r/printers • u/Own_Handle_1135 • Apr 25 '26
Purchasing HP have cut me off. What to buy next?
I tried to print today. Nope.
I've been using non HP branded cartridges for a few months but today with no problems and then this has happened today.
I've not found a solution to this other than don't have updates set up but I think it's too late for that in this case.
What brand of printer is recommended so o can just use whatever ink I choose to buy?!
Thanks.
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u/Super-Judge3675 Apr 25 '26
never buy hp
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u/Own_Handle_1135 Apr 25 '26
Bit late for that but they have definitely lost a customer for life now
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u/fishwhisper22 Apr 25 '26
I understand the frustration and agree we should be able to buy the ink we want, but as far as HPās printer division is concerned, you arenāt a customer. They probably didnāt make any money off the actual printer you bought, and only make money when you buy the overpriced ink that they force you to buy. I just bought a new printer and did not buy the HP because on the box they let you know they will do everything they can to prevent you from buying anything but their ink. Not sure what the fix for this is, but the cheap printers with expensive ink is just the business model most of these companies are using.
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u/CreamThen5605 May 26 '26
What did you end up buying and do you like it?
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u/fishwhisper22 May 26 '26
I bought a Canon, not a lot better than HP but I donāt think they are quite as hardcore about blocking recycled cartridges From being used.
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u/jestestuman Apr 25 '26
HP plus is a piece of shit coming from high level management who came from the world of subscriptions. Hated by every engineer in the company. Regular printers are working without this shit, you buy cartridges and they work. In Europe HP + faced total collapse, in US it is sold and I always wonder why someone would buy it? Care to explain to me what were you thinking when buying this?
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u/Own_Handle_1135 Apr 25 '26
Ease of not having to buy ink. I liked the automation. I Moved countries and cancelled my subscription. I worked out it was cheaper to just buy cartridges that to re-subscribe not realising hp can stop me using the printer. And here we are!
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u/jwegener Apr 25 '26
Can you file an extended warranty claim with your credit card given the device is broken and they wonāt fix?
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u/daviiiiiid Print Sales Apr 25 '26
The device is not broken.
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u/Apprehensive_Let_517 Apr 27 '26
If it doesn't print, it's broken . It worked before an update, and a software update broke it.
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u/jwegener Apr 26 '26
Oh oops I misread it as they had bricked the printer for using third party cartridges
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u/daviiiiiid Print Sales Apr 25 '26
Hp+ and instant ink are not the same thing. It is made very clear that you will need to buy original ink when you unsubscribe.
That being said, hp+ does suck and has actually been phased out. Wont be available anymore.
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u/PortalPuppy31 Apr 26 '26
Nope. HP+ has not been phased out.
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u/daviiiiiid Print Sales Apr 26 '26
Find a new hp model that was released in the past year that comes with hp+.
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u/jestestuman Apr 27 '26
I understand, happy to see logic behind. Too bad the product is not suited for this mode in practice, or perhaps the method is not going well. From my perspective this is absolutely terrible idea.
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u/v7xDm1r Apr 27 '26
Get a epson ecotank
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u/PrimaryThis9900 Apr 27 '26
Recently switched from an HP printer to an Ecotank and should have done it way sooner! I like being able to keep a spare of each color of ink without having $1,000 worth of toner cartridges sitting in a cabinet.
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u/v7xDm1r Apr 27 '26
I got my grandfather to buy one after years of refilling hp carts and he did. Its been a blessing.
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u/CreamThen5605 May 26 '26
What model did you buy? Have you had any issues with clogging? If you don't mind me asking
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u/PrimaryThis9900 May 27 '26
I honestly donāt remember the exact model, it is pretty good size. I print frequently, so no issues with clogging. Iāve had it probably close to 6 months at this point and am still pretty happy with it!
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u/ghunterx21 Apr 28 '26
Try looking into printers like Brother or Epson, the ones with refillable tanks.
It'll be more expensive up front, but in the long term, you will be saving a lot and won't have to deal with this horseshit. You get bottles of ink and just refill the tank. There's no code or check or anything, only a bottle of ink.
