Brother Launched its DCP165C in Nov.08/Dec.08, with hell lots of features including pictbridge, card reader, 25% to 400% reduction & enlargement (It has single line display), water mark and above all poster printing - printing a poster in 9 sheets of A4 size. All this for Rs. 3500/- But no body bothered.
Brother then tied up with Pantaloon group and offered their another model DCP 145C thru Big Bazaar, Ezone etc just for Rs. 2200/- during Republic day sale in 2009.
On seeing the ad I checked its specs & features on the net and placed order for 2 pcs. After a month I got just one; with further discount of Rs. 100/-
The printer was just superb. It worked on capillary system which was developed by brother and later CISS was developed for continuous ink supply for almost every printer.
This printer worked flawlessly for more than a year. Since spares and repairs off warranty are very expensive (print head Rs.3500/-) I decided to upgrade to DCP 195C. I sold off my DCP 145C and went around hunting for best bargain. I was shocked to find that this printer was being sold against premium - in black and that too no dealer/reseller was willing to sell the printer alone. They were offering a set of "long refillable ink tanks" for a total price of 8000 to 8500. It was all happening with knowledge of 'Brother' officials. On my complaint to their head office at Mumbai, Brother's New Delhi office offered me a unit for 4700 +5% VAT - say 4830/-. Even this was not the street price. I declined the offer and bought one from BITFANG.COM, Mumbai, placing order online, for Rs. 4700/-VAT paid. Later even Bitfang increased their price, initially to Rs. 5130/- incl VAT, and next day itself to Rs. 5310/-. But luckily just before the first increase itself I placed order for another DCP 195C from them; for Rs. 4700/- only
However another online store, Lynx-India, Chandigarh is still selling it for Rs. 4614 but + VAT which comes to Rs. 4845/- but then shipping is very high. Bitfang later told me that price was increased by the distributor itself due to shortage. Even I feel they are the honest lot on the net -best price and shipping charges (for 9.2 Kgs printer by DTDC (courier) with delivery at my doorstep on the 4th day of booking with tracking no. for just 123/-) are very very reasonable. On 5th day of making payment I got the printer right at my residence. I would like to tell you friends, that even going to Nehru Place (the IT hub of Asia) from my residence in west Delhi in a car would cost more than Rs. 123/- (towards petrol, parking & depreciation) which I paid for shipping. Anyway!
In New Delhi, still nobody sells this AIO at MRP, nor they will sell it without those "long refillable ink tanks".
The use of those refillable ink tanks makes printing dirt cheap. Only if one can take care of buying the best quality of ink - CISS ink. I personally recommend Prodot's "CISS Ink for EPSON". Thats how 'Prodot' sells this ink. Using cheap ordinary ink will choke & block the print head. 80% of the people buy this AIO just because of tanks. But then features it offeres are just superb - no other printer in this category offers.
Its very difficult to refill a sponge cartridges (like the one HP uses) properly. Its easy to refill sponge less cartridges like Epson & Brother. Even the technology used by HP is 'thermal' whereas technology used by Epson & Brother is 'Piezoelectric'; in simple words its digital technology.
I'm not here to prove the superiority of Brother over HP, all I want is to place facts for my friends to analyze and understand to decide accordingly.
You can refill Epson & Brother ink cartridges without even using a needle - without making any extra hole; throwing open challenge to these OEMs to prove if the cartridge is refilled! thereby eliminating all risks of the warranty getting void for using refill cartridges. Just a bit of commonsense thats all. Beside ink you dont have to buy anything. Beside very good quality ink what all is required is easily available free of cost - right in your own neighborhood.
The refillable ink tanks which sells just for USD 2.7 a set in China and being sold for USD 9.33 a set on eBay.com is being pushed for 2400/- to 2800/- in India. What a pitty! I just want to put an end to this; at least for Epson & Brother printers. Even the service support by both Epson & Brother is much superior.
Brother then tied up with Pantaloon group and offered their another model DCP 145C thru Big Bazaar, Ezone etc just for Rs. 2200/- during Republic day sale in 2009.
On seeing the ad I checked its specs & features on the net and placed order for 2 pcs. After a month I got just one; with further discount of Rs. 100/-
The printer was just superb. It worked on capillary system which was developed by brother and later CISS was developed for continuous ink supply for almost every printer.
This printer worked flawlessly for more than a year. Since spares and repairs off warranty are very expensive (print head Rs.3500/-) I decided to upgrade to DCP 195C. I sold off my DCP 145C and went around hunting for best bargain. I was shocked to find that this printer was being sold against premium - in black and that too no dealer/reseller was willing to sell the printer alone. They were offering a set of "long refillable ink tanks" for a total price of 8000 to 8500. It was all happening with knowledge of 'Brother' officials. On my complaint to their head office at Mumbai, Brother's New Delhi office offered me a unit for 4700 +5% VAT - say 4830/-. Even this was not the street price. I declined the offer and bought one from BITFANG.COM, Mumbai, placing order online, for Rs. 4700/-VAT paid. Later even Bitfang increased their price, initially to Rs. 5130/- incl VAT, and next day itself to Rs. 5310/-. But luckily just before the first increase itself I placed order for another DCP 195C from them; for Rs. 4700/- only
However another online store, Lynx-India, Chandigarh is still selling it for Rs. 4614 but + VAT which comes to Rs. 4845/- but then shipping is very high. Bitfang later told me that price was increased by the distributor itself due to shortage. Even I feel they are the honest lot on the net -best price and shipping charges (for 9.2 Kgs printer by DTDC (courier) with delivery at my doorstep on the 4th day of booking with tracking no. for just 123/-) are very very reasonable. On 5th day of making payment I got the printer right at my residence. I would like to tell you friends, that even going to Nehru Place (the IT hub of Asia) from my residence in west Delhi in a car would cost more than Rs. 123/- (towards petrol, parking & depreciation) which I paid for shipping. Anyway!
In New Delhi, still nobody sells this AIO at MRP, nor they will sell it without those "long refillable ink tanks".
The use of those refillable ink tanks makes printing dirt cheap. Only if one can take care of buying the best quality of ink - CISS ink. I personally recommend Prodot's "CISS Ink for EPSON". Thats how 'Prodot' sells this ink. Using cheap ordinary ink will choke & block the print head. 80% of the people buy this AIO just because of tanks. But then features it offeres are just superb - no other printer in this category offers.Its very difficult to refill a sponge cartridges (like the one HP uses) properly. Its easy to refill sponge less cartridges like Epson & Brother. Even the technology used by HP is 'thermal' whereas technology used by Epson & Brother is 'Piezoelectric'; in simple words its digital technology.
I'm not here to prove the superiority of Brother over HP, all I want is to place facts for my friends to analyze and understand to decide accordingly.
You can refill Epson & Brother ink cartridges without even using a needle - without making any extra hole; throwing open challenge to these OEMs to prove if the cartridge is refilled! thereby eliminating all risks of the warranty getting void for using refill cartridges. Just a bit of commonsense thats all.
Beside ink you dont have to buy anything. Beside very good quality ink what all is required is easily available free of cost - right in your own neighborhood.The refillable ink tanks which sells just for USD 2.7 a set in China and being sold for USD 9.33 a set on eBay.com is being pushed for 2400/- to 2800/- in India. What a pitty! I just want to put an end to this; at least for Epson & Brother printers. Even the service support by both Epson & Brother is much superior.