It’s Insane
Over three years ago, I purchased a brand spanking new HP Color LaserJet Printer. This is a real good print. It even prints high quality color photos. With the right paper, they come out near perfect. About two months ago, I got a warning telling me that it’s time to purchase black toner. The bars on the toner window indicate that it’s almost time to purchase the three color toners also. Last Friday, I decided that I would get the genuine HP toner replacements at Staples. To my great surprise, the four toner cartridges cost me more than the original printer. My printer the HP LaserJet 3600n, cost close to $600.00 almost four years ago. The new HP replacement toner cartridges cost $590.00.
When I got back to the rectory, I couldn’t think how crazy it is that the four toner cartridges cost me almost as much as the original price of my printer. With that in mind, I started to do an online search for new HP Color LaserJet Printers. I came up with a new, faster and built in duplex, HP CP 2025 dm. The new printer cost $499.00.
I decided to return the replacement toner and purchase the new printer. Saved: $100.00. It’s cheaper to purchase a new printer than it is to purchase replacement toner. Am I missing something? Everyone is crying out, “Save the environment, save the planet.” It a joke. You can’t tell me that toner cartridges cost so much to produce! Where are the environmentalists on this?
We are currently facing a similar dilema, for the second time! Our Konica-Minolta Color Laser printer cost $350 @ Sam’s Club. Replacement toner from Staples or anywhere was going to cost about $400. Hmm… the new model of our printer was just put on the market at that time $300. DUH! We bought the new printer.
Now three years later, we are out of yellow toner, the other colors are running, and black will run out soon because with one color missing you can only print gray-scale. 🙁
I love the quality and speed of the laser printer – but the cost of replacing the toner is total insanity.
Yes, printer ink/toner is some of the most expensive stuff per ounce. That said, oftentimes the cartridges that come with a new printer are only 1/2 or even 1/3 full, which is why they can “afford” to put them in a new printer that sells for less than the cartridges themselves.
Printer companies have long considered the printers to be throwaway investments, except for maybe in the highest-end commercial printers. There’s a reason they used to refer to printer ink as “the other black gold”.
The printer cartridges that come with these printers are only starter cartridges. The are generally 30-40%. “Save the environment” is not a joke and I am so disappointed to read that. You are wasting resources throwing away perfectly good printers. This is all in the literature. Take to time to inform yourself.
I also have the HP Color LJ 3600n, and enjoy it immensely. When it comes time to replace the cartridges, I plan on giving my business to the LaserMonks (http://www.lasermonks.com). Although it will still cost 416.70 (with free shipping!) to replace the four cartridges, at least the money will be going to support a group of Cistercian monks.
Oops, the address didn’t turn out right. It’s http://www.lasermonks.com . Also, I forgot to point out that this isn’t new to laser printers. Inkjets have had the same problem for many years, especially HPs. I’ve seen inkjet printers that cost $50 to purchase the printer and $60 for ink refills.