We are having really rotten luck with printers. You understand that, in our household, if one printer is good, 10 printers must surely be better, right? And, it doesn’t matter if they work or not. Just seeing multiples makes Vince feel better. We need backups to our backups!
When Vince came to visit me in Missouri, he brought two printers from Texas and set them both up. Shortly after he left, I printed one or two pages and the HP that I love completely had a meltdown and no matter what I did, it wouldn’t work. With Vince’s help, I even did something that let him remotely access the printer and he couldn’t make it work either.
Vince had also set up a new printer he bought from Walmart here that had been returned. I wouldn’t have done that but he did. It needed some kind of “initiation” cartridges when you changed the ink the first time (hopefully not every time) so after using it to print not more than a couple of pages, it needed ink. I told Vince, he ordered ink, had it sent here, then it told me I needed the “initiation cartridges”, which weren’t included in the open box printer he bought at Walmart. He had to try to find those and ended up buying some from ebay. That worked . . for a while.
When that one stopped working, he told me where there was a new Epson printer. It came with little ink cartridges so he ordered extra. I used it til the ink ran out, then installed the new cartridges but it would only take authentic Epson ink and Vince had bought offbrand ink, which is what we had always used. Nope .. not gonna print with that non-Epson ink.
It sounds like I print a lot but I bet between those three printers, I never managed to print more than 20 or 25 pages with minimal ink on each page.
Fast forward to now. I’m not even sure what printer is hooked up — if it’s one of those three or a different one. Every time we try to print, Vince has to go work on the printer. This morning, not a printer in that room would work.
He came out and said . . it looks like a printer graveyard in my office!
If it were up to me, I’d read all the reviews, buy a hopefully good printer – one printer – and use their brand of ink and be done with it but he is determined he can use the less expensive ink. Who will win this battle? The printer manufacturers or Vince? I never bet against Vince, especially when it comes to saving money but the frustration of having something NEVER print without a big hassle is about to become a real issue!
It could be worse I suppose but when I’m using a written chart, I like to enlarge them and that requires a working printer!
Mary Combs says
I have always had the greatest luck with the HP printers. Just don’t do the instant ink program they offer now. I like to order my ink when I want to and under the instant ink program you pay for so many printed pages each month and if you go over that amount you get charged for the extra pages. Also I like that you can set your printer to only print in black ink as the default .
Judy Laquidara says
We have several brands and all can be set to black and white as the default. We’ve always been able to use off brand ink and never had a problem but it seems almost all brands have gone to proprietary ink now.
Cynthia Bartz says
After having multiple problems with printers and inks, I bought a hp printer and have hp instant ink. You pay a fee each month, I pay I think 5.99 or less, hp sends ink cartridges when I need them. I have no problem with the printer, no problem with the printer.
Judy Laquidara says
I don’t see Vince ever doing anything where he commits to using only name brand ink cartridges. We’ll see how this works out. If anyone can find a way around it, he can. But, if I were doing it, I’d do exaclty what you do. Who wants to mess with a printer so much and try to coax it into working?
Cynthia says
The instant ink program costs include the ink cartridge costs. Hp sends you the ink cartridges as you need them. You don’t even need to go buy them.
Sara says
Having worked in IT (school technology coordinator) for many years, my experience says never buy any technology that “was returned”. There is a reason it was returned. Plus my time is worth something too. I’m with you – buy ONE good one and be done with it. But he must enjoy tinkering with the printers.
Katherine says
If you mostly use black only, have you looked at laser printers? We have one that is still going strong after at least 10 years. Fast and cheap. We don’t print so much anymore, but even when we did print more, the ink still lasted for several years.
Judy Laquidara says
We use color, not often but enough that I wouldn’t want to be limited to black and white.
Linda in NE says
I have an Epson printer/scanner still sitting on a lower shelf of my computer desk. The first time I needed ink I bought 3rd party and it worked great. After a couple firmware updates it demanded Epson ink. Mind you, not just Epson ink but ink bought from Epson. That ink cost more than I paid for the printer. I did love the scanner & the software that came with it, but I found a Canon printer/scanner that I can use 3rd party ink in and will never, never, ever install a firmware update. I just don’t really care for the scanner software that came with it. Sometimes I debate on buying just ONE batch of Epson ink so the scanner would work, but I’ve pretty much stuck to not buying anything from Epson except photo paper. It’s really the best I’ve found so I will buy that when needed.
Judy Laquidara says
It was the firmware update that got us too. Too late . . couldn’t go back. I’ll tell Vince about the Canon and see if he can find one. Thanks.
Sheryl Till says
My printer is an Epson eco-tank. I just refill the tanks when needed. I’ve had it several years and love it. It’s an ET-2650 series.
Judy Laquidara says
I think Vince is done with Epson but I’ve heard good things about the eco-tank.
Rebecca Haughn says
I caution against epsen, I now use canon, it is an ecotank and it prints better pics and the black ink comes in a bigger botttle. Just what I need, I print alot and I went through several epsons the inkpads always filled up and with this one the canon i might be able to clean my own, saw it online somewhere. Also I can have it serviced if need be locally, not so with epsen. Good luck, printing is something else sometimes.
Jennifer Breitenbach says
I used to enlarge my charts and print sections but now I use my iPad! I scanned it in and send to iPad or I snap a picture. I can enlarge as big as I want and even mark on them with my iPencil. Saves all the headache of dealing with printers.
Jennifer Breitenbach says
I forgot to add I have Epson printers and love them. Never had an issue really with them but I am kind of the IT person at work. LOL
JustGail says
My current printer is Canon MG5320, about 7-8(?) years old. But I rarely print anything, and use it mostly for scanning. There’s firmware updates for printers?!? Since it seems like you have room for multiple printers, what about a black & white laser printer, plus a color inkjet for those times you do want’ color printed? Or a color laser printer?
Dot says
It may be time for you to have YOUR printer that uses it’s name-brand ink, and Vince to have HIS printer(s) to handle as he pleases. Like having your own set of hand tools in the kitchen, where you can find them.
You can’t easily prevent the firmware updates. My printer is on my wi-fi network, which makes it easy to print from my iPad, and every so often, “headquarters” sends down an update which automatically installs. Usually in the middle of the night! There may be a hidden setting somewhere to turn that auto-update off, but I haven’t found it.
Judy Laquidara says
If I knew how to hook one up, I’d be tempted to go get one and put it in the sewing room closet and never tell him I have it.