[Technology] Printer ink prices

[Monkey Man]

I understand the business model: charge next to nothing for the printer hardware, then inflate the prices of the ink.

I've just paid £300 for two sets of HP ink (admittedly XL) for the printers I use at home and in the office I work in. That strikes me as a very silly amount of money (and it seemed to be Amazon's best deal).

I've tried using unbranded ink that's supposedly compatible with my printers, but the printers refuse to recognise the cartridges, so that's more money wasted.

Has anyone worked out how to get around this? For example, is there a company supplying printers that are just as good as HP or similar, and can work with ink that's priced at sensible levels?

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I understand the business model: charge next to nothing for the printer hardware, then inflate the prices of the ink.

I've just paid £300 for two sets of HP ink (admittedly XL) for the printers I use at home and in the office I work in. That strikes me as a very silly amount of money (and it seemed to be Amazon's best deal).

I've tried using unbranded ink that's supposedly compatible with my printers, but the printers refuse to recognise the cartridges, so that's more money wasted.

Has anyone worked out how to get around this? For example, is there a company supplying printers that are just as good as HP or similar, and can work with ink that's priced at sensible levels?

I have an Epson and have used a variety of "cheap" non-branded inks -

The printer tells me they aren't official inks and might damage the machine, yada yada. But seems ok to me.

 

[The Kid Frankie]

HP are brutal mate, absolute mercenaries. A few years back they tried adding software (without consent of the owners) to all of their wifi printers that would block compatible consumables working in them. Luckily a court rendered the move illegal.

There is no way around paying a lot for cartridges if you are doing a lot of printing, unless you find compatibles that agree with your printer - which is always risky if you are doing a lot of printing, and even riskier if it is inkjet carts and not toner. The best way to work it out is to get your calculator out and figure how much it is costing you per page on average, then find the printer and in turn the consumables that will cost you the least per print. It's soul destroying work but sometimes the only way.

Lexmark are hitting back in the UK in a big way, a lot of people leaning in their direction as a better solution that HP or Brother. Owned by the yanks but they have a UK head office based up Wycombe way from memory.

 

[Weststander]

Canon in my experience also deliberabately struggle with non-Canon cartridges .... presumably to do with the chip.


It boils down to the printer choice in the first place. Which? currently have two best buy Canon colour inkjets.

A £45 cheapo (which we have , as it was the only decent printer I could find anywhere when everyone started WFH), but the ink costs in a year will be in the £100's!!! Every few weeks another ££££ rip off cartridges order, rinse and repeat.

Or a £170 Canon, where the ink costs per annum are tiny.


It's a maths no-brainer to bite the bullet by buying the latter.

Our last Canon lasted well over 10 years, a great servant, underlining this argument.

 

[beorhthelm]

go laser, still pay a bit but better cost per page and better quality print outs anyway.

 

[Monkey Man]

go laser, still pay a bit but better cost per page and better quality print outs anyway.

Thanks. Any tips on manufacturers to look for, and what kind of money would get you the equivalent of a £150 HP model (with expensive tastes in cartidges)?

 

[Audax]

[...] unless you find compatibles that agree with your printer [...]

Have tried compatibles in my Canon a few times. Every single time, I've found that the ink runs out quicker and/or disappears if the printer hasn't been used for a while. Gone back to using Canon and just make sure I do a jolly good google search - can normally find someone who's doing a deal undercutting everyone else.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Which? recently did a good article on 3rd party printer inks

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/07/the-cheap-ink-that-printer-firms-dont-want-you-to-use/

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Have tried compatibles in my Canon a few times. Every single time, I've found that the ink runs out quicker and/or disappears if the printer hasn't been used for a while. Gone back to using Canon and just make sure I do a jolly good google search - can normally find someone who's doing a deal undercutting everyone else.

I found that with my genuine HP ink cartridges after many months of non-use during the lockdown era. As a last resort, took the cartridges out, gave them a good shake, then re-inserted them. Worked good as new. Non-technical conclusion is that ink settles/separates due to protracted non-use

 

[Billy the Fish]

 

[amexer]

I use Cartridge People. First concerned because printer said not correct ink. Have been using there cheap ink now for 2 years never had a problem

 

[Boys 9d]

I have a Brother printer and have used ink from Phoenix for many years with only one problem with a single cartridge during that time. Their inks are a third to a quarter of the price of the relevant branded ink and bought online arrive by post in 24 to 48 hours.

 

[Me and my Monkey]

I have an HP printer and a subscription with them whereby I pay a fixed amount per month to print up to a certain amount, and they will automatically send a new cartridge when my machine tells them I'm running low, and even include an addressed envelope for me to return my empties for recycling. This works very well for us, as we only do occasional printing for personal stuff, and my subscription is just £1.99 a month, and there's no walloping cost to pay out for new cartridges when they need changing. Of course, if you are printing loads for work, a bigger subscription may not work out as cost effective.

