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ebgbjo
Sewing is cheaper than therapy
Premium Member
join:2007-09-14
USA

ebgbjo

Premium Member

[Rant] HP Photosmart Premium eAll-in_one C310a

Do not buy this printer, ever! We have to replace the ink less than every 30 days and don't even make it through half a ream of paper. Everything is always printed in fast/economical draft form.

Also, even though we have NEVER used the printer to print photos, it MUST use not only the black ink, but also the photo ink to print out text. I am so sick of buying ink so often. This piece of junk just eats it.

So, if anyone can recommend a much better, less ink sucking, printer, I would greatly appreciate it. Even a decent, but not costing an arm & a leg laser printer. I just use it to print of walk-throughs of my college homework to use at exam time

Thank you

beerbum
Premium Member
join:2000-05-06
behind you..
Motorola MB8600
ARRIS TG862
Asus RT-AC5300

beerbum

Premium Member

good luck finding an ink-jet printer that doesn't eat through ink..

are you using the XL cartridges? I have a 209 which uses the same cart as yours and if using the regular cartridges you will blow through them very fast.. the XL holds I think twice as much ink and generally cost only $5 or $6 more.

something else you can do is set a default printer profile that will print b&w or greyscale only.. I think for me using the XL carts, the color lasts me more than 6 months and about 3 months for the black cart.. and yes I do quite a bit of printing..

lastly, doesn't your college give you an allotment of pages you can print? mine does.. I think it's 500 pages per semester..

as I said, try the larger cartridge and set the default print profile to b&w only..

ebgbjo
Sewing is cheaper than therapy
Premium Member
join:2007-09-14
USA

ebgbjo

Premium Member

Yep, using XL carts and only print in fast/draft economical, greyscale.

I print at home as my classes are online this semester .. I can print as many pages of my homework as I want

fatness
subtle

join:2000-11-17
fishing

1 recommendation

fatness to ebgbjo

to ebgbjo
I've had pretty good luck with HP DeskJet 3050 printers and the high-yield cartridges. You can find the printers new sometimes for $45 or so. The cartridges last fairly long (for inkjet cartridges), print quality is good for regular prints and photos (and it'll print at the quality you choose). Staples also has a deal where you can turn in the empty cartridges and get $2 back, which they sometimes double to $4 back.

DC DSL
There's a reason I'm Command.
Premium Member
join:2000-07-30
Washington, DC
Actiontec GT784WN

DC DSL to beerbum

Premium Member

to beerbum
said by beerbum:

good luck finding an ink-jet printer that doesn't eat through ink..

I have an OfficeJet Pro K5400 for like 5 years now and ink life is quite good. I have it in the midling quality setting...not draft and not highest quality...more than adequate for everyday use. I'm not defulting to grayscale. The XL cartridges definitely are worth the extra bucks.

I also leave mine turned on all the time. I have noticed that turning inkjets on and off on a frequent/daily basis shorten ink life. OP: Try leaving it powered on and see if that makes any difference.
DC DSL

DC DSL to fatness

Premium Member

to fatness
said by fatness:

Staples also has a deal where you can turn in the empty cartridges and get $2 back, which they sometimes double to $4 back.

They also have been having Buy-2-Get-1 deals every few months. That's a great time to stock-up. My printer uses 3 color plus black, so it's a great deal for me.

ilikeme
Premium Member
join:2002-08-27
Stafford, TX

ilikeme to ebgbjo

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to ebgbjo
My HP Officejet 8600 Plus lasts about 3-6 months between cartridge changes, and I print a lot for school. It takes 4 different cartridges and I use the XL versions.

Msradell
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
Louisville, KY

1 recommendation

Msradell to ebgbjo

Premium Member

to ebgbjo
Get a small laser printer for your everyday printing and save the color one for when you need color. A much cheaper alternative. You aren't going to find an inkjet that doesn't eat ink.

Gavin5
join:2012-10-03
canada

Gavin5 to ebgbjo

Member

to ebgbjo
HP DeskJet 3050 printers are really awesome. You can try it.

ebgbjo
Sewing is cheaper than therapy
Premium Member
join:2007-09-14
USA

ebgbjo to Msradell

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to Msradell
I don't use color..at all, which is why I can't even figure out how they get empty, or why I need filled ones to print black ink- also annoying that I need the black photo ink filled and in place to print word documents even if not printing photos

We are going to look for another printer later in the week. This one takes too much money in ink every 25 days or so

pcdebb
birdbrain
Premium Member
join:2000-12-03
Brandon, FL
ARRIS DG1670

1 recommendation

pcdebb to ebgbjo

Premium Member

to ebgbjo
i have the C310 and love it to pieces. I do *alot* of photo printing (using XL carts) and I get more mileage. HP printers are the only ones I trust, every other printer I've always had issues with.

NEVER EVER EVER EVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER GET A BROTHER PRINTER

PatPatate
join:2008-02-10
Sainte-Julie, QC

PatPatate to ebgbjo

Member

to ebgbjo
All I can say is that I have a HP Laserjet 1600 color printer that makes a good job. It is an older model that is probably not available anymore.

