Which All-in-One Inkjet Printer is Cheapest to Use?

Ray asks: "A year or so ago, I got my dad a new computer system that included a Canon PX-160 printer/scanner/copier to replace his aging Lexmark with similar capabilities. On my next visit, I asked him how the new printer was working and he said the ink was killing him. The cartridges are expensive, they don't have much ink in them and there are no third party or refilled carts for it or (apparently) any other Canon. It looks like HP and Lexmark are the most likely to have (relatively) inexpensive supplies but what has your experience been with inkjet All-in-Ones as far as TCO goes?"

I bougt a laser all in one

[eakerin]

Last time I was in the market for a new printer, I got a laser all in one (HP 3052). That was 6 months ago, and I'm still on the toner cartridge that came with it. Of course, the woman and I are relatively light on the printer (only a few hundred pages since we got it)

It cost me about $300 to buy, so there's a significant initial investment. But it's very fast, reliable, and toner is very cheap compared to ink, and lasts a long time.

My previous laser lasted me 10 years. I expect this one to do the same.

Two devices

[bill_mcgonigle]

You get nailed for trying to do an inkjet AIO. I got a Brother 7820N (refurb) for about $179 which is a laser AIO and then I have an Epson R220 (about $79 at Sam's Club) for printing photos, brochures, business cards, and CD's. I use InkjetMadness cartridges when they're on special ($28 for 12 single-color carts or so) and Taiyo-Yuden inkjet-printable CD's and DVD's (supermediastore or others). I think I'm still on the starter toner with the Brother, as I try to not print anything for in-house use.

Another upside is my B&W communications (letters, whitepapers, invoices) look more professional as laser-prints.

All-in-one HP works great for me

[scuba_steve_1]

I have an HP PSC 1350 all-in-one inkjet printer, scanner, and copier...with built-in card readers.

Put me in the minority, but I love it. I have had it for years and just this week replaced my first B&W cartridge. I am still on the original color cartridge. Yes, I don't print every single day, but I do print fairly regularly.

The printer was bargain at $79 (US)...and getting the scanner was a nice benefit, which I have used many times. An OEM HP B&W ink cartridge costs $17 and an OEM color cartridge costs about twice that. Given that I have only spent $17 on the printer since I bought it and that only a fraction of that money goes to HP, I think they are still in the hole on this one...and I probably don't have much to complain about.

Price per page? Who knows, but if he prints that much, then you should consider a laser. Yes, consumables are expensive, but they sell inkjet printers at a loss...and they have to make it up somehow. That is the business model. It benefits people like me and penalizes heavy print users.

If he is bothered that much by the cost, I suggest having him estimate page per month counts for printing, faxing, and copying...and then perform a TCO for various all-in-one inkjets, lasers, and dedicated devices for each task based on their initial cost and cost of consumables. Honestly, if the quality of inkjets is inadequate, I would think that some model will still win out. The consumables on my color laser printer at work aren't exactly a bargain.

Another benefit of the all-in-one inkjet approach - I have one device, which does not take up much room, and it was so inexpensive that I will not even think twice about replacing it when it eventually breaks.

ditch the inkjet and go for laser

[GURU Meditation 8000]

i'll have to agree with others on this list. i used to run inkjets... epson, canon, lexmark... but they drink thsoe carts like crazy..AND if you dont use them in a while they become painful with nozzle cleaning etc etc. I got an HP 2600n a while back and though the initial outlay was higher, the printing is quicker cleaner and the running costs are lower. for really fancy printing (eg glossy 8x6 photos) i prefer to just head to local supermarket and use their 10p per picture printing service.

kodak

[Surt]

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-pa th=10581&pq-locale=en_US [kodak.com]

Their new printers have half the ink costs of their closest competitors.

HP PSC 1410v

[pembo13]

• Under $20 per cartridge at Walmart
• USB
• Works with Linux fully
• Works with Windows fully
• Works with some print servers
• Light (weight)
• Low maintenance

Stylus Scan 2500

[JoeCommodore]

- the 3rd party inks are about $3 each
- inktanks aren't chiped
- there is a lot of good web articles on maintenece.
- provides a flatbet scanner and inkjet.
- interfaces for USB and Parallel
- The downsidse is is is slow compared to more recent machines

Re:Work-mart

[fimbulvetr]

100% agreed. b&w and anything more have them printed. Walgreens lets you upload photos to their site for pickup in an hour and they cost like 20 cents a piece or something. For the number of pics I actually need of good quality, it's well in my favor to use walgreens and keep a p.o.s. b&w around for the every once in a while things.

The other day, I had them print 5 photos off and it cost me a buck - o - seven or so. They probably lost most of their margin on the visa I used to pay for it.

Re:Stylus Scan 2500

[sfcfagwdse]

A similar printer/scanner/copier/fax minus the parallel port is the Brother MFC-210C. I pick up ink refill tanks at the dollar store and just use a syringe to fill them up. A $1 refill tank lasted me through an entire school year. The only problem is the quality isn't on par with the latest stuff. Oh and it has good Linux drivers too.