Don't Buy a Lexmark

[Leslie Coover]

I have an old 3200 Lexmark printer. I want to get a printer to replace it,
but I want to continue to use the 12A1970/75 cartridge (it uses) since I
have several of the cartridges on hand and they are easy to refill. I
called Lexmark, all they have to offer is a combo-printer that has a scanner
built in. I already have a scanner and don't need another one. To get a
printer that is similar to the one I have I would have to purchased a new
version that uses a different type cartridge. Of course the new type
cartridge cannot be refilled. So I'm through with Lexmark.

Would anyone have any suggestions concerning a brand of inexpensive ink-jet
printer that uses an inexpensive black ink cartridge that can be refilled.
I would like something where I can trust the company that produces it to
continue to manufacture the printer and ink cartridges for some time to
come. In other words, someone who will stand behind their product and not
try to take advantage of me like Lexmark does.

Hope someone can help.

 

[polymorph]

Leslie Coover wrote:
...

Would anyone have any suggestions concerning a brand of inexpensive ink-jet
printer that uses an inexpensive black ink cartridge that can be refilled.
I would like something where I can trust the company that produces it to
continue to manufacture the printer and ink cartridges for some time to
come. In other words, someone who will stand behind their product and not
try to take advantage of me like Lexmark does.

Good luck. :'/ Let us know if you find it.

All printers are going to this business model. One of the things I
liked about Canon (besides how freaking fast they are, how easy to
clean the heads, how large some of their ink cartridges are, the fact
that it checks the actual ink level) is that they continue to use the
same unchipped cartridges across many models. Even they are going to
chipped cartridges now.

If all you want is black, cheap, and refillable, I suggest a used laser
printer. The Okidata 400e only replaces the toner in a cheap $25 refill
that prints a lot of pages. There are cheap toner refills for many of
the HP laser printers in the 5 and 6 series.

If you need color and want inkjet, you may have to buy a used printer.
The Canon printers use heads that are very easy to pop out and clean,
just flip a lever and take them to the sink.
http://www.polyphoto.com/tutorials/PrintHeadCleaning/

The BJC 3000 and 6000 series use large, easy to refill and cheap to
find 3rd party cartridges. Very fast, especially black text, the pages
just fly out. Black cartridges in them are about 50% larger than the
color cartridges.

The BJC 4000 series and the 5100 use tiny cartridges that are more
difficult to refill. The only advantage to the BJC 5100 is that it
prints 11x17. Do NOT buy the BJC 5000! It has some serious design
flaws.

Later models like the S900 use large cartridges, black same size as
color but no chips and easy to refill. The S9000 is the big brother of
the S900, same head and cartridges but prints up to 13" wide.

I'm not up on all the other models of Canon. Sadly there are quite a
few that use those insanely tiny cartridges.

For Epsons you'll have to go back a lot longer to find unchipped
cartridges, and the heads are much more difficult to clean because you
-should- -NOT- remove them.

I'm not sure exactly when HP started using a cartridge detection
system. Some models can be fooled by putting tape over some contacts,
reinstall, then take out and remove tape, and when reinserted it thinks
it's a new cartridge. HP cartridge vary widely on how easy they are to
fill.

Steve Greenfield

 

[Yianni]

Don't afraid, ALL Lexmark cartridge could be refilled. Additional, the Z700
series, the P700 series, and P3100 series all accepts the #48 (or #50)
cartridge that is same as the #70 and the #19 (or #20, or #25) that is same
with the #80/85. Not similar, they are identical! (even the fact that if
you replace the cups with the new ones, your can even have the possibility
to use your #70 cartridges in your new printer!!!).

http://www.ink-toner-uk.com/acatalog/Lexmark_Z715.html does it reminds you
something??? Z715 is a new model, I don't know if the currently sold, or
there is a similar one.
http://www.stinkyinkshop.co.uk/acatalog/Lexmark_P708.html

 

[Yianni]

just two links with the biggest photos... No relation with any site.

 

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I have an old 3200 Lexmark printer. I want to get a printer to replace it,
but I want to continue to use the 12A1970/75 cartridge (it uses) since I
have several of the cartridges on hand and they are easy to refill. I
called Lexmark, all they have to offer is a combo-printer that has a
scanner built in. I already have a scanner and don't need another one.

And it probably cost a whopping $10 more than any other printer that would
take the cartridge yo already have.

I would like something where I can trust the company that produces it to
continue to manufacture the printer and ink cartridges for some time to
come. In other words, someone who will stand behind their product and not
try to take advantage of me like Lexmark does.

There are none. There never will be any, there never were any. Accept fact
and move on.

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

If all you want is black, cheap, and refillable, I suggest a used laser
printer. The Okidata 400e only replaces the toner in a cheap $25 refill
that prints a lot of pages. There are cheap toner refills for many of
the HP laser printers in the 5 and 6 series.

Sadly, I have to state a caution about some of the Okidatas. These are
not totally laser printers, but generate the image with tiny LEDs
instead of with the moving parts of a laser assembly. I approve of this
engineering very much -- less to go wrong.

There was one series of Oki LED printers which were disasters. I can't
recall if the 400e was in this group or not, but my 410e/ps was (this is
identical to the 410e but with PostScript). The problem was that the
series was a transitional energy-efficient system in which the homework
wasn't done -- the drums self-destructed in a very short time just from
sitting around. My brand new printer's drum was toast right out of the
box. The warranty replacement drum died in less than a year.

To be fair, Oki took good care of me a long time after the warranty had
expired, replacing the machine with a 12i refurb including supplies.
That's been a fine machine. Toner cost is not bad. Drum life is about
20,000 copies, but when you have to replace it, the cost of $165 street
price is going to hurt. My awful 410e/ps drum was about the same price.

I think that the printer is very well made. Text is excellent. Photos
could be better. If I were to do it again, I'd probably buy a
reconditioned HP industrial-strength office laser printer.

One thing that's also working for me is two used, older HP inkjets.
They're refillable.

Richard

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

I think that buying used is the best solution. Easier to fill. Fewer
chipping games. You'll give up a little speed. Big deal.

About Lexmark, I asked here recently is anyone had anything good to say
about Lexmark. Nobody did. Hmmm. Everything I've heard about this brand
has been negative. Including the way that they dumped support for my
superb ergo keyboard to another company, who are impossible to deal
with: yech!

But before that, a product manager for my keyboard was extremely
helpful; they modified my keyboard for me as a favor, free of charge --
custom mod, too. But then they dumped the product, and probably fired
the nice geneleman. And it was one of the best keyboards ever made.

Richard

 

[William R. Walsh]

Hi!

There are none. There never will be any, there never were any. Accept fact
and move on.

Maybe not as far as actually manufacturing the same printer for a long time
goes (technology just goes too fast), but as far as I'm aware, HP still
sells supplies for all of their printers. Even the old ThinkJet cartridges
are still available for purchase.

Not too long ago, I also happened to see that Canon was still selling black
ink for the BJ-100 BubbleJet printer.

William