Why Cant you buy decent good qual printers anymore.......

[FatRakoon]

I have always opted for Epsons.

My old CX42 is still working just fine. Sure its slow as heck, and teh quality is drab, but its a workhorse that has done me proud. Its now at my father in laws and for the printing he does, there is no need for anything more.

I then went to a CX3200, Again, a fairly solid workhorse but that went a bit iffy. I cured its issues by simply printing everythign out in very high quality and for the most part, for my needs, that was acceptable... Full page colours prints would show it was not quite right, but for me, I accepted it.

I then got a DX4800... Was it the 4800 ?

Anyway the quality was far better and I loved it but then all of a sudden, after only about 6 months it suddenly went downhill. In the space of a week, the inks were failing to read properly and then it started to chew paper... The moment it chews paper, thats it for me.

I decided to splash out on a lazer

I got a Samsung CPL300

What a pile of arse

Its painfully fussy about the bits, I have had more red light issues on it than anything.
I am constantly pulling at this drawer of that lever just to get the red light to go green.

When it does work, its eating the black ink.

I have had a problem with it since day 1 and that is that the left side of any prints are fine, but the black kind of fades out by the time it gets to the right side of the page.

It does this on every sheet whether I use one sheet or several.

Then, I find out that is a common issue and there is a cure. The cure however is beyond my skills and I dont feel confortable in attempting the fix.

I ran out of black last year and the missus offered to pay for all new toners for me, so I got all 3 colours and a black, in a kind of hoping to fix it mode, but alas, this made mo difference at all.

So, Im kind of stuck with a Lazer thats mostly useless.

I have now resorted to printing text in dark blue and thats not really very professional but its a solution of sorts. And also colour prints that dont require the use of the black are absolutely flawless.

But the facts remain... Printers are indeed getting worse all the time.

If I could get hold of aftermarket HP Inks, then Id jump on a HP in an instant.

My mother has been using HP for years and only last year she went for an Epson. She now regrets it and is going back to HP.

 

[Hotwired]

You want on the HP boat?

I just bailed

3rd HP inkjet (Printer Scanner Copier) died on us with cartridge errors blocking all printing even with proper HP cartridges.

Decided to go for a Brother black/white laser printer/scanner/copier - DCP 7030, was about £120 after wossplace screwed up the next day delivery and refunded the delivery charge.

Had a rummage about to make sure it was a model with decently available compatible toner and drum replacements so about £16 off a replacement drum and £26 off a replacement toner.

No colour printing, no liquid ink, MUCH longer between consumable replacement and a fairly fiddleproof (but large) cube with concealed paper tray and a solid paper-out area instead of a small box that has everything folding out to sit on flimsy plastic flaps.

I never really liked the HP deskjets but I didn't have a say in them. However since I get lumped with them when a problem happens I took the chance to replace it with something fairly bombproof.

 

[Muel]

I don't get the deal with modern printers at all. In 2001 my parents bought HP Deskjet 940C. I'm still rocking it, prints fantastically, colour reproduction is great, and it's a thing of beauty (oh wait).

My Grandparents on the other hand have been going through printers like no tomorrow for the last few years. The colour reproduction have all been rubbish and several have broken.

 

[Phil2008]

Well I cannot really recommend this broth MFC-J410 to you guys, Yeah its running great and printout qual is great, but Ive only had it for 2 days. Knowing my luck in 3-6months it will be giving me probs, same as my sx515w did, but that was a tad rubbish from day1. But hopefully the brother will just work like my dx4800 did for 4-5 yrs without throwing any of its toys out of the pram.

Ask me in 6months if its worth buying.

 

[FatRakoon]

You want on the HP boat?

I just bailed

No, I dont, but from how HP have been with my mum, Id say that I will be willing to give them a shot... But... ONLY IF I can source aftermarket inks.

Only then will I give it a shot.

I am simply not willing to pay the asking prices for Inks. Its disgusting.

Although in another side flip, the drivers are fowl on HPs too... Far too big for what they need to be.

