Cartridge for dell printer

Cucullan

A friend of mine has a Dell Printer/Scanner etc, model # A940. He reckons the only place to get a replacement cartridge is from Dell?? Is there anywhere to get a cheaper compatible one?

duridian

Dell's printers are just rebadged Lexmarks. Your friend's A940 is really a Lexmark X5150. The cartridges you need are Black 18L0032 and Colour 18L0042. These cartridges won't be too cheap anywhere but at least you won't be paying the markup Dell puts on top if you get them elsewhere.
Here's a few places I found the cartridges.

Irish links:
for the black cartridge
http://www.printersupplies.ie/php/func/user_system.php?action=view_product&ergo_code=18L0032&manufacturer_id=2
http://www.wizard.ie/asp/product.asp?recorprod=26&product=2739&cat=248&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=

for the colour cartridge
http://www.printersupplies.ie/php/func/user_system.php?action=view_product&ergo_code=18L0042&manufacturer_id=2
http://www.wizard.ie/asp/product.asp?recorprod=41&product=2747&cat=249&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=

UK links:
http://www.bigink.co.uk/cartridges.php?action=products&mfgid=3&printerid=401
http://www.cartridges-by-post.co.uk/section.php/129/0

PS. I know some of those ipages say the cartridges are for Z55, Z65 etc. but a bit of googling will confirm that the ones I listed are also for the X5150.

Mutant_Fruit

Ok, heres my advice, and its very good advice too.

GET A NEW PRINTER! I'd advise getting any good quality epson printer, and then getting the cheapass ink cartridges off www.blankdiscshop.co.uk. You will make back the cost of the printer within a few months as compared to the price of lexmark cartridges.

The only reason you get the "free" lexmark printer is because cartridges cost an arm AND a leg.

I've been using cheap ink for years, and after about 5 years of heavy printing my old epson stylus colour 460 kicked the bucket, so i replaced it with a newer model. IT cost me about 160euro, but cartridges only cost 1.70 for black, and 2.50 for colour.

That means for the price of ONE of your colour cartridges, i can get 10 of each of mine, and have change left over. Think about it, a new printer is the best option!

Cucullan

Thanks lads, Mutant_Fruit my friend got the "free" printer only last month so he's hardly going to change but I might get one like yours, what was the exact model number of the newer epson? Where can I buy it? PC World or online?

Tony H

Refill the cartridges ,its a lot cheaper . And when you get used to refilling it takes only 5 minutes and your printing again . I have refilled my hp photosmart colour cartridges 8 times from the refill kit i got so far and the quality is as good as the orignals . The refill kit cost 30 euros , thats less that one orignal hp colour cartridge .

Mutant_Fruit

Cucullan wrote:

Thanks lads, Mutant_Fruit my friend got the "free" printer only last month so he's hardly going to change but I might get one like yours, what was the exact model number of the newer epson? Where can I buy it? PC World or online?

Well, i'm telling you, and show him the numbers too), printers last a long time. It will save him a bucketload of cash to buy a new printer that has cheap cartridges.

You can pick up a new epson for under EUR200 (it all depends on the model you go for, i have an Epson Stylus Colour 740). Add the cost of 20black cartridges, and 10 colour to that and you have a total cost of less than EUR250.

Now, whats the cost of 20 black Lexmark cartridges and 10 colour. IT works out to be EUR 1190, give or take. Now, which is the better option. Refilling cartridges is fine, BUT not all printers take refilled cartridges unless you buy a special "chipped" cartridge. This is because some printers have a chip in the cartridge which tells the printer when the ink is nearly empty, and so if you refill the cartridge, the chip still registers the cartridge as empty.

Of course, you could always try and sell the lexmark to make back some cash, but as you can see, cheap ink by far makes up for the cost of the printer. And you will easily use more 20black and 10 colour in the lifespan of the printer.

EDIT: If you want to be really clever about what printer you buy, check out the costs of the refills, and get the printer that corresponds to the cheapest cartridge.

snappieT

Don't go epson. they are just as bad.
Epson cartridges are HUGELY expensive, and they even put a chip within the cartridge to stop you being able to refill it. It also defines the number of pages that can be printed, so once you've printed (say) 1000 pages, even if there is ink left in the cartridge, the printer will say 'Empty' and refuse to print.


