Printer recommendations needed – help!

A little intro first... the actual questions start after the line. 🙂

My Canon Pixma IP1500 just bit the dust—it keeps claiming the ink waste tank is full and refuses to print. The repair shop says it’ll cost about... $100.

And just like that—my triple dilemma begins. 🙂.
The whole point is that this IP1500 is basically a gift—it doesn't have a chip on the cartridge, which means replacement ink only runs you about a couple of bucks. But then again, some budget printers in the same category as the IP1500 end up being cheaper than the ink itself... isn't that just great? $100Even those generic ink cartridges end up costing like $12 or more—so much for saving money.
Honestly, I might even be down for that. $100 So, what happens if I need a repair but my warranty expires in a few months—say, less than a year? 🙂 Another thing that refuses to go to hell—as if we needed more.
Sure, there are refillable cartridge options out there—but honestly, I haven’t messed around with those enough to know.

There’s always that middle ground—grabbing a slightly pricier entry-level laser printer. You get around 1,500 pages out of it without worrying about ink drying up—not that anyone actually misses dried-out cartridges—and refilling the toner usually runs you somewhere in the $200 range depending on the model.$133And then there’s the new one—it really depends on the model, though—ranging from $350 up to several thousand... (and obviously, I'm talking about black and white laser printers in that price bracket). $267).

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Questions?
Is it actually worth fixing up an old IP1500 at this point—or am I just throwing good money after bad? $100 ?
What’s everyone’s experience been with print quality and page counts once you actually refill the cartridges? Also—does the refilled ink dry any faster inside the nozzles, or is that just wishful thinking?
If I'm only printing maybe 20 pages a week and color is basically irrelevant—is it actually worth grabbing a cheap laser printer, or should I just stick with inkjet for the long haul?

Thanks for the advice and the help.

Look, there isn't much smart advice to give here... everything is playing out exactly like you said... 🙂

Fixing an old one? I wouldn't bother... most crucial printer components have been made of cheap plastic for years now that wears down instantly. They intentionally shorten the lifespan of modern printers so you're forced to buy a new one almost immediately after the warranty expires... so I honestly think those $100 would be a total waste of money very quickly...

Before you go out and buy some new inkjet, do your homework on the ink costs... if you don't want to deal with refilling them yourself, there are services that do it for you; I use one particular shop.. 🙂 Refilling an HP Photosmart runs me about 20 and $10 (for black and color) and I'm perfectly fine with that...

For high-volume printing, though, I use a Brother laser (picked it up at Walmart 😍 for $100, and it came with a 3-year warranty) and I get my toner refilled at that same spot... but that's only because I need volume sometimes and color other times... if you truly never need color, buying a cheap laser and just refilling the toner is the winning move...

Nicholas Lee7 said:First, a little context... My actual questions are below 🙂

Yesterday my old Canon Pixma IP1500 finally kicked the bucket... It keeps complaining that the waste ink pad is full and it refuses to print anything else. The repair shop told me it would set me back about $100.

And that’s where I’m stuck. 🙂
The thing is, this IP1500 is an absolute legend because it doesn't use chipped cartridges, so refillable ink costs me maybe $1. But honestly, some budget printers in the same class as this one are actually cheaper than $100, yet even their replacement ink runs you like $6 or more.
I mean, I’d probably shell out $100 to fix it, but there's zero guarantee that in a few months (less than a year) 🙂 something else won't just break down again...
Sure, I could try refilling the cartridges, but I've never actually done it myself...

Then there's the option of stepping up to a slightly pricier basic laser printer... those can handle like 1,500 pages without worrying about the ink drying up, and toner refills usually run anywhere from $20-$$133 depending on the model, while a brand new unit might be $35 or even more... (I'm talking about black and white lasers in the $267 range).

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Questions:
1. Do you guys think it's worth fixing this old IP1500 for $100?
2. What are your experiences with print quality and page yields when using refilled cartridges? Also, does refilled ink dry up faster (not just at the nozzles, but inside the cartridges)?
3. If I'm printing maybe 20 pages a week and don't really need color, which is the better long-term move: a cheap laser or an inkjet?

Thanks for any advice or help.

If you grab an Epson L3150 + Canon Pixma replacement setup, then one single cartridge effectively ends up costing you around >> $0.50