One of the firmware update added a really nice feature : override mode. Basicly, it let you print even when the printer say the cartridges are empty, so I can change them when they are really empty. ( I think I can usually print about 1000 more pages that way)

The original HP cartridge are really expensive so I'm buying rebuilt cartridges that work as well. ( sold by Monoprice and the internal parts are replaced by new ones ).

The good thing with laser is that the ink doesn't dry and it doesn't seem to cost more to me to print in colors. The bad thing is that photos are ugly.
TheMG
Premium Member
join:2007-09-04
Canada
MikroTik RB450G
Cisco DPC3008
Cisco SPA112

TheMG to ebgbjo

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to ebgbjo
I got sick of inkjet printers and their unquenchable thirst for ink. Even if you don't use it often it still goes through ink because it must run through a periodic cleaning cycle to keep the supply of ink to the print head fresh to avoid clogging (which often happens anyways).

So I picked up a Brother HL-1230 laser printer for free that someone was going to toss. Popped in a $30 toner cartridge from eBay. That's what I've been using for the last 4 years and I still haven't had to fill the toner. Works great.

Monochrome laser is the way to go if you're only printing documents and don't need color. Try to get something that doesn't have chips on the toner cartridges. Chips are a pain in the butt.

Bamafan2277
Premium Member
join:2008-09-20
Jeffersonville, IN

Bamafan2277 to ebgbjo

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to ebgbjo
Look into a Samsung CLP-325W Color laser printer. They print excellent text and good color prints. I buy a full set of toner for about $50 online for aftermarket and it last for well over a year with a ton of printing.

Dogbert9
Premium Member
join:2002-03-28
Brookings, SD

Dogbert9 to ebgbjo

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to ebgbjo
I would recommend getting a laser printer as well. You mentioned that you don't print in color very often so a b/w laser could be very good for you. Just switch to your color printer when you need color and use the laser for everything else.

I have an HP laser printer and I print quite a bit out of it. A cartridge will last 5-6 reams which is almost a year. Cartridge is about $90 for authentic HP, but considerably less than what I would have to pay for new ink for the same amount of printing. Plus the laser will print faster and you won't need to worry about any ink smear.

Xstar_Lumini
join:2008-12-14
CANADA

Xstar_Lumini

Member

lol it's pathetic that you guys have to print in black/greyscale because it's not affordable, this is 2012 not 1985, some mafia must be keeping prices artifically high, where's "made in China" to save the day?

carpetshark3
Premium Member
join:2004-02-12
Idledale, CO

carpetshark3 to ebgbjo

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to ebgbjo
Ink is where the companies are making their money. Printers are cheap, ink expensive, and certain makers are chipping carts so you have to buy new ones.

So far, my Canon i6000 Pixma will use anything. I have 2 older HPs
one is a 610 used for junk printing, and the other one new enough to complain about a generic cart, but to run anyway.

I tried a Photosmart printer only - I don't need an all in one as I have a far better scanner. That thing fought with Photoshop, another printing program, you name it. Plus it used ink faster than the 6000. Got a new printhead for the 6000, and the HP is going in the trash.
wth
Premium Member
join:2002-02-20
Iowa City,IA

wth to Msradell

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to Msradell
said by Msradell:

Get a small laser printer for your everyday printing and save the color one for when you need color. A much cheaper alternative. You aren't going to find an inkjet that doesn't eat ink.

Just what I was going to say. I've used a Brother laser 2070N for years networked for 95% of what we print, and a inkjet all in one for the color, copy & scan features.

fatness
subtle

join:2000-11-17
fishing

fatness to ebgbjo

to ebgbjo
said by ebgbjo:

I don't use color..at all, which is why I can't even figure out how they get empty, or why I need filled ones to print black ink- also annoying that I need the black photo ink filled and in place to print word documents even if not printing photos

With every inkjet I've owned, unless you specify "monochrome" printing, even printing a B&W document will use color ink.

CylonRed
MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
·Metronet

CylonRed to Xstar_Lumini

MVM

to Xstar_Lumini
said by Xstar_Lumini:

lol it's pathetic that you guys have to print in black/greyscale because it's not affordable, this is 2012 not 1985, some mafia must be keeping prices artificially high, where's "made in China" to save the day?

They are made in China but the business model for printers is the Gillette model. Lose your shirts on the printers but more than make it up on the ink sales for the next couple of years. This is why folks refilled cartridges. This is why many printer manufacturers have a VERY thin line on making any money.

Kodak tried to break that by offering a bit more expensive printer but ink was more reasonable. I believe I heard they will be discontinuing the printer sales but still making ink because their model did not work. Personally - I am not sure people believed they made decent printers and that the ink was any good being so cheap compared to the others.

Personally - I had a 12 year old HP that was fine (Deskjet 895 Cse) - did not burn thru ink and never the ink dried out. My wife is still using it in her classroom after we replaced it at home with an Epson.
TheMG
Premium Member
join:2007-09-04
Canada
MikroTik RB450G
Cisco DPC3008
Cisco SPA112

TheMG

Premium Member

I'd much rather pay more for the printer up front, and have cheaper ink, than the other way around.

