# Which Inkjet Printer?



## officerripley (Mar 5, 2021)

Okay, another HP inkjet printer has died on me, this one was a little less than 2 years old (and I didn't even use it that much, sigh). So they say that most inkjet printers aren't very good, doesn't matter which one you buy but I hear that Epson and Canon are just a teeny tiny bit better than HP. So what's the group think? (I do want one that prints halfway decent photos and pictures; I know that no inkjet will do pix that great but they say that some are better than others.)


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## Dana (Mar 5, 2021)

If you've got some spare cash and you use your printer a lot, the Epson Eco Tank might be one to consider. Bought one recently and am very pleased.


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## Don M. (Mar 5, 2021)

I've got a HP F4240 that is at least 7 or 8 years old....and still seems to be working OK.  The thing I find a bit upsetting is that it's getting harder to find new print cartridge's for it in the stores....and when I see some, the prices are quite high.  I tried a pair of "refilled" cartridges a couple of months ago, and they seem to be OK...and half the price.  I don't print a lot anymore, but when I print a photo, I use some photos paper, and that glossy surface gives a fairly good picture...much better than plain paper.  

Whenever I'm browsing at the store, I sometimes make a run through the computer section, and I've noticed that the prices on many printers have risen a bit in recent months....probably as a result of more people working from home, and students doing schoolwork at home.  I was at a Best Buy a couple of weeks ago, and they have very few "basic" printers in stock....most of what they had was in the $200 or more, price range.


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## officerripley (Mar 5, 2021)

I used to swear by HP printers but each one I bought lasted a shorter & shorter length of time. So I thought I'd try a diff. brand this time, either Epson or Canon. (The brand may very well not make a bit of difference but you never know.)


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## PamfromTx (Mar 5, 2021)

We are also experiencing problems with our HP printer and are just waiting on going out to look at others.  We have been buying HP printers for years.


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## Don M. (Mar 5, 2021)

officerripley said:


> I used to swear by HP printers but each one I bought lasted a shorter & shorter length of time. So I thought I'd try a diff. brand this time, either Epson or Canon. (The brand may very well not make a bit of difference but you never know.)



Probably the best thing to do is spend some time reading "reviews" on various store and technical web sites, and go for the brand that seems to have the best reviews.


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## Gaer (Mar 5, 2021)

I found HP products to be terribly invasive.
Mine is Kodak and I like it.


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## bowmore (Mar 5, 2021)

I have taken a different tack. I have a Brother B & W laser printer. If I need color prints I go to my local CVS.
I got tired of using up half a cartridge to clean the jets.
BUT if you get one, make sure it has individual color cartridges. Very important.


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## officerripley (Mar 5, 2021)

Don M. said:


> Probably the best thing to do is spend some time reading "reviews" on various store and technical web sites, and go for the brand that seems to have the best reviews.


All the different brands seems to have about the same number of rave reviews, the same number of "so-so" reviews, and the same number of "don't buy it!" reviews, sigh. But I think I've got it narrowed down to a Canon model and an Epson model, both of which have the individ. color cartridges as Bowmore points out above.


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## Nathan (Mar 5, 2021)

Take the leap and go with a laser printer.  I only print documents, I farm out the occasional photo printing.   I  bought this monochrome laser printer, am quite satisfied with it: 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0764NWFP8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## officerripley (Mar 5, 2021)

I keep thinking about getting a laser printer but I don't want to have to drive into town every time I want to print up a pic; so that's why I've resisted so far.


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## Glowworm (Mar 6, 2021)

I had a Canon Pixma IP6600D photo printer for many years and was vey pleased with it. If you want to print photos go for a photo printer and one that has separate cartridges for each color. My Canon had six. In the long run I found that more economical than one cartridge for several colors.


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## hollydolly (Mar 6, 2021)

officerripley said:


> I used to swear by HP printers but each one I bought lasted a shorter & shorter length of time. So I thought I'd try a diff. brand this time, either Epson or Canon. (The brand may very well not make a bit of difference but you never know.)


we had the same experience with HP... like Panasonic..HP started off as a good brand and  went downhill... and the ink is a scandalous price

WE have a Canon which is fine, we've had it about 4 years... but oftentimes it costs less to replace a whole printer than it does just the ink


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## Glowworm (Mar 6, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> we had the same experience with HP... like Panasonic..HP started off as a good brand and  went downhill... and the ink is a scandalous price
> 
> WE have a Canon which is fine, we've had it about 4 years... but oftentimes it costs less to replace a whole printer than it does just the ink


So right holly. The printer head went on mine and a new printer was about 50 pounds cheaper than a new head.


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## Mike (Mar 6, 2021)

I have always used Epsom printers, mainly for
printing CDs and it was also easier to find big
refillable cartridges for them, though not for
the one that I am currently using, they also
accept ink from other manufacturers that is
much cheaper than their own ink.

