I've just been realizing how quick my "generally new" printer has been going through ink. This last set couldn't even get 6 months. I know that doesn't mean much, but if you knew how little I've printed, only text and usually choosing only black, I'm a bit dumbfounded. To be honest, I had a hard time telling the difference in weight between the "empty" cartridges and the "full" new ones I just put in. I've been running only Epson cartridges since new and I've put in the higher capacity in for black (XL). Very disappointing when my total price is $130 for replacements. The compatible cartridges aren't even cheaper...actually, a bit more, and it's stated that they aren't compatible with the newest firmware. I love the printer but am quite disappointed in its ink usage! Imagine if I was printing photos!
Ink use in Epson WF-7820
- Thread starter csonni
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Hmmm. Seriously. Found this: "the consensus seems to be that manufacturers err heavily on the side of cushioning low-ink alerts. That is, they'd much rather have you toss out a cartridge with ink left than print for weeks or months longer before spending more cash on new ones. One study indicated that nearly 60 percent of ink goes unused and is thrown away."
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Switch to a laser next time and never look back. They print thousands of times before being empty. For office and business document printing, color lasers are the way to go. The manufacturers don't want you to know that though.
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We were gifted a new Canon MF641CW All In One color laser printer over the summer that has treated us very well. All of our financial documents and everything business goes through it. Including wireless scans. Take a look around yard sales. You might be surprised to get a great deal on one that was barely used.
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I ended up ordering a Canon all in one laser printer scanner. Not sure how much I could get for my Epson. I really like the large format scanner. I’m wondering how to remove the scanner portion from the unit (hack job?) and trash the printer portion. The electronics would be tricky as well as the power supply. Maybe a winter project? Make my own case, etc? Anyone know if this is possible?
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It wouldn't really be worth the time. You'd most likely end up with a brick with all the sensors and other checks the all in one does before operating.
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with that being the case, I wonder if my scanner would continue to work without replenishing the ink cartridges.
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In this day and age, I wouldn't be surprised if they even disabled that by leaving the LCD panel unusable due to ink. When yours runs out, chime back and let us know.
Having said that, my new Canon MF753CDW laser printer came with full toner cartridges. I’ve heard that at least the black comes half full as a ”starter” cartridge. I’m pleased.
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That's great to hear. You're right, the starter ink is usually much less than normal.
If you’re mainly printing documents rather than photos, a colour laser is definitely the way to go from a running‑cost perspective. Toner cartridges last for thousands of pages and don’t waste anything on head cleaning cycles. There are several Mac‑compatible all‑in‑ones with wireless scanning; models such as the Brother MFC‑L3770CDW and HP Color LaserJet Pro M283fdw have flatbed scanners with ADFs and work with AirPrint, though they only scan up to letter/A4. If you need larger format scanning, you could pair a dedicated A3 flatbed scanner with a laser printer or look at Epson’s EcoTank ET‑15000 series, which uses refillable tanks instead of cartridges, so the ink cost per page is much lower than cartridge‑based machines.
As for turning your WF‑7820 into a standalone scanner, unfortunately the firmware in most all‑in‑one units expects the print engine to be present and will lock out functions if it detects empty cartridges or missing hardware. You might be able to get a few extra scans after the ink is low by ignoring warnings, but removing the printer section entirely isn’t realistic. Selling or donating the Epson and investing in a machine that meets your needs will save a lot of time and frustration in the long run.
As for turning your WF‑7820 into a standalone scanner, unfortunately the firmware in most all‑in‑one units expects the print engine to be present and will lock out functions if it detects empty cartridges or missing hardware. You might be able to get a few extra scans after the ink is low by ignoring warnings, but removing the printer section entirely isn’t realistic. Selling or donating the Epson and investing in a machine that meets your needs will save a lot of time and frustration in the long run.