NEED HELP FINDING a reliable, trouble free HP Printer

[ZTatZAU]

I need some help finding a reliable, trouble-free, HP all-in-one Printer!

After my second OfficeJet Pro 6830 died with "Printhead Problems" when slightly out of warranty, I posted here looking for a satisfactory resolution of this well known printhead issue!  HP has graciously agreed to help me with the purchase of any new HP Printer from the HP website.

Now I need to decide if I'm ready to take a chance on another HP Printer.  While both of my OJP 6830 printers definitely had problems, (in addition to the well known fatal printhead issues), I was generally happy with the 6830's features and capabilities.

I do understand that most everyone posting here on this forum is here because they're having problems with their particular HP printer model... but can anyone here in the HP Community... HP Customers, HP Staff, HP Volunteers... recommend a current, moderately priced, HP all-in-one printer model with essentially the same feature set as the OJP 6830, that will provide longevity, reliable service, and trouble free operation throughout and well beyond the standard HP warranty period!  

Does such an HP printer exist?  Thanks to anyone who can help with this!  ZT

[sabretooth04]

Plenty of great printer from Brother, Canon, Epson and HP.   Try Amazon...

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_p_72_0?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A1064954%2Ck%3Awireless+printers%2Cp_72...

Read ALL the reviews individually, because the star ratings do not work that well.

[ZTatZAU]

Hey Sabretooth - we meet again!

I have to tell you I'm dizzy already from finding and reading printer reviews...  Google... Amazon... PC Magazine... Lifewire... thewirecutter... and on and on!  I think all these reviews are biased in favor of whoever is paying them or providing commissions for customers who buy printers via the links on the reviewers website!

Unfortunately the Voucher that HP sent as a final resolution of my 6830 problems is only good for HP Printers on the HP website!

With all the time you spend here on this forum, can you recommend an HP all-in-one printer model that you never, or seldom, hear about having problems.   Or at least, with no significant, repetitive, or on-going issues?

I.E. Are you aware of any HP all-in-one printer models that hardly ever show up with problems on this problem/issue oriented site?

ZT

[sabretooth04]

Well it's all up to you.  I don't own an HP printer.  I use Brother printers.  2 year warranty and lifetime phone support.  But that's just me.

[Bob_Headrick]

I would suggest you take a look at the Officejet Pro 8710 or 8720 series printers.  These are a step up from the Officejet 6830 series printers. Personally I would avoid printer models with permanent printheads that cannot be replaced.  The printheads in the 8700 series printers are replaceable.

If you want a smaller printer you might take a look at the upper end Envy models.  The Envy models have a black and a tri-color cartrdige, with printhead built into the cartrdiges (Integrated PrintHeads or IPH).  Replacing the ink cartridges replaces the printhead.  In the spare room I still have a Photosmart 2610 and Officejet 7410 IPH printers, both a dozen years or more old.  They still work, although I seldom use them as I prefer the speed and economy of the Officejet 8600 or 8700 series.

As an HP Expert, HP loans me printers and other equipment for a year to use and evaluate.  In previous years I have had the Officejet Pro 8600 Plus, 8600 Premium, 8620 and last year the 8740.  This year I selected the Officejet 8720, have had it just a week.  These were all excellent solid printers that I had no issues with.  After I needed to give up the Officejet Pro 8600 Plus at the end of the loan period years ago I went and bought myself a used one on Craigslist as a replacement.  I have been using it since 2014 without any issues, other than replacing the cartridges about once a year.

[ZTatZAU]

I hear ya Sabretooth!  Thanks for your candid advice!

Has "anyone else" here on the forum had good experience with a current HP all-in-one printer model to recommend; that is likely to provide reliable service, trouble-free operation, and longevity beyond the standard HP 1 year Warranty period?

I am really hoping for some good HP printer recommendations here!  Is anyone happy with their current HP printer?

But, "Please!  Don't everyone jump in all at once!"  ZT

[ZTatZAU]

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@Bob_Headrickwrote:

I would suggest you take a look at the Officejet Pro 8710 or 8720 series printers.  These are a step up from the Officejet 6830 series printers. Personally I would avoid printer models with permanent printheads that cannot be replaced.  The printheads in the 8700 series printers are replaceable.

If you want a smaller printer you might take a look at the upper end Envy models.  The Envy models have a black and a tri-color cartrdige, with printhead built into the cartrdiges (Integrated PrintHeads or IPH).  Replacing the ink cartridges replaces the printhead.  In the spare room I still have a Photosmart 2610 and Officejet 7410 IPH printers, both a dozen years or more old.  They still work, although I seldom use them as I prefer the speed and economy of the Officejet 8600 or 8700 series.

As an HP Expert, HP loans me printers and other equipment for a year to use and evaluate.  In previous years I have had the Officejet Pro 8600 Plus, 8600 Premium, 8620 and last year the 8740.  This year I selected the Officejet 8720, have had it just a week.  These were all excellent solid printers that I had no issues with.  After I needed to give up the Officejet Pro 8600 Plus at the end of the loan period years ago I went and bought myself a used one on Craigslist as a replacement.  I have been using it since 2014 without any issues, other than replacing the cartridges about once a year.

---

Thanks so much Bob for your well reasoned, detailed reply!  And I apologize for not noticing your reply to my question sooner, but for some reason, I didn't see your reply in my thread until today!  I appreciate your advice!

