I have a Dell Photo 944 printer/scanner/copier, bought some years ago. Usage is such that I only order one new ink cartridge at a time (the black and coloured cartridges having got out of kilter) and only two of each per year. The ordering system has been excellent but now Dell will only sell in sets of three. This is with 10% discount but still a heavy whack for a pensioner. Has anyone else encountered this attempt at forced sales?
They knew they have me by the short hairs but it happens that the printer has conked out completely this morning, thus saving me the expense of any new cartridges from Dell, although involving the purchase of a new, strictly non-Dell printer.
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Rule #1 of buying a printer/all in one is to see how much replacement ink costs, and whether cheapo third party alternatives are available. In my experience Epson, usually buying one generation behind the latest model, work well and have a good range of replacement inks available. Certainly the SX210 all in one I bought in a hurry 3 years back is doing fine on its diet of 89p each ink replacements. You milage may vary.
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Of course you don't need to buy your cartridges from Dell as the likes of Just Ink & Paper list your Dell 944. tinyurl.com/k5emhus
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I buy Epson cartridges from justinkandpaper.com
I can't fault their service.
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At one time Dell were doing ridiculously cheap printers - around £25 IIRC - and I thought then that there would be some catch further down the line...
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I'm sure Tesco or Argos are selling an HP printer for £25.
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>> I buy Epson cartridges from justinkandpaper.com
>> I can't fault their service.
>>
Duly noted.
I need new cartridges for the excellent Canon MG3150 I bough a while back to replace my rather troublesome Dell 944 all-in-one printer.
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Todays "dont buy" lesson is brought to you by the letters D, E and L.
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Actually it's Asda, selling the HP1050A for £25.
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Tesco have some Canon all in one printer/scanners in at the moment. I think they were £39 and £49 but didn't really check them out.
When I got my Canon printer (still going well) the cartridges were cheap for the genuine ones. They are now more expensive - I am guessing because I've had it about 6 years and the later printers used different cartridges... supply and demand.
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I keep getting nagged by Kodak to install software upgrades for my C110. I never do because past experience of such things has shown they suddenly stop recognising compatible cartridges.
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I use this stuff: www.jrinkjet.co.uk/ink-refill-printer-kits-c-2.html
My Canon cartridges will take three or four refills, saves enormously on costs. Anyone found a better solution?
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I went down the refill route a few years ago. It wasn't the company that bathtub Tom has mentioned above, but it didn't work at all well with my Dell printer.
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I got my aunt one of these a few weeks ago - Brother DCP-J315W, wireless, £77 from Amazon.
Compatible carts are <£1 each.
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0041X9NQ4
I bought a 715W a couple of years ago, still working OK - similar, but with a document feeder. It has done a lot of printing.
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I have always had HP printers - HP II lasers through to Deskjets for the last few years. Buy them 2nd hand often complete with working cartridges (sometimes with new spares) - 2 sided printing - cost variously £3- 8 with collect only. Of the last 5 all have been working perfectly.
Cartridges (no chips) can be refilled but it is a bit messy! Carboot sales provide a source of new shortdate cartridges at about £1 each.
If you want HQ color photo printing you are better off using an online service. Prints last longer as well.
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"Anyone found a better solution?"
Yep, don't print anything.
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The Dell printer will, more than likely, be a re-badged model from an established printer manufacturer (should be possible to discover which one by the design etc).
I buy my Epson R300 compatible inkjet cartridges from www.diskdepot.co.uk or 7dayshop.com.
It takes six cartridges and the Disk Depot price for a pack of them costs around £4.50 - I usually buy five or six packs at a time to make the most of the P and P charge. Worth adding extra black cartridges as these are the most heavily used.
Not had any problems with compatible cartridges in the past 17 years; I used a Canon BJC600e which took four separate cartridges for 10 years until deciding to buy the Epson.
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Dell.con/ ? - spamcan61
