Which printer is best for using generic ink?

My experience, I guess:
I used to have a Canon Pixma, but since finding third-party ink was such a nightmare, I just tossed it out for good. Once that died, I picked up an Epson Expression
that handles generic ink without any issues. I passed that one off to a cousin and grabbed an Epson Expression.
That one works with third-party ink too, more or less.
The catch is you probably need to install a decent firewall and block the printer from hitting the internet,
otherwise Epson might just lock you out. Some people claim you have to reinstall macOS if that happens—I haven't run into that yet, anyway.

I’m in the market for a new printer. I've been weighing my options between an HP OfficeJet, which is $150, and using the official ink cartridges (two of them) that run about $27. The catch? My local shop guy claims a single cartridge will only net me about 100 pages before it dies, so he's nudging me to just buy extras right off the bat.

The other contender is the Epson Expression, which is $157. This one allows for third-party ink replacements (four packs), and they're relatively cheap—around $4 each.

So, which way should I go? Or does anyone have a third option worth considering? My main thing is daily text printing—mostly documents—with the occasional splash of color here and there. I just want something that isn't going to break the bank and where finding affordable ink down the road won't be a total nightmare.

casualmarlin22 said:I need a new printer. I'm torn between an HP LaserJet Pro which is $150 and uses original colors (2 packs) that cost about $27. My dealer told me it might only get 100 pages out of one color before I have to buy more.

The other option is an Epson Expression Premium which is $157 and can use generic cartridges (4 packs) for around $4.

Which one should I pick, or does anyone have a third recommendation? I mostly print text daily, with some color stuff occasionally. I just don't want it to be super expensive and want to make sure I can find ink at a decent price later on.

Just decide what matters more to you: saving a few bucks or paying $13 for the exact same thing.
Once you burn through that first set of ink on the first option, you aren't left with a printer anymore—you're left with a mess of generic ink issues.

It's the same deal if you grab a cheap printer designed for generic cartridges from the jump; after a month, you're in the same boat, except now each cartridge is only $4.

So, what's more important to you: a little extra cash now or $13 for the same result.

There is a massive disparity between various third-party ink brands, even though most of them originate from China.
In my experience, the ink for the Epson Stylus Photo from Staples provides quite satisfactory print quality, which stands in stark contrast to what I have seen from ORINK or the Printer Replenishment Service.

Dennis Young57 said:There’s actually a huge difference between third-party inks, even if most of them come from China.
From what I've seen, the ink for my Epson Stylus Photo from Staples works pretty well, which is a big change from using ORINK or Printer Replenishment Service.

Can you snap a photo of the printer housing? Just so we can see if that theory actually holds up.
And make sure it's a shot taken today right there on your desk. Not some random Stock photo from who knows when or where.

I haven't posted any photos on this forum yet, and I don't particularly care to learn how...
Perhaps some of my ink cartridges are older than others, or maybe it’s just how things have played out in my specific setup: the original ink is top-tier quality, and no third-party alternative can truly compete with it—a fact supported by independent testing sites. As for the budget options, only Staples has consistently delivered reliable results for me with every order. There is no color bleeding, which suggests the viscosity remains relatively consistent across the batch. Then again, this might be unique to my specific Epson Stylus Photo with its six-ink system. Regardless of the reason behind it, this is simply how it works in my case. If anyone else has had different experiences using these inks with similar models, please share your impressions.

So, I used to run an Epson Expression Home—you know, the whole three-in-one deal with the printer, scanner, and copier. I picked it up about three years ago for roughly $167, and at first, I stuck strictly to the original ink. Eventually, I switched over to those third-party replacements, like the T110 black ones I think, which only ran me about 20-$10. Honestly, for just grinding through student papers, it was totally fine. Most of my stuff was just black and white, maybe some color here and there. The only real headache? If even a single color runs out, the thing just refuses to print anything at all, even though the scanner still works perfectly fine. I went through a ton of pages, but after two years, I found myself having to run the head cleaning cycle way more often—probably because I was using it so much more—and occasionally it would smudge a few lines of text.