Unfortunately, most people don't consider the long-term cost of maintaining a printer, and only look at the up front cost when making a decision to buy a printer. Thus, expensive printers wouldn't sell well.

fatness
subtle

join:2000-11-17
fishing

fatness

said by TheMG:

Unfortunately, most people don't consider the long-term cost of maintaining a printer, and only look at the up front cost when making a decision to buy a printer. Thus, expensive printers wouldn't sell well.

A large part of the reason for that is when looking at printers, the purchase cost is advertised and visible, and the costs/copy are not.

DC DSL
There's a reason I'm Command.
Premium Member
join:2000-07-30
Washington, DC
Actiontec GT784WN

DC DSL

Premium Member

said by fatness:

A large part of the reason for that is when looking at printers, the purchase cost is advertised and visible, and the costs/copy are not.

When I bought my current printer I actually was looking for a medium-duty duplexing, color, network printer for several of my SMB clients. Staples had this model on sale for $149, which was a steal (meaning it was a closeout) but I nosed around and figured out how much they'd be spending on ink and printheads, and what user feedback was. The comments were overwhelmingly positive and the numbers worked out to be less than what the low-end b&w lasers would have run at the time so I went with it, plus one for myself. Five years on, they're all still working flawlessly, and the ink costs have actually been less than what I was estimating.

YMMV but spending a half an hour or less doing a little research and simple math makes a huge difference. Too bad the vast majority of people don't realize you can use the Internet for that; not just bitching about making a bad purchase decision after the fact.

fatness
subtle

join:2000-11-17
fishing

fatness

said by DC DSL:

YMMV but spending a half an hour or less doing a little research and simple math makes a huge difference.

While I agree and I do the same thing somewhat, there's a sliding scale for how useful it is. Multiply that half hour times the number of printer models being considered and it begins to turn from a positive to a negative at a certain point.

I did find a site several years ago while printer shopping that actually listed an estimated cost/copy over the life of the printer. But I have no idea what site it was. That information, plus purchase cost plus reviews, would make buying decisions easier.

DC DSL
There's a reason I'm Command.
Premium Member
join:2000-07-30
Washington, DC
Actiontec GT784WN

DC DSL

Premium Member

It shouldn't take even a half an hour to figure out if a particular printer is worth it or not. I can pretty much make the determination in about 10-15 minutes. It is important that you know how you intend to use it (document vs photo printing, high-quality vs draft, heavy vs light duty) and the features that you need/want (i.e., speed, multiple paper sources, duplexing, network connectivity). I encounter way too many people who never enumerate those basics, buy the cheapest unit they can find, then complain about things like how slow it is or how printing photos sucks when they bought a printer that wasn't designed for high-quality photo printing. Make sure the unit(s) you're looking at will do what you want, then worry about if they match your Hello Kitty laptop or look out of place next to your life-size Lost in Space robot.

fatness
subtle

join:2000-11-17
fishing

fatness

So if I understand you correctly, you think it's better if the purchase price is displayed but the cost/copy is not?

DC DSL
There's a reason I'm Command.
Premium Member
join:2000-07-30
Washington, DC
Actiontec GT784WN

DC DSL

Premium Member

No, that is not at all what I said. I said that if people know the functionality they must have, they can narrow-down the pool of models to consider. We all know people who bought something that did everything but what they needed it to. Go back and look at the shiny stuff *after* you have decided a product should meet your needs and is worth the cost of ownership.

psafux
Premium Member
join:2005-11-10

psafux to ebgbjo

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to ebgbjo
Are the ink tanks comparable (in ml not physical size) to other printers you are able to compare to? One thing I have seen is where the printer will use smaller tanks / less ink in the tank so it gives the appearance of using more ink.

You can probably adjust the ink density via the printer control settings. Most printers allow you to do that. It will affect the quality of the print of course.

Are High-Yield ink carts available for the unit?
Are your prints covering more than the "normal" surface of a page? A single-spaced one page document will use more ink than a page that is double-spaced. Just trying to get some frame of reference, maybe get you thinking about specifics too.

ISO 24711 is an industry standard that calls on printer manufacturers to report ink yields. This report will be tied to the ink cartridge not the printer. In my professional experience if you aren't getting at least 300 pages, at the very very low end of the yield, there is likely something physically wrong with that printer or the settings are set incorrectly. If you research the ink part number you should be able to find the ink yield report. Your actual usage should come within an estimated 10-15% (in my opinion) of reported yield. You will never hit actual yield amounts due to a variety of reasons.

Quite a few years ago HP had released a line of printers that dumped an amount of ink after each print. Someone opened up their printer after noticing ink yields were very low and discovered the activity. It hit mainstream media and caused quite a big hubaloo then.

People complain about the price of oil & gasoline but we should all be thankful our cars don't run on printer ink - we'd be paying thousands of dollars per gallon.