Waste ink pad for hp 500 printers? Inquiring before buying.

[Sultan_A]

Hi,

Q: Does the HP Smart Tank 530 printer come with any form of waste ink pad? I mean, of course it does but where is it located and can it be replaced/serviced by me? I looked everywhere for this info and went through the whole manual but no such info was mentioned. Googling it didn't come up with any results either.

Im looking to buy a new printer and im doing a long and tiresome research about which printer to pick. After numerous  hours of research, I landed on 3 models from 3 different brands, one of them being this hp 530 Smart Tank printer:

https://www8.hp.com/sa/en/printers/product-details/26342888

I made sure this time to focus on durability and serviceability for the long run. Im looking up costs for parts such as ink and the most important replacement part, the waste ink pad (or whatever the technical name that hp uses for their printers). So, does hp Smart Tank 530 contain a serviceable waste ink pad? Where is it located in the printer? What is the part number so I can look it up? Can I just take off the sponge pads and wash it off, or DIY it and replace it with my own pads?

Im not an expert when it comes to printers and I learned my lesson after buying my first expensive one and using it for 7 years. This time im going for one those "big tankers" that offer a lot of cheap OEM ink and no more expensive proprietary cartridges and all that mumbo jumbo. I also just discovered this thing called a "waste ink pad/maintenance cartridge" stuff. I've always wondered where that wasted ink goes when I do a nozzle cleanup. I thought it gets evaporated or recycled and pushed back to the cartridge, or something of that sort, but now I know! This should be a part that I can easily and cheaply service/replace by myself without needing to send it to a service center.

Thanks

[Valsimot · Accepted solution]

There is no waste ink pad holder or collection unit in HP Ink Tank 530 printers that can be replaced. That means when it gets full with waste ink it will leak indise the printer. By the time it gets filled with ink the printer will be long out of warranty and you can only buy a new one.

If you want a serviceable printer for the long run go for Epson Ink tank printers.

[Repairatrooper]

If you are looking for serviceability you would be better off looking at one of the PageWide models such as the P577. these units have a replaceable ink collection unit. These are a great printer if you have the volume of printing to ensure it gets used on a regular basis.  

[Sultan_A]

Are you being sarcastic or exaggerating, or is that really how they designed the HP 530 printer to be? Surely it's not going to get filled up and overspill inside the printer lol? Did you mean that there is indeed some kind of a pad to absorb that wasted ink, and after the counter hits a certain limit it would ask me to send it to HP for service?

From the looks of it, it doesn't even have a waste counter on the screen to let me know how long I have left. Im sure it's there but it's hidden from us users. I don't want something like this then.

The only comparable solution by Epson in my local market is the Epson L3160, which I almost bought but I discovered that they don't allow you to replace the maintenance box at all. I have to send it to a service center for "repairs" which could cost me the same amount as a whole new printer, so it's a no-buy for me because I need to be able to service my waste pads in the far future. So annoying and frustrating to have enough ink and no broken parts in the printer, but then get blocked by software from using it because of a filled waste pad.

The third and last option for me is the Canon G3420, which has a maintenance cartridge replacement and it is available locally for about $15. The ink is also widely available and it's cheap just like the other 2 printers, a $15 bottle of black ink can last me many years to come. But what I don't like about this Canon is that it doesn't come with a nice big and colored LCD screen. It's just a basic 2 line screen that takes me back 15 years ago. This seems to be the most complete printer (in terms of serviceability and longitivity) from my 3 options that can last me many years ahead (assuming nothing of the important internal parts break). But unfortunately it doesn't have a printhead replacement anywhere online, so im not sure what to do here.

Thank you

[Sultan_A]

Thank you, but this time I have to go with one of those big tank printers that cost a lot less than what you suggested: HP 530 Smart Tank, Epson L3160 EcoTank, Canon G3420 MegaTank.

[Valsimot]

You cab buy cheap Adjustment program for resetting waste ink pad on Epson, and you can get cheap replacement ink pads. Google for more details. There is no need for service action if you get those two. Resetting is a 20 seconds job with adjustment program, and installation of waste ink pad is easy only 2 screws.