HP ink cartridges

Consider this my rant on HP
My HP Photosmart 6510 died after just 17 months -- really not so good. especially since I just put in a new black cart.
Now I notice that the ink instead of lasting 250 pages goes only for 50 pages - real bad!!
Calling tech support I got a deal to upgrade for $123 but when I was closing the deal the man told me the it was a refurb I was getting - Not good.
He also told me I could use the ink from my old machine- NOT TRUE - the machine insisted I MUST use the setup carts. So that's a big waste.
All in all HP has become more greedy and less good.

 

I sympathize with you.
My rant to HP (when asked to fill in survey) involved my NEW HP 2540 All in one Wireless Printer.
I purchased the printer because it had the same #61 cartridges as my HP 2050 printer.
Installation of software in my Vista comp did everything but the Printer Assistant. There is no indication of low ink levels - so when the printer stopped printing (no ink) - I put in my spare #61 Black ink from the HP 2050 Model.

I immediately got a message on the screen saying the cartridge was an earlier one and was not compatible with the HP 2540 #61 cartridge!!!

It was only 2½ years earlier!!! My rant drew a reply from HP Service that said in effect - stiff cheese.
I replied telling them that the 2 new type cartridges were going to cost 25% more than the cost of the new Printer!
Top this off with HP Technicians (by remote control) and 2 attempts (total 4hrs 10mins) trying to install the Software without any improvement!!
Service Satisfaction = ZERO.
End of rant. Neil.

 

I hate anything associated with Hewlett Packard. (for home use that is)

I've had much better customer support with Canon products.

 

My observation is that the older deskjet- cheaper units lasted longer, used MUCH less ink. The big hog is the Photosmart. Suggest using the old units. My experience with HP tech was actually very good. They answer quickly, solve the problem right away. Installing software is best done with the CD.

 

The CD supplied with the new printer is what I have used everytime.
I have no complaints about the printers (so far) as we have had 5 in total over the years.
The first was a 695 Model which started to print garbage and was condemned by a so-called Specialist who charged us $84.00 to come to the house and diagnose what was wrong. He couldn't fix it and told us to renew it.
My local Cartridge World man told me what to do to fix it and he was right and it worked for another couple of years after that.
My experience with HP printers, is not to rush them. Just let them work at their own pace and they are OK.
It's just the cost of HP cartridges are over-priced and HP software will keep asking if you've got a pirate cartridge installed just because you've had it refilled by Cartridge World at half the cost.
I bought a HP 3400 printer for the wife to use and it cost $94.00. The salesman suggested I should buy a couple of new cartridges as what was in the package was only half-filled and wouldn't last long.
One Black and one Colour new cartridges were $105.00!

I said to the Salesman that I would be better off buying another printer when the ink ran out! Neil.

 

Good god!

I can get new Canon XL cartridges for less than half that price.

Kodak was offering printers with cheap ink options a while back. I don't know how well their printers perform though.

 

That costing was about 5 or 6 years ago.
The 2540 Wireless printer was on Sale for $59.00 and the HP inks were $15.00 dearer for 2 cartridges.
What gets me about all this pricing, is that the Product is made in Thailand/China and it's not too far away for distribution to NZ. Neil.

 

The problem is systemic, not just with HP. Printers have become almost disposable commodities with super stiff competition driving (and killing) consumer options. The problem is multi-faceted. Consumers, businesses and even higher education are all (or going all) digital (paperless). So consumers don't want to spend a lot of money on a printing device that costs a lot of money they may rarely use.

I still like HP printers - but I avoid the budget, entry level models. When you buy a cheap printer (regardless the brand), you get what you pay for. Unfortunately (for consumers) the consumables (I.E., ink) is expensive and that is partly our fault! We want super high quality, high resolution photo printouts. But requires super tiny, precisely distributed, and exact color ink droplets that stick, don't smear, and don't absorb into the paper.

And to make matters worse (for consumers looking to cut costs) not all 3rd party ink is good. In fact, some will "gum up the works" - literally. Sam's and Costco have fairly decent prices on genuine ink, but another problem is ink has a shelf life - especially once the cartridges are unsealed.

I have found that often used printers actually last longer than rarely used devices. If your printing device sits unused for days, it is actually good preventative maintenance to occasionally waste ink by printing out a couple test pages every so often, not just to keep the cartridges flowing, but the print heads too.

 

Bill, don't most of these organizations use laser network printers instead? I know little about them, but I wonder if laser printers can sit unused and not suffer the same consequences as their inkjet counterparts.

I wouldn't mind having a laser printer myself. The (color) print quality is top notch from what I've seen (even on plain paper), but I'm sure the upfront costs are high.

 

Most? I don't think, so - at least not for color printing. For "presentation" print jobs they might use a color laser, but a business class color ink jet is better for most.

High volume black and white text printing is definitely cheaper in the long run with lasers.

 

When last I spoke to HP tech he said if what you do is mostly ordinary text then the standard ink jet is best because the Photosmart is made specifically for high quality photos and uses a LOT more ink. So next time I should just get the all in one desk jet. but most likely by then a cartridge of in will be 90 bucks, ha. My last ink jet an LPT type that did color and black lasted 13 years even the the color blew but the black still printed. For the amount of photos i do it does not matter.

 

I prefer the Multifunction (All in one) which will scan/copy/print and some will Fax as well.
Yes Bill, the printers must not sit idle for too long. A Canon printer I bought about 7 years ago was a learning curve. Separate ink cartridges keep the price down but the print head wore out after two years and the cost for that was in excess of a new unit.
The HP cartridges are in fact the print head so I expect that is where the cost lies. Neil.

 

Me too. But to get one that lasts, you need to avoid the cheap ones. I've had my HP OJ 6500 Wireless since early 2009 and while not heavily used (only 2342 total pages printed), it still works great.

That said, I never as in NEVER EVER install the software package that comes with any printing device. Instead, I install the latest drivers only from the maker's website.

I note if you get one that is already network ready (has a built in print server), most allow you to access an internal webpage through your browser. So, for example, you can scan documents and save them locally on your computer via your browser, instead of using bloated, buggy HP software.

 

What a great idea Bill - I always forget that. It is just a built in habit for me to install the package. But you are right it is super bloated.