Keep or toss?: two inkjets found at work...

[PeterB]

One is an HP Deskjet 990Cxi, the other an Epson RX580. Both look like they probably just need new cartridges. Are either worth buying the cartridges for, or should I just toss? (Or is there some use for inkjets, other than just adding to landfills? ::o )

[Trouble]

I'd say toss but I hate inkjet printers.

[space-time]

sometimes Staples offers $50 credit for recycling on old printer when you buy a new printer regularly priced $199 or higher. Now the trick is that the new printer can be on sale, as long as the regular price is 199 or higher the credit still works.

I think I have read about people buying a printer with regular prices of 199, on sale for 99, and 49 after recycling an old printer. I am not sure how often they have this promotion.

YMMV

[Paul F.]

I might try with the HP... since they're easier to clean (the head is part of the cartridge).

But I wouldn't try very HARD... (ie; if ink costs too much, into the eWaste pile it would go...)

[M>B>]

Google "Electronic Recycling", they are pretty common these days.

If they have been laying around for some time the heads are probably clogged by now?

[Sam3]

Both were decent printers in their day. I've always liked the HP 900 series printers, in fact, I still use one fairly often. The 900 series had quite a good cost per page for an inkjet, too good for HP as the next generation of inkjets used the same color cartridge, but updated the black cartridge to a smaller-capacity one.

What's nice about the Epson RX580 is that it's a multifunction device, and that it can print directly on inkjet-printable DVD's. But Epsons were more problematic regarding nozzle clogging as the printhead is in the printer, not in the cartridge as the HP's.

[PeterB]

Sam3 wrote:
Both were decent printers in their day. I've always liked the HP 900 series printers, in fact, I still use one fairly often. The 900 series had quite a good cost per page for an inkjet, too good for HP as the next generation of inkjets used the same color cartridge, but updated the black cartridge to a smaller-capacity one.

What's nice about the Epson RX580 is that it's a multifunction device, and that it can print directly on inkjet-printable DVD's. But Epsons were more problematic regarding nozzle clogging as the printhead is in the printer, not in the cartridge as the HP's.

Yep, I just discovered that the scanner part of the RX580 still works fine, despite the fact that it's missing cartridges. But lord ... six cartridges, and you can't print if any of them are missing ?!? If there were an über-cheap source for the carts, then I'm tempted to replace them at least for this printer, because then at least you'd have a cheap all-in-one for the occasional copying job, in addition to a scanner and printer.

Edit: and yeah, I've thought about the Staples trade-in, but don't have a Staples anywhere nearby to me.

[DavidS]

space-time wrote:
sometimes Staples offers $50 credit for recycling on old printer when you buy a new printer regularly priced $199 or higher. Now the trick is that the new printer can be on sale, as long as the regular price is 199 or higher the credit still works.

I think I have read about people buying a printer with regular prices of 199, on sale for 99, and 49 after recycling an old printer. I am not sure how often they have this promotion.

YMMV

Staples, OfficeMax, and Office Depot all offer this deal pretty frequently. Just check their Sunday ads (can be found online). I did this earlier this year at Office Depot. I recycled a broken Brother All-in-one and picked up a HP 6500a all-in-one. The new printer was normally $199 and was on sale for $129. I also used a $25 off coupon and a few empty ink carts, so I got it for about $50 after tax. Plus, I then got a Office Depot Rewards check for about $40 a few months later.

[sekker]

I've done my tours of duty with inkjet printers. I can never seem to unclog Epsons, and the more recent HP machines are simply poor quality.

I know it's a shame, but that technology just went the way of the Totino's pizza - a terrible commodity product. I remember older HP machines that worked great and for years. But I do not see that same quality today.

[Grateful11]

We got our Epson Artisan 835 for $120 by trading in an older Epson, that we paid like $40 for new, in for $50 off at OfficeMax.