After researching 100 ink cartridges from some of the top printer brands, I discovered a shocking fact: the HP 65 Tri-color Ink Cartridge is one of the most expensive ink cartridges in the world, costing a whopping $9,995 per liter.
Despite the modest price tag of just $19.99 per cartridge, the cost-effectiveness of this ink is far from ideal.
Here’s a look at the reasons why this HP printer cartridge may feel cheap when you buy it, but can turn out to be one of the most expensive investments for regular users.
The illusion of affordability – cheap but expensive
For just $19.99 you can replace the HP 65 Tri-color Ink Cartridge and continue printing. But here’s the catch: that $19.99 only gets you 2ml of ink, just enough ink to print about 100 pages. While 100 pages may sound reasonable, when you do the math you realize that for every 1,000 pages you spent $200 on ink cartridges. And if you were to use a gallon of this ink, the total cost would be almost $10,000! What initially seems like an affordable product is actually one of the most expensive items you can buy for your printer in the long run.
Now let’s compare this to what other ink options offer. Take the Epson T850 for example, which sells for $71 for an 80ml cartridge and can print up to 850 pages. With this printer, the cost to print 1,000 pages would be just under $85, significantly lower than what you would pay with the HP 65. Another example is the Brother LC75C, which retails at $15.49 for a 12-pack cartridge. ml is sold and can print 600 pages. In the long run, you would only spend about $25.82 for 1,000 pages.
Why is the HP 65 Tri-color Ink Cartridge so expensive? The answer lies in the printer economy. Printer manufacturers such as HP sell their printers at competitive prices, but recoup their profits by selling high-margin ink cartridges. For example, printers that are compatible with the HP 65 Tri-color Ink Cartridge, such as the HP DeskJet 3755 or HP Envy 5055, are often very affordable. However, once users purchase these budget-friendly printers, they are hit with the high cost of replacement cartridges like the HP 65. This model means that while the printer itself is cheap, the long-term printing costs are anything but cheap.
For anyone who prints a reasonable number of documents or images, ink tank printers are a much better solution. Ink tanks offer a significantly lower cost per page and allow you to print thousands of pages before needing to refill. Unlike traditional cartridges that contain a small amount of ink, ink tanks are designed for volume printing and provide a much better total cost of ownership over time.
The shelf life price of an ink cartridge is not the only thing you should consider when purchasing one. To choose the right ink for your printer, it’s important to consider the total cost of ownership based on the number of pages you’ll be printing. For example, looking at how much it costs to print 1,000 pages will give you a clearer picture of long-term costs.
With HP’s traditional cartridge models, such as the HP 65 or HP 67, you can easily spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to meet your printing needs. But with an ink tank printer you save significantly, because refilling the ink only costs a fraction of the price per page.
