Does anyone know if there is an alternative to succumbing to the blackmail that is buying ink from Dell?

Do any refills on the high street fit their printers? I have a basic Dell photo printer 720.

Or would it be cheaper to replace the printer?

Many thanks

I've used these people MX2 in the distant past and they were always good, as they are still running you might want to give them a try.

Dump the printer. Dell printers are pretty poor quality IMO.

Much better printers out there with better print quality and much cheaper re-fils.

I am afraid that I class printers themselves as consumables and always use compatables. I use an epson RX200 (about £40) and use refills that cost £1 each from these guys who offer excellent service.

http://www.ukdvdr.co.uk/

I print alot. This printer creates perfect A4 photos and I spend about £100 on ink a year. If I bought real ink cartridges it would cost me nearly £1000.

http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4PG0&Cat...000,4294957214,50260


An alternative if you print a lot is you can buy a lazer printer now for £40 and would last you ages if you print occasionally

http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=3TM1&Cat...onKey=11113,42390000

or a new colour lazer printer will cost about £130.

http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=55WQ&Cat...onKey=11113,42390000

I first brought a colour laser for a business I worked for which cost near £4000 about 6 years ago.

A multi function device I also use which I can not recommend highly enough is this brother printer

http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4MZ0&Cat...ationKey=11113,50250

Derren

ps I am not a printer sales man, but very anti ink which costs more than oil

Yup, thanks for that Ian, they have some nice Dell 'compatibles'! Still be interested if anyone knows of any high street places? Otherwise I'll do as Ian suggests, its just that the inks gone already!

Thanks CE, our posts crossed, thats another option I was considering. Seems a good deal to me. Don't print a great deal to be honest, but would like to do some photos and the like.

Kodak were pushing a new printer with coloured ink at 9.99 and black and white at 3.99 (not sure I remember the exact prices) , they claim its pigment based and good for long term photos. The printer was 99.99 and looked quite a good deal
http://printers.kodak.co.uk/ thats cheaper than one refill of my epson 960.
ash

If replacing your printer go for one that has separate colour cartridges,that way you do not have to replace the colour cartridge just because its only ran out of one of the ink colours,you only have to replace the colour thats ran out.
I purchased A Cannon MP520 after doing a lot of comparisons, to replace my Dell printer, And find it excellent. Retails About the £100-00 mark.

quote:

If replacing your printer go for one that has separate colour cartridges,that way you do not have to replace the colour cartridge just because its only ran out of one of the ink

I sort of agree my Epson uses 7 colour and BW cartridges which cost approx 20 pounds each i.e. 140 pounds to replace. The Kodak colour cartridge according to Kodak has been designed so that with average use the inks run out at approx the same time and costs 9.99. so its cheaper all round.

That said I purchased an external ink feed kit for 80 euros which has 250 ml bottles of each ink colour and an adaptor to replace the individual cartridges its just that I have not had the time to install it. see http://www.fortune3.com/cityinkexpress/Epson_Photo_Seri...Continuous_Ink-.html


ash

quote:

Originally posted by ash:


I sort of agree my Epson uses 7 colour and BW cartridges which cost approx 20 pounds each i.e. 140 pounds to replace. The Kodak colour cartridge according to Kodak has been designed so that with average use the inks run out at approx the same time and costs 9.99. so its cheaper all round.

That will depend on how many times they have to be replaced in comparison to individual cartridges for the same amount of prints.

Okay, thanks all - CE you added to yout original post!

I'll sit down at the w/e and decide what to do!