 

[Tonester007]

I don't get the deal with modern printers at all. In 2001 my parents bought HP Deskjet 940C. I'm still rocking it, prints fantastically, colour reproduction is great, and it's a thing of beauty (oh wait).

My Grandparents on the other hand have been going through printers like no tomorrow for the last few years. The colour reproduction have all been rubbish and several have broken.

I used a HP Deskjet when I started work (back in 1993) they rocked then - very solid.
Atm I have a cheap Canon all-in-one and can't complain. Any photos I need to actually print (e.g. instead of emailing or burning to CD), I get "Snappy Snaps" to print them for me instead.

 

[EniGmA1981]

They have a waste ink counter that theoretically tells you when the waste pads are fully saturated. The reality often is that the pads are fine and the counter can be reset, although it partly depends on what ink you have used (Compatables tend to be much more water based, so the pads will saturate much faster)

@ Phil, were the epson prints printed on Epson photo paper or another brand?

Spot on, 90% of the printers that I repaired where the waste pads were "full" just needed a counter reset. Plus, it's worth baring in mind that using compatable inks in an epson printer (can't comment on others as much, but may be the same case...) will void the warranty.

Gay but true!

 

[memyselfandi]

To be honest I've given up on colour printing at home, I tended to do it so rarely that often by the time I needed to do some the ink had dried out anyway (screwing the head).

Now I just have a black and white laser printer (LJ1200 + jetdirect) and if I want to print some pictures I use one of the online photo services. My Dad does the same although we picked him up a nice second hand LJ2100 off a popular auction site to use for <£100.

 

[Phil2008]

Plus, it's worth baring in mind that using compatable inks in an epson printer (can't comment on others as much, but may be the same case...) will void the warranty.

Gay but true!

This might not be true as I read on a ink compatables site, but Im not sure............?

"Major printer manufacturers normally sell printers at or below cost. They make their profits from selling the cartridges. Formerly, once you bought your expensive new printer you had no choice but to buy one of their cartridges after yours ran dry.

By using compatible or remanufactured cartridges you are cutting into their primary source of profit. Because of this, they will threaten to void your warranty if you use compatible or remanufactured cartridges. They are simply trying to protect their own interests anyway they can. It is however strictly ILLEGAL for them to do so, they CANNOT VOID YOUR WARRANTY simply for using compatible or remanufactured cartridges.

According to Hewlett-Packard, the use of a refilled print cartridge does not affect the warranty unless failure or damage is attributable to it. This is typical of all manufacturers' warranties. Keep in mind that the ink does not touch any part of the printer or internal parts other than the cartridge and print head. The ink is applied to the paper as the paper is fed through the printer. "

To be honest I've given up on colour printing at home, I tended to do it so rarely that often by the time I needed to do some the ink had dried out anyway (screwing the head).

I read somewhere printers use a little colour when printing black and white stuff to avoid the inks getting clogged up.

 

[Energize]

To be honest I've given up on colour printing at home, I tended to do it so rarely that often by the time I needed to do some the ink had dried out anyway (screwing the head).

This is why I gave up on inkjets too, lasers are so much more reliable with their toner than crappy ink that dries up raping the print heads in the process.

 

[Puppetmaster]

This might not be true as I read on a ink compatables site, but Im not sure............?

"Major printer manufacturers normally sell printers at or below cost. They make their profits from selling the cartridges. Formerly, once you bought your expensive new printer you had no choice but to buy one of their cartridges after yours ran dry"

Using compatible cartrides with an epson will void the warranty depending on whats wrong. I work in an Epson Express Centre (Warranty Repairs) and if someone brings in a printer with compatible cartridges installed, with a print related problem (eg blocked head, poor print quality etc) then that will void the warranty. If it comes in with a paper feeding problem then that has no relation to ink cartridges and such warranty is still in place.

I believe HP a few years back did something to their printers meaning only genuine catridges could be used but they got shouted at for that and had to change it back.

The reason i asked about paper is generally speaking Epsons do prints on their own photo paper a lot nicer. Epsons work slightly different to other brands and you generally find with non epson paper the ink doesnt dry properly or prints just dont look as good. The downside is that the paper is more expensive.