Consider the inexpensive (€150) Canon i455
It uses seperate ink tanks to the print head, the tanks are less than €15 each, and if you want, they are very easy to refill. The printer is excellent.

You can get it from Maplin (see www.maplin.co.uk - Stores in Dublin City Centre, Blanchardstown and Limerick) or from Argos (slightly more expensive - see www.argos.co.uk)

spongebob

Canon have cheap original carts ...by the standards of their peers....and are worth the mention for that alone. Lexmark/Dell are diabolically expensive.

I fully agree with Mutant_Fruit though. I have used Epson clone carts for years and would encourage anyone to do the same. There are many clone manufacturers , I recommend Printrite Clones as the devil I know, available from MX2.org .....there are plenty of others out there.

M

Mutant_Fruit

snapscan1212p wrote:

Don't go epson. they are just as bad.
Epson cartridges are HUGELY expensive,

Lets see....

Mutant_Fruit wrote:

cartridges only cost 1.70 for black, and 2.50 for colour.

I don't think one euro and seventy cents are expensive. Does anyone here classify less than 2Euro expensive for a great quality black ink cartridge? Does anyone think 2.50 is too much for a colour ink cartridge. I think not! I think snap just never even read my posts or followed my link. Epson cartridges are DIRT cheap. From his link, a black cartridge for the Cannon costs 6 Sterling. About 10-11 Euro. Is that better value than the EUR1.70 black ink cartridge i get for my epson. I think not! The saving is even greater on colour cartridges.

snapscan1212p wrote:

and they even put a chip within the cartridge to stop you being able to refill it.

Mutant_Fruit wrote:

Refilling cartridges is fine, BUT not all printers take refilled cartridges unless you buy a special "chipped" cartridge. This is because some printers have a chip in the cartridge which tells the printer when the ink is nearly empty, and so if you refill the cartridge, the chip still registers the cartridge as empty.

I don't think epson are the only ones to do this, but some of their cartridges definately do have this. But when you're paying so little for each cartridge, i dont think you'll be bothering with refilling cartridges.

Cucullan

Mutant_Fruit is the Epson Stylus C44 UX any good, I'm not looking for anything special just something with good quality and is cheap to run. Can get this online for €90, black cartridges - €4.81 Colour - €5.85 off SVP. Couldn't find the Epson Stylus Colour 740 for sale online anywhere(don't live near any computer shops), where did you buy yours?

tribble

Cucullan wrote:

Mutant_Fruit is the Epson Stylus C44 UX any good, I'm not looking for anything special just something with good quality and is cheap to run. Can get this online for €90, black cartridges - €4.81 Colour - €5.85 off SVP. Couldn't find the Epson Stylus Colour 740 for sale online anywhere(don't live near any computer shops), where did you buy yours?

No - Thats far too much for that printer - Compustore (pre bust) sold it for €89 or €69 on sale - Besides it's an old model - the c46 replaced it.

As a VERY general guide.

HP = very good for text - photo detail is good but colour's tend to be a bit dull.
EPSON = Text is a bit less sharp (but quite acceptable) - photo's are very good with good detaila and colour's.
CANON - similar to epson.
Lexmark - similar to HP but punchier photos.

Mutant_Fruit

i got mine a fair while ago, can't remember off who. I wasn't too pushed about what i paid for it, i think i got overcharged slightly on it , but i knew i'd save a bundle on the cartridges. The 740 is quite an old model. The quality of it is great as far as i'm concerned, but i don't print out photo-quality pictures, so i can't really comment on the quality of the printer in that regard.

A friend of mine recently picked up the R300 printer from SVP. Cost him about EUR160. The black and colour cartridges each cost 4.50. But it has seperate cartridges for each colour. I'm not sure if it will save him money in the long term or not, but thats an option for you.

This is a list of printers which use the same cheap cartridge that i get. It'd be worth your while looking around for one of these printers. If all you are interested in is a printer that works, and does good enough quality printing, i don't think you'll be disappointed with any of these.

