Lexmark 7300 Multifunction All-In-One Should I bother?

[bex3]

Hello guys... So I was fixing a computer for someone yesterday, and they want to get rid of their old Lexmark 7300. I could use an extra scanner/printer in my house, but I'm wondering if I should bother with this at all.

1)A quick google search did not return any viable links to third party ink manufacturers for this printer. If you know of any please let me know.

2)As far as I know Lexmarks are some of the worst printers one can get... Am I wrong?

3)Apparently the printer works, but it makes grinding noises while printing. Any guides out there explaining how to fix the problem?

Thanks very mcuh.

 

[jflan]

IMHO, I wouldn't bother with it unless I wanted to contribute to Mr. Lexmark's gradchildren's college fund.

 

[bex3]

Good point, but cant the same statement be applied to any printer brand?

 

[ghwellsjr]

The same statement can be applied to certain models of any printer brand, in particular, those like the Lexmark 7300 that have the print head built into the replaceable ink cartridges and have multiple colors in a single cartridge, at least if you are concerned with saving money by refilling. They are probably good printers if you don't mind spending a fortune on ink, especially because if you have any problems with the print head, you get a new one with every cartridge replacement. But if you want to refill, it is far easier to refill cartridges that have only one color and those kinds of printers do not have built in print heads. I don't think Lexmark makes any printers like this but most other manufacturers do.

 

[bex3]

Thanks for the replies guys. I guess I'll pass on this printer then.

 

[zxcvbnm114]

Lexmark is the spun off printer division of IBM. I don't think their printers are bad. They just were one of the major users of giving away free printers with pcs and all sorts of things that then came with half filled cartridges that cost a fortune to refill. But if you buy a canon or hp for the same money and use official inks I don't think there is a huge amount in it. Aimed more at the consumer area they will never be a very aspirational brand though. Most dell inkjets were always re branded lexmarks with a slightly changed cartridge shape to stop people swapping cartridges.

I can see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQPRC5WxrI0 inktec kit which looks like your printer. I can't see much info about it in a quick google though. Perhaps it is an x7300 which gets more hits? Anyway looks like you can refill the cartridges though how easy it is to tell the printer to accept a refilled cartridge is hard to know. Probably will but hard to know.

All in all I still wouldn't though. I'm looking at the canon mp190 sort of things which go for 15 refurbished as new from canon but do I want to spend my life topping up tiny opaque cartridges every 100 pages? Particularly these three in one colour cartridges look fiddly with tiny holes. But you could fill the lexmark with whatever generic ink you have lying around it it might well work until you run it into the ground. Just be prepared to quickly bin it before spending too much time on something that may well have good reasons for being given away.