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

I found that with my genuine HP ink cartridges after many months of non-use during the lockdown era. As a last resort, took the cartridges out, gave them a good shake, then re-inserted them. Worked good as new. Non-technical conclusion is that ink settles/separates due to protracted non-use

Have same problem with my HP Envy 5532.
Put genuine brand new black and coloured cartridges in a month ago and already saying low on ink!
I print out one or two items a week so hardly used.
Thanks for the tip

 

[CheeseRolls]

I understand the business model: charge next to nothing for the printer hardware, then inflate the prices of the ink.

I've just paid £300 for two sets of HP ink (admittedly XL) for the printers I use at home and in the office I work in. That strikes me as a very silly amount of money (and it seemed to be Amazon's best deal).

I've tried using unbranded ink that's supposedly compatible with my printers, but the printers refuse to recognise the cartridges, so that's more money wasted.

Has anyone worked out how to get around this? For example, is there a company supplying printers that are just as good as HP or similar, and can work with ink that's priced at sensible levels?

Have you considered not printing? This is a serious question by the way.

 

[PeterOut]

Without knowing the volume of printing that you do, in terms of pages, whether it is mainly colour or B&W, or what quality of print you need (e.g. standard letter quality or glossy photos), it is not possible to answer your question.
However, if you do know the answer to these questions, there are a good number of web sites that calculate running costs of different printers for you.
If you are printing higher volumes, the cost per page of ink tank printers is tiny compared to standard ink cartidge printers - 'Which' quote an average of 3p per page vs 44p per page (think of a pot of paint and a syphon tube, rather than a large number of small nail-varnish size bottles being constantly added). Clearly there is an up-front cost to ink tank printers, but if you are paying £150 for a set of cartridges, I would imagine that you would soon be better off with ink-tank rather than cartridge.

 

[peterward]

I understand the business model: charge next to nothing for the printer hardware, then inflate the prices of the ink.

I've just paid £300 for two sets of HP ink (admittedly XL) for the printers I use at home and in the office I work in. That strikes me as a very silly amount of money (and it seemed to be Amazon's best deal).

I've tried using unbranded ink that's supposedly compatible with my printers, but the printers refuse to recognise the cartridges, so that's more money wasted.

Has anyone worked out how to get around this? For example, is there a company supplying printers that are just as good as HP or similar, and can work with ink that's priced at sensible levels?

I use Cartridge People. First concerned because printer said not correct ink. Have been using there cheap ink now for 2 years never had a problem

I have an HP officejet, know the problems with inks, had a good few generic ones on amazon not work, it was by chance I stumbled on a company called the cartridge people (same as Amexer above), during lockdown when i couldnt find the compatible HP ink for my printer for love nor money...... Their reviews were good, prices massively cheaper for the XL longer lasting ink cartidges and next day delivery, and just as advertised they have worked for me exactly the same as the branded HP ones, without a single issue. If you do get any probs you can send back.

From their site.......

Lifetime Printer Guarantee
FREE Delivery
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
Will not invalidate your printer warranty

https://www.cartridgepeople.com/

 

[zefarelly]

I found that with my genuine HP ink cartridges after many months of non-use during the lockdown era. As a last resort, took the cartridges out, gave them a good shake, then re-inserted them. Worked good as new. Non-technical conclusion is that ink settles/separates due to protracted non-use

20 odd years ago, in Romania, our drawing plotter ran out of ink, completely unavailable out there, ( we'd taken the printer out with us) Our translator got us a bottle of black ink, and we procured a syringe and big needle from the refinery hospital . . . . .and refilled the cartridgge. made a little bit of mess first time but nailed it and kept it going for 7 months while we were completing the project on site.

 

[beorhthelm]

Thanks. Any tips on manufacturers to look for, and what kind of money would get you the equivalent of a £150 HP model (with expensive tastes in cartidges)?

probably a £150 HP always been a HP fan for office but for home Samsung and Brother have been good. not sure on colour as dont need. currently have a cheap Brother, carts are 2 for £25 (3rd party from Amazon), last at least 1000 pages each.

just seen prices or printers gone up, mine is 150 now, sure i got it for about 80, was a few years ago.

 

[BNthree]

For home users and light office the HP Instant Ink is a good shout http://try.hpinstantink.com/jjRdm. You pay a set fee a month and when you're about to run out of ink they send you a new cartridge in the post. I pay £1.99 a month and get to rollover unused pages. Works for me as never have to worry about running out of ink.