Printer recommendations?

My printer finally kicked the bucket. 😢
I am considering picking up a new one, but frankly, I am at a total loss as to which model is actually worth the investment. It would be ideal if I could find something where I could simply refill the cartridges myself; otherwise, the ongoing cost of replacements feels like a complete racket. 😢 However, it seems like every modern machine is equipped with these proprietary chips designed to reject used cartridges, which makes me wonder what is even worth buying anymore. Is there any legitimate way to bypass those built-in protections??
What would you all recommend purchasing in this situation?

Jessica Roberts19 said:Now that everyone’s got chips that won't accept refilled cartridges, I'm wondering if there's even any point in buying them anymore.

It's a given that official HP's cartridges have those "anti-refill" chips, but you've got third-party brands out there too—might be worth checking if they bypassed the lockout...

I picked up an HP DJ 610 C about four years back. It was honestly a piece of junk, but at the time, it was the only one that actually made sense for $283 because it had a dedicated black tank instead of mixing everything together. The current cartridge inside it doesn't even have a chip. I've still got about 50 ml of ink left to refill it. It's funny when you look at the math... if I remember right, 80 ml of generic ink cost me about $43, whereas the knockoff stuff is around $1.50, and then you've got the official HP version sitting at nearly $83. Just a heads up: for this specific printer, the cartridge holds 28 ml (even though the unit comes with a black tank that only has 20 ml), not the 40 ml ones you see in the beefier HP A3 models. Seriously, what a scam! You buy the printer for next to nothing—basically just paying for the ink and some cheap plastic housing—and they make all their money back by charging an absolute fortune for the ink. There's really no way to justify those prices...

What are you actually planning to print? Does it really need to be in color? If that isn't a dealbreaker for you (it certainly wasn't for me), then a cheap laser printer is a much better way to go.
They cost more upfront, but you make that money back pretty quickly since the toner is so much cheaper.

It’s just pouring from one empty vessel into another.

slycrane94 said:What on earth do you actually need a printer for? Does it truly need to be a color model? Because if color isn't a priority for you (it certainly wasn't for me), then a budget-friendly laser printer is a far superior solution.
While the upfront cost might be higher, you see a return on investment quite quickly because the "ink" costs are significantly lower.

And what is the average cost for laser toner, and how long does a single cartridge typically last?
I used to have a Lexmark 1100... The ink for a Lexmark costs about $100, if not more, but I used to refill the cartridges myself, so it worked out fine. Now, however, I am at a complete loss as to what I should purchase. 😢🙄

On average, a toner cartridge runs you about $100 $300, but it lasts for roughly 6,000 pages—which is an insane amount compared to inkjet printers. Why do you think these machines are so cheap? It’s all about the ink margins; they make their money on the refills, which is why they fight so hard against anything involving refilling them.

Robert Evans said:It's just pouring water into a sieve.

What was Sandman actually getting at?

Brian Edwards78 said:It’s truly pathetic when you find yourself trying to explain basic concepts to a group of people who clearly haven't a clue, using their own limited vocabulary just to get through to them.. absolutely dreadful. 😁 👍

Ahem... Brian Edwards78, are you... hm... implying that I don't have a clue? Is that what's happening here? Ha? 😉 😁 😛

Honestly, you guys are unbelievable. I know there are better ways to express my frustration, but I’ll keep it civil 😁 though I'm sure you'll find a way to penalize me anyway 🙂. I come here looking for actual help, yet I just end up feeling like a fool.

Just go buy an HP inkjet and we can all see who the real idiot is 😠

Honestly, who cares about ink? Even the cheapest laser printer beats those color inkjet models any day of the week...
I used to have a Lexmark All-in-One, and I'm telling you, I was about 0.1% away from tossing the whole thing out the window. It was an all-in-one—printer, scanner, copier—costing me around $250, but then the black and color cartridges alone would set me back nearly $200. It just didn't make sense, I guess. Anyway, it doesn't really matter now because I finally picked up a used laser printer, and now I don't have to stress about how much I print. The only real issue is that I seem to fill up the paper tray every five days, haha.😁 😁 😁

Look at it this way: for home stuff, you grab a decent, cheap Epson (like a 42ux or whatever), then you shell out maybe 20-$10 for black ink and 30-$17 for color. Then you can just sit back and enjoy the savings.
I saw a shop in a small town outside of Atlanta where a full set of black and color cost $17. That’s basically what your boyfriend spends just taking you to see a movie—and that's not even counting the popcorn and soda!

HP is definitely the king when it comes to Inkjet quality, and since the print heads are built into the cartridges, it's a clever setup (you swap the heads every time you change ink), but man, it's pricey. Third-party inks aren't much cheaper because you're essentially paying for the heads, not just the liquid. You could try the whole "refill the cartridge" headache, but it's a massive pain, it doesn't always work, and eventually, those heads will give out anyway, forcing you to drop another $167 on a new set.

An Epson isn't a bad choice either. They're cheap, though the print heads are part of the machine itself. If they die, you might as well buy a new printer since the heads alone cost more than a whole unit, but it'll probably last you a few years. Given how little the actual printer costs, the printing itself ends up being dirt cheap...

Oh, right—that whole mess with the chips only applied to certain models (like the Epson 680, for instance), while most of these newer little printers don't have that issue. Still, double-check before you buy.

If you need anything remotely professional, forget all this advice and just get a laser printer (or a heavy-duty Inkjet if you absolutely need color).

If you're looking for something for ultra-heavy duty work, I’d definitely suggest an HP A0 plotter 👍--it just gets the job done, you know?

Brian Edwards78 said:[Who even said "ink"?! INK!!! HAHAHAHA!![/B]

I've had my OKI laser for five years now—printed a ton—and it’s still the same old "ink" inside... if you can call it that.

Brian Edwards78 said:[Even the HP logo stuck right on the printer itself is the most expensive part. 😁😁[/B]

Is there any way to buy one without that damn logo attached?

😁 😁 😁

Brian Edwards78 said:Wait a second, you buy a Lexmark and then start complaining? Who's to blame if you chose to go with a Lexmark? 😁

What exactly were you trying to say in that last post, besides just talking nonsense?

So you still don't get it.

I was saying I know how to use the term "toner," and that you're just wasting everyone's time. 😛

Ziskis 😁

Maybe one day I'll build one just to spite you 😛