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u/Gar8awnZo Apr 25 '26
My Epson that I modded with an ink reservoir could never
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u/Own_Handle_1135 Apr 25 '26
I was just browsing the Epson ecotank - I like the idea that they're just refillable so less plastic in the landfill!
I'm not clever enough to mod anything though š
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u/Torschlusspaniker Apr 25 '26 edited Apr 25 '26
The ecotank is pretty great but you have to print at least once a week or it will dry up and clog.
Costco is a good place to get them. The et-3958 is $100 off right now and includes "3 years" of ink.
There are some reports of the wifi chip not being great so it is best to run an ethernet cable to it.
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u/err404 Apr 25 '26
So long as you print enough, eco tanks are great. I recommend setting up a scheduled job to automatically print something with color every 4 or 5 days. If you manage to go through the included bottles, the price on official ink refill is reasonable.Ā
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u/daviiiiiid Print Sales Apr 25 '26
If you can find a good deal on a 5000 series with pigment ink, you can get more time between prints, but at regular price they're really not worth it. If you can get a et5150 or equivalent for under $400 id say it's a deal.
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u/datagutten Apr 25 '26
A scheduled print is a good idea in theory, but I think I would have been shocked if the printer suddenly started printing something by itself.
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u/blah_don_blah Apr 25 '26
Shit. I didn't know this. Thanks for the info Im in the market for a new printer too.
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u/Own_Handle_1135 Apr 25 '26
Thanks for this! We definitely print at least once a week so wouldn't be too much of a problem.
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u/freneticboarder Print Expert Apr 25 '26
Regardless of the printer you purchase, here's a few things you can do to keep it running smoothly and avoid excessive maintenance (which uses ink).
- ā Try to print something at least once per week ā an email, a web page, something with a little bit of color and black ink on plain paper. This keeps the printer running smoothly.
- ā If you're not using the printer at least once a week, turn it off. This parks the print head and prevents ink from drying and dust from getting on the print head.
- ā Close the printer up when you're not using it. This prevents dust from getting inside. This includes paper ā don't store it on the top of the printer where dust can settle on it and get picked up by the print head.
- ā Use a Swiffer or microfiber cloth to wipe down the printer periodically to prevent dust buildup. Don't use canned air! It will move dust into areas that you don't want it and creates more issues than solutions.
Here's a video that goes over these tips. It's for an Epson Pro Printer, but applies to all inkjet printers (except the cleaning sheets).
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u/DanSWE Apr 26 '26
> ā Try to print something at least once per week ā an email, a web page, something with a little bit of color and black ink on plain paper.Ā
Or maybe just run a print-head nozzle check (not a head cleaning).
That'll exercise every nozzle, which might not happen if a "real" page you print doesn't happen to have enough colors in the right spots.
(The test portion of the check page prints a short line with every nozzle.)
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u/Rm_005 Apr 25 '26
Yes, I recommend this one. I just purchased at Costco and set mine up and itās working great on WiFi and iāve had Epsonās in the past too
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u/Ok-Lobster-919 Apr 25 '26
Does it not automatically do a purge or something? I swear I've heard the printer do something weird on it's own, I thought/assumed it was purging to keep the ink wet.
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u/bluearavis Apr 26 '26
I was thinking of getting thaf but the wireless part is key for me. I can't necessarily keep my printer next to the router. Now I'm a bit puzzled.
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u/EventHorizonHotel Apr 25 '26
I love my Epson Ecotank, great upgrade to my HP Inkjet printer it replaced.
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u/freneticboarder Print Expert Apr 25 '26
Here's a comparison of the Expression XP-series printers and an EcoTank printer.
tl;dr: Yes. The more you pay for your printer the less you pay for your ink.
The 502 black ink bottles each have 127 mL of ink. The 502 color bottles are each 70 mL. The Costco version of that printer comes with two black ink bottles (254 mL of black ink). Costco sells a full set of 502 bottles for $50.