Anyway, at one point in my 6830 issue resolution process, HP Support offered me "a special discount" on an 8710 which turned out to be "not so special" as it was the same price as the 8710 was going for to anyone searching HP Weekly deals on their website.  I also searched for "8710 problems" on the support forum and there was no lack of 8710 posts by customers experiencing problems of one sort or another with their 8710 printers!  As a result, I kind of wrote off the 8710 as a replacement.  Maybe I should take another look at an 8710 and add a two or three year extended care package???

And, like your 2610 & 7410 printers, my vintage (10-15 y/o) DJ 5550's are still going strong.  The 5550s use one black and a single tri-color cartridge, though I'm not sure if they too are IHP cartidges.  Actually, it may have been one of Sabretooth's numbered "signature line" hints that made me shy away from tri-color cartidges in my current replacement printer search but maybe I shouldn't have written the tri-color cartridge models off so fast either???

At this point in time, (that is today, before I saw your most informative reply), my short list of replacement printers had been whittled down to...

OJ-P 6968 @ 6978 @  $180 reg price + $35 (3 yr NBD warranty) - $125 HP Voucher = $90

@envy 7855 ($200 reg - currently on sale @ $150) + $35 (3 yr NBD Warranty) - $125 Hp Voucher = $60

@Oj-P 7720 WF ($200 reg - currently on sale @ $150) + $35 (3 yr NBD Warranty) - $125 Hp Voucher = $60

EDIT:  All three Two of the above printers (6978 & 7720) use 1 black and 3 separate color cartridges (NOT the Envy) but I don't know which, if either, of the above models (other two - 6978 & 7720) have replacable printheads!  Can you tell me???  And can you tell me what a replacement Printhead might cost???

Having another look at the 8710, as you suggest, reveals the following net cost...

@Oj-P 8710 @  $200 reg price - (on sale last week @ $120 UGH!) + $35 (3 yr NBD Warranty) - $125 Hp Voucher = $110

I'd be most interested to hear your opinions and recommendations on any, or all, of the above options as well as any other specific recommendations you may have to offer, for other options.

I should also advise that I am inherently averse to signing up for HP Instant Ink program and I'd rather absorb any extra expense in exchange for not sharing my printer's usage, habits, etc with HP or anyone else.  With that said, I've gotten the feeling that some printers will not work anything but Instant Ink from HP.  Can you advise on that particular issue too???

I do appreciate your assistance Bob and look forward to your reply!  ZT

[Bob_Headrick · Accepted solution]

IMHO the separate ink cartridge issue was a marketing response from HP's competitors.  Back in 2000 or so HP had more market share in the desktop inkjet market than all its competitors combined.  At that time HP printers were mostly based on black and tri-color cartridges, while other competitors had individual ink tanks.  The competitors started advertising campaigns suggesting that the tri-color cartridges were wasteful, requiring you to throw away perfectly good cartridges with useful ink just because one color had run out.

The reality is that for most users ink is used pretty evenly across the three colors.  When a color runs out there will typically be 5% or less ink remaining in the other colors.  With separate ink supplies changing a single color cartridge typically takes 10% of more ink in all the colors (and black) due to the priming cycle required to get air out of the system when a supply is changed.  The tri-color cartridges may be more efficient from an ink usage standpoint, but that did not matter.  The marketing message was out there, and was repeated enough that people believed it.  I think HP was forced to respond, and did so.

The main "real" advantage of the separate ink supplies over the tri-color supplies is that they may provide more capacity, and may (but not necessarily) have lower cost per page.  I would suggest whatever model you decide on you estimate your print usage, then visit the HP SureSupply site and check out the expected ink costs.  Keep in mind that printers with seperate ink supplies will typically require ink in all the cartrdgies to print, even if you only want to print black.  The recent IPH printers will allow printing with one or more colors empty, or even one of the cartridges removed completely.

I do not know the price for a replacement printhead for the 8700 series printers.  I would expect it to be similar to the Officejet 8600 series, which was $120 for replacement printhead.  This sounds pricey, but it did include a complete set of setup cartrdiges, which have similar net ink as retail cartridges.  In my opinion, the advantage of models with removable printheads is not the ability to buy a new printhead, but rather the ability to remove the printhead and clean it manually if needed, either to address electrical issues or clogged nozzles.  Persoanlly, I would avoid models with fixed printheads.

The Officejet Pro 7720 does have removable printheads, as referenced in the document here.  I see the printhead and a set of setup cartridges is listed at $144 on the HP parts site.

The printhead in the Officejet Pro is not removable, as evidenced in the document here.

The printheads in the Envy printers are built into the ink cartrdiges, and are replaced whenever you replace a cartridge.

I understand your reluctance to get the Instant Ink system.  There are printers that are "Instant Ink Ready", these have cartridges that will change into Instant Ink cartridges when you sign up for Instant Ink.  Alternately, you can use the cartrdiges as regular setup cartridges, not sign up for Instant Ink and just replace them with retail cartridges when the time comes.  I do not know of any printers that require Instant Ink.  If you sign up for Instant Ink and later cancel it you will need to replace any Instant Ink cartrdiges with retail cartridges.

[ZTatZAU]

Thanks so much Bob for your time and effort to answer all my questions. 

It's easy to see why you're one of the HP Forum's top solution providers.

I appreciate your opinions and advice!

ZT