Cheapest Printer to Run

foolsgold99

Hi,
I used to have a Canon MP760 multi function printer and it was great as I could buy really inexpensive compatible inks (from cartridge monkey). Unfortunately it eventually stopped working (wouldn't feed the paper properly). I then purchased an HP wireless multifunction printer from Amazon at around £50 but it goes through ink like mad and its way too expensive for the replacements.

My question is can anyone recommend a multi function printer that has the lowest replacement ink costs?


Thanks very much :T

santer_2

You could check if your cartridges are suitable for their refill by post option which is £7 for the black and £9 for the colour and photo cartridges, maybe worth sending the XL versions if you have those.

http://www.refreshcartridges.co.uk/

The running cost for some HP printers zoom up if you switch it off in between prints

http://blogs.which.co.uk/technology/computing/how-much-ink-does-your-printer-waste/

If you can use refills etc, that would be the cheaper option, otherwise what type of printing will you be using a replacement printer for?

rockitup

Have you thought of trying to use a CISS kit (Continuous Ink Supply)
I googled this site but may be some cheaper sites if you look.

I been using a CISS kit with my Brother Multi-function printer for last 2 years with no trouble. They only work with certain printers so check before buying another printer.

Only other thing you have to be aware of is the ink quality, real cheap ink supplies are not so good for printing photos but are good enough for printing colour books or PDF's

The savings are great if you do enough printing

https://www.printercartridges.net/printercartridgesstore/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=12

paddyrg

CISS are great, although you may have to do a little diy on the printer to route the pipework! But then instead of paying £10 for a few ml of ink, you can pay under a quid for a few hundred ml.

If you don't want the grief, look for an Epson with separate cartridges for each colour so you just change what's run out. You can get cheaper compatible carts, but jet tec ones are great, good quality ink, extra capacity, and come with a guarantee not to trash your printer - a good way to get confident with compatibles!

I have to say the last cheap hp printer I used was such a nasty ink drinker I have vowed never to touch one again. On every power cycle or ink change it would waste half a cartridge on a test page... Which you then had to scan back in, just what you wanted to be doing in the middle of trying to run of a report. Ghastly machine, on the basis of this one machine alone I urge you too steer well clear of hp printers

rockitup

On my Brother Multi-Function (MFC-795CW) as far as I remember there was no routing of pipework and the cartridges were extended (stuck out from front of printer about 2 inches) and a direct push-in fit for the originals. The guy where I bought my Ciss Kit included Four 1 litre bottles of ink and the extended cartridges were very easy to refill.
One more thing about Brother (with CISS) is that they seem to have the reliability of the older style HP Officejet machines without the cartridge costs. I sometimes print off 100's of pages for ebooks and works out very cheap.

If OP is not doing so much printing then paddyrg's Epson recommendation is quite sufficient. Just check to see if there are compatible cartridges available for the machine you intend to buy

paddyrg wrote: »

CISS are great, although you may have to do a little diy on the printer to route the pipework! But then instead of paying £10 for a few ml of ink, you can pay under a quid for a few hundred ml.

If you don't want the grief, look for an Epson with separate cartridges for each colour so you just change what's run out. You can get cheaper compatible carts, but jet tec ones are great, good quality ink, extra capacity, and come with a guarantee not to trash your printer - a good way to get confident with compatibles!

neilwoods

What sort of printing is being done and how much printing are you doing. An alternative could be a laser printer. I know you mentioned an all in one, so if you have one allready, and havd enough space then a small desktop laser may be better, to work along side the other printer (scanner side at least). Got a dell laser here, and full set of toner for it is £34, (2000 yield, depending on what you print of course)

macman

As above, it will,totally depend on the number of impression you do per month. For anything more than home office volumes, a laser printer will be much cheaper to run (though more expensive to buy).
Inkjet printers are massively subsidised and sold at a loss, the money is made back on the inks.

foolsgold99

Thanks very much for all your replies.

I don't do much printing and I like to have the scanner and copy option. I loved my last printer as I could just order compatible ink at really low cost. All of the latest printers seem to have chips on the ink and I can't be doing with refilling cartridges.

It would be great to find a printer that is still for sale that doesn't require chipped cartridges.

murphydavid

I have a brother DCP 195C that you can still buy. No chip and with some DIY you can modify the cartridge to allow injection of ink. Basically the modification is to saw off the upper rectangular lobe protruding from the back of the cartridge case with a junior hacksaw. This lobe serves no purpose and is hollow and does not have the actual ink container in it. This exposes the ink container. Drill into the exposed container (most important at the lowest now visible point about 3.5cm from the top) and insert a plug as provided in most DIY refill kits. You're now done just refill through the plug hole.
I would add that this printer does not have the print head attached to the cartridge so when you replace a cartridge you do not replace the print head so if anything happens to the print head or you block it with bad ink then it is almost impossible to replace.

paddyrg

foolsgold99 wrote: »

I don't do much printing and I like to have the scanner and copy option. I loved my last printer as I could just order compatible ink at really low cost. All of the latest printers seem to have chips on the ink and I can't be doing with refilling cartridges.

It would be great to find a printer that is still for sale that doesn't require chipped cartridges.

http://www.jettec.com/

How about working backwards from there?

my_definition

i wondered if anyone had a printer to recommend or even a brand which doesnt use much ink? i have a hp and it drives me nuts with the ink.
Im a teacher and need to be able to print in colour for work but have a lazer printer ive had for years so its really solely used for work so i dont want to have to spend a fortune. Ive done the ink refills before at home and my printer just constantly tells me theres no ink. Any recommendations for an easy, cheap all in one printer?