$30 Lexmark Inkjet Color Printer!!!

[idcandy]

Hey everybody,

this is deal isn't necessarily great if you are looking for a Photo-quality printer, but if you're like me (a college student who only needs a printer for documents and homework assignments, $30 is a drop in the bucket for a printer (and two free ink cartridges - one color and one black).

OFFER EXPIRES (online, at least) SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2002

Here's the deal, Costco (http://www.costco.com) is selling the so-called "Lexmark Z54" for $79.99 - $30 register coupon (you don't need any coupons, they automatically deduct this at the register, or if you do an online order, it will be automatically deducted) - $20 mail-in rebate = $29.99. This printer is fast and will do just fine for text and pictures, just don't expect high-quality photos (colors are a little grainy when set to "best"). The other caveat is Lexmark is somewhat notorious for having expensive replacement cartridges, but since I don't print very often, I'm not worried about it).

Don't try looking for reviews on this product! The Internet will all but tell you the Lexmark Z54 doesn't exist! The only place I really found ANY information on it is Costco's web site, and Lexmark's web site. My little theory on why this is: The Z54 has the EXACT same specs as the Z45. Lexmark, for whatever reason (accident, maybe?) created a bunch of Z45s labelled "Z54" and instead of scrapping them, created a new, relatively limited, model line called Z54, and sold them all to Costco for a base price. Like my little conspiracy theory?

Anyway, this appealed greatly to me and I'm sure there's at least a couple of people out there who would benefit from this post. You just DON'T find new printers out there for $30!

- idcandy

 

[flythunderbird]

Nice deal.

Please change your title ... it's not a laser printer ... the title really had me going for a second.

 

[crazydave]

Good find! But a suggestion: Your post title seems a little confusing... you say it's a "Laserjet Color Printer" which implies it's a color laser but the printer is actually an inkjet (more similar to HP DeskJet than LaserJet).

 

[idcandy]

Oops, my bad, that was totally a brain fart

 

[jpitblado]

Good deal. I'm thinking about getting it just for the ink cartridges.

 

[samboy]

This always happens!

My old Lexmark 3200 had taken too many ink refills (3x seems to be my limit) and I found the Lexmark Z45 at Sams for $60. Cheaper than the cost of two replacement cartridges. Over the four years, I've only spend around $100 on ink refill kits etc, so a cheap laser doesn't seem to make sense yet & I need color capability anyway.

Anyway, I'm tempted to get this Z54 from Costco just for the ink cartridge spares (exactly the same as Z45). I'm not a member so a 5% surcharge will apply. The catch is the $20 rebate seems to require a membership number. At $52.50 + Tax + Shipping this is no longer a sweet deal. Any suggestions?

 

[jasonja]

Lexmark is the crack dealer of printers. Give the printers away, but screw you over on the refills. Buy the printer and toss it when it's empty. Lexmark loses money this way and maybe they will adjust their biz model.

 

[paulieside]

pretty cheap stuff.. yea good for college student who don' tneed quality.. but just need to print their essays

 

[randypj]

Yeah, I got the Z45 for my niece for college. She's very happy with it. The review I've read indicates not the best photo quality...but fine for college stuff. But, as pointed out, the refills cost like a bear. Specially color. The zdnet review estimated ~75cents per page for color. Course, I realize this varies.

From my research, Lexmark has just a few basic carts, which are made for or by other mfgs. Can't remember. But, I think just enough diff that it makes it harder to get refills. However, there are refills out there, and there are refill kits, with the drill/syringe thing. My Dad has a b/w and colour refill kit that has instructions on refilling several carts by various mfg. He/I haven't tried it yet, but, we will eventually. There are others.

I've always had good luck syringing my old Canon printer. I think my Dad got the kits at www.universal-inkjet.com or someplace like that. They were the same ones my local CompScrewUSA sells.

YMMV, and sorry about the haziness of everything, but all my info is at work, and I'm in a hurry.

Geez....it's just an opinion/option anyway that I thought might help someone.
--Randy

 

[AWEstun]

DELETED

 

[Hawk]

He already changed the title.


And I've always liked Lexmarks. Much better than the old HP 660 I use to have (that thing sucked and the ink is almost just as expensive, ~$30 each).\

Refill kits for Lexmark are easy to find==>Ebay. =)

 

[HarryK]

Originally posted by: jasonja
Lexmark is the crack dealer of printers.

