Not sure what kind of printer to buy

[archcommus]

I need a printer for college. I want cheap. I was considering a laser but who really knows if I may ever need to print color or not. Maybe I'll have to sometimes for graphs or whatnot. So inkjet would probably be a safer route.

With that said, I've read a lot of recommendations for the Canon Pixma iP3000 because it was cheap and has cheap ink, however the only ones I can find of it are $140+, and I also don't want to buy used. Am I missing something with that printer? Or, if not that printer, what other one would you recommend that's cheap upfront and has cheap ink? I would like to buy new and use my CC so I can get at least two years of warranty.

Thanks.

 

[Zepper]

That is one of the original series of Pixma printers - those are by far the least expensive inkjet printers to operate over time because of the cheap clone ink tanks. There are several NIB listed on eBay - just have to hop on and bid and hope for the best. Unfortunately eBay allows sniping, so if you don't snipe you'll probably lose the bid. The savings on ink and hassle will easily offset the higher cost up front.

The only other printers that have potentially as low a cost of operation is the new line of Brother AIOs. The 640 and some others are on sale at Staples this week after rebate. Perhaps a price search will find an even better deal on it. Their photo output quality doesn't hold a candle to the Canons though (not many do). Maybe not even the text printing... The best networking features of any AIO out there. All use the same print engine. You just get more features as the price goes up.

Now you can get a Canon iP4200 which is a member of their latest Pixma line for a very low up-front cost, but you will have to refill the ink tanks yourself for a reasonable TCO (they chipped their tanks). Output quality is great as is expected of Canon. Several companies have the specially formulated inks needed for refilling the new tanks. Some Chinese company is supposed to be near to having a clone for the 8 series tanks, so that will ease life a bit if it comes to pass.

HP also has a new unit with passive ink tanks, but it's pretty expensive up front (~$200) and the photo output quality isn't up to the Canons. It is mainly for the quantity of printing put out in an office setting.

And set up anti-mooching rules for your printer up front (either no one else uses or cents per page) or you'll be ink-poor for you whole college career or your printer will be worn out. College is notorious for mooching - develop a hard nose or get taken advantage of.

.bh.

 

[razor2025]

Thumbs up for Canon. Cheap TCO and great output. Prevent mooching as much as possible. Also, if you print alot of B&W later on, you might want to invest in a cheap laser. I had my Samsung ML-1740 and I've yet to refill the toner, despiate printing at least 1000 pages and having it for year+ now. You can find cheap laser for under $100 easily these days. There are some deal where you can snag one for sub-$50 if you check dilligently on hot deals site.

 

[Lemon law]

Consider also the Canon MP780---which is a unchipped Canon with a fax and scanner added----lots of those on ebay and a few are still on store shelves.

Wish I had one---I am still limping along on my one generation back MP730---which is rock solid reliable---and hums along on a diet of either dirt cheap prefilled cartridges
or the cartridges I refill myself. The paper costs more than the ink for me.

But if you can get by with just a monochrome laser and no color--thats a viable option also.

 

[archcommus]

Thanks for the info guys. Printers with non-chipped cartridges are certainly nice, however I'm really not in the mood for hunting down something on eBay or getting something used. I want to buy something new, retail with my credit card and that be that. However I AM thinking I should go with Canon for sure. How about their current cheapest model, the iP1700? Decent?

 

[Zepper]

Their low end series have integrated head cartridges like the Lexmark and most HP. Very expensive to operate over time. I wouldn't recommend anything less than the iP4200. Here you go: http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4829360 iP4200 refurb - $40. +s/h w/ 90 day factory warranty that you can buy w/ your CC. Don't say no one has ever done anything for you... And Staples has new at $100. with a $20 rebate thru the end of the week - may have to have it shipped if local stores are out and IDK about cost for that if any. Ooops, looks like Staples is currently OOS... Unless your local store has one.

Considering that a set of Canon OE ink tanks alone cost $60. or more, the price is nice!

.bh.

 

[archcommus]

Thank you very much for your help, Zepper. If I go with the iP4200 I guess I just have to decide if a $40 savings now is worth the difference between 6 months of warranty or 2 years of warranty (my CC will double whatever the manufacturer offers). However can you explain why exactly the iP1700 costs so much more to operate? From what I've seen it looks to me like the iP1700 only takes two cartridges, each of which can be had for about $20, whereas the iP4200 takes 4 cartridges that are each at least $12. Or are you saying the iP1700 MUST take OEM tanks whereas the iP4200 can take generic tanks I can buy at Swiftink or elsewhere? In that case how much would you expect me to spend on replacing all four catridges, or just the black?

Again I appreciate your help.

 

[Zepper]

Each cartridge in the iP1700 has several colors in it - when one color runs out, you have to replace the whole thing (or refill it yourself. The volume of ink for each color is also much less. With the 4200, each color is in its own tank so you only replace those that are actually empty and have much more ink per tank. And as I said in another thread here - we're about to have clone tanks for the 8 series of which the 4200 uses four. So the only one you'll have to refill yourself (or buy new if you feel rich) is the plgmented black (5 series).

I don't think anyone here will recommend printers that use integrated head cartridges - unless you're sure you are willing to refill them yourself. And in the case of the 1700, that refilling will be done frequently - and is much more complicated than refilling Canon ink tanks - easiest of any out there.

I can't say how much the clone tanks for the 8 series will be as they aren't available yet (scheduled for first week of Sept., but no guarantees), but Swift sells tanks for the original Pixmas for $4.00 each (less in quantity or on their frequent offers for ATers/Heatware members) and they are way at the upper end of the range (worth it, IMO). I'd guess that they will be less than half of the best price you can find on Canon OE tanks and the price will drop as competition appears. Apparently there will only be one source of the empty 8 series tanks for some time. And there is always the option of refilling the orighinals and the clone tanks to bring the cost down farther.

.bh.

 

[Lemon law]

You are confused here archcommus----with a chipped Canon third party cartridges are not an option.
Thats what the chip does---no special Canon chip--and the printer simply won't print.---there are ways to override the chip and refill--but the chip still has to be there.---no chip---no print.

And your reasoning is screwey also----its like saying you can buy two container of gas cheaper than you can buy five containers of gas for your car.---but you have to look at how much gas you get in the containers----how much you are paying per gallon?---or how many pages you print per dollar you spend.

In the ip1700 you spend $20 or more to get 9 ml of black ink----in the ip4200 you spend about $16.25 to get 26 ml of black ink.--------and both of those rascals are chipped. Which is why the ip1700 is such a rip off----you spend more money to get 1/3 of the ink.

But with my non-chipped Canon ip4000----I can buy prefilled cartridges all day long containing 27 ML of ink for less than $2.00---or refill my own for fifty cents.