Mike.


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## Glowworm (Mar 6, 2021)

I once used third party refillable ink cartridges in a printer and it clogged up the head after a couple of months.


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## Tommy (Mar 6, 2021)

We have a Canon MX-922 (actually two of them) that I'm happy with, especially since I learned to clean the print head myself.  When I bought them four or five years ago they cost about $100 each.  I see that Amazon is now offering them for $400!


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## Glowworm (Mar 6, 2021)

Glowworm said:


> I once used third party refillable ink cartridges in a printer and it clogged up the head after a couple of months.


Mind you Mike that was probably about twenty years ago so the quality has probably improved since then, but you know the saying - once bitten . . . .


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## AprilSun (Mar 6, 2021)

Like some of you, I used to have a HP but it died and I had to replace it.  I purchased a Cannon MG7720 several years ago which prints pictures and has separate cartridges. I am very pleased with it.


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## fmdog44 (Mar 6, 2021)

My Brother printer is around 8 or 9 years old and never once has it malfunctioned.


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## Judycat (Mar 6, 2021)

Inkjet printers are such a ripoff. The ink cartridges are so expensive and they aren't refillable. If left in the printer too long they dry out. I take mine out, put them in a resealable plastic bag and put that in the refrigerator. They last a little longer that way, but you have to let them warm up first and when you replace them, the printer won't work until an alignment page is printed which uses ink. I gave up using it for anything but printing envelopes and scanning and copying documents. No wonder printers sell so cheap.


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## Butterfly (Mar 7, 2021)

bowmore said:


> I have taken a different tack. I have a Brother B & W laser printer. If I need color prints I go to my local CVS.
> I got tired of using up half a cartridge to clean the jets.
> BUT if you get one, make sure it has individual color cartridges. Very important.


I've got one of those Brother laser printers, too.  They seem to go on more or less forever.

I had a color printer at one point, but like you, I got tired of wasting ink to clean the jets.  I don't very often need a color printer anyway -- too much trouble and too expensive to use.


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## dobielvr (Mar 7, 2021)

I have a HP Officejet 4630 All-in-One.  I don't print photos.
2 cartridges of ink.  B & W, and color.  I like it.

Works for me.  I've probably had it for 5yrs or more.


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## SetWave (Mar 7, 2021)

Laser printers are the solution. My hp envy inkjet printer never did work well.


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## officerripley (Aug 30, 2021)

Nathan said:


> Take the leap and go with a laser printer.  I only print documents, I farm out the occasional photo printing.   I  bought this monochrome laser printer, am quite satisfied with it:
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0764NWFP8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I just ordered this exact laser printer, Nathan; I got fed up with the Epson inkjet printer I bought only a few months ago, it keeps shutting itself off, what a pain. I'm gonna keep the Epson & limp along with it for a while since I do have need of color prints/copies once in a while (I make bookmarks sometimes).


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## Nathan (Aug 30, 2021)

The Brother is a decent printer, if you run Linux drivers are available, but it can be a little finicky sometimes.    I maintain a Windows 10 installation for better printer behavior, and use of my Photoshop software.


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## Colleen (Aug 30, 2021)

My HP printer that I'd had for about 9 or 10 years finally died a few months ago...thank goodness! I bought a Canon MG3620 and love it. It has all the stuff people want these days like wireless and bluetooth, etc., but I just use it to print stuff. It is so quick and the copies are so much clearer than my old HP.


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## officerripley (Sep 2, 2021)

Nathan said:


> Take the leap and go with a laser printer.  I only print documents, I farm out the occasional photo printing.   I  bought this monochrome laser printer, am quite satisfied with it:
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0764NWFP8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Nathan, do you ever buy other than Brother brand toner cartridges for your printer? They're a little bit cheaper. I know the printer--I get it Sunday, yay!--will come with a "starter" cartridge in it but when I went to go ahead and order a regular cartridge I discovered that Office Depot doesn't carry the one I need. Best Buy and of course Amazon do; but I'm kind of partial to Office Depot, they seem to deliver stuff here the fastest of all 3.


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## Nathan (Sep 2, 2021)

officerripley said:


> Nathan, do you ever buy other than Brother brand toner cartridges for your printer? They're a little bit cheaper. I know the printer--I get it Sunday, yay!--will come with a "starter" cartridge in it but when I went to go ahead and order a regular cartridge I discovered that Office Depot doesn't carry the one I need. Best Buy and of course Amazon do; but I'm kind of partial to Office Depot, they seem to deliver stuff here the fastest of all 3.


Here is the replacement cartridges I last bought:  https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B087GJVBGZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## officerripley (Sep 2, 2021)

Cool, I added that one to my Amaz Shopping List; wow are they ever cheaper than the Brother brand but rated just as high, thanks!


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