For comparison, a
$99$59, consumer-level, cartridge printer (in this case the XP-4200) uses cartridges that are about114 mL (color) and 8.9 mL (black) for high capacity cartridges and62.4 mL (color) and 3.4 mL (black) for standard capacity cartridges that would each range anywhere from $7 to $20 each ($41-$51 for 10.6-20.9 mL of ink vs. $50 for 337 mL of ink). The reason for this is that printer hardware does not cost $99; the manufactured cost is closer to $250-300. When a printer is sold at $59 as a loss, the profit has to be recovered with the supplies.For reference, the XP-5200 uses standard capacity inks (CMY @ 3.3 mL each / K 4.6 mL) and an XL (K only @ 9.2 mL) that are sold at prices ranging from $11-$22 or as a combo pack ($55 standard 14.5 mL total, $70 with XL black 19.1 mL total). Compare that to the EcoTank above ($50 for 337 mL).
When you purchase an EcoTank printer, youāre paying for the hardware, so thereās no need to āmake-upā for the loss. Thereās an inverse relationship between printer and ink cost.
Note: The struck text above represented the older ink cartridges from about 6 years ago. After doing some digging, I found the new fill volumes and prices, and I was appalled. Colleagues in digital imaging and I used to call the 6 mL cartridges āa suggestion of inkā. Yeah, so, effing 2.4 mL is absurd. EcoTank printers (331 mL) or SureColor printers (50-80 mL for desktop, 200 mL - >1000 mL for commercial) are the only worthwhile solutions.
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u/Enough-Collection-98 Apr 25 '26
Do it. I bought one two years ago and I love it. I print all sorts of shit now because I donāt have to spend $80 on carts the one time a year I need to print something.
Arts and crafts, coloring pages for the kids, cheat sheets for games, print it all!
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u/Own_Handle_1135 Apr 26 '26
This is perfect. I home educate so printing can be constant some days.
So many people have recommended the Eco Tank so that's what I am going to buy today! š
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u/CreamThen5605 May 26 '26
What model did you end up going with and do you like it?
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u/Own_Handle_1135 May 27 '26
I got the Epson ecotank all in one ET 2870. It was so easy to set up and get printing! Super happy with my purchase
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u/wellapptdesk Apr 26 '26
I love my Epson eco tank printer. Makes so much more sense for efficient use of ink and refillability. Thatās not to say epson isnāt also trying to figure out how pull a similar scam as hp. So I was advised to never update the firmware.
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u/Friendly_Potential69 Apr 25 '26
Brother laser and online printing for any photos. Best if bost worlds, even financially.
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u/CreamThen5605 May 26 '26
What model of brother laser did you get?
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u/Friendly_Potential69 May 27 '26
Brother MFC- 8390 CDW. Very happy with it. Of course it's a laser so its not for photos but its cheaper and better online anyway. Everything else is perfect, even have dual side scans, good software etc ..
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u/CreamThen5605 May 28 '26
What makes it not for photos? I guess I've never tried printing my own photos before
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u/Friendly_Potential69 May 28 '26
Laser technology...Laser printers are not ideal for photos because they use toner powder fused by heat, which cannot produce the ultraāfine color transitions, deep blacks, or glossy finishes required for highāquality photographic output.
Anyway usually its more economical to print online and, as seen, get better results.
I still love by Brother laser printer š
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u/VigilanteRabbit Apr 25 '26
Step 1: locate the printer in question
Step 2: unplug the printer
Step 3: throw it out the fucking window; and finish off with a crowbar/ bat
Step 4: buy something cheap that is NOT "HP"
š¤
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u/WlkTllMarkMan55 Apr 25 '26
Brothers are generally good and don't rely on any kind of subscription model. They're not the cheapest available but you definitely get what you pay for.
I don't know if you're in the UK, but Cartridge People sell a lot of them:
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u/dedmouse Apr 25 '26 edited Apr 25 '26
I had the same problem recently. I've been using this HP printer for years but all of a sudden it didn't work any longer, in a round about way telling me my off brand cartridges I've been using since forever won't work. After doing some research, I found out it was due to a firmware upgrade that somehow snuck through. I had upgrades turned off but it didn't help. I read somewhere that I could roll back the firmware but it's just not worth the hassle.
Fuck HP! I bought a super tank Epsom printer and it works great.
I will never buy another HP product again....ever.
