2017. HP laserJet Pro MFB M26nw. Prints nice dark targets. It's about 10 times faster than an inkjet. I think the laser printers are cheaper to operate in the long run, especially if you only do black. I buy a toner cartridge like every other year. Maybe. My wife prints stuff on it too. I hate wet printers.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

If you find delight is just Black and White, then consider a Laser.
A laser cartridge costs like $80 but makes thousands of pages. And many multi-s scan in color.
That's a good way to copy not only pics but patches.
Quick Look at local Best Buy, I see a Canon with flatbed scanner for $130.
Cartridge costs $70.
They usually come with smaller- starter cart and you need to go ahead and buy a full size cartridge.

 

[jeffrefrig]

I don't need to get into the specifics, but HP printers will never cross my threshold again. The last one I paid nearly $350 for 2 years ago ended up in my front yard and got attacked like that one in the movie Office Space! I will check into that Epsen Eco Tank printer. Price doesn't matter, much, if the darned thing works when asked.

 

[grover99]

A number of years ago my printer experience was that I would buy a cheap HP printer and use it until the ink run out then buy another printer. The new printer was cheaper than buying ink for the old one. Now days I find that a Cannon holds up well and the cost of ink is not too bad if you find a brand of generic ink that works in it.

 

[oldbrownhat]

Whatever you do, if you want to be able to use third-party ink cartridges rather than the over-priced factory ones, don't get a printer that is wireless/connected to the net, as they can detect when a "THIS IS NOT ONE OF OURS" cartridge is put in, and will shut you out. HP is particularly noxious in in this departrment. My neighbour discovered this a few months ago to her chagrin.

Washington Post article here. (free access)

"...The industry's number one nasty trick: embedding microchips in the ink cartridges. The companies say it's to ensure the quality of your print and track when you're running low on supplies. But they also use the microchips to make it harder (or at least scarier) for you to try to use compatible ink from other makers...."
​

Lots of hate for HP in the Comments section!

I've had a Brother DCP 7020 B&W laser printer for several years and been happy with it.

 

[pharmer]

I have a Brother L2320D I paid $60 for almost 10 years ago. Black toner cartridges are almost that much but give almost 3,000 pages. The School District gave me 2 new cartridges before I retired in 2021, still in the box. Retirement means targets are about the only things I print. Joe

 

[yaktamer]

Look at Cannon. I had a number of HP printers over the years and they were nothing but trouble. I've had the same trouble-free Cannon now for a long time.

 

[oink]

If you don't want color definately consider laser. Inkjets that don't get used enough tend to have issues with the print heads drying up. You can replace the print but it makes more sense to buy a new printer. Wife is a realtor so there's no dried up print heads here.

I currently have an Epson all in one which works well but it isn't an Ecotank version. It's the 4740 series. If it dies I will try an Ecotank version.

 

[16thVACav]

Ditto on the advice regarding the Brother B&W laserjet.

 

[Krogen]

Like some of you, I have no need for routine color printing. A photo-quality printer ($$) maybe someday. For now, a laser black and white printer serves my needs.

I got burned by HP with my first laserjet. Obsolescence. They didn't offer drivers when I upgraded Windows. Stupid me, I bought a 2nd laserjet. When they obsolete it, I'll go with another maker. It's one thing when they stop supporting an item but it's still functional. When they make something unusable, I call it theft. HP won't see another $ from me!

 

[BKLooney]

We have had an Epson WF-3520 for probably 10 years or so and it has worked great the whole time, prints, copies, & scans. It is a color machine but you don't have to print in color unless you want to and it will use aftermarket cartridges with no issue.

We print very little actually, maybe 15 to 20 pages a month.

If it does up and die on me I'll replace it with a similar model from Epson.

 

[SMSgt]

Remember a few years back when you could run to Walgreens and get your ink cartridges refilled for next to nothing?

 

[Jeff423]

If you don't want color definately consider laser. Inkjets that don't get used enough tend to have issues with the print heads drying up. You can replace the print but it makes more sense to buy a new printer. Wife is a realtor so there's no dried up print heads here.

I currently have an Epson all in one which works well but it isn't an Ecotank version. It's the 4740 series. If it dies I will try an Ecotank version.

What he said. Inkjets have a built in cleaning cycle that uses a large amount of ink. I bought a used HP laser printer 15 yrs ago. Still works great, it came with a cartridge which lasted for 7-8 yrs. I think the rebuilt cartridge will outlast me. I do about 25-50 copies per month.
Having said that my wife needs color and scanning. She bought a Brother that has very low ink usage/cost and was less than replacement cartridges for her previous printer.

 

[mtgianni]

Bought a Canon last fall that takes liquid ink instead of cartridges. Really like the difference. We are not a quarter through the ink bottles that came with the printer.

 

[old bear]

I've used a Cannon 900 series printer (print, copy and scan) for 10+ years. Print less than 20 copies a month. I've been Very pleased with it. Ink lasts a long time. The only downside, all ink colors must be active, wither you are printing in B/W or color.

 

[mdf9183]

I had to replace my printer about a month ago and instead of getting a ink jet printer I went with a Canon MF3010 printer which uses a toner cartridge. The cartridge will print about 3000 pages in black only no color printing. The cost of the toner cartridge is only slightly more than the ink.

 

[DWalt]

If you don't want color definately consider laser. Inkjets that don't get used enough tend to have issues with the print heads drying up. You can replace the print but it makes more sense to buy a new printer. Wife is a realtor so there's no dried up print heads here.

I currently have an Epson all in one which works well but it isn't an Ecotank version. It's the 4740 series. If it dies I will try an Ecotank version.

Absolutely go laser for a printer. I bought a Brother laser printer about a year ago. It was on sale at WM for around $70. All it does is print B&W, but that is all I normally need. And the toner cartridges off eBay are cheap, around $15. I am now on my second cartridge. I infrequently need a copier or scanner so I bought a cheap Canon all-in-one ink jet which I drag out and plug in if need to scan or copy which is hardly ever. I think it was around $40, also on sale at WM. Also, the Canon ink jet serves as a backup printer if my Brother ever dies on me.

I originally wanted just a stand-alone copier to replace one I had and used for many years but died on me. To my sorrow, they seem to no longer be made. About the only inexpensive copiers you can find today are all-in-one ink jets.

 

[rwsmith]

I won't buy any more HP anything.....

Want so save money on cartridges? Get an Epson with the ecotank. You fill the inkwells with bottles that hold a LOT of ink. I've had one for years and use it a LOT, but I've never bought any more ink than what came with the printer. At my last filling it looked like I needed a couple bottles of ink of the colors that get used the most.

 

[venomballistics]

Want so save money on cartridges? Get an Epson with the ecotank. You fill the inkwells with bottles that hold a LOT of ink. I've had one for years and use it a LOT, but I've never bought any more ink than what came with the printer. At my last filling it looked like I needed a couple bottles of ink of the colors that get used the most.

That's been my experience so far.
Given my RC airplane interest, I often print airplane plans with it.
There are more resource intensive duties for a printer, but this is still much heavier than most others needs.
I'm still around half full of ink and none of the full stop errors the HP would throw to extort another $20 or more out of me.
the ecotank is one of the precious few honest printers in print.

I see a lot of "I only need black and white" going on here.
Understand this folks ... this is you, assuming that the cartridge abuse is a universal issue, and you are willing to sacrifice something to escape that industry extortion.
The eco tanks do not run the industry scam.

 

[jeffrefrig]

One issue I had back when I bought my lawn ornament was one HP I bought first was it was not compatible with my Apple computers so I had to exchange it for the costlier one. Just another issue I learned about that yinz probably already know but should be in larger letters on the box. Had that been written in fat crayons I would have been able to read it!

 

[rwsmith]

I used to LOVE HP...

That's been my experience so far.
Given my RC airplane interest, I often print airplane plans with it.
There are more resource intensive duties for a printer, but this is still much heavier than most others needs.
I'm still around half full of ink and none of the full stop errors the HP would throw to extort another $20 or more out of me.
the ecotank is one of the precious few honest printers in print.

I see a lot of "I only need black and white" going on here.
Understand this folks ... this is you, assuming that the cartridge abuse is a universal issue, and you are willing to sacrifice something to escape that industry extortion.
The eco tanks do not run the industry scam.

It didn't matter what kind of hardware it was, HP was my 'go to'. Then they started stopping the printers dead and telling you that you needed to replace so and so ink before it would print anything. I'm fairly savvy and tried the 'workarounds' but ended up scrapping any HP hardware I had and said if that was the way they treated customers I didn't want anything to do with them. They acted like they had a monopoly on printers when several companies were making comparable or better printers. The 'cost' is only part of the point. But, reliability is just as important to me.

 

[Yaworski]

We got an Epson Ecotank at work. No cartridges of ink, just bottles that fill a reservoir.

 

[Yaworski]

Absolutely go laser for a printer. I bought a Brother laser printer about a year ago. It was on sale at WM for around $70. All it does is print B&W, but that is all I normally need.

We have color inkjets at work but for home, I'm a B&W laser guy.

I got my current HP LaserJet at a church rummage sale for $15. The toner in it lasted me a few years.

 

[pawngal]

I see lots of hate here for HP. I've had a computer & printer since 2001. Only 2 HP inkjet printers over that time, the 2nd one was a $39 Black Friday special a number of years ago. But both were print only.

 

[oldbrownhat]

,,,Just another issue I learned about that yinz probably already know but should be in larger letters on the box. Had that been written in fat crayons I would have been able to read it!

"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away."

My Brother printer is connected to my ancient (2009!) iMac with no problems. But I also have an Epson scanner connected to it and the last time I did a software update from Epson it complained slightly because I can't upgrade the OS on the old iMac. Still works OK but the "Print" icon doesn't appear, although it works OK.

I actually prefer the larger screen of the iMac to my MB Air and it does pretty much everything I need to do so am loathe to replace it. But some software, like my password manager, may cease to run on it at some point, as well as my VPN.