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need help buying vfm printer

35 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/need-help-buying-vfm-printer.170864/

kARTechnology
kARTechnology Original post #1
Feb 28, 2013 at 12:22 AM
my old hp printer, an aio (hp 4355 officejet) has started giving problems and hp service center says no warranty then no spares, and "sir, please try in another local shop which has second hand printer of sane model and replace parts- MAHAA ELECTRONICS (ALL OVER SOUTH INDIA)":mad::thumbdown::banghead::eek:

so I'm looking for a color inkjet or color laser printer (AIO or Single doesn't matter) below 10k, maybe +1k if it is really VFM. INK CARTIDGES MUST BE CHEAP AS POSSIBLE ;) should give more pages, but should have good quality prints. Should not get occasional visits to service centers

Don't ask me how frequent I take printouts, I don't know when, and how many pages I will take. For home use. Will be nice if it has Wi-Fi or ethernet but it's optional ;)

and a VFM flatbed scanner below 5k(if you suggest me a single use printer)
which can scan without completely the top lid( for scanning large items like books)
Should have good life like 5+ years

I saw a epson model with ink bottle of 374Rs giving 3000+ b&w printouts(saw on internet) but Flipkart said it's permanently discontinued :(

I want
Multi function printer
Or
single printer + a flat bed scanner
saswat23
Mar 1, 2013 at 1:39 AM
My suggestion is, for colour printing, go for a HP AIO InkAdvantage printer. The one that costs around 7k is a good one. HP InkAdvantage are very good Inkjet printers. Their cartridges are very cheap too. Cost around Rs.400 each. This is the one I am talking about: HP Deskjet Ink Advantage - K209g Multifunction Inkjet Printer - HP: Flipkart.com
And for large no.s of text print outs get a black laser printer. Samsung ML-1886W is a good option. Its a WiFi printer too. Samsung - ML 1866W Single Function Laser Printer - Samsung: Flipkart.com

So, in total you get a good combination for undder 14k.
tkin
tkin #3
Mar 1, 2013 at 5:21 AM
If you want cheap ink go for Epson, and hook that with one of their ink tanks.

HP ink prices are unjustifiable.
kARTechnology
Mar 2, 2013 at 1:04 AM
If you want cheap ink go for Epson, and hook that with one of their ink tanks.

HP ink prices are unjustifiable.

HP ink is costlier than blood and their service is pathetic,
Please tell me some model numbers
tkin
tkin #5
Mar 2, 2013 at 11:45 AM
HP ink is costlier than blood and their service is pathetic,
Please tell me some model numbers
I don't have much experiences with printers, scanners, so I can only suggest you this: Epson - ME-101 Multifunction Inkjet Printer - Epson: Flipkart.com
Nerevarine
Mar 2, 2013 at 12:13 PM
yeah buy an epson and hook up a CISS :D
saswat23
Mar 2, 2013 at 12:31 PM
yeah buy an epson and hook up a CISS :D

That will void warranty. So, if he wants a CISS he should add it after 1yr.

I don't have much experiences with printers, scanners, so I can only suggest you this: Epson - ME-101 Multifunction Inkjet Printer - Epson: Flipkart.com

It uses 4 cartridges. How much does each cost?
kARTechnology
Mar 4, 2013 at 12:32 AM
yeah buy an epson and hook up a CISS :D

how many years the printer works for?
and i saw on internet that if the piezo electric head dries, i will not be able to find a replacement head. do i need to print a test page every week to prevent this? i want reliability, and long lasting printer, i can't go for laser as is b/w only.

should i go for single printer and buy scanner seaparately , or a multifunction?
my local shop has
epson l110 @6800 and canon scanner @3500
epson l210 @10200

or should i go for epson me101 and modify it for CISS total @ 4700, but will it be reliable? i am worried about the head

will laser give more prints than ink tanks?
tkin
tkin #9
Mar 4, 2013 at 6:01 AM
how many years the printer works for?
and i saw on internet that if the piezo electric head dries, i will not be able to find a replacement head. do i need to print a test page every week to prevent this? i want reliability, and long lasting printer, i can't go for laser as is b/w only.

should i go for single printer and buy scanner seaparately , or a multifunction?
my local shop has
epson l110 @6800 and canon scanner @3500
epson l210 @10200

or should i go for epson me101 and modify it for CISS total @ 4700, but will it be reliable? i am worried about the head

will laser give more prints than ink tanks?
If you use CISS you have to print one page per day at least.
Nerevarine
Mar 4, 2013 at 8:30 AM
^
Its not that bad, since ink is so damn cheap if you use CISS
BTW OP make sure that CISS is compatible with the printer you are buying..
I made the mistake of not checking and had to pay extra :/
kARTechnology
Mar 4, 2013 at 9:48 AM
for maintainence free, and cheap ink, suggest some printer, so if you laser is only choice, model number please!
can laser printers be easily repaired
kARTechnology
Mar 4, 2013 at 9:50 AM
^
Its not that bad, since ink is so damn cheap if you use CISS

how many days once print should be taken to prevent drying? what if I'm out of station on a tour?
tkin
tkin #13
Mar 4, 2013 at 10:10 AM
how many days once print should be taken to prevent drying? what if I'm out of station on a tour?
CISS is for business use, keep it like that and the ink will dry up and damage the heads.
Nerevarine
Mar 4, 2013 at 10:32 AM
OP, do u want to use refillable ink or are you gonna be getting originals ?
kARTechnology
Mar 4, 2013 at 12:49 PM
OP, do u want to use refillable ink or are you gonna be getting originals ?

anything, doesn't matter, but i have a doubt, they say after refilling many times should we buy a original cartridge
kARTechnology
Mar 4, 2013 at 11:32 PM
Normal cartridge, how much do you print anyway? Epson cartridges are cheap as well.

something like ticket booking, so 2 pages per two months or 1 month sometimes i take 700 pages, like books, but only 1-2 books a year!
tkin
tkin #19
Mar 4, 2013 at 11:38 PM
something like ticket booking, so 2 pages per two months or 1 month sometimes i take 700 pages, like books, but only 1-2 books a year!
Get normal cartridges, buy new ones when they run out, refill when you are about to print books(you can refill it once only).
kARTechnology
Mar 5, 2013 at 12:50 AM
Get normal cartridges, buy new ones when they run out, refill when you are about to print books(you can refill it once only).

then suggest me a printer with lowest cpp
kARTechnology
Mar 5, 2013 at 3:44 PM
Epson, see my post on top.

saw reviews, cartridge is rated 250 pages but gives very less pages :(

I've changed my mind, will look laser monochrome printers as they also give more pages in one refill
saswat23
saswat23 #23
Mar 5, 2013 at 9:34 PM
That's what I suggested you earlier.

That's what I suggested you earlier.
G
Mar 6, 2013 at 12:25 AM
HP 1020 if only printer .Its VFM.I have it because the refiller at many computer shops told the
powder can be refilled.
kARTechnology
May 30, 2013 at 1:35 AM
Bump!
I have still not yet bought a printer.
Decided only printer is enough for me.
I am in extreme confusion with these two models.
Canon 2900b vs Epson l110
Hp 1020 also uses 12a toner but costly than canon

B&w vs color
High power consumption(say 300w) vs ultra low power consumption (say 15w)
High speed vs low speed
Waterproof vs scratch proof
No originals vs only original
2 year warranty vs 1 year or 15,000 prints which ever is first

I was going through some work so
I saw 2900b in a service center, Computer shop
I saw l110 in a ac dealer shop( talked, he said it takes super brouchers in color, uses on inverter) and in net cafe( he said cheapest cpp than laser but slow in high quality setting

Should ask if I can buy a low end Epson with ciss and waste ink tank
I saw in Flipkart that after 20k prints Epson ink pads will warn that it is full(400/- and 350 for resetting count in printer( done with software))
After that head 4.5k and many others

For dry print head problem I will try to print 2 photos weekly

I'm buying for home use

But in office/ business like showrooms,etc can any printer beat the TVSE DOT MATRIX PRINTERS? Ultra low cpp. I have 4 of them
kARTechnology
May 30, 2013 at 1:44 AM
HP 1020 if only printer .Its VFM.I have it because the refiller at many computer shops told the
powder can be refilled.

Please tell me how many times you have refilled/ changed drum/cartridge/roller and spare parts
And total no of pages for 1 refill

Is toner save mode any good? Is there increase in page yield with that?
kARTechnology
May 30, 2013 at 9:15 AM
I'm getting canon 2900b @6450
And Epson l110 @ 6350
R
rdx_halo #28
May 30, 2013 at 2:34 PM
Can new HP printers be refilled easily? I heard that they are using chip to make sure that these are not refilled. I'm also looking for a good printer. Will print occasionally but need good photo quality.
kARTechnology
May 30, 2013 at 3:27 PM
Can new HP printers be refilled easily? I heard that they are using chip to make sure that these are not refilled. I'm also looking for a good printer. Will print occasionally but need good photo quality.



PHOTO means only one word - go for inkjets, no lasers
there is a special photo printer in Epson with ink tanks L800
>if you print occasionally like at least 2 times per week color print go for Epson L-Series any model (depending on single function or MFP)
>you get ink in bottles for Rs.374 each mottle(Bk+C+M+Y= 374*4=Rs. 1500 nearly)
>very low CPP. the disadvantage is with other inkjet if red color runs out, you have to replace the whole color cartridge. but in this only the color which is low.
>you cannot use the printer in b&w if the remaining colors are low. in
>Other inkjets you get low page yield but in this CISS (Continous ink flow system) you get more

>so if you get this ink costs 1500 totally
>but in others you get 1000(say 500 for black and 500 for color) and LOW PAGE YEILD
>so your wish

but there are problems in Epson.
see flipkart review
I have had to use the printer continuously and hence found out after doing 20,000 copies the real headache starts.
1. Your Ink Pad life (Rs.650+350) gets over.
2. The head (about Rs.2500+350)goes kaput. Am about to get it changed.
3. The Service guys will make it more worse with strange solutions to try to keep the printer running before the final analysis. Mine told me to to keep the ink tank cap open when cleaning the head..:)
Frankly i wouldn't say this one is worse than the other competitors but for sure is as good as the others in the market. This one simply takes probably 5000 pages extra to start giving you your nightmares.

it is true for the ink pad life thingy but it occurs if you do print head cleaning more times i guess
and the head also spoils because of sir going inside blah blah if you run the printer when the ink is really low

but one guy stated in flipkart
CAN YOU IMAGINE TILL TODAY W.E.F. ,MAY 2012 TO MARCH 2013 THE TOTAL PRINT I GOT IS 30,198.
so it depends upon usage

I am confused to buy...still didn't buy..
R
rdx_halo #30
May 30, 2013 at 9:44 PM
Dear kARTechnology, it seems that we are on the same boat. I also read the reviews of Epson model with ink-tank. Their main problem seems in their maintenance hassle in long run.
The initial investment seems low as the ink is cheap but in the long run the maintenance of Ink Pad and heads will add up the cost as the warranty will be over by then.
And the printer will be mostly used by my father who due to his age won't be able to spend long time running after service center guys.

So I'm in a fix.

There is a HP Printer model HP Deskjet Ink Advantage - K209g Multifunction Inkjet Printer (HP Deskjet Ink Advantage - K209g Multifunction Inkjet Printer - HP: Flipkart.com) which costs Rs. 6390 and which can be refilled as per the reviewers.

A review by a fellow buyer
Last week i bought a HP Printer from flipkart considering the low maintenance for home usage. Price : 7299, Best reason to buy it offers upto 600 prints from one cartridge set which costs just Rs 650 for the original ones. Apart from that i made it a wireless printer and synced with Google Cloud Print service. Overall a great value for money considering i also run a Cartridge Refilling business i have some idea on this :)

You can go for this because the cartridges are not only low costing but also the printer offers pretty good Photo prints, just ensure you buy Klik Photo Papers which are just Rs1 / each for a 4X6" size offering you easy photo printing at home.

Ensure that you print once in a while so that the Ink Cartridge Head is not blocked and also when not in use make sure its placed in dust free area. This ensures that the cartridges can be reused next time by refilling at your home itself :)

No need to buy costly cartridges too if you can do a small jugaad which is more fun and interesting stuff. Remember filling ink in fountain pen when in school, this is also the same, except using a injection in this case.

Overall a excellent product.

But one little confusion, the Laptop which will be used with the printer is running on Windows 8 and as per flipkart the printer compatibility does not enlist Windows 8 platform. any ideas ?
kARTechnology
May 30, 2013 at 11:11 PM
Dear kARTechnology, it seems that we are on the same boat. I also read the reviews of Epson model with ink-tank. Their main problem seems in their maintenance hassle in long run.
The initial investment seems low as the ink is cheap but in the long run the maintenance of Ink Pad and heads will add up the cost as the warranty will be over by then.
And the printer will be mostly used by my father who due to his age won't be able to spend long time running after service center guys.