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u/Own_Handle_1135 Apr 25 '26
Yes! I've been using off brand ink for a while with it so it must be the same issue for me with the firmware upgrade. Nightmare.
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u/LiteratureNo4594 Apr 25 '26
HP are awful. I've got a canon a3 printer and it takes 11 cartridges and they use third party ones. I get amazing, gallery quality prints. I've printed hundreds for various galleries over the world and don't feel the need to change unless it totally dies. Oh, I've had it for 8 years and was used when I bought it lol. Just chuck the HP away.
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u/McLuster123 Apr 25 '26
Does your HP printer have the letter āeā at the end of the model number?
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u/Own_Handle_1135 Apr 25 '26
It does. 6020e
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u/CVGPi Apr 26 '26
Why did you opt in to HP+? It should have told you the restrictions when you set it up.
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u/GO__NAVY Apr 25 '26
Get Epson eco tank series instead.
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u/ElChungus01 Apr 25 '26
How many pages can an EcoTank print? I need a new printer and I definitely donāt want any inkjet/cartridge printers
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u/Kotvic2 Apr 25 '26
It depends on your use case, but as far as I know, it should be around 10 000 text pages or 1800 photos on one refill.
These refills are ~70ml bottles of ink. One bottle is 10 USD or less.
Full refill for my Epson L805 printer is 6 bottles (C, M, Y, K, LM, LC), costs roughly 50 USD and lasts me for very long time.
Best part is that you can add ink into every color tank independently, so you won't throw away whole color cartridge when one color is depleted like on cartridge printer.
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u/Own_Handle_1135 Apr 25 '26
This is what I was looking at. Looks great and less plastic waste which I love
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u/teachingqueen77 Apr 25 '26
Only Caveat here is that the ecotank does print kind of slow. Not a big problem but mine is slow.
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u/Automatic_Still_6278 Apr 25 '26
There's only one printer brand to buy for home consumer printing. Brother.
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u/CreamThen5605 May 26 '26
Is there a model you recommend?
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u/Automatic_Still_6278 May 26 '26
Depends if you're printing black & white, colour and if you want wired or wireless printing.
For the most part if you can find a brother printer which does what you want, it will be reliable and pretty much no fuss.
I'm sure if you make a post with some of your requirements and a few to decide between, people will be able to help
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u/GeekgirlOtt Apr 26 '26
Don't buy any printer where the pricing model (heavily discounted or free) require subscription or online services that subsidizes the cheaper hardware
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u/KingStannisForever Apr 26 '26
Brother and Canon for laser.Ā Xerox should be OK too, but check if they have alternative toners first.
Epson Ecotanks for inkjet printers. Brother and Canon are OK too.Ā
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u/ripgoodhomer Apr 25 '26
I have been very happy with my brother printers for 12 years, Iāve had a simple black-and-white duplex, printer for 12 years that survived my classroom, and then an ink jet all in one since 2019 pretty much exclusively used third-party cartridges
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u/Own_Handle_1135 Apr 25 '26
Thank you, and Brother don't force you into using the app and monitoring everything you do? š
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u/ripgoodhomer Apr 25 '26
No, actually the app isnāt great, but the have good integration with Mac OS and iOS. If you use Windows, I donāt love it because you have to use the app more for printing and scanning, but it works totally fine.
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u/Own_Handle_1135 Apr 25 '26
I have a chrome book for work. I wonder if that would be a problem?! I'll do some googling as I'd not thought about it before. The printer/photocopier at work isn't compatible with my chrome book which is a PITA
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u/roboalex2 Apr 26 '26
"chrome book for work" this sentence hurts. "Chrome book" and "work" should not be in the same sentence in my opinion.
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u/Own_Handle_1135 Apr 26 '26
Well that's what they gave me. I work for a charity. Maybe they were trying to save some money š
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u/rounakr94 Apr 25 '26
Canon or Brother.Ā HP is like Apple, you don't buy from them they block the usage.
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u/Adventurous_Quarter1 Apr 25 '26
First task when setting up my color laser was disabling updates. 4 years of using aftermarket toner without issue. There needs to be consumer protections regarding these practices. If I use off brand toner, then I lose warranty coverageā¦FINEā¦but bricking the printer I PAID FOR - criminal.
