My friend Jill asked me recently about fixing printers. A printer seems like something you should be able to fix. Actually trying to fix it, though, usually leaves you confused, disheartened, and unpacking a new printer in short order.
Jill asked because she, like many, is home all day, trying to keep her young kids busy. She needed to print a Molly of Denali maze for her young daughter. Her printer’s response: “Printhead is missing.” The family’s HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 was bought in 2017, and prints about 10 pages a week. And they were not in the habit of removing the printhead from their printer.
The $190 Printhead Problem
I looked at all 55 instances of the word “printhead” in the manual for the 8720. You can align the printhead (with Windows-only software) or clean it (which uses ink). An HP Knowledge Base post about printhead problems suggests lifting a latch on the printhead and jiggling the cartridges around three times (pictured in that transfixing GIF nearby). That’s about it, in terms of DIY repair.
You can damage the printhead if you leave paper jams unaddressed, fail to replace cartridges immediately, or (surprise) use non-HP ink. Jill’s printer did have non-HP ink in it once, but not at the time of the printhead problem. A “Missing” printhead sounded like it could be a damaged connector; maybe a ribbon cable stretched too many times. I didn’t get a chance to look, though. Jill’s husband, after trying all of HP’s suggestions “a hundred times,” had to toss it and buy a new model.
I found a replacement printhead for the 8720 on Everything Business Depot’s Amazon storefront for $190, a remanufactured version for $170, and on eBay for $160. Meanwhile, I could drive to my local Best Buy and get what looks like a comparable OfficeJet 8025 Wireless All-In-One for $170. So it goes with printers. At best, someone might take a moment to search and find some kind of recycling or responsible disposal nearby.
Why must it be this way?
Printers Are Sold Below Cost, and Treated Like It
Everyone who has bought more than one printer during their lifetime has a story like Jill’s. It might make you think of printers as the most unreliable, Wi-Fi intolerant, antiquated device in your home. But my former colleague Liam McCabe at Wirecutter suggests that’s the wrong conclusion. Your printer sucks, but that’s because it’s a really complicated machine sold for a dirt-cheap price:
You take your printer for granted, but that box can cover a piece of paper in millions of dots of precisely located, color-matched ink in a few seconds. You’re probably buying the printer for the cost of parts and distribution, which means the manufacturer is effectively subsidizing the thing on the premise that they’ll recoup their research and development costs (and the rest of their overhead) from your ink purchases.
Your 11th-generation smartphone, thin laptop, voice-interpreting Echo or Google Home—they all seem so much more advanced and reliable than your printer. The big difference is that printers have a lot of moving parts. While phones and laptops and voice assistants certainly break and malfunction (hi!), they’re mostly solid-state electronics, modulating tiny pulses of electricity across immobile boards and components. Printer parts can wear out, jam, run dry or get clogged, and become misaligned.
And yet, these complicated miniature factories are sold real cheap. Printers follow the classic razor and blades model: cheap printers, expensive ink. An IHS Markit teardown of a $70 HP printer estimated its manufacturing cost at $120, according to Consumer Reports. Keep in mind that $120 figure is just the cost of manufacturing the device; it doesn’t include research and development into ink technology, or marketing, or even shipping. HP has put significantly more into your cheap printer than you paid for it, on a reasonably good bet that you’ll pay it off over time.
Given these conditions, it’s sadly apparent why printer makers rarely provide parts, manuals, and repair service for their huge fleets of complicated devices sold for as little money as possible. That negligence seems like it could backfire, given that a malfunctioning printer could drive someone to another brand. But there are only four major consumer printer brands to cycle through. You need to put ink on paper, so you’ll likely be back.
iFixit doesn’t sell consumer printer parts. Parts boss Scott Head agreed that most printers are cheaper to buy than repair, making the maintenance of a huge catalog of specialty parts hard to justify.
What HP Says
I emailed HP about Jill’s issue, and some broader questions. An HP representative responded. Asked if there existed a more detailed service manual for the HP 8720, HP linked the manual and setup guides for the printer. HP noted that, if the product was in warranty (one year for most HP retail printers) or had an extended warranty, HP would replace the whole unit, and cover shipping both ways.
HP does not have a repair program in the U.S., the representative wrote, and mentioned the warranty program again. If a customer’s printer fails outside of warranty, “we will listen to learn more about our customer’s print needs, and provide suggested upgrade options if a customer is interested in purchasing a new printer,” HP wrote.
My last question was the big one: “Everyone I know, whenever faced with a printer issue, finds that it’s less expensive to buy a new printer than to try and fix the one they have. Why is that?”
“At HP, our customers are our priority. We will gladly replace defective units free of charge for printers covered under warranty,” the HP rep wrote in response.
