USAFRet said:
I also have an Epson (R300) that does CD/DVD. The
only reason I keep it around is for that capability.
Well that shouldn't be the only reason, the R300 will give you very nice photographic reproductions however even the original Epson ink left a little to be desired when it came to longevity.
I've had about 3 Epson R200's, 2-R220's, 1-R300, 1-R320 and a R280 of those I still have an R200, an R220 and the recently purchased R280. I've had a few other printers as well but, those are the Epson's I've owned.
I used to buy the 200's and 220's for about $75 a pop on sale or refurbished from Epson. I really like the detail these printers can produce for such a cheap printer however at first, before knowing what I know today I basically considered these disposable printers. I guess I still do just not to the same degree that I used too since I've found that it's not all that hard to remove and clean the printhead to like-new condition, if needed.
One thing that I've noticed over the years is that the availability of high quality after market inks for these printers has gone from almost nonexistent to really good. If you want the best inks though, you have to either refill your ink carts (preferably refillable carts w/auto reset chips) or use a CIS system. I frequent photography forums to keep up on the best inks and other supply's.
USAFRet said:
Tried a CIS system with it, with less than stellar results. It worked, but keeping the ink in the tubes is a hassle.
I don't doubt you at all, 4 or 5yrs ago their weren't as many manufacturers of
quality aftermarket supply's. The key word here of course is quality. Seven years ago a $100 (or more) CIS system was no better than what is found in a cheap $30 CISS today.
The ink tubes on a CISS work on a simple siphon principal so as long as everything is properly sealed air can't enter and this won't be a problem. So, this was most likely a quality issue in the design or manufacturing process.
I bought my latest CIS system on sale ($60), fairly cheap but, I see many CISS selling for half of what I payed. I guess the moral here is that some times you really do get what you payed for (both the good and the bad). And again just like with the ink, I've found that photography forums are the best place to keep up on which ink delivery systems are the best.
So while I do acknowledge that laser printers have earned there place in today's printer market, so have inkjets for many good reasons and if you buy
Quality aftermarket inks, like laser printers cost per page can be one of those reasons.