MikeCT wrote:
I'm now on my second printer, the first, an Epson packed up for good
shortly after coming out of the guarantee period. After using up the
original ink cartridges supplied with the printer, I switched over to
compatible which might have had a lot to do with my printer's early
demise. Acting on advice, I again chose Epson for my second printer,
this time using genuine Epson cartridges. Now my second printer is
nearing the end of the guarantee year in February, what should I do?
Keep buying genuine ink cartridges until it too packs up, or start
saving money buying compatible cartridges in the hope that it prints
on for a further year or so?
MikeCT

My Epson 580 is 5 years old and has never seen an Epson cartridge and it
still works as good as it did when new - I printed passport photographs with
it only last month and the passport office are reknowned for being picky,
the passport arrived two weeks ago.

YMMV etc

and BTW, often Epson printers give up the ghost when the reservoir which
collects scrap ink has become flooded, usually after a year or two, this is
easily bypassed (it's a tiny chip within the printer which is connected to a
sensor in the lump of 'carpet' blotter in the bottom, when it's full, it
gives an onscreen message about sending the printer back to Epson) there's a
small application which disables this error message, then you take out the
blotter, wash it, dry it and replace, hey presto - new printer!