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Electronics
A cheap cartridge printer becomes the most expensive machine in the house. In India, ink-tank printers pay back within a few hundred pages.
Quick answer
Ink tank for home use — lowest cost per page.
Cartridge printers are cheap to buy, expensive to run.
Laser only if you print hundreds of pages monthly.
Check if you really need colour.
In the shop
Read these off your phone at the counter. The answer tells you more than the price tag.
1.“What is the cost per page, and what does a full ink or toner refill cost?”
A good answer: A cost-per-page figure in paise. Cheap printers with costly cartridges are the classic trap.
2.“Is this ink tank or cartridge, and does it print if one colour runs out?”
A good answer: Ink tank for volume. Many cartridge printers refuse to print in black when colour is empty.
A few questions about your situation, not about the product.
Add one short need not covered above.
Answer all 3 questions to see the spec sheet to shop with.
The sticker price is one part of owning a printer. Adjust the numbers to your own usage and tariff to see the electricity cost a star rating actually translates to.
Units per year
20 kