Well my HP 930C has finally died and I need to replace it.

It needs to be capable of doing colour even though it'd mainly be used for B+W and is for light home use only. I'd like as small as poss and capable of using ordinary 80gsm photocopier paper as I have reams of the stuff and obviously the cheaper the replacement cartridges the better.

Any suggestions

I have a HP6510 multifunction which I am please with. Original cartridges are expensive but I have used compatibles in all my printers for years satisfactorily.

6510 is wireless which is great as a) it is easier to sit across the room from my main PC and can print from phone and tablet

Edited 16 March, 201313 yr by slider

What about the Kodaks? Cheapish genuine inks.

Alternatively, go for Canon or Epson for cheap 3rd party inks on eBay and the like..

Kodak have stopped making printers now, although some stores still have stock expect this to run out soon.

Ive just got an epson xp-305 all in 1 wireless jobby. Nice bit of kit, but a bugger to set up for wireless as I only have a notebook laptop with no cd drive for the software disc.

Cost 50 quid from currys and a full set of inks is 25 quid

Thanks folks, some ideas to have a look at

I have a Canon MP240, gets a lot of use for work documents, inks are cheap at about £30 for a large black and large colour combo, quality is ok too, also copies and scans etc.

I also have an Epson R2880, ink for this is expensive but does stunning photo prints if that is what you want.

Check out www.bidspotter.co.uk and see what you can find on there, they sell lots of bankrupt stock, only down side is you have to collect.

Kodaks were cheap but kack.

Can't recommend a model but laser all the way for me. I don't print photos and quality and running costs for a laser are much lower. None of this blocked nozzle nonsense.

Yes there's some good prices to be had on lasers and the consumables are much better priced than they used to be, cheers for that.

I'm going to have a serious look over the coming week, thanks all for the information

I recently picked up a HP LaserJet 100 MFP M175a for work and the photo printing on plain paper is awesome, genuine supplies are not cheap though; I have imported some toner and reset chips direct from China - I got 3 full sets of refills and 12 sets of chips for less than the cost of 1 set of genuine cartridges, including paying import duty.

I have a HP LaserJet CP1025 Color which is brilliant, i have lots of different printers in the past and this is my fav and best one.

How often do you really need colour?

A dirt cheap laser (old HPs go on for ever and don't die) could do the majority of work and then use a printing service for the odd colour job (or just do it at work like everyone seems to at my place :()

Thanks again folks

Dr Zoidberg, I currently have a fantastic colour Laserjet at work but come the end of March I'll no longer have that job and I don't know what job I'll get myself and whether I'll have access to a printer. As regards how often I need colour; I do quite a bit of photography and, even though it's not regular I do make up some framed pictures for myself and others so do need colour.

I'd still be inclined to use a printing service - you'll get better results from a professional printer than any of the "standard" priced home inkjets, and the money you'll save will pay for a lot of prints, including ones larger than A4 if needed.

Point well made, I'll certainly take it in to consideration

Got to agree with the old Laser Idea - we've got an old HP 2100 LaserJet for dad - have had it for years, and at the time, compatible toner was £5 ea. (so we've got a few spare) printer was around £20 and it's still on the toner it came with!

I'm a professional photographer, and apart from event printing (with a Sont Dye-Sub) i don't print. It's cheaper and easier to send to the lab.

Al.

Cheers Al

I bought a Samsung Wireless Colour printer because I got fed up with the inks drying. £125 or something it was.... best buy ever.

Little Samsung laser printer for me at £40 from Argos last month. The trouble with inkjets is that every time you power one up, the print heads purge / clean. I have kept my wide and standard inkjet printers for photo work, but more often than not, I just sub photo work out.

Chris

Great into folks, thanks

How often do you really need colour?

A dirt cheap laser (old HPs go on for ever and don't die) could do the majority of work and then use a printing service for the odd colour job (or just do it at work like everyone seems to at my place :()

We have an oooold Samsung multifunction mono-laser. It's been a great wee thing and we've only changed toner a couple of times in 5yr. It needs another one now and the toner costs more than the printer. I'm going to get a refill kit this time. If it works great, if it kills it no big deal.

Work has loads of old HP Laserjet 4 mono duplex printers lying around due a new Xerox contract. Due to feckin WEEE they can't even sell me one. They're big bricks of printers but they last forever.

Edited 18 March, 201313 yr by Aspman

The epson xp-305 is looking favourite at the moment, the others are too big and / or expensive for what I need and at the price its no biggy if I don't like the epson. I'm going to nip in to Currys et al just to physically see it and who knows perhaps there'll be a deal on

Thanks all.

Same with every printer, take a look at the price of the refills before you buy.

Does it have to be a multifunction? I've got a Dell 1250c which I paid the princely sum of £50 for which I use for printing shed loads of photos. Laser, and a full set of toners (does about 500 pages) costs £30 ish.

Cheers but I thought I'd treat myself and will appreciate the Wi-Fi, just ordered an Epson 305 collect tomorrow. OEM high capacity cartridges are £40 for all 4, non OEM high capacity from £11 upwards for all 4.

Refill kits work well, but make sure you tick the option for the hole melter with your first order - and dont forget reset chips if your printer needs them.

I have refilled the black toner in the works HP twice with no problems so far; one word though, DO NOT believe the empty warning, keep going until it actually runs out (if it will let you), the HP has been moaning the colour toners are empty for weeks, yet it is still printing photos, and the black one had LOADS of toner left when I opened it.