This is sooooo true!

 

[dirtrat]

Lexmark is the crack dealer of printers. Give the printers away, but screw you over on the refills.

Who needs refills? I just buy the next cheap $20.00 printer and throw the old one away! I never need refills, buying a new printer is alway cheaper. Just keep a look out for the good deals. I always try and keep at least one spare printer.

 

[Princeman]

How much is shipping, or do you pick it up at your local costco? +tax on $50 I guess...

 

[lokitech]

dont throw those "dry" printers away. I always sell my dry ones for $15-$20, net cost for me for a lexmark with full ink is around $10-$15 bucks. people will buy anything thats prices under $20... :>

 

[jasonja]

Originally posted by: dirtrat

Lexmark is the crack dealer of printers. Give the printers away, but screw you over on the refills.

Who needs refills? I just buy the next cheap $20.00 printer and throw the old one away! I never need refills, buying a new printer is alway cheaper. Just keep a look out for the good deals. I always try and keep at least one spare printer.

If you had qouted my entire post than you would have seen that I said the same exact thing on the next sentence.

I don't actually throw them away.... I actually gave my Lexmark away to the Orange County School System. My g/f is a teacher and her school uses all Lexmark printers (no wonder my school tax is so high!). So they already have a bunch of cartridges to refill the printers I donate with. I'm sticking to Epson from now on.... paid $70 for a 820 and I can get refills for $7....

 

[AWEstun]

Instead of throwing out the old printer I'd donate or sell it at a garage sale for $10-20, then go buy a new one. As technology gets cheaper, each time you get a slightly better printer.

Shelby

 

[dr wily]

well that sucks.. i was actually going to go in to get this originally but now i see the 20$ rebate is only for online purchases..
anyone know how much the shipping is?
i want to know if its worth it.
thanks!

 

[Sept1967]

It took about 10 whole seconds to go to Lexmark, search Z54, and find full stats and info...

Lexmark Z54 Color Jetprinter
18H0586
Z54

 

[randypj]

Hawk--What brand of refill kit do you use? Have you ever used the kits that refill a variety of printers? I've seen some ink kits that advertise that they can refill 40 to 60 carts. Any experience with these?
--Randy

 

[FPSguy]

With Shipping & Handling ($13.52) and Tax ($6.55), this would cost me just over $50 after rebate. New color cartridges are $34.45 shipped. New black cartridges are $25.70 shipped. I'll pass.

 

[alm99]

I use the stratitec brand refill kits, haven't had a problem at all, I picked it up at Sams Club for $20 awhile back, works like a dream, only thing is it comes with only one syringe, but I bought 3 more for the 3 colors and kept the one that came with it for black. I can't remember the website for the extra syringes, but they were cheap like $4 shipped

 

[dr wily]

well if its gonna cost 13$ to ship i might as well go into costco and spend the extra 7$ and not have to wait 16 weeks for 20$..

btw i cant believe you guys buy refills (guess i dont print out everything like some of my friends do, you know that whole "i have to print out every email pretty much defeating the purpose of technology" thing)

i had an epson 400 that i had for 4 years before it ran out of ink only to go spend 25$ on a black cartridge and have it not work at all despite every attempt to run diagnostics 20 times (clean heads, align etc..)
so i ended up just dumping it off to the goodwill..

might as well buy a new printer each time you run out of ink, then write the other one off to charity..

 

[ConnCarl]

Nothing wrong with this deal, but if you want a really cheap Lexmark, wait for one of the $29.99 deals (like at CompUSA) to be coupled with a MIR. I bought a Z23 for $29.99 (plus tax) and got a $50 rebate, which means they paid me about $18 to take it away. Keep an eye on the Lexmark site for rebates and promotions.

 

[randypj]

dr_wily--Hehe.....BTW, I can't believe you even have a printer, since you use one so little. Ya think mebbe yo' Epson had problems cause you used it so infrequently that the cart dried out, or ink dried in such a way that it couldn't be cleaned by the automagic "diagnostics"? Did ya happen to try cleaning it manually?

And, yeah, I have mis-installed my Canon cart a few times. But, then I cleverly removed it and reinstalled it correctly and, amazingly, it began working.
--Randy