There is probably a lot less ink in the included cartridges. They always get you. Don't print.

The wild part is that this isn’t really a pricing mistake, it’s the business model. That $65 Canon isn’t “a printer”, it’s a subsidized acquisition channel for a customer who will buy OEM ink at a huge margin or sign up for some kind of recurring refill program later. Accounting is fine eating some or all of the printer cost if the average buyer turns into years of cartridge revenue.

If you buy a new printer every time you run low on ink, you’re basically arbitraging that CAC line item. On paper it can be a “life hack” as long as only a few people do it and you ignore the e-waste and friction. If it ever became common, the easy knobs for the manufacturer are obvious: even smaller starter carts, more lock-in, more activation hoops, and less of the subsidy that makes this trick work in the first place.

Quality ink is very cheap, unless you are an eshittified conehead, wanker printer company.

I use this ink

Winsor & Newton Drawing Inks 14ml Bottles

£3.37

https://www.artsupplies.co.uk/p/winsor-newton-drawing-inks-1...

Let's Answer the Question: "Why is Printer Ink So Expensive?"

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/10/lets-answer-question-w...

I also thought of binning it and buy another. But I found that Chinese made cartridges are much cheaper on amazon. You get 3 sets (12 pieces) in one pack and they last fairly longer.

I have used the same printer since 2019 and haven't changed the toner once. HP Neverstop.

FYI, the included cartridges in a new printer are typically a 'low capacity' type. This has been true for 20+ years. You may find yourself both spending a large amount of money, and generating a significant amount of e-waste if you pursue this strategy.

It is important to check consumable cost when buying a printer. They aren't all the same in this regard.