Old HP Instant Ink Cartridges, Unused. Whats should I do with them?

[mangyiscute]

So we stupidly enrolled in HP Instant Ink which as a service is a massive scam because we must have paid hundreds of pounds for a couple ink cartridges, but now that we have ended it the printer won't work with those cartridges (it comes up with an error message telling you to enroll in this service). We have got a new printer so I don't need to use these cartridges (a friend had a spare printer) but these are unused ink cartridges so it would be annoying to see them go to waste. What can I do with them? I'm in the UK so services here would be very useful.

[Kilrah]

Probably nothing since as you see they're only usable by someone who's subscribed, and anyone who's subscribed doesn't need them anyway...

[HanZie82]

Bring them to an ink-reseller, the same place you could've bought some chips to trick the printer in thinking you have normal full cartridges.

Just FYI the WHOLE ink-jet printer thing is a scam. They sell the printer for the price of the ink, then when its out you have to buy new ink twice the price of the printer.

If you have ink-jet NEVER buy new 1st hand cartridges, just go to an ink reseller and get those.


Get a laser printer and be done with this awefull shite.

[Kilrah]

Laser isn't much better, at least the toner doesn't dry up when unused and generally is higher capacity, but a full set of cartridges for my printer is also about as much as a new printer.

 

Inkjet is great with something like Epson's EcoTank, and others have started doing the same. Ink is cheap, but obviously the printer has a much more expensive base price since they're not overcharging for ink anymore.

[HanZie82]

5 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

Laser isn't much better, at least the toner doesn't dry up when unused and generally is higher capacity, but a full set of cartridges for my printer is also about as much as a new printer.

 

Inkjet is great with something like Epson's EcoTank, and others have started doing the same. Ink is cheap, but obviously the printer has a much more expensive base price since they're not overcharging for ink anymore.

While all that is very true.
It end up meaning if you only print infrequent like most ppl, since paper is a kind of waste a laser printer will always be ready for you.
And about the toner being expensive yes, but if you calculate that for amount of prints its actualy the same f not cheaper if you include the price of non empty ink cartridges that dried out over time.
For ink-jet printer you need a good steady consistent regime, as when them nozzles dry up (normal consumer ones) you can trow them away.

Having a huuuge ink storage that can easily be filled is really nice, but it has the same drying up of the ink problem. And that will break the piezo elements that push out the ink. So you will have to keep printing or replacing them.

[HanZie82]

To come back to Original question.
How about drilling a hole in the top, and then using them just to paint something nice.

[Kilrah]

Yup totally, for occasional use laser is better becasue of that, that's why I have one now. 

 

Friend has an A3 ecotank IJ, but he's printing stuff nearly daily including photos so the nozzles get their regular workout. 

We've been using it twice for a photo booth at an event, printing 300 A4 high quality photos each time... A normal cartridge set would usually be destroyed in 10-20 photos and cost $50, here we totaled about $15 of ink per evening, negligible compared to the photo paper  

 

That's one thing - if you want print photos laser is worthless.

[HanZie82]

3 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

Yup totally, for occasional use laser is better becasue of that, that's why I have one now. 

 

Friend has an A3 ecotank IJ, but he's printing stuff nearly daily including photos so the nozzles get their regular workout. 

We've been using it twice for a photo booth at an event, printing 300 A4 high quality photos each time... A normal cartridge set would usually be destroyed in 10-20 photos and cost $50, here we totaled about $15 of ink per evening  

Yeah they both have their use, a laser printer (at least the ones for us consumers) cannot print as nice as them ink-jets.
I just wish the manufacterers and reseller would stop lying and be honest so ppl could get a device thats actualy useful to them.

Yes since i go to ppl's homes and fix their shitty old PC's, printers is a thing thats also discussed a lot. I see a lot of ppl with a 50$ ink-jet and then wonder why it wont work for their 1 anual print.
And since there now are very good laser(led actualy)printers for about 150$, theres no excuse anymore.

[Kilrah]

Problem is the same reason why you find $50 printers sponsored by cartridge sales - people just don't see a printer as something useful, always get the cheapest, and drove the race to the bottom...