At one of the shops I work at, we did an A4 print for demo purposes from a SX/BX 610 (4 Colour Printer) with epson paper and it looks amazing.

 

[Phil2008]

Using compatible cartrides with an epson will void the warranty depending on whats wrong. I work in an Epson Express Centre (Warranty Repairs) and if someone brings in a printer with compatible cartridges installed, with a print related problem (eg blocked head, poor print quality etc) then that will void the warranty. If it comes in with a paper feeding problem then that has no relation to ink cartridges and such warranty is still in place.

I believe HP a few years back did something to their printers meaning only genuine catridges could be used but they got shouted at for that and had to change it back.

The reason i asked about paper is generally speaking Epsons do prints on their own photo paper a lot nicer. Epsons work slightly different to other brands and you generally find with non epson paper the ink doesnt dry properly or prints just dont look as good. The downside is that the paper is more expensive.

At one of the shops I work at, we did an A4 print for demo purposes from a SX/BX 610 (4 Colour Printer) with epson paper and it looks amazing.

Well the last 2 lots of photo paper Ive bought from the pound shop has been rubbish as the ink just lies on the paper in bubbles on the epson, and with the brother the printouts turn out very red and wet. So Ive bought slightly more expensive photo paper and the printouts are great again... So photo paper from the pound shop might work or be totally useless. So now Im thinking the poor print outs from my epson may be due to the paper, But ive never ever been "wow nice print outs" as they have always been lacking in detail not bright and sharp and dull even with the original inks on day 1 of buying the printer.

Ive found some original inks fro my brother on ebay, not boxed but in there sealed packages as they are the inks that are supplied with the printer. basically £10 cheaper then the boxed originals, so Ive ordered a set.

 

[Phil2008]

Well Ive had the brother for about a month and no probs yet and printed out about 50 photos during that time with much better results then the epson. Epson printed out dull, boring photos, and brother prints bright lively photos.

Theres only 1 prob with this printer and not sure if its a prob as Ive just started my 2nd coloured inks, but it seems to use them up quite fast, but it might last longer now Ive changed them. Also the black uses next to nothing when photo printing as I havent changed the black yet and its still 3/4 full

Also guys, any idea if you can get the windows xp print wizard in win7, as the print wizard in win7 dont do 3 4"x6" photos on 1 page? At the moment Im using win xp in a virtual machine for my photo printing.

 

[spleenharvester]

I went through a load of ****ey printers before having an SX200. It's a bit of an ink guzzler, but it works beautifully, about 3 years old now I think.

 

[deusexlumina]

had a dx4850, amazing thing. Now use a hp somehting or other, becuase i wanted wireless, and its shocking. Guzzles ink unbeliveably. When im a tad richer i think ill spash out on a quality epson one and be done with it.

 

[Phil2008]

had a dx4850, amazing thing. Now use a hp somehting or other, becuase i wanted wireless, and its shocking. Guzzles ink unbeliveably. When im a tad richer i think ill spash out on a quality epson one and be done with it.

Nomally the inks are a total rip off, with having a expensive printer.

 

[OLDPHART]

This is why I gave up on inkjets too, lasers are so much more reliable with their toner than crappy ink that dries up raping the print heads in the process.

B&W lasers are very good and cheap now, as for colour printing my ip4300 is far better unless you can afford a decent one + the price of the colour toners.

Read what l said in my reply -14

 

[james.miller]

^^^ indeed.

 

[Energize]

B&W lasers are very good and cheap now, as for colour printing my ip4300 is far better unless you can afford a decent one + the price of the colour toners.

Read what l said in my reply -14

Colour quality isn't as good, but unnecessary for most home users, photo printing services are a lot more convenient than printing hundreds of photos.

With a full set of compatible toners costing £53, each doing 2500 prints I find colour prints much cheaper than any ink jet I've ever used.

 

[Philtor]

Canon are an excellent brand for both Inkjet printers and Laser printers. If you print a high volume of text based documents then a Mono laser printer is cheaper to run in terms of cost per page, otherwise opt for an Inkjet with individual ink tanks which you can get decent compatible cartridges for.