Does hard work really pay off anymore?
By Thom Hartmann A...
For most of our lives, we've been taught that hard work pays off, but most of the super-rich didn't make their money by working hard. According to a new analysis by Paul Buchheit of UsAgainstGreed.org, those at the top make most of their money by betting against the American people. The wealthy elite makes a fortune by speculating on rising food prices, which means that they profit by making it harder for people around the world to afford to eat.
As if that isn't evil enough, the super-rich also bet against mortgages, so that they could make a profit when Americans could not longer afford to stay in their homes. And, once millions of Americans found themselves out on the street, the private equity firms swooped in, bought up the foreclosures, and rented them back to the very people that they swindled out of their homes. The super-rich rake in even more by gambling on Wall Street, screwing over Main Street, and buying off the politicians that help make it all possible. The only hard work that the billionaires face is walking the fine line between so-called investing and criminal activities like bribery, fraud, and manipulating the market.
Our nation used to really value hard work, and that work was rewarded with a better life and brighter future. But, for the last three decades, the super-rich have rigged the system, and managed to convince many of us that we're just not working hard enough. The time has come to stand up, speak out, and fix this broken system while we still have a chance. We work hard, we play by the rules, and we need to fight for an economy that pays off for more than the top one percent.
Comments
#2
Thanks Marc! It was kind of you to share all that info. But I think I'm gonna stick to the flash drive and just let the professionals handle it. They do it so much faster at the printer's, and what they charge is way more reasonable than the price tag on that ink.
That's a mighty slick marketing trick by the way, selling these wonderful printers for dirt cheap only to stick it to us later... not as a one-shot gouger but as an ongoing, continuous source of nice easy cash, flowing out of our pockets right into theirs. Just one big money-sucking racket is all that is. They can take their ink & toner and shove it 'cuz I'm done with home printing for good! - AIW
P.S. While I meant every word of that rant, I should confess that I've been going through some shit lately and am not in a good mood. If my posts sound even more ornery than usual, just know it's not personal.
#3
Quote Aliceinwonderland:But I think I'm gonna stick to the flash drive and just let the professionals handle it. They do it so much faster at the printer's, and what they charge is way more reasonable than the price tag on that ink.
Aliceinwonderland ~ That is probably the best bet. It all comes down to cost per copy. You'll have to factor in gas and time to go to the local printer; however, if your monthly volume isn't that high you're probably getting the best deal possible. Besides, if you're running your prints with toner as opposed to ink you're certainly also getting the best quality. Well done!!
#4
Thanks again, Marc. You're such a sweetheart, always so eager to help us with your expertise, and I really appreciate it.
Luckily for me, South Coast Printers is only a short driving distance, within the range of my errand route and at a convenient location. So.... good-BYE cardridge pirates!! (Nyah-nyah!) And I'm spreadin' the word, folks; y'all don't have to keep getting ripped off for goddam ink. Try it, you might like it! - Aliceinwonderland
#5
I'm sorry but it seems that almost no work is worthwhile except for those whome already have it.
#6
Aliceinwonderland ~ Your welcome! :-)
#7
DAM -- Thanks for the input. However it only makes me want to ask some more questions. I have both a laser printer (b/w and cost $800 like 15 years ago) and color printer -- HP photosmart 7960. The $125 was a laserjet cartridge and they do last a long time. My question is what are your comments on refurbishing the cartrigdes for my color printer at Costco? They charge like $9.99 per cartridge.
#8
Quote chuckle8: My question is what are your comments on refurbishing the cartrigdes for my color printer at Costco? They charge like $9.99 per cartridge.
chuckle8 ~ I would discourage you from refurbishing any toner cartridge. When most aftermarket suppliers suggest "refurbishing" what they actually mean is just replacing the toner. Aftermarket toner is not completely compatible with OEM toner. You can see the difference by observing the toner under a microscope. If the edges and dimensions are the same you probably could get away with it. However, if the edges of the aftermarket toner have sharp edges, or the dimensions are slightly different you risk damaging other parts in your printer including dusting in the paper feed path and ruining the teflon surface of the upper heat roller of the fuser. You will also coat your feed tires with toner causing feed jams and coat the slit glass of your laser optical unit causing light copies. The long term damage can add up in premature failure of these parts. You will also cause premature failure of gears and bearings. Not to also forget, toner is conductive and can also cause shorts blowing your PCB's. In our service contract we specify in writing that the use of any aftermarket toner voids the service agreement for just this reason.
Additionally you risk damaging the drum. Which leads to another problem, most laser jet toner cartridges are very expensive because they contain not only the toner but the drum, main charger, and developer assemblies. That means that there is a lot more replaced when the toner runs out than just the toner. If your printer is such your best bet is to replace the toner cartridge with an original OEM one and spare yourself the grief. In addition to the toner your drum, drum blade, recovery blade, side seals, developer, main charge corona, charge grid, developer bearings and bearing seals are also at their end of life. In essence your machine is ready for a Preventive Maintenance service. HP laserjets make this service very cheap and labor free by building all these parts into their toner cartridges. You replace one and you do the PM service at the same time. In essence the toner cartridge contains the main components of the print cycle. It seems expensive, but it's much cheaper in the long run to just follow the manufacturer's directions with an OEM cartridge.
Flip your cartridge over. If you see a green roller on the bottom just replace the whole thing. That green roller is your drum and if it is incorporated in your toner cartridge it is the most expensive consumable in your machine. That $9 cartridge refill will cost you much more grief down the line. It just will never last as long as a fresh OEM cartridge will: unless, your intent is to drive your machine into an early grave or drastically increase the cost of it's maintenance.
