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Which printers use up least ink?

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  • 15-11-2014 1:09am
    #1
    door
    Registered Users Posts: 201 ✭✭


    Hi. Does anybody have any advice on a good choice of printer where they have found the colour and black ink to last what you might consider a good length of time with just casual use.

    I have a HP printer which uses HP364 cartridges and my printer is sucking up the ink every 2 weeks, costing me €60 a month. The most printed in these 2 weeks is maybe 10-12 colour pages. However, I'm not completely slamming HP because I used to have HP printer that took HP350 cartridges and that tended to last a few months with casual use. Nonetheless, I need to replace the one that takes the 364 ink cause its crazy that I'm having to replace the ink every 2 weeks.

    Any tips or suggestions would be most appreciated.


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    #2
    laros
    Registered Users Posts: 864 ✭✭✭laros


    is all your printing in colour.? Reason I ask is I have 2 printers, one is a hp inkjet which is used for colour printing and the other is a small Samsung mono laser which I use for printing everything else.
    I would use the laser 95% of the time, and you would get a few thousand pages from the laser toner cartridge ,also are you aware that a lot of HP printers use colour ink even when they print black on a page.


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    #3
    Happyman42
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,066 ✭✭✭✭Happyman42


    Seems excessive use of ink for 10-12 pages.
    Do you have to print in Full colour, would Draft or Quick Print not be adequate, big difference in ink use.
    Can your printer be adapted to use bulk ink(or CISS)? It will void any existing warranties but if you get it running right is a very economical way to print.


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    #4
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,425 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    door wrote: »
    I have a HP printer which uses HP364 cartridges and my printer is sucking up the ink every 2 weeks, costing me €60 a month. The most printed in these 2 weeks is maybe 10-12 colour pages. However, I'm not completely slamming HP because I used to have HP printer that took HP350 cartridges and that tended to last a few months with casual use. Nonetheless, I need to replace the one that takes the 364 ink cause its crazy that I'm having to replace the ink every 2 weeks.
    I have a printer that takes those too, and it's a PITA. I even went for the supposed XL cartridges last time, and it seems to have made bugger all difference. To my mind, the biggest problem is that it isn't used a lot, so whenever I do print, it seems to go through a head cleaning cycle which wastes huge amounts of ink.

    I'm also seriously thinking of either getting a cheap mono laser, or even a colour laser to replace the damn thing. More expensive to buy initially, but cheaper to run in the long term.


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    #5
    cerastes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,601 ✭✭✭cerastes


    laros wrote: »
    is all your printing in colour.? Reason I ask is I have 2 printers, one is a hp inkjet which is used for colour printing and the other is a small Samsung mono laser which I use for printing everything else.
    I would use the laser 95% of the time, and you would get a few thousand pages from the laser toner cartridge ,also are you aware that a lot of HP printers use colour ink even when they print black on a page.

    Ive an Epson printer, it was ok on usage, even with specific generic ink cartridges, but as of late it's started to not recognise cartridges or seemingly use them up really quickly. I dont use it regularly now, but I either try to print,scan or copy of something off from time to time, or end up doing one just in case the ink dries up and causes problems.

    How much is toner? can you get generic ones?
    I'm considering getting a laser printer, Im not sure what to go for.
    Do you recommend a stand alone printer? I've yet to look up that model?
    Where do you recommend getting one? I'll probably compare prices in bricks and mortar places, then Irish online sites and amazon.
    Happyman42 wrote: »
    Seems excessive use of ink for 10-12 pages.
    Do you have to print in Full colour, would Draft or Quick Print not be adequate, big difference in ink use.
    Can your printer be adapted to use bulk ink(or CISS)? It will void any existing warranties but if you get it running right is a very economical way to print.

    I suggested/asked about this (CISS) before in a thread, got no replies.
    Not sure if every printer can be adapted, I'd have thought it would be possible, but maybe it depends on being able to get a purpose built adapted ink container.
    I Will wait until I have a laser printer set up before trying that, might try locate the sponge used to purge ink into on maintenance/alignment/cleaning cycle, I believe that can be redirected too, at the least if there is an integral sponge, it wont get clogged up.


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    #6
    Happyman42
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,066 ✭✭✭✭Happyman42


    cerastes wrote: »



    I suggested/asked about this (CISS) before in a thread, got no replies.
    Not sure if every printer can be adapted, I'd have thought it would be possible, but maybe it depends on being able to get a purpose built adapted ink container.
    I Will wait until I have a laser printer set up before trying that, might try locate the sponge used to purge ink into on maintenance/alignment/cleaning cycle, I believe that can be redirected too, at the least if there is an integral sponge, it wont get clogged up.

    I just googled 'Ciss for 'my make and model' and got linked to a seller of the system suited to my HP.
    Fiddly to set up but no great tech know how needed, and working fine so far, after two months.


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    #7
    door
    Registered Users Posts: 201 ✭✭door


    laros wrote: »
    is all your printing in colour.? Reason I ask is I have 2 printers, one is a hp inkjet which is used for colour printing and the other is a small Samsung mono laser which I use for printing everything else.
    I would use the laser 95% of the time, and you would get a few thousand pages from the laser toner cartridge ,also are you aware that a lot of HP printers use colour ink even when they print black on a page.

    Hi Laros, thanks for the response. The use of colour and black is about 50/50 for me. I have heard vague but good things about laser printers. However, I have read they need more maintenance than an inkjet? Is that true for you? Although you only have one for black ink, do you or anybody reading this know how good colour print outs are with laser printers? When I do colour pages they usually are for printing high quality and sharp images of photos but don't have to be keepsake quality like a pack of family snaps.