What You Can Actually Fix on a Printer (It’s Not A Lot)
By all means, try out the cleaning, aligning, and other troubleshooting tips in your printer’s manual or online product pages. Check out our printer repair guides, where we have 16 brands, and many of their sub-categories, including HP OfficeJet. Search our Answers forum, where you might find a solution like blasting the printhead nozzles with air. On the model number closest to Jill’s doomed printer, you can fix a faulty paper jam sensor, remove the scanner, or take off the whole outer case, if you wanted to get at something deep inside.
But printers are very distinct, loosely related beasts. Looking through our guides for fixing a paper jam, I found one Brother laser unit where, while reaching in to remove a paper jam, you could damage the printer by touching the electrodes on the right side. Fun! Each printer has its own interface (if it has a screen), drivers for different operating systems, error codes, and ink types.
You can web search your model number, part number, and problem, but be wary of the sources you trust or buy from, and please don’t download anything or get on the phone. I discovered, while looking for specific and general fixes, sites that want you to install “printer fix” software that is almost certainly malware. I also read in Consumer Reports about remote tech support scams, which will also end in heartbreak and disaster.
I haven’t even touched on the network issues you can have with a printer. I have a Brother laser printer in my home. It’s connected by ethernet to my home network, and I have turned off its Wi-Fi component. I have assigned the printer a permanent IP address through my router. And yet, every fourth or fifth time my wife or I want to print something, one of us will have to remove and re-add the printer to our computer, or turn the printer off and then on again. I am a highly experienced unpaid junior network administrator, and even I can only shrug at the Brother’s whims.
Consumer Reports and HelpDeskGeek offer some general check-this-then-that advice, although with a focus on Windows systems. Sometimes it’s better to just connect the printer to a computer by USB and share the printer through Windows or Mac OS’ built-in printer sharing. You might also discover that your printer has an ethernet port, just hidden behind a small plastic tab.
So, What Can You Do? Maintain and Demand Better
Jill asked a question that I haven’t really answered yet. What can you do to prevent a future run-to-the-store printer scenario? I have a few suggestions:
Rely on trusted reviews. Do as much research as time allows before you buy. The reviewers at Wirecutter (where I worked before iFixit) and Consumer Reports spend many hours, speak to experts, and have actually plugged in and set up many of these printers. They hear from their readers if their picks break or misbehave. You can do your own research, but starting with quality sources will save you time.
Buy as little printer as you need. Start with a black-and-white laser printer, and scale up from there. Can you live without color printing, if it means you occasionally have to stop by a copy shop, “borrow” the office printer, or have your photos printed at the drugstore? Then do so. Black and white printers are cheaper and faster per page, their toner cartridges generally don’t jam or dry out if you don’t use them, and you’re safer buying third-party laser toner versus ink cartridges. You’ll pay more upfront, but they pay off over time.
The same goes for all-in-one printers that have a scanner attached. Even if it costs more money, buying a separate flatbed or portable document scanner ensures that only one device can break at a time.
Stick with printer brand ink, or reliable third-party. We’re loath to suggest that manufacturers’ warnings against third-party replacements have weight to them, but when it comes to inkjet ink, there are some differences.
Consumer Reports noted that third-party inks, at best, were a “step down in quality” or “would be just fine,” but also noted that some brands clogged printheads or were struggling to get working. Wirecutter recommends retail locations like Costco, Sam’s Club, and Fry’s that use Retail Inkjet Solutions’ refilling stations. Notably, Wirecutter did not recommend online vendors. Many were not transparent about their ink sourcing, and some openly sought to game customer reviews.
One notable exception is Epson’s EcoTank printers, which you can refill yourself with vials instead of closed cartridges, and which Epson claims are “open” to third-party inks. They’re more expensive than most retail inkjet printers, but cheaper in the long run.
Read the manual. Large parts of the manual may be overwrought diagrams of how USB cables work, or explanations of features you don’t use. But there are likely useful tips in the user manual that could save your printer. Things like the maximum number of days you should go without using or cleaning your printhead, or what different error codes mean.
Ask for a repair manual, directly or through group action. Given their cheaper-to-buy nature, trying to fix your printer is often a nothing-to-lose scenario. If printer companies know how to fix the consumer printers sent to them for service, it seems fair you, too, should get a shot at fixing them. Using your printer for longer means buying more ink, and it might even make you feel better about the brand that just failed you. If you find yourself in a phone call or web chat with your printer maker’s support staff, try asking them for a service manual.
This kind of scenario is why iFixit fights for the Right to Repair. Printer companies have little incentive on their own to provide the parts, manuals, or specialty tools they use to fix consumer printers. It’s more efficient for them if you just buy a new printer, and take on the guilt of tossing a big hunk of plastic, metal, and electronics into the trash. As tricky or longshot as it may be, there should be repair options beyond “Hope you buy a better bet next time.” It’s up to us to demand them, and make companies accountable for how quickly products end up in the waste stream.