Of course we'd be more than happy to come by and clean up the mess for you. We charge $140 for the first 45 minutes and $35 for every additional 15 minutes. The cost of a kit replacing your fuser, transfer roller and feed tires runs about $300-$450 plus tax bringing your total cost to about $600. Mind you, if you don't discard that generic aftermarket toner at the time of service and replace it with an OEM cartridge there is no warranty. It has been a pleasure doing business with you!
Ink cartridges on the other hand only hold ink. The problem with them are the head. They get clogged up over time and can't be used anymore. If your cartridges are fresh go ahead and get them refilled. I wouldn't suggest refilling them more than three times because the tiny openings in the head simply aren't going to be reliable beyond that. Also, old cartridges aren't reliable enough to bother refilling. On some printers, especially the newer ones, the cartridge has a chip with a diode that blows when it is inserted into the machine the first time. That diode resets the toner counter in the printer. That counter affects electrical charges in the printing process. Most printers with such a circuit shut down if that counter isn't reset within a specific number of copies. If you have such a printer just save your money and buy a new cartridge.
#9
chuckle8 ~ On a side note servicing an HP laserjet is really easier than changing the oil in your car. If you feel up to the task remember that HP designed these boxes to be user serviceable. Many kits don't even require tools to install; and, come with the complete instructions on how to do the job in the kit. At worst you might need some common hand tools like a #2 philips head screw driver. Additionally, if you buy your own kit you will save on the dealer markup. That could save you an additional $100-$200 alone. There are plenty of printer parts available on the internet. The maintenance interval on your average laserjet is about every 300,000 prints. You might also want to vacuum up loose toner when you have the box open. Don't use air. Airborne toner can cause other problems.
The worst thing that can go wrong is you'll have to call us; which, you will have to do anyway.
Finally, make sure you get a kit with a fuser core return. You will have to send in the old core to get your deposit back but will end up saving another $100 in the process. If you follow these instructions you can reduce the cost of a full service from $600 to around $100-$150.
Happy printing!
#10
DAM -- Thanks for all the info. Based on what you have said (please correct my thinking, if I have misinterpreted what you have said), I think I will take the print cartridges for the hp photosmart 7960 into Costco. For the hp laserjet 5P, I will keep buying those $130 cartridges.
Exposing my ignorance even more, I need to ask is toner what is inside the 03A cartridge I buy? I would be hard pressed to know the difference between toner and ink.
#11
Quote chuckle8:Exposing my ignorance even more, I need to ask is toner what is inside the 03A cartridge I buy? I would be hard pressed to know the difference between toner and ink.
chuckle8 ~ No you wouldn't! Toner goes in your laserjet. It is a solid powder. Ink is liquid. It usually goes in an "inkjet" printer in small cartridges. Not being familiar with a 03A cartridge I might assume that is an inkjet cartridge. It is therefore liquid.
If so you are correct! Bring the "photosmart" cartridges into Costco. However, like I said, make sure they are relatively new--no more than a year--cartridges and do not have that self resetting toner counter feature in them. You can probably get three refills without problems. You can tell what shape they are in from printing a calibration page and checking for blank spots. If there are any blank spots throw the cartridge away.
As far as the laserjet cartridges are concerned, like I said, flip it over... If you see a green roller just order a new one. It don't get any better than that. Also, at 300K prints consider servicing the thing yourself and save a fortune. Keep the printer going for at least 1.5M prints. (I've seen some go for 3M.) That is about what they are good for.
Happy printing!!
#12
DAM -- Thanks again for the info. The HP 03A is a laserjet cartridge. I took it out, turned it over, lifted the flap and there was green roller. I think I only get 8K copies per cartridge. Does it depend on the size of the cartridge? I have had the HP 5P laser printer for about 19 years. In that time I have printed 68,511 copies.
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Guys! There really is something you need to know about the printer industry. It is really the sale of ink/toner that drives the entire economy. The sales--and most unfortunately for me the service --is only to support the fancy colors. In my business we have actually sold printers so cheap that we make no profit at all; however, we lock the customer into a contract of toner. Very lucrative.
Also, FYI, toner is cheaper than ink. If you can afford it go for a laser printer rather than an inkjet. It really depends on how many prints you do. If it is very few the inkjet is the way to go. However if you volume is in bulk, you will save substantially with a laserjet/toner product.
Another thing to consider is color. If you only print text there is no reason to buy a color printer. Color ink and toner drastically increases the cost of the print.
Finally, if you already have a color printer of any kind you can save a lot of money by limiting prints to black and white. You can do this by configuring your driver. Start by going to your printers folder in your control panel, selecting properties--or preferences--by right clicking on the icon, and then selecting black and white--or monochrome--in the options box. Then click ok. That way all your programs will default to black and white and bypass your color ink/toner supply.
If you want to do a color print, after selecting print in the menu of the program you are using you will get a printer dialogue box for that job. You can change the preference in the box to color for just that print. This will not affect the general default setting of your computer for any other files. (You might also want to change the preference from print to high quality in that same box if it is a photo.}
One last note on photos. You will always get the best quality and longest lasting photos from toner as opposed to ink. Ink discolors and evaporates in short time. Toner will outlast the paper it was printed on. If you want photos built to last and you have an inkjet, I'd recommend going to your local printer service store with a flash drive.