Epson Stylus Colour 1160, Epson Stylus Colour 1520, Epson Stylus Colour 740, Epson Stylus Colour 760, Epson Stylus Colour 800, Epson Stylus Colour 850, Epson Stylus Colour 860, Epson Stylus Scan 2000, Epson Stylus Scan 2500.

tribble

Epson Stylus Colour 1160, Epson Stylus Colour 1520, Epson Stylus Colour 740, Epson Stylus Colour 760, Epson Stylus Colour 800, Epson Stylus Colour 850, Epson Stylus Colour 860, Epson Stylus Scan 2000, Epson Stylus Scan 2500.

Haven't been on the market for years.

snappieT

Mutant_Fruit wrote:

Lets see....

I don't think one euro and seventy cents are expensive. Does anyone here classify less than 2Euro expensive for a great quality black ink cartridge? Does anyone think 2.50 is too much for a colour ink cartridge. I think not! I think snap just never even read my posts or followed my link. Epson cartridges are DIRT cheap. From his link, a black cartridge for the Cannon costs 6 Sterling. About 10-11 Euro. Is that better value than the EUR1.70 black ink cartridge i get for my epson. I think not! The saving is even greater on colour cartridges.

Right - First off, your cheapo 2 euro cartridges are not brand name, whilst mine are. Also, the prices on the links I gave are from real retail stores, where you can pick up a cartridge any time - not ordering in advance. There are also no postage costs.

Next; the fact that I said the canon (learn to spell it by the way: there is no double n) cartridges were easily refilled - costing less than 2.50 no prob.

Finally, the cheap non brand name never gonna work cartridges are also available for canon printers, but why would you make a muck of your printer after spending so much on a decent one.


Also, re the epson chipping: Epson now place chips in ALL their new printer range's cartridges

Mutant_Fruit

Firstly, i wouldn't insinuate that the

cheap non brand name never gonna work cartridges

are crap. What do you think they are? Are the physically different from cartridges you refill yourself

costing less than 2.50 no prob

.

I have to say, its cheaper for me to buy these cartridges than it is to buy a refill kit. Plus, i never really fully mastered the art of refilling the cartridge quickly, and it used to take me at least 15 mins to get everything done, and i found it a lot of hassle.

why would you make a muck of your printer after spending so much on a decent one..

Well, i amn't making a muck of my printer. I havn't had much experience with this particular brand of refill, but i used to buy "Armor" (or was it Armour) refills for my old epson printer. They were about 5 times the price of these new ones from blankdisc shop, and were "sold via your local retail shop, where you can just walk in and buy them without paying postage". And they never had any detrimental impact on my printers lifespan.

In fact, when i brought my printer to get fixed, when it failed on me, the guy was shocked it was still working when i told him the amount of sheets i had been printing (i do a lot of text printing). In the end, after a 5 minute examination he told me that it the printing heads were just worn out. They weren't clogged up due to "cheap non brand name never gonna work cartridges". In fact, he recommended i keep using them.

the prices on the links I gave are from real retail stores, where you can pick up a cartridge any time - not ordering in advance. There are also no postage costs.

I'd still prefer buying my cartridges online, with the 3-4 day delay and paying postage if it meant i spent about 60%-70% less. And i think most people would agree to that.

I have to admit though, Canon do have the cheapest origional cartridges, if thats what you're looking for. But i have never, and probably will never, have problems with the brands of ink refill i've recommended, and have used.

Even if my "cheap non brand name never gonna work cartridges" do feck up my printer, i've already made more than 40% of the cost back on my printer by using the cheap ink from blankdiscshop (as compared to my previous refilled Armor cartridges bought from Micropro Direct near nutgrove shopping centre), and if i was comparing to epson originals, i've made my savings already. I have yet to see any decline in print quality.

snappieT

Apologies for my brash response. For me, I'd prefer to refill my own, instead of someone bored doing mine out of 100 to a quality less than my own.

Whatever works for you though.

Also, when doing serious printing, i put in brand new tanks for quality: not really suitable for the Epson ones.

Once again, apologies