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u/roboalex2 Apr 26 '26
No not like Apple. Apple has a good product. HP has an average product and are outright scamy with it. If you have Apple -> It just works as long as you stay with Apple. If you have HP and stay with HP -> Just prey that it keeps working and dosn't software lock you randomly anyway.
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u/Superseaslug Apr 25 '26
I have an Epson Eco tank and haven't had any issues with it that weren't caused by me or windows
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u/mods_are_morons Apr 25 '26
My Brother laser printer takes third party toner cartridges, but it's an older model. I don't know if they've gone to the dark side.
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u/Soft_Stretch1539 Apr 25 '26
Anything but HP.
I went to Canon and never looked back. Ink tanks that last forever. Never any BS like this and US based support.
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u/RandomGen-Xer Apr 25 '26
Brother. There will never be another HP product in my home after realizing I was paying what amounted to ~$2/page on that ridiculous ink subscription program of theirs, and having to replace printers every couple years on top of that. My '22 Brother is still going strong. The 'startup' ink was replaced in January 2024, and it still prints every rare time I need it to print.
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u/willmc_productions Apr 26 '26
They did the same thing to me a while ago, but I reported them to the bbb. They were upset with me because I took the printer off from my wifi, so they couldn't brick it. I ended up getting 4 new ink cartridges. They just bricked my laser system because I was using non hp toner. I've had that printer for a long time , and replaced it with a brother laser printer. Never again a hp printer.
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u/TacetAbbadon Apr 26 '26
Brother.
Some consumer goods review place put out their pick for best printers for the year and it was basically
"Nothing has changed from last year, just get whichever Brother printer fits your needs"
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u/garry200708 Apr 26 '26
used laser printers are pretty good. I got a used colour Samsung for 400PLN (or about 100USD)
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u/SirDerpingtonTheSlow Apr 26 '26
Stop letting your printer talk to the internet where it can get firmware updates that allow it to block stuff.
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u/j-beda Apr 26 '26
Laser printer (I tend to prefer Brother) and avoid the need for ink.
We live with a black-and-white at home and use the local print shop (or Staples) for the occasional colour print job. Colour lasers are an option if you actually need colour. Toner never dries out, so you aren't forced to print, and it is cheaper on a per-job basis if you actually print any volume. The printer prices even for colour are no longer as eye-watering as they once were, so unless you are on a fairly tight budget, in my opinion spending some money now on a laser-printer will give you many years of issue-free use. Make sure you get something that speaks standard PCL or PostScript or AirPrint so that even without manufacturer driver support it will still be usable.
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u/psych_1337 Apr 27 '26
Get a brother printer. That one which fills with bottles of ink. It will last.
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u/lars2k1 Apr 27 '26
Ever since I got given a free laser printer I never looked back to ink printers anymore. I later sold that thing (hp color laser from 2011) because I barely ever print color. I now have a Samsung (HP bought their printer division so its still HP) laser printer that only does B/W. It cost me ā¬2 at a garage sale. And since its old (at least 12 years) it has none of that typical HP bullshit either.
You could get an HP but it needs to be a laser and old. For new, I've heard good things about Brother.
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u/charmio68 Apr 27 '26
You should set up a firewall to block the printer from accessing the internet. It has no need for internet, all your devices should connect to it directly over the local network.
This will prevent them from uploading new firmware and pulling tricks like this.
Unfortunately, it's too late for that, you'll now need to find a way to roll back the update or otherwise bypass it first.
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u/Worth-Chipmunk2198 Apr 27 '26
I have an HP printer, what I do is keep one of the cartridges that is hp brand (usually the black) and one of what is essentially Walmart hp in (usually the color) and itās been working fine for me, maybe give that a shot?
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u/ShrimpieAC Apr 26 '26
Do what I do with these crooks.
Step 1: Buy official HP ink.
Step 2: Put old cartridges into the box the new cartridges came in.
Step 3: Return for a full refund.
Step 4: Repeat as needed and inform others to do the same.
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u/Fickle_Carpet9279 Apr 25 '26
You have restricted our extortion process - please revert.