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    #8
    allthedoyles
    Registered Users Posts: 6,893 ✭✭✭allthedoyles


    I was in Harvey Norman and they have a laser printer for €59 and a replacement toner cartridge will cost €54.

    When selling , the ink usage is based on 5% of page and they will then say that it will print 1,000 pages .

    We have same problem with cartridges on a HP costing a lot.

    Am going to try re-fills soon to see if it helps .


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    #9
    cerastes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,601 ✭✭✭cerastes


    allthedoyles wrote: »
    I was in Harvey Norman and they have a laser printer for €59 and a replacement toner cartridge will cost €54.

    When selling , the ink usage is based on 5% of page and they will then say that it will print 1,000 pages .

    We have same problem with cartridges on a HP costing a lot.

    Am going to try re-fills soon to see if it helps .

    any idea of the make?


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    #10
    door
    Registered Users Posts: 201 ✭✭door


    Happyman42 wrote: »
    Seems excessive use of ink for 10-12 pages.
    Do you have to print in Full colour, would Draft or Quick Print not be adequate, big difference in ink use.
    Can your printer be adapted to use bulk ink(or CISS)? It will void any existing warranties but if you get it running right is a very economical way to print.

    Hi Happyman, thanks for that information on CISS. I had never heard of this. Is it 100% reliable as far as you know? Below is a video of my exact printer getting the CISS installed. The printer is over 3 years old now so luckily nothing to worry about regarding warranty. Looks like the ideal plan for now. Hopefully I can find a good dealer.



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    #11
    Happyman42
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,066 ✭✭✭✭Happyman42


    door wrote: »
    Hi Happyman, thanks for that information on CISS. I had never heard of this. Is it 100% reliable as far as you know? Below is a video of my exact printer getting the CISS installed. The printer is over 3 years old now so luckily nothing to worry about regarding warranty. Looks like the ideal plan for now. Hopefully I can find a good dealer.


    Certainly don't want to give the impression that this is foolproof. Do your research on the inks, I would say, which can vary a lot in quality, only buy from a dealer who has recommendations from frequent users.


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    #12
    door
    Registered Users Posts: 201 ✭✭door


    Happyman42 wrote: »
    Certainly don't want to give the impression that this is foolproof. Do your research on the inks, I would say, which can vary a lot in quality, only buy from a dealer who has recommendations from frequent users.

    Yeh, I understand. I would be a bit concerned about the chips malfunctioning on them.

    Aside form this additional tool for a current printer, does anybody suggest any particular makes and model which have been decent enough for them?


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    #13
    laros
    Registered Users Posts: 864 ✭✭✭laros


    need more maintenance than an inkjet?
    Hi door...Not in my experience... My laser ( SAMSUNG ML1610) is 8 years old and still printing fine, I'm not even sure if I have done maint on it... I find quality from colour lasers ( in work) really good... superior to Inkjet by a longshot


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    #14
    allthedoyles
    Registered Users Posts: 6,893 ✭✭✭allthedoyles


    cerastes wrote: »
    any idea of the make?

    think its this one :

    http://www.harveynorman.ie/computing/printing/printers-and-multifunctions/brother-mono-laser-printer-hl1110.html


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    #15
    cerastes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,601 ✭✭✭cerastes


    Happyman42 wrote: »
    I just googled 'Ciss for 'my make and model' and got linked to a seller of the system suited to my HP.
    Fiddly to set up but no great tech know how needed, and working fine so far, after two months.

    I looked a few up, found one site that sells it in the UK,
    they sell pigment or dye ink, what did you go for? why?
    are both suitable for printing text documents, I looked it up on their site and elsewhere, but the answer doesnt seem definitive to me.

    Im going to use up my current supply of ink and I think about trying CISS, but I may go for a monochrome laser printer as most of my printing will do in B&W, this may cost less than going the CISS route, but I need to price toner, although it seems as if it lasts longer anyway.

    My problem at the moment is the aftermarket cartridges which are from a known supplier through their own website, they were fairly reliable before, I was getting good use out of them, but now, they seem to have bother being recognised or say the ink is gone after a few days. I'm not sure if this is the cartridges or the printer. I'll probably order a resetting tool online, see if that helps in the meantime.
    I'll probably do the


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    #16
    Happyman42
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,066 ✭✭✭✭Happyman42


    cerastes wrote: »
    I looked a few up, found one site that sells it in the UK,
    they sell pigment or dye ink, what did you go for? why?
    are both suitable for printing text documents, I looked it up on their site and elsewhere, but the answer doesnt seem definitive to me.

    Im going to use up my current supply of ink and I think about trying CISS, but I may go for a monochrome laser printer as most of my printing will do in B&W, this may cost less than going the CISS route, but I need to price toner, although it seems as if it lasts longer anyway.

    My problem at the moment is the aftermarket cartridges which are from a known supplier through their own website, they were fairly reliable before, I was getting good use out of them, but now, they seem to have bother being recognised or say the ink is gone after a few days. I'm not sure if this is the cartridges or the printer. I'll probably order a resetting tool online, see if that helps in the meantime.
    I'll probably do the

    This will explain better than I can.
    http://www.inkpal.com/ink-news/what-is-the-difference-between-dye-and-pigment-ink/

    I went Dye because I need the ability to print photos well.
    I went for the system as a lot of sublimation printing businesses (mugs, caps, t-shirt printers) use these systems for economy.
    So far so good, but I am aware that there may be problems eventually. No big money invested or lost though.


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    #17
    door
    Registered Users Posts: 201 ✭✭door


    If anybody can suggest a good make and model of a b/w + colour inkjet or laser printer which have all in one functions, it would be really helpful for me. Thanks :)


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