Posts by rustysurfer79

Paul Ortiz49 said:The new third-party ones look okay to me

Honestly, new knockoffs or old refilled cartridges... it's all the same thing.
== You're still dealing with worn-out printheads.

And if the manufacturer decides to load it with cheap, low-quality ink, those printheads are toast.

Basically, there's no way out.

Paul Ortiz49 said:Hey guys! I'm running into a headache with my HP F2180... It was working totally fine, but then out of nowhere, it starts yelling at me about an incompatible cartridge error. I know for a fact the ink isn't empty—they're basically brand new. My software is fully updated too, so I'm pretty lost. Everything worked perfectly until this moment, so what gives??

Are we talking cheap third-party ones or legit brand new ones?

Nicholas Green27 said:It's not just wrong, it's completely off base.

I was just asking for some help, we hadn't even gotten to talking about money yet, and the first reaction from this "true American" was basically calling me an idiot for buying something I didn't know how to use. Look, if everyone already knew everything there was to know about printers, how would you even make a living as a repair guy? You'd be broke in a week. And honestly, I won't be giving you business for long with that kind of ego. Instead of being glad someone is coming to you for your expertise—before they even ask for a quote—you just shut them down immediately. Way to go, genius!

You guys just don't get it.

Why wouldn't your Epson EcoTank work?

Who knows.

Why?

Because we have a ton of Epson EcoTanks out there that we know for a fact are reliable. Why would anyone waste their own cash on some brand-new, unproven setup? We know the early models always have issues. With the ones currently in stock, we know they work because the users are happy and we have the track record to prove it.

If you really want the latest and greatest, go ahead and be a beta tester. Maybe once you see how much that stubbornness costs you, you'll actually start listening to our advice.

Nicholas Green27 said:Man, here’s some advice from a "true American." You know the type—the ones who are happiest when their neighbor's cow drops dead, or when their barn catches fire and they "help" put it out by pouring gasoline on it.
If you didn't have anything smart to contribute, you shouldn't have posted this pile of garbage!
Not everyone sucked up all the intelligence in the world just to become a glorified repairman for keyboard warriors like you.
There are plenty of poor souls out there who finished college but don't have the luck you seem to be blessed with—knowing how to fix printers. Honestly, I'm jealous of your massive brain!

Wrong.

True Americans operate a little differently.
Why would my neighbor make an extra $200$100 when I can grab the exact same thing way cheaper on Amazon? But then, the second a problem pops up, my neighbor is suddenly expected to step up and help. He's supposed to buy every single brand-new printer the manufacturer releases immediately just so he can test how that specific model works with an Epson EcoTank setup. That way, if I want to buy that Epson EcoTank tomorrow and something goes wrong or a part is missing, I can drop by his place and have him fix it for the price of a coffee or a beer.
That’s just how true Americans roll.

Nicholas Green27 said:I need some help here: I got a new Epson EcoTank, but after the black startup ink ran out, I installed a CISS system (the cartridges have chips). Now, every time I turn it on, the printer flags an error with the ink system and just freezes. It did detect right away that the cartridges weren't HP OEM, but I hit OK and let it proceed, then boom—that error popped up.
What should I do now? Thanks.😕

Next time, just buy a printer that comes with a built-in CISS. You actually get a receipt and a warranty proving that the system works under specific conditions.

The way you did it, you basically wasted the CISS, the ink, and the printer itself. You'll probably end up needing to buy a whole new set of HP OEM inks that cost more than the actual machine.

And remember: never buy the latest, shiniest tech if your goal is cheap printing. Manufacturers are way too smart; they always build in some kind of "gotcha" in their newest models. Usually, by the time you figure out how to fix it, those models aren't even being sold anymore.

Basically, they swap them out for new, top-tier models with perfect drivers for the latest OS just so they can squeeze every last cent out of people trying to save money.

Amen.

Nice one. Great advice for anyone looking at eBay deals or other risky setups.

In short, you're totally screwed. At this point, you've gotta learn the hard way if you aren't going to listen to the veterans.

William Reed17 said:You can grab compatible ink cartridges for half the price.
Plus, you can just refill them.

Yeah, right.

William Reed17 said:I've narrowed it down to two models. Which one is actually better and what's the real difference?
The only real gap is about $33 in price.

HP PIXMA series

HP PIXMA series

Thanks

There isn't much of a difference.
But just a heads up—HP will absolutely bleed you dry when it comes to buying ink.

William Reed17 said:I only print about 500 pages a month max.

Maybe check out an HP Envy 5000 or even better, a Canon PIXMA series.

The HP DeskJer 1050 isn't bad if you're the type who's super meticulous and actually remembers to refill the ink cartridges on time. If you're lazy about that, just don't bother.

Honestly, those local subscription plans we have here are the best deal, but I know they aren't for everyone.

William Reed17 said:I'm looking to spend about $200.

Looking for some advice on what I should grab.

Thanks

What’s your budget looking like for ink over the next year? Or basically, how many pages are you planning to print?

Dennis Watson53 said:Where’d you get those numbers? You can find tons of deals where they throw in a second toner for free, costing about $233. And honestly, what kind of toner are you using with an HP LaserJet 1300 to hit 14,000 pages?

If they're offering a free extra toner, it just means someone in marketing is definitely lurking on this thread, reading about the whole "printer plus 3 toners for 14,000 pages" thing and realizing how much it's actually stinging us.

Just be careful. It's the classic trap, kind of like how AT&T operates. They give you a few months of service for cheap, but once you hit that 14,000-page mark or pass the 24-month limit, they'll absolutely bleed you dry.

Dennis Watson53 said:Honestly, don't even bother with an inkjet. It's just not worth the headache. Grab a LaserJet for $233 or less; the toner lasts for thousands of pages. It's easily your best bet.

Starter toner == 500 pages

New toner == 1500 pages == $150

1+2 == 2000 pages = $383

Look, for about the same amount of cash, you can get 14,000 pages out of an HP LaserJet 1300.

Dana Peterson39 said:Hey there!
I'm looking for some advice on a cheap inkjet printer—something basic for home use where the ink isn't going to break the bank.

It's all about getting the best bang for your buck here.

240 ml = $200 > 1 ml = ?

Check out this other option:

http://bizsupport2.austin.hp.com/bc/.../c02217508.pdf
5 + 8 ml = $100 > 1ml = ?

Honestly, Epson doesn't offer anything better either.

3 * 3.5 + 5.5 ml = $133 > 1 ml =?

Nicole Taylor27 said:Based on everything I've dealt with, I'm staying far away from Epson... The quality is honestly trash, even if it looks pretty on a shelf. As for how they actually work? Sometimes I just want to smash the thing myself, even while it's still under warranty.

Not really.

A few years back, I used to laugh at Epson when those C68 or sx43 models were out, sticking with HP or Canon instead.

But things have changed lately, unless you're looking at their super cheap budget stuff.

goldennomad17 said:Does anyone know a decent, affordable repair shop for an HP color LaserJet 2550 l around the Chicago area?

It just quit on me out of nowhere. First it claims there's no yellow, then it says there's no red, and now it won't even start the drum. Both colors are physically inside the machine, so I have no clue what's actually going on..

Not worth it

You aren't going to find a repair shop for this thing for less than $167 + tax

Paul Garcia42 said:Man... I can't believe I'm not the only one still rocking that printer. I've got the exact same model, and honestly? The toner alone is absolutely killing me. $96 Honestly, I’m starting to think about just ditching this thing. Since I'm totally out of ink anyway, I might as well just grab a brand-new printer. Most of them have a built-in scanner now, which would be huge, plus they print way faster and the colors actually look decent. $33 😁

Sweet.
You want to sell it to us for... $10

We’re buying up HP Deskjet 845 printers—no limit on how many we'll take.

So, what made you start thinking that?

Thomas Stewart8 said:I gotta report back after testing it out. I just tried using TWO brand-new, genuine toner cartridges, and yeah, same deal—smudges appearing in basically the same spot.
What should my next move be? :/

One more thing, I might be able to get my hands on a bunch of empty toner cartridges (not just for this specific printer). Is there any way to sell those somewhere, and what kind of money are we talking about?

Service is $300 - $117 + tax
== $200 for parts + labor

frozengardener98 said:thanks for getting back to me. what's your take on this HP DeskJet 2515 printer?

We haven't tried refilling HP 678 cartridges yet, so I'm not sure how much of a headache it is with this specific model. What kind of setup or capacity are we looking at here?

The HP 350 or 301 cartridges have pretty pathetic capacity, but honestly, they work great once you refill them—as long as you do it right after they run dry. PRO TIP: don't let them sit around for weeks before refilling.

Maybe you're talking about a different model that's sold over here in the States.

frozengardener98 said:I need a printer/scanner combo for under $117 where the ink replacements won't break the bank. Anyone got recommendations?

If you aren't printing a ton,

HP Deskjet 3050 + refill service
It works great and it's super fast, but like people say, they don't last long because there aren't many cheap third-party cartridges available.

Epson SY 435 + Colibri, plus you can just refill the ink yourself
The upfront cost is definitely higher, but the cost per page is way, way lower.

Thomas Stewart8 said:Hey everyone, hope you're all having a great start to the year!

So, here's the deal. Every time I finish a print job, that little orange light next to the exclamation mark starts blinking. Plus, the text on the page always comes out looking "smudged" in basically the same spot. To be more specific, the top half of the paper looks totally fine, but the bottom half is an absolute disaster.

To give you a better idea, I've attached a photo of the test page below.

Any suggestions would be huge. Thanks!

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/855/dsc03651in.jpg

Probably some cheap off-brand toner that trashed the fuser.

Karen Carter80 said:Hey everyone. I’m running into basically the same issue as the OP. I have an Epson Stylus that works perfectly with these third-party inks I bought for about $3.00 per color back in 2022. So, a month ago, I picked up an Epson Stylus for my sister, thinking it wouldn't be any trouble since mine works fine. Full disclosure: I don't really know much about printers—you know, all the specs and pros and cons. I just asked the guy at the store (who was super nice and helpful) to walk me through it, and he pointed me toward this model. He offered some compatible ink right then and there, so I figured, why not? It's only $6.25. Well, my mom just called me panicking. Neither my old ink nor the new stuff she just bought will work. Apparently, the repair guy (a family friend) mentioned something about needing a specific "chip" or "code"—it sounds silly, but neither my mom nor I actually know what that means.

Anyone know anything about this? Thanks in advance

We all know how it goes

Original cartridges don't have batteries built in. But all those third-party ones? They do. Most retailers push these replacements because they don't bother telling you that those tiny batteries die off after sitting in a warehouse for six months. Then they act clueless when things go wrong, selling them to even more unsuspecting people.

So, when you see those same branded cartridges at a shopping mall in Washington, D.C., priced at only $0.33 each, don't be shocked when a bunch of people end up back here asking the exact same question.