What's a good printer/scanner combo that won't cost a fortune changing ink cartridge every other week?

Question

The Dell printer I have runs out of ink every few weeks and costs a lot to replace all the time. What's a good printer that has a longer cartridge life, that scans and prints well?

Answer 1

As someone who was in the computer hardware business for years (though I rarely sold printers since I couldn't compete with the crazy rebates) I have always recommended Epson. The print quality is excellent, even on plain paper. I have photos I printed on a 640 about ten years ago hanging in my office which still look good, though not as good as the ones from the CX8400 on glossy paper. The warranty is excellent. For a year, Epson will express-ship a replacement and pick up the old one. I had one customer who needed this. He called one afternoon and had the replacement two days later. Another client bought a Canon. It needed two repairs within a few months. Each time it was taken to the repair center, then picked up a few days later. This client runs a specialty printing business and this really hurt. They have since bought an Epson CX5000 and have had no down time since.

All name brand ink is expensive, but you can get cheap new replacement cartridges for Epson (not refills which I never recommend) for under $5 at http://ccs-digital.com/ink.asp   I have been using these for years.

The C120 (printer only - no scanner) is on sale at Ritz Camera free after rebate but you must also buy a digital camera. The cheapest is $15. With $7 shipping you pay $22 for printer and camera.  It uses 3 colors and 2 of the SAME black cartridge.

http://www.cheapstingybargains.com/55740...

A set of 5 cartridges are $25 at http://ccs-digital.com/ink.asp

The RX595 scanner/copier/printer also prints on DVDs. It uses 5 colors plus black and has even higher photo quality. You can get it at Ritz Camera for $45 after rebate (with digital camera) or for $80 after $55 instant rebate.

http://www.cheapstingybargains.com/54342...

Answer 2

Here is a list of some of the top printers: http://www.castleink.com/_Top10InkjetPri...

These have been selected based on the cost of replacements, as well as the quality of the machines.  This article also offers some helpful tips about which features to consider.