Thank you, Jill! If you have questions about fixing things, not fixing things, or how things work, you can ask us on social media: we’re /ifixit on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
16 Комментариев
Great article. I have a few things to add:
Laser (and LED) printers seem more reliable thank ink-jet. At least that’s been my experience. And I think the supplies cost less, even considering that every few years you’ll need to replace more than just toner cartridges (e.g. waste toner bin, belt unit or drums). The only real killer here is the fuser unit - they’re not hard to replace, but they may cost more than the replacement cost for an inexpensive printer.
Regarding ink-jets, I like to recommend those printers that combine print heads into the ink cartridges (which is the case for most HP models, I believe). This way, if you end up with clogged or damaged heads, you only have to replace the ink. Printers where they are separate units may charge hundreds of dollars (more than the whole printer) for a replacement head.
shamino - Ответить
I have a printer that I have run with continuous ink for over 5 years. It has been realy good. I have had to add a waste ink reservoir but it still working well colour printing. (yes colour does have a ‘u’ in it). It is so good that I would like to buy a new print head when it eventually breaks. I am not going to say what make it is as the manufacturers probably read this web.
Simon Wainwright - Ответить
This is mostly the same advice I give my own customers. I will repair a laser printer, but ink printers are “disposable” I tell my customers. One of the most common issues I encounter is that people buy printers that are bigger than what they need, expecting it will last longer. Little do they know that an underutilized ink printer will die faster than an appropriately sized one. One really good tip I give people is to buy the printers that have the printheads built into the ink cartridges. This is common with most entry level HP ink printers and allows you to replace the broken printhead with a new cartridge. (Might also allow you to get away with cheaper ink since you are only risking the disposable print head not an irreplaceable one.)
Joshua Hamlett - Ответить
I still prefer the printed page for a lot of tasks, even though I spend a fair amount of time scanning documents for long-term storage. I recycle a lot of paper in my office.
I have cycled through HP, Epson and I’m now using a Brother MFP (prints, scans, copies, and faxes). I have had this printer for almost 3 1/2 years. It’s bee a solid performer for me. I have had a printer at home since 1988 when I bought a “high-quality capable” dot-matrix printer. The dang thing was LOUD in high-quality mode. Fortunately, we have come a long way sine dot-matrix printers.
I almost always buy the printer’s manufacturer’s ink and replace the device when performance gets wonky. It’s just not worth it to me to try and repair a device that doesn’t cost that much, and the manufacturer’s ink prices are pretty much the same across the board on a per-page basis.
Like the good old days of desktop computers that weighed on the order of 40-50 pounds, devices become obsolete with the passage of time.
Steven - Ответить
Aside from clogging the waste stream, why would you want to repair a printer? I believe the manufacturer should take your old printer in exchange for a new one. Sort of like a “core charge” for car parts. The old printer could them be recycled by the manufacturer into something useful for their 3rd world market. As a computer specialist I have repaired printers for years. It is a time consuming process and as our author noted, parts are expensive. For what you paid for your old printer, you can purchase a new printer with better features, faster speed and fewer failures. With all the different inks out there I am surprised there are still inkjet printers. Lasers are cheaper than ever. My LaserJet All in One’s scanner failed. I was able to upgrade to a newer, faster, more capable LaserJet All in One for less than I paid for the old one. It is almost to the point that instead of replacing your toner cartridges, you should dump your printer for a new one.
phudson38 - Ответить
This is overall an odd response, firstly
But they don't, so... Historically, Moore's Law and disk drive improvements meant upgrading nearly all the other tech associated with PCs worthwhile and cost-effective. Printer tech has been an exception, (although Bluetooth and wifi are nice!) but there's little reason for the industry not to take advantage of the perception of ever-improving PC tech.
That's not really true, especially "fewer failures!" Increased speed isn't too helpful for home use.
"Not clogging the wastestream" is very important for me, thank you, but also realize plastics recycling is mostly an industry scam. Recycling #s 1 and 2 occasionally get recycled, just once. The others hardly ever, and will likely never be economically feasible.
cuvtixo -
I have been working for many years with computer and printer service, I would definitely recommend the use of lasser printers for black and for color to go to some printing service, the programmed obsolescence applies much more for injection printers, in our Latin countries we use the toner refill with excellent results and much more economical.
Miller - Ответить
My printer experience dates back to the early 1980’s, when I bought a hugely expensive daisywheel printer to hook up to my Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer, as a replacement for an Epson dot-matrix printer. The daisywheel was great — it brought a professional finish that was unachievable with a dot-matrix. I then needed colour, so I bought an Epson AcuLaser C3000, paying a lot extra for additional memory to improve print speed. This workhorse did the trick for many years and still sits alongside my desk…… but it is unused. Epson stopped supplying the toner packs, and third-party toners didn’t work that well. I’ve got two or three colour inkjets that also sit unused due to running cost or printhead problems.
