[George.GM]

Advice please on the merits or otherwise of "genuine" ink as compared
with the cheeepo stuff.
I have been using 5 out of 6 of the latter in my Epson XP 55 and really
don't notice any difference in the quality of the photos produced.
Epson keep telling me that if I continue to use this rubbisjh they will not honour the warranty on my printer but as it is now four years old I am not too concerned

 

[jmcg]

Dell claimed to be very particular about the toners in their printers and issued warnings not to use non Dell replacements . All our printers (3 no.) are Dell branded.

I have never replaced exhausted toner with Dell brand but use "compatibles" from a trusted source without any issues whatsoever.

I would say that the "compatibles" are not always as full as the originals though but still a huge price reduction.

BW

J(Gleam)(Gleam)

 

[Erimus]

I have two Epsons in the garage which refuse to work now...yes I got all the messages but carried on using a mix of compatibles and the odd 'real thing'....I also have a box full of Canon compatibles which won't work either now. My current machine,which is little used since retirement, I only use the genuine HP cartridges . George I find cheapest genuine ones,any brand, I get from Wilko rather than Asda or the market as I used to....

geoff

 

[makko]

After much searching, I bought an Epson L380. This is a printer/scanner/copier without Bluetooth. After over one year of use, 1770 letter size prints, around 1650 in colour of which many, maybe a majority, are full page and 5x7 photos in the highest resolution (almost 1:1 in pixels, camera almost 30MP), I have just replenished the external tanks with EPSON inks. It was only half a bottle of each (4). The cost was about GBP37.50, so that is 18.75 for the top up, working out for colour at 1.14p per page! I recommend the real thing.

I have also found that for the best quality, it is best to use original media, except for the 5x7's where the Canon paper works fine. For normal printing (Reports, Excel etc.), I use 90g ultra white (99%) bond which gives a very presentable result.

Best regards,
Dave

 

[ART6]

For many years the printer manufacturers have been selling ink jet printers at prices verging on loss-leaders, in the expectation that in the (often short) life of the machine the buyers would spend more on replacement ink cartridges than they spent on the machine in the first place. Epson, years ago, used chipped cartridges where the chips counted the number of pages printed and then declared the cartridge empty even if it wasn't. Any attempt to refill them with non-Epson inks didn't work because the chip still registered the cartridge as empty, and non-Epson cartridges didn't work either as the printer wouldn't recognise them without a chip.

Some of the printer manufacturers became even more sneaky -- I recall one printer I owned years ago that would stop working if one of the cartridges registered empty, and it required all of them to be replaced before it would work again. I bought a chip re setter from an outfit in Italy and bought replacement inks from Tesco! (Thumb)

 

[norm.h]

My current printer which I've had for several years, and is little used of late, is an HP Photosmart C 4400 series, in which I've successfully used both genuine and re-manufactured cartridges.

Recently, I bought an HP "Compatible" from Tesco for £10, which the printer told me was "Incompatible cartridge installed" and refused to work.
Tesco took it back and I spent another £9 to get a genuine cartridge, which unsurprisingly, worked OK.

You pays your money and take your chance.

 

[david.hopcroft]

I have an HP Envy 5640 printer. I have found that the best and cheapest place to get cartridges is from the HP shop. They generally arrive next day with free delivery. Which is better than driving 20 miles there and back to my nearest Tesco/WH Smith or Currys

David
+

 

[David Wilcockson]

I have an HP Envy 5640 printer. I have found that the best and cheapest place to get cartridges is from the HP shop. They generally arrive next day with free delivery. Which is better than driving 20 miles there and back to my nearest Tesco/WH Smith or Currys

David
+

Can only agree with you, I have an HP printer that takes 364 inks, £31 from HP, £39 at Tesco, `nuff said.

 

[spongebob]

We have a franchise chain of ink refilling shops called Cartridge Wirkd that refills cartridges of most makes for about half the original price. No trouble over the last four years using a Brother printer on a daily basis .

Bob

 

[YM-Mundrabilla]

I may have said all this before in an earlier thread. If so, my apologies but it might help someone on here in Oz at least.

I have had a Canon iP3600 printer for many years and it has served me well.

A set of 'genuine' Canon inks (CLI-520) costs around $ A 130 at Officeworks for the 4 small tanks. Not sure if this includes the big black tank or not?

Anyway, for anyone in Oz there is a mob called Betterbatt here in Melbourne from whom I get a set of 5 after market inks for around $ A 30.00 including delivery - a saving of around $100 Oz a set!

Betterbatt also sell every battery known to man. I have had no problem in buying batteries or ink from them on and off for years.

No, I am not their Sales Manager but I do appreciate and recognise good service when I get it. (Applause)(Applause)

Geoff (YM)

 

[Engine Serang]

Most of the ink sold in Australia is used for finger prints, and beyond Sidney for thumb prints.

 

[Split]

I have a Cannon printer, bought for 74 Euros. Found that the ink cartridges cost half that. I packed it away in its box and, later, thought of my grandkids but decided to warn my son beforehand, because he was the one who would have to put his hands in his pocket. He, politely, refused, so it is still in its box waiting for an owner. Its cheaper tp use a copyshop.

 

[PAULD]

I use copy one's no trouble, tried filling my own and got up one morning to a right old mess, they'd leaked everywhere.

 

[makko]

I have a Cannon printer, bought for 74 Euros. Found that the ink cartridges cost half that. Its cheaper tp use a copyshop.

I originally bought a Canon Pixma as a colour printer. The cartridges were very small and lasted for no more than twelve pages! Then the print head went south and I dumped it! I then got an Epson L120, predominantly for the kids schoolwork, and I was impressed by the duration of the external tanks.

I won't go near a Canon again!

Rgds.
Dave

 

[Dickyboy]

Remember when ink was just simple Quink or Stephens?

 

[makko]

Remember when ink was just simple Quink or Stephens?

Actually, mine is a Waterman!

 

[tugger]

George
Had an Epson printer for over fifteen years bought cheap Chinese ink from the market, same tale no warranty if I continued to use them, like you out of warranty anyway, the only reason I got rid of it was that so much ink had gone down in the well i couldn't clean, it smudges all over the printing. When I bought it the printer was cheaper than the ink replacement .
Tugger

 

[Split]

I originally bought a Canon Pixma as a colour printer. The cartridges were very small and lasted for no more than twelve pages! Then the print head went south and I dumped it! I then got an Epson L120, predominantly for the kids schoolwork, and I was impressed by the duration of the external tanks.

I won't go near a Canon again!

Rgds.
Dave

Yes, the time factor is another factor but I'm off home printers altogether.

I don't do enough paper work to merit getting another. Canon has a name in cameras but they abuse it because people take the name on trust.

 

[jmcg]

I've had a heap of printers over the past 20 years, the "home" market is awash with unreliable, relatively cheap junk from the so-called quality manufacturers.

About 5 years ago I was advised to purchase Dell branded m/cs. They are made for Dell by HP. Never had any issues with 3 office m/cs either.

Buy cheap - pay dearly.

BW

J(Gleam)(Gleam)

 

[John Rogers]

Remember when ink was just simple Quink or Stephens?

How about Parker Arrow.(Thumb)