Printer issues?

So, some guy over at Eurotrade gave me this info on the ink 😁 It’s possible they’re just using some off-brand stuff there... I’m no expert on this, so I figured I'd check here first before making a move. :/ Is 30ml or 50ml even an option? 😁 I'll probably give Eurotrade a call tomorrow to see what's actually available. 🙂 Honestly, that high page yield is what caught my eye. But wait—if I'm not printing a ton, just the occasional test page or whatever, am I going to run into issues with the colors?

And do you even need color printing? Check my advice above—I’m pretty stoked with my printer/copier setup, I've already run hundreds of pages through it just this past week. 😁 Laser printers don't deal with those kinds of issues when they aren't used constantly...

Genuine Epson ink is only about $17 per 70ml bottle, so why even bother looking for third-party replacements? Given that price point, there's zero reason to switch. They claim a yield of 4k to 6k pages, and while that really depends on how much you're actually printing, this is easily the most cost-effective inkjet you can pick up without breaking the bank.

Then again, if you don't strictly need color, a black-and-white laser printer would be the smarter move. But honestly? I think the L220 would do just fine for you.

Maybe my uncle was talking about those specific colors 🙂
Look, I mostly just print black and white, but occasionally I want to print a photo or something from the web... or stuff for my brother or sister for school... so having color wouldn't hurt.
So, is this one actually the "best value" over the long haul?
One more thing—do Epsons break down often? I read somewhere in a thread that certain models fail or just aren't built to last, but I can't remember which ones and I can't find the post now 😁
Oh, and is there anywhere I might find this model a bit cheaper? I can't track it down on that site where people compare printers. 🙂

My Canon ip3300 finally kicked the bucket after six years of constant service... basically went out on a hunt for greener pastures. Now I'm stuck deciding whether to pick up a Canon iP7250 or maybe an Epson xp225. I really need something where the third-party replacement inks are actually affordable but don't sacrifice quality. I've already got a scanner—an old Canon N670U—so I don't need that part of the setup. Looking for speed too... any advice would be appreciated. Honestly, if there's a better third option out there, I'm all ears. Thanks.

@ darkcrane77:

https://www.amazon.com/printer-ink-cartridges/b/ink-cartridges

Looks like Links or Best Buy if you ask me...

@ Anthony Kelly9:

Like I always tell everyone, go check what your local shop has in stock regarding third-party inks—basically, wherever you usually pick up your supplies. There's no point in hunting for cheap generic ink if you can't actually find it when you need it. I know for an Epson, Orink is an option and I've used them myself; they're dirt cheap and work great. As for Canon... I haven't looked into it. 🤷

I haven't really run into any issues using third-party inks with my Canon gear... I've tried everything from $2.75 Oracle cartridges without chips to more high-end options. Up until now, I've stuck exclusively to Canon printers. In my experience, they seem to go through ink pretty fast, but mechanically speaking, they feel solid and durable. I’d be curious if anyone could give me a breakdown comparing them to Seattle/HP printers in that same price bracket

I used to run an HP, constantly feeding it Oracle ink from $2.75, and I was pretty happy until I clogged the nozzles myself—my own damn fault. Now I’ve switched to a Canon, but since I’m using a CISS setup, I don't really deal with individual ink bottles anymore. Honestly, it's all much of the same. If I had to nitpick, maybe the Canon feels a tiny bit more rugged and reliable, though I can't say it feels rock solid either. Probably just because it survived a messy CISS installation 😬. Print quality is basically a wash; I haven't noticed a real difference, except maybe the paper coming out of the HP felt a bit "wetter," but that might just be because that model was already three years old when I bought it.

With the HP, I loved having that built-in SD card reader. With the Canon, the Wi-Fi is nice to have, even if I never actually use it... 😬 Both machines make about the same amount of noise during scanning and printing...

Someone once tried telling me the Canon is better built because it's easier to tinker with if the nozzles clog, and that the nozzle design itself is superior. I don't really care, though. In my opinion, once this kind of gear dies, it’s not worth fixing unless you're some kind of hobbyist. It's usually cheaper to just buy a new one.

I won't say anything about IBM because I've never owned one, and based on what I've seen passing by, I can't give a real assessment.

I think you picked good models for the price point. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter which one you go with...