Now, I’m looking to grab another Epson that lets me use those same cheap replacement inks; I spotted an Epson Stylus for around $167. Once I get that, I'll probably pass this old workhorse down to my sister.

Anyway, yeah, that’s just my experience with Epson.

Daniel Thompson9 said:I used to have an Epson Stylus (printer, scanner, copier combo). Picked it up about 3 years ago for roughly $167. I started out using original ink, but eventually switched to those cheap third-party ones like the T110 (pretty sure that was the black one) which cost me maybe 20-$10. It worked fine for student life. Mostly just printing black and white, some color here and there. One downside—if even one cartridge runs dry, the whole thing refuses to print, though scanning still works. I printed a ton of pages, but after two years, I had to run head cleanings more often (since I was using it way more), and occasionally it would smear a few lines of text.

I'm thinking about grabbing another Epson that takes the same cheap refills; I saw the Epson Stylus for around $167. My old one will probably go to my sister.

Anyway, that's my experience with Epson.

The Epson Stylus and the Epson Stylus are basically the same, yet totally different.
Why are they the same?
Because they share the same print head. So, the print quality and speed are identical.

Why are they different?
Because the Epson Stylus has newer cartridges with 50% less capacity. And honestly, the Epson Stylus is less reliable than the Epson Stylus. That older model’s scanner was kind of a letdown. Plus, the Epson Stylus uses those third-party cartridges with chips, and those can be super sketchy. You buy them, they don't work, and you end up tossing the whole lot in the trash because you can't figure out why they're failing.

If you're a student, the smartest move for that budget is to grab an Ink & Toner Bundle. Why?

Because for that price, you actually get two machines. An inkjet for color and a laser printer.
The laser printer is a tank—just set it and forget it—and it handles maybe 3,000 to 4,000 pages easily. Then you've got the inkjet for whenever you actually need something in color.

Dennis Young57 said:There’s actually quite a gap between different third-party inks, even if most of them come from China.
In my experience, the ink for the Epson Stylus Photo from Staples works fine, unlike what I've seen from ORINK or Printer Replenishment Service.

I've always just picked up replacements in New York and haven't really run into issues so far. 🙂
As long as it stays at a decent price, I guess I won't bother looking elsewhere.

rustysurfer79 said:The Epson Stylus and the Epson Stylus Express are basically two different beasts, even if they look similar.

If you're a college kid on a budget, honestly, the smartest move is just grabbing an Ink & Toner Bundle for that kind of cash. .

So, what's the damage? I don't really know what laser printers go for these days—I only saw one basic black-and-white unit sitting around for $233 which felt like way too much money for what you actually get.

As for the scanner on the Epson Stylus, it worked totally fine for me; everything I needed to see came through crystal clear. Maybe people just don't bump up the resolution settings enough—you know, making it take a little longer to scan—if they’re trying to catch those tiny, super fine details.

Daniel Thompson9 said:So, how much does that actually run me? I’m pretty clueless when it comes to laser printer prices. I only saw one basic black and white unit for about $233, which felt like a total rip-off for what you get.

The scanner on the Epson Stylus worked fine for me; everything I needed to see came through clear. Maybe people just don't bump up the resolution settings—even if it takes a bit longer—when they're trying to catch tiny details.

$167 + tax for the cheapest laser printer + color inkjet combo. 3000+ 200 prints.

If you look for a similar new bundle, you're looking at roughly $367 for 500 + 50 prints to start.

With the Epson Stylus, it's not even about scanning quality. It's decent. But honestly, we just laid out ten of those units the other day because they all had the exact same glitch. They just keep whirring away because the scanner keeps trying to calibrate itself. It's a systemic issue with the Epson Stylus. Weirdly enough, the Epson Stylus 105 and the older/newer models don't have this problem.

rustysurfer79 said:$167 + sales tax for the absolute best combo of a laser printer and color inkjet. We're talking 3000+ prints plus another 200.

