On 8/18/2012 3:39 PM, J.G. wrote:
Q: What color laser printer can cheaply be refilled with non-OEM toner?

For years, I bought the Costco HP inkjets which required ink priced at
about 100 times what ink 'should' cost. I even tried the Costco $20 ink
refills, but of course, HP makes refills almost impossible, on purpose,
so I simply vowed to never buy another HP ink-based printer.

I bought an HP B&W laser printer, and have happily and successfully been
buying $5 guaranteed-used-once C92 cartridges and refilling the C4092A
black toner over the years at home, for about $5 for 250 grams of toner
as shown below (after melting a circular hole in the toner cartridge):
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/9007348.jpeg

The problem is my kid wants a color printer and the wife concurs.

I never again wish to go through the expensive ink-refill sheer hell of
the typical HP inkjet ... so the 'only' color printer for me is one which
I can easily and inexpensively refill, at home, from non-OEM sources.

Hence my question:

Q: Do you know of a color laser printer that can be as easily refilled
from non-OEM sources like the B&W laserjets can?

I did this as a thought experiment. With a family, you'll have to do it
for real.
Estimate the cost of a color print.
That's not the cost calculated by the 5% fill numbers of equal amounts
of toner.
Use the 100% fill of one color that your kids want to use for their
poster. If the toners don't come separate, count on throwing out 2/3 of
it. Don't forget the paper cost.
Now, you've got a number.
Put a coin jar next to the printer and make everybody put money in the
jar for every print they make with the current printer.
You're gonna need a big jar.

After a month, see how badly they want that color printer.
While you're at it, ask why they needed all those B&W prints.

If you want to print photos, you've got another problem.
A laser that prints nice photos is gonna cost you.
My neighbor has a very nice HP ink jet that prints
stunning pictures.
He figures that, given all the ink he throws out for plugged cartridges,
that it's costing him about $5/picture.
The photo shop inside the Walgreens around the corner will make a nice
print for 15-cents if you catch them in a sale.

I have three color printers. I haven't made a color print in 15 years.
Color is over-rated if you're not in the advertising business.