So I'm in a fix.

There is a HP Printer model HP Deskjet Ink Advantage - K209g Multifunction Inkjet Printer (HP Deskjet Ink Advantage - K209g Multifunction Inkjet Printer - HP: Flipkart.com) which costs Rs. 6390 and which can be refilled as per the reviewers.

A review by a fellow buyer

But one little confusion, the Laptop which will be used with the printer is running on Windows 8 and as per flipkart the printer compatibility does not enlist Windows 8 platform. any ideas ?

got the l110.cant get ink to charge

got the l110...ink charged will post more tomorrow
R
rdx_halo #32
May 31, 2013 at 3:16 PM
got the l110.cant get ink to charge

got the l110...ink charged will post more tomorrow

So you finally bought Epson L110? Please share some views of print quality and if its compatible with Windows 8.
kARTechnology
May 31, 2013 at 10:03 PM
So you finally bought Epson L110? Please share some views of print quality and if its compatible with Windows 8.

its compatible with win8 for sure...
I have it running flawlessly on windows 8

Could any one tell me what paper should i use for photo and how much it would cost???
speed is great on draft-quality prints...near to laser but not as fast as laser

I had real trouble tearing the protective cover on the ink bottles. they were so hard that my hands pain...i used cutting pliers but it also didn't work...took a sharp pin and tore it all the way, making my fingers with ink...
after that the printer refused to charge or whatever i didn't understand what it happened but only blinking lights but it is fine now

the paper feeder roller makes loud sound at first that i was terrified but it went down after taking some printers as when new rubber rollers touch it it somewhat rough after they wear then it is ok

and today my apc ups service man came..he said that he was not a ups service but he services printers and computers and he asked that if it was l110...yes...
I asked him about ink pads and he said that if i had competed engineering i will have the knowledge to remove the printer apart, remove the waste ink pad, wash it and refit it and reset the counter using the software in internet. he said if i don't clean and use only software to reset the counter it will leak from backside!(waste ink)
he said he takes 500Rs for changing the ink pads and resetting the counter
he said that it is only best printer series which are good than any other inkjet in low cpp but he said i should take a color page every day to prevent head drying.

no need to enter serial no. of the ink bottle in these new series. so it does not matter f you use nay ohter ink but it will void warranty and shorten the life he himself said this!

and it works with my WDR3600 router
R
rdx_halo #34
May 31, 2013 at 10:35 PM
its compatible with win8 for sure...
I have it running flawlessly on windows 8

Could any one tell me what paper should i use for photo and how much it would cost???
speed is great on draft-quality prints...near to laser but not as fast as laser

I had real trouble tearing the protective cover on the ink bottles. they were so hard that my hands pain...i used cutting pliers but it also didn't work...took a sharp pin and tore it all the way, making my fingers with ink...
after that the printer refused to charge or whatever i didn't understand what it happened but only blinking lights but it is fine now

the paper feeder roller makes loud sound at first that i was terrified but it went down after taking some printers as when new rubber rollers touch it it somewhat rough after they wear then it is ok

and today my apc ups service man came..he said that he was not a ups service but he services printers and computers and he asked that if it was l110...yes...
I asked him about ink pads and he said that if i had competed engineering i will have the knowledge to remove the printer apart, remove the waste ink pad, wash it and refit it and reset the counter using the software in internet. he said if i don't clean and use only software to reset the counter it will leak from backside!(waste ink)
he said he takes 500Rs for changing the ink pads and resetting the counter
he said that it is only best printer series which are good than any other inkjet in low cpp but he said i should take a color page every day to prevent head drying.

no need to enter serial no. of the ink bottle in these new series. so it does not matter f you use nay ohter ink but it will void warranty and shorten the life he himself said this!

and it works with my WDR3600 router

Thanks a lot for your detailed views. Its very helpful. I have decided to get a HP.
kARTechnology
May 31, 2013 at 11:50 PM
Thanks a lot for your detailed views. Its very helpful. I have decided to get a HP.

dont mention it :)
and tht thing is not a review :p
whats the model no. of the hp one?