I've run into a bit of a snag, or at least it feels that way to me... looking at these two models, I'm struggling to see how anyone's supposed to print an A4 photo. It seems like neither of them actually has a top-loading tray for that size. My old IP3300 used to handle that just fine, but I'm not so sure about these. I mean, maybe they can pull an A4 photo through the bottom tray, but I have my doubts since photo paper is pretty thick and stiff... any advice would be appreciated

Supposedly the HP Envy series comes with a top-loading tray for A4 paper. I'm curious if anyone here has actually used the HP Envy series... I never had issues with clogged nozzles on my old Canon, but after six years, the print head finally gave up on me. Does the Epson series deal with nozzle clogs or print head failures frequently, or does it really just depend on which specific model you pick?

darkowl72 said:@ darkcrane77:

I don't care what the specs say. A high DPI doesn't mean anything if the hardware is junk. Waste of money.

Either Links or Best Buy, if you ask me...

Thanks. 🙂
Just one more thing. I found an HP Envy series model for about... $27 What's the difference?Link.I see the HP Envy series has better scan resolution, faster print speeds, and built-in Wi-Fi. I haven't caught any other differences yet—if there are any, someone please point them out. 🙂 So, basically, I'm wondering if it's actually worth shelling out that extra $12 or so. And are the ink cartridges for this specific model also around that same price? $17Just so you don't end up getting screwed by extra costs. 🙂
I just hope these Epson printers don't fail on me constantly. I've been seeing way too much talk about clogged nozzles lately. 🕺
I need to do a little more digging first. Want to be able to sleep easy tonight—hopefully I'll have answers by tomorrow.🎉Heading out to grab that printer. 😁 Thanks for the reply. 🙂

The naming conventions and models... Man... 365, 355... it's enough to make your head spin. Based on the Epson specs, this model is basically just an upgraded HP Envy series, so it’s technically better. The differences are minor—speed, tray capacity, scan resolution... and obviously Wi-Fi with a built-in wireless printing routine. So yeah, the 365 / 355 is the smarter buy here...

The ink is identical. As for those clogged nozzles, just make sure you print something once a week (meaning, use all the colors) and you'll be fine. Clogs happen when you don't use the printer; if you leave it sitting idle for, say, a month, the ink dries up and bakes inside the nozzles...

Yeah, right. I dug up a thousand different combinations of letters and numbers, which is exactly why I’m asking instead of guessing. Just what I thought—it looks nearly identical, just with a few specs tweaked.
Got it. Understood. I'll just print out some pictures here and there then. Thanks for the help 🙂

I was wondering if there's any actual recourse for retailers engaging in deceptive online advertising? I keep seeing listings for an HP Envy series, but whenever I try to call, they claim they don't have it in stock... yet it’s posted all over the web. It's almost like it's gone the exact second I pick up the phone. They had it listed just two days ago on Saturday, and then suddenly—poof. Maybe they'll have it next week, maybe not... wtf...

I don't know much about those ads, but I spotted an HP Envy series at the Best Buy in the Point mall $367 (maybe a little more than that, I wasn't sure since I was actually hunting for the L220 model) 🙂

So, what’s the actual deal with the difference between the HP Envy series and the HP Envy series? 🤔

No clue, probably just a newer version 🤔 I'll just search on Google HP Envy series (or maybe the 220, or 365, whatever) technical specs and it’ll pull up the printer on this page along with a PDF of the full specs at the bottom. Comparing the 210 and 220, I didn't see anything majorly different, unless I'm totally off base 🕺 😁

User reviews actually carry more weight than whatever marketing fluff they slap on the box, so I read up on it first. That’s why I’m hunting for a cheaper HP Envy series 😉. Maybe I'm off base here, but I've definitely been burned before trying to score those "too good to be true" deals you see all over Craigslist 👎. Honestly, paying $210 for this model feels like a rip-off... for that kind of cash, you could probably grab an L220 if you're shopping around at places like Best Buy
.

Yeah, obviously experience matters more. I just listed those specs because there isn't much of a difference anyway. Maybe it’s just a newer model thing. 🤔 But even I don't know; clearly, I'm just asking questions here too. 😁 I'm not sure what the usual price for an HP Envy series is, but if you can snag an HP Envy series for that kind of money, it's probably the better bet. Though, I actually found this HP Envy series for about $180. Honestly, I can't make heads or tails of all their model numbers anymore. 😁 All I want is a printer that actually works and won't rob me blind on ink. 😍

It’s always nice to hear a "yeah" instead of a "no"... just kidding. In the next week or so, I’ll hopefully track down an ad that isn't total nonsense. That HP Envy series at that price point is obviously a steal, assuming the listing is actually legit and not some scam... if I were in your shoes, I’d grab that HP Envy series for anywhere around $180. If you really need a workhorse, based on the specs, it looks twice as capable as the older HP Envy series models