The attitude of the printer manufacturers is one of planned obsolescence. This may have some merit in their business plan - but this ignores the fact that increasing numbers of printer users are (like myself) now pensioners. We need high reliability and long-term support!
David Erickson - Ответить
My Epson 520 failed. End of useful life. Found tremendous guidance on Youtube for emptying waste tank - full tank was the reason it had failed. When the next component fails, I’ll prbably replace the printer. In the meantime I’m a happy bunny.
David Payne - Ответить
My printer experience dates back to the early 1980’s, when I bought a hugely expensive daisywheel printer to hook up to my Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer, as a replacement for an Epson dot-matrix printer. The daisywheel was great — it brought a professional finish that was unachievable with a dot-matrix. I then needed colour, so I bought an Epson AcuLaser C3000, paying a lot extra for additional memory to improve print speed. This workhorse did the trick for many years and still sits alongside my desk…… but it is unused. Epson stopped supplying the toner packs, and third-party toners didn’t work that well. I’ve got two or three colour inkjets that also sit unused due to running cost or printhead problems.
kollia koki - Ответить
My printer experience dates back to the early 1980’s, when I bought a hugely expensive daisywheel printer to hook up to my Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer, as a replacement for an Epson dot-matrix printer. The daisywheel was great — it brought a professional finish that was unachievable with a dot-matrix. I then needed colour, so I bought an Epson AcuLaser C3000, paying a lot extra for additional memory to improve print speed. This workhorse did the trick for many years and still sits alongside my desk…… but it is unused. Epson stopped supplying the toner packs, and third-party toners didn’t work that well. I’ve got two or three colour inkjets that also sit unused due to running cost or printhead problems.
kollia koki - Ответить
Keep in mind that not all manufacturers are equally good at implementing planned obsolescence. The Brother HL 20x0 laser printer series, for example, has a paper pickup mechanism with a tiny tyre. Over time, the approx. 1cm of this tyre that actually touch the paper will wear off, and the printer will develop paper feed problems. It takes but 15 minutes to remove the pickup roller mechanism, remove the tyre and put it back in a way that a previously unused part of the tyre will touch the paper. Given the size of that tyre, you can probably do this at least 20 times. I’ve been using my Brother HL 2070 for a very long time already. Way longer than Brother intended it to be used. And I will probably be using it for another couple of years. Pickup roller tyres, by the way, are still available. I’ve recently bought one. Just in case the rest of this printer happens to still be going strong when, about 20 years from now, the current tyre will not have a centimeter left that isn’t worn off…
Frank Gruendel - Ответить
In my experience, there are lots of different things that go wrong with printers (in addition to heads clogging up etc). I have a Xerox 8570 wax colour printer (4 lumps of candle wax cost $400!) and an HP OfficeJet J6410. When each of them failed the first time, I bought another very cheaply on eBay. I now have a complete set of spares for each. I’m reasonably good at fixing things, so when one of them fails (I guess about once a year), I get the replacement part from the old one. So far, no one item on either has broken twice! (It also solved the problem of my Xerox failing just after I’d bought a new set of wax sticks.) Of course, those two cold spares do take up room in my barn….
Chris Moller - Ответить
The number one thing to do if you use an inkjet printer infrequently is to setup an automated nozzle flushing print job that runs enough of each color through the respective nozzles to prevent clogging. I run my page I created via a cron job on my linux system every 3.5 days under linux and have had zero clogging issues since starting that regimen a while back. You only have to print a square inch or so of each color to keep fresh ink in the nozzles and stop that pain!
There is no excuse for not doing this even if you use a consumer grade OS like windows or MAC os these also have automation tools built in I believe.
tcagle53 - Ответить
Unless like me, you print once a week or less!!! If I did "nozzle flushing print job" more than once a week, that would use 90% of my color inks right there. Every 3.5 days!, you must be printing a sizeable amount every day for that not to be noticeably wasteful!
cuvtixo -
I’m certified to repair Lexmark and Xerox printers.
Look for the phrase Duty-Cyle. The larger the number, the better quality you’re buying. Duty-Cycle is the manufacturer’s way of saying you should get X copies before the unit dies or needs repairs.
When it comes to service after the purchase, Extended warranty is your best friend. Not for the cheap-o printers, but for the printers that cost, say, above $200. Even if you keep it (and the warranty active) for the next 10 years, the company will always try to have it fixed to your satisfaction. Even if printer production stops a year after you purchased it, as long as the warranty is in force, the company will repair it, or replace it.
Always use genuine toner for your printer. use the generic at your own peril. It WILL damage your printer and shorten the life.
A User Guide tells you how to use the printer. If you want to repair it, look for the Service Manual. They are out there on the net. Always check the manufacturer page for updates, new drivers, etc.
FSE - Ответить