Another IT hardware manufacturer outsmarting the buyers of it’s products

[GON]

We rarely print anything and purchased a Epson WorkForce Wf 2950 before we moved, about four months ago.

Wife wanted to print something and discovered the power cord was missing. The printer only cost $79 at Walmart, so thought easier to just buy another printer for the power cord, and have four spare ink cartridges.

Plugged in the printer and printer reports black ink cartridge empty. I feel so lucky, I have four new ink cartridges, and one is the color black.

Plug in the brand new cartridge. Printer reports back I can no longer use an initial ink cartridge in the printer Cartridge must be a replacement cartridge.

Epson took the time to program into its printer if the cartridge is new with the printer, or new after the initial cartridge runs out

I tried every work around, no solution to be found except buying a replacement ink cartridge. I no longer feel so lucky. But I do feel like reducing my use of it hardware and software. Tired of these games. Maybe I am just getting old …..

 

[jcy]

Did you completely uninstall the old epson drivers and then try re-installing with updated drivers off their site? Don't update the printer firmware though

Also maybe this might disable the genuine ink check "feature":
https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-bypass-an-epson-ink-out-message

 

[GON]

Did you completely uninstall the old epson drivers and then try re-installing with updated drivers off their site? Don't update the printer firmware though

Also maybe this might disable the genuine ink check "feature":
https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-bypass-an-epson-ink-out-message

Thanks for the suggestion.

This printer doesn't hook to a computer, hooks right to a router/ hub. The printer shows the black ink no full, but displays I can't do anything until a new "replacement" cartridge is installed. I read numerous work arounds to include pulling out all the cartridges and pulling the power cord and let the printer sit for ten minutes. Plug the printer back in and reinstall the ink cartridges. That didn't work. Printer "locking" itself until I install a replacement cartridge. I can't do a single thing, like connect to wifi.

 

[LDB]

Put the actual new printer with it's new cartridges in its place and save the not empty color cartridges as backups? Or they'll do the same thing if swapped over? Hmmm, switch to Brother printer? Good luck sorting it all.

 

[GON]

Put the actual new printer with it's new cartridges in its place and save the not empty color cartridges as backups? Or they'll do the same thing if swapped over? Hmmm, switch to Brother printer? Good luck sorting it all.

Yes, I can use the new printer with the new cartridges, but can't use the three or four good cartridges in the new printer. I wasn't planning on setting up another printer........ Maybe Brother is the way to go....

 

[dishdude]

I only buy Brother lasers.

 

[Carmudgeon]

Printers transitioned from being a hardware business to a consumables business once inkjets took hold.

And lately, the company execs are doing their best to try to turn printing into a subscription service.

The sad husk of a company that calls itself HP, in some vain attempt to evoke the great one that did hold true to its founders' principles, is the leader in that regard.

 

[billt460]

Epson, HP, Brother, and all the rest are not in the printer business... They're in the paper and ink business. They could give you the printers for what they make on the ink cartridges and printer paper. Printers have become disposable items.

 

[CharlieBauer]

I got a Canon laser printer / scanner / fax about 10 years ago for $100 and it came with an extra Canon cartridge. Sold the cartridge for $75.

4 years later, the starter cartridge ran out. Bought a 2 pack non genuine from Amazon for $25. Still using the first one.

For low usage, laser is the way to go. If you need color, see if anything is on sale during Black Friday / Cyber Monday.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

I bought one of the Epson EcoTank printers. Best quality, no but has not failed me in multiple years and the cost with the large ink things is awesome. I used to always have issues with the HP and Brother that I had and that was before the crazy costs of the cartridges that always seemed to be empty.

My Ecotank from either BJ's/Costco/Sam's also had 2 of each refill ink. Kids projects, reports, numerous other things and I don't recall buying new ink bottles yet.

 

[2002 Maxima SE]

My wife does a fair amount of printing and scanning for our kids school work. The old printer was acting up, so we decided to replace it with a new one, Canon Pixma. The old printer would take any ink, the new one will only use Canon ink (even when humans cannot tell the OEM from Chinese Amazon knockoff).

 

[97prizm]

We rarely print anything and purchased a Epson WorkForce Wf 2950 before we moved, about four months ago.

Wife wanted to print something and discovered the power cord was missing. The printer only cost $79 at Walmart, so thought easier to just buy another printer for the power cord, and have four spare ink cartridges.

