Epson 69 Black Ink Cartridge (T069120)

Not a good value

The T069 line of ink cartridges used by some 10 or so Epson printer models yields no more than about 100 to 125 copies for the black cartridge (a little more for the color cartridges...Read complete review

The T069 line of ink cartridges used by some 10 or so Epson printer models yields no more than about 100 to 125 copies for the black cartridge (a little more for the color cartridges, but I'm really careful to not use color when black is all I need, and vice versa). The Epson multifunction machine I bought does a nice job. The Epson DuraBrite Ultra inks I use are quite good as well. But the overall purchase was not a good value because you'll end up spending a lot of money on ink cartridges - 4 of them are required to operate this machine. Note that Epson doesn't provide (or makes it very difficult to find) the page yield per ink cartridge on its Web site. I finally found some information in Wikipedia (more about this follows). Epson was sued in a class action for this practice but appears to continue down this road of not disclosing facts to their customers (see Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epson_ink_cartridge_controversy). Since presumably the T068 line of ink cartridges yields more copies (and is more expensive as well), I've decided to test these instead of the T069 line to see if I get better value for the money I spend. I've researched Google and Staples offers the best deal for the black Epson T068120 ink cartridge at 2 for [$] (haven't checked other colors yet).I suggest you check other machines and the relative cost of the machine and ink cartridges before settling for an Epson. In my experience, I've gotten better value and good usage from HP, but this is a matter of usage, model, and experience. Bottom line is to research the total cost (machine + ink cartridges + drum on some machines) over the course of a year BEFORE you make your purchase.