Printer ink Vs new printer. (Plus where to get replacement cartridges)

[glasgowcyclist]

I have a cheap HP Envy 4500 scanner/printer and use the contract ink deal from the manufacturer for £1.99/pcm
This works a treat. Can print anything I want even full size A4 colour pictures as they count pages printed so no worries about printing ink heavy stuff like you might when it is your own ink.
Genuine replacement cartridges arrive automatically in the post when your current ones are getting low and any unused pages rollover for one month so my 50ppm limit usually means I could print 80+ one month if needed.
I have been on this for a couple of years now and so impressed that I recently got the same/current version for my dad. My brother saw it and worked out the contract then immediately went out and got the same for himself.
£24 a year for genuine cartridges delivered to your door. Bargain, and much less than a replacement set.

@Dave +1 for the HP contract, I love it and wish I'd done it years ago. And don't worry about being tied in, your contract runs month to month so you can cancel at any time or upgrade/downgrade.

 

[vickster]

Do you print much? I too have HP monthly ink payment for my business. 50 pages a month (£2). Much cheaper than genuine cartridges. The refill non oem ones never work well for long

 

[Dave7]

@Dave +1 for the HP contract, I love it and wish I'd done it years ago. And don't worry about being tied in, your contract runs month to month so you can cancel at any time or upgrade/downgrade.

Thanks for that. Problem is I use it so seldom now its just not viable.

 

[Dave7]

Do you print much? I too have HP monthly ink payment for my business. 50 pages a month (£2). Much cheaper than genuine cartridges. The refill non oem ones never work well for long

That is the problem, now I'm retired I print very little.

 

[JhnBssll]

Thanks for that. Problem is I use it so seldom now its just not viable.

I too seldom use the printer but use the HP contract. When I bought my printer the offer was up to 20 pages per month for free and you pay a one off charge for any additional pages. I've been doing this for around 30 months now and to date have not had to pay a single penny over the purchase price of the printer. I'm amazed every time a new cartridge shows up on my doorstep having been ordered automatically by the printer

I would be very surprised if the free plan is still available. Certainly once you upgrade to a paid plan you cannot go back to the free contract but it is perfect for my needs so have no intention of doing so

 

[Dave7]

@Dave7
I can recommend 'Stinky Ink'.
Been using them for years.

https://www.stinkyinkshop.co.uk/?ts...MIj_bBz_X34QIVSyrTCh3sJAvLEAAYASAAEgKOU_D_BwE

Just been on their web site. £9.00 as against £70 .
I know they say "if it sounds to good to be true" but for 9 quid I will risk it

 

[vickster]

That is the problem, now I'm retired I print very little.

Any new printer will come with a starter pack, just see how that goes
Just make sure you recycle the defunct one and its cartridges fully

 

[Salad Dodger]

Here's my two pennyworth.....

I have just thrown out a Canon inkjet printer, which I ran on non-Canon cartridges for about three years. Eventually, the colour jets became so blocked that it wouldn't print in colour, and it wasn't economic to have it stripped/cleaned out/bits replaced.

When it was working, it consumed cartridges at a prodigious rate, and the colour reproduction, when it was working, was ok for general use but not good enough for photo printing, although it was supposed to be capable of this.

I have now shelled out £150+ on a Canon "ink tank" model, where you fill the printer from large bottles of liquid ink. After the first few weeks, I am very pleased. The amount of printing I have done would have surely used up at least two ink cartridges, but the level of the ink tanks has barely dropped at all. I have successfully printed photos at A4, and Mrs Salad who is a bit of a perfectionist, has approved having them framed and put up in the kitchen.

Provided nothing fails on it, this printer looks like being a good buy in the long term. About like what they used to say about diesel cars. Dearer to begin with but capable of recovering costs over the long term.

 

[classic33]

Here's my two pennyworth.....

I have just thrown out a Canon inkjet printer, which I ran on non-Canon cartridges for about three years. Eventually, the colour jets became so blocked that it wouldn't print in colour, and it wasn't economic to have it stripped/cleaned out/bits replaced.

You never tried to clean it yourself?

 

[Profpointy]

A new printer will only come with 'starter' cartridges that will print far fewer pages than a replacement set. However, having said that if you ignore the environmental considerations and print very infrequently then a new printer maybe the way to go. Personally I have given up on inkjets and moved to a laser because I was fed up with ink drying out and clogging and clone cartridges failing at inopportune moments.

Concur on the laser recomendation. Unless you want photo quality a cheapish colour laser is the way to go for domestic printing. Ours is a brother summat or other, so a pukka brand, not too pricey and ink lasts a reasonable time. Previously with inj jets they were always gumming up and ink was brutally expensive per small amount of printing - had canon, HP and epsom and all much of a muchness on that score, albeit print quality improved over the years

 

[Profpointy]

You never tried to clean it yourself?

I have, with mixed results to be honest

 

[Vantage]

I'm also on the HP monthly thingybob and as long as I keep to less than 15 pages per month, I get cartridges free

 

[alicat]

HP Instant Ink is the dog's bollox. Never regretted it for one second.

 

[Blue Hills]

was in a wilkinsons wilco the other day and they seem to sell clone type things plus kits you can supposedly fill your original cartridges with. They name the cartridges they claim are compatible on the packs.
Looked interesting - anyone used?

 

[MartinQ]

Sounds like my situation and may be the way for me to go.

I think we picked up our Ricoh B&W laser printer for around 30 andd a colour laser brother for just over 100. Would not go back to ink.