Plugged in the printer and printer reports black ink cartridge empty. I feel so lucky, I have four new ink cartridges, and one is the color black.

Plug in the brand new cartridge. Printer reports back I can no longer use an initial ink cartridge in the printer Cartridge must be a replacement cartridge.

Epson took the time to program into its printer if the cartridge is new with the printer, or new after the initial cartridge runs out

I tried every work around, no solution to be found except buying a replacement ink cartridge. I no longer feel so lucky. But I do feel like reducing my use of it hardware and software. Tired of these games. Maybe I am just getting old …..

There's an Epson ink cartridge resetting tool that will fix it. I like ny stylus Stylus cx5000 as it at the Time was one of the only printers that would work with very little software in Ubuntu Linux. My dad bought an Epson ink tank model and it had issues with the drivers for the scanner. Epson stopped making laser printers in 2023 unfortunately.

 

[skyactiv]

I have an Okidata B&W duplex laser printer. It performed fastest on the original toner cartridge. I bought a toner refill kit that included a new microchip and the printer works but only at half the speed.

 

[Jetronic]

I went with a cheap HP laser printer and can't ever see me going back to ink jet. If I would ever need a colour print, I can get it done at a local office supply store. There was ALWAYS something up with the colour ink jet printer when I wanted to use it, no matter how much use the colour cartridges endured before. It worked out to at least $30 for every colour print I made, I don't need that. And the black prints weren't perfect either.

The $70 laser printer has been perfect for years now.

 

[LenZee]

I bought one of the Epson EcoTank printers. Best quality, no but has not failed me in multiple years and the cost with the large ink things is awesome. I used to always have issues with the HP and Brother that I had and that was before the crazy costs of the cartridges that always seemed to be empty.

My Ecotank from either BJ's/Costco/Sam's also had 2 of each refill ink. Kids projects, reports, numerous other things and I don't recall buying new ink bottles yet.

I have one that is telling me the black tank is almost empty despite it being full. Hasn't indicated totally empty yet but I'm sure it will soon. I wacked it a few times in case a float was stuck but nothing changed.

 

[Gyro Gearloose]

My printer came with an ink of the month club offer that was significantly cheaper than the store prices. I was tempted to join and stockpile a few cartridges and then I read that the cartridges were only workable during the month after they were sent. Ripoff.

 

[supton]

I think it is a laser jet that we have? refuses to die, but occasionally needs a firm hit to operate. Parallel port, anyone?

Picked up a couple color printers from the dump over the summer, with new in box cartridges, that Ive been meaning to try out.

Print less these days but when I do, I tend to print it at work…

 

[Nukeman7]

I bought one of the Epson EcoTank printers. Best quality, no but has not failed me in multiple years and the cost with the large ink things is awesome. I used to always have issues with the HP and Brother that I had and that was before the crazy costs of the cartridges that always seemed to be empty.

My Ecotank from either BJ's/Costco/Sam's also had 2 of each refill ink. Kids projects, reports, numerous other things and I don't recall buying new ink bottles yet.

I previously had an expensive Brother color laser printer that was great due to toner cartridges that would never dry up like ink cartridges. However, it broke after 4 years of light use, so I decided to go with the Epson EcoTank 3850SE with the refillable ink tanks. Best decision I have ever made! I have printed thousands of pages since 2021 and still have not needed to refill any of the tanks. It came with 2 bonus bottles of black ink and a complete set of Epson brand refill ink bottles only costs $49 at Sam's Club/COSTCO/BJ's Wholesale. The EcoTank printers have been so successful that HP and Canon now offer refillable ink tank inkjet printers modeled after the Epson technology. As a bonus, the Epson printer's WiFi connectivity is much more stable than the Brother laser printer.

 

[JayhawkRoy]

Our intent was to replace a 13 year old HP colorjet printer with an Epson Ecotank. Could never get it to print, and Epson help line or Best Buy on line geek squad was no help. Returned the printer and got an HP black & white laser printer. HP print and scan doctor software correctly diagnosed the problem and we are happy campers once again. In general, never have been disappointed with HP assistance, be it a person or their print and scan doctor software.

 

[jhs914]

I only buy Brother lasers.

Best move I ever made was switching from ink jet to a Brother laser jet. No more overpriced cartridges that dry out if you don't use them frequently. The toner powder for the laser is good no matter how long it sits. And with the Brother there is no problem using refurbished toner cartridges to save money. I never print color so I don't need that.