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Does anyone actually buy a new printer every time they run out of ink?

Chomeur
Chomeur Posts: 2,160 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
I've just bought supposedly compatible ink from two suppliers for my Epson printer and neither is recognised. I've run countless nozzle cleaning operations and printing of test pages and been through a complicated procedure to clean the heads. The printer still doesn't work. So I'm looking at buying some new Epson ink for £35 or so. For £45 I can get a new printer and I have more confidence that that will work. So I'm seriously considering just starting to buy a new printer every time I run out of ink. The waste seems shocking but really even if my old printer was now working it wouldn't have been worth the time it's taken me to fix it - I should have just bought a new one as soon as there were problems.

Wondering if anyone else had reached this situation?
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Comments

  • however in most cases the ink supplied in new printers is the smaller "starter" type , so less ink and £10 more


    some companies may include full size cartridges , check before buying
  • I paid £19.44 for a pack of Epson cartridges a while back. I bought the printer in 2006. I don't do much printing but the cartridges do not last very long. I did find a place that refills them and that worked.

    So I too am thinking about getting a more modern model.
    Who having known the diamond will concern himself with glass?

    Rudyard Kipling


  • mum2one
    mum2one Posts: 16,279 Forumite
    Xmas Saver!
    I have an Epson and for the love of money I can not get compatible ones to work, I have brought a new printer before as it worked out a fiver more. Madness x
    xx rip dad... we had our ups and downs but we’re always be family xx
  • Chomeur
    Chomeur Posts: 2,160 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts


    some companies may include full size cartridges , check before buying

    How do you find out though? I'm looking at a printer on Amazon and it just says "Individual Ink Cartridges" no idea if they're half empty or full.
  • steviebabes
    steviebabes Posts: 2,070 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I have a fairly new Epson printer and have not had a problem with compatibles. I also have one that's 5 years old and its much fussier about them. I tend to use the same seller once I find some that work OK.
  • Baby_Angel
    Baby_Angel Posts: 540 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper
    Every time I wanted to print on my Canon InkJet Printer, the ink had just run out or dried out completely. It only took 2 weeks between prints for this to happen. Fed up I bought a cheap B/W Laser printer for £50 :-) Still using the starter cartridge and printed past 300 pages and still going strong. I have said my goodbyes to ink cartridges (original, compatibles and refills) forever !!!! If you don't print everyday, but want the printer to work when you want it, Laser printer is a good one. The original laser toners for my one cost the same as the ink cartridge.
    SPC 08 - #452 - £415
    SPC 09 - #452 - £298
  • Chomeur wrote: »
    How do you find out though? I'm looking at a printer on Amazon and it just says "Individual Ink Cartridges" no idea if they're half empty or full.




    this is why people go to brick and mortar shops , the ability to ask questions , open boxes and see products demonstrated , with the likes of amazon/ebay and larger mail order , you do not know if a "deal" has been done where the inc smaller cartridges , not an ideal situation , but the only one we have
  • steviebabes
    steviebabes Posts: 2,070 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 30 April 2015 at 12:46PM
    this is why people go to brick and mortar shops , the ability to ask questions , open boxes and see products demonstrated , with the likes of amazon/ebay and larger mail order , you do not know if a "deal" has been done where the inc smaller cartridges , not an ideal situation , but the only one we have

    Well just try this at Currys/PC world and see what a response you get!
    All Epson printers seem to come with demo cartridges, they usually last about 50 sheets.
  • kwikbreaks
    kwikbreaks Posts: 9,187 Forumite
    Epson experimented with a firmware on some models to recognise and reject compatibles. When I replaced my old Epson I checked first if there were compatibles on sale on eBay that specifically stated the new printer before buying it. If you buy compatibles that don't work you can always dispute the transaction and get a refund if they wont work on the named printer.

    I've always used cheap compatibles and very rarely had a problem. Just once in a while one will play up but as ofen as not I've found taking it out and just putting it back in worked. If it doesn't it's a lot less distressing bunging the odd one that was £5 for a set of 12 than one from a set that cost about £30.
  • LadyDee
    LadyDee Posts: 4,293 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Chomeur wrote: »
    I've just bought supposedly compatible ink from two suppliers for my Epson printer and neither is recognised. I've run countless nozzle cleaning operations and printing of test pages and been through a complicated procedure to clean the heads. The printer still doesn't work. So I'm looking at buying some new Epson ink for £35 or so. For £45 I can get a new printer and I have more confidence that that will work. So I'm seriously considering just starting to buy a new printer every time I run out of ink. The waste seems shocking but really even if my old printer was now working it wouldn't have been worth the time it's taken me to fix it - I should have just bought a new one as soon as there were problems.

    Wondering if anyone else had reached this situation?

    When I last bought some (very!) cheap compatibles for an Epson printer I too got that message.

    I phoned the supplier to ask for advice and after following what he told me they worked perfectly.

    Turn off printer, turn off mains supply to printer, disconnect cable to PC and leave for a while (I think it was half an hour). Reconnect cables, turn everything on and success - it worked. Nort sure why it is necessary to leave it all disconnected and switched off but it certainly did the trick.
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