Man, I'm stuck because I really need a scanner. It's a huge deal for me. I don't buy books, I just borrow them from the library and scan everything myself.

Daniel Thompson9 said:Man, I really need a scanner. It’s pretty big for me. (I don't buy books, I just borrow them and scan the pages).

In that case, grab an Epson Stylus DX along with those continuous ink tanks if you're cool with the speed on the Epson Stylus. Or maybe go with $33 so you get a laser and an all-in-one. Just a heads up though—you might run into issues later with color printing because the capacity on that color tank is about three times smaller than the first version.

It's tough to cover every single base.

I’m on the hunt for a reliable "student-style" printer. Basically, I need something budget-friendly that can actually handle a heavy workload without tapping out. A few years back, I used a Canon PIXMA, and honestly, it was a workhorse. It handled third-party ink cartridges like a champ, but after about four years of constant use, it finally kicked the bucket on me. If I could find something with that same kind of durability, I’d be thrilled. Just to be clear, I don't need all the bells and whistles—no scanning, no CD printing, no photo editing, and it certainly doesn't need to cook my lunch or perform miracles. I just need solid, straightforward printing. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Raymond Kim said:I'm looking for a "student-style" printer. Basically, something cheap but capable of handling a decent workload. I used to have a Canon PIXMA, and man, was I happy with it. It handled third-party ink like a champ, but after about four years, I finally had to put it out of its misery. If I could find something similar, I'd be thrilled. It doesn't need to scan, print on CDs, do photo printing, cook me dinner, or perform any miracles... I just need the basics. Any advice is appreciated.

You can find a few similar models over on Hotspot that hold up pretty well. Those Canon PIXMA models were total bombs. After about four years, the power supplies start quitting on you, almost like they have a built-in timer to just shut down forever.

Could you give me a specific printer recommendation? Also, regarding that Hotspot, where exactly is it located? If you could drop a link, I’d appreciate it—I’ve been searching everywhere and can't seem to find anything. Thanks!

Raymond Kim said:Can you give me a specific printer recommendation? Also, where exactly is this Hotspot located? If you have a link, send it over because I can't find anything. Thanks.

Here’s the specifics:

Canon PIXMA + refill kit + iP Tool.exe

It’s cheap and actually works reliably.

Basically, you get a solid printer, some ink for refilling, and software to reset the cartridges. Just a heads-up though—don't forget to reset the cartridge on time. If you miss it, the printer locks up, you lose the ink levels, and before you know it, you've fried the print head.

Works just as well as the Canon PIXMA + CISS setup, but the whole thing is about 50% cheaper.

Total investment is around $300—$133 depending on what ink comes in the bundle.

I've been running an Epson Stylus for about two years now with those refillable tanks since day one. Picked up all the ink and cartridges on eBay and everything’s been smooth sailing. I’ve probably refilled each tank at least 15 times by now. Only headache was the chip on the black cartridge giving up on me, so I had to swap it out, otherwise the printer won't even recognize it's there.

Noah Thompson said:I've been running an Epson Stylus for about two years now using refillable cartridges from day one. I just grab my ink and tanks on eBay and everything works perfectly. I’d say I’ve refilled each tank at least 15 times by now. The only hiccup was when the chip on the black cartridge died, but I just swapped it out since otherwise the printer won't even recognize it.

That's true, but what would you do if it wasn't just a battery issue, but the actual CHIP? Believe me. Out of 20 chips, at least one is bound to be a dud.

rustysurfer79 said:That’s fine and all, but what if it isn't the battery? What if it's the Intel? Believe me... out of 20 of these chips, at least one is always totally fried.

I'd try to fix it if I could, but if not, I'm just grabbing a new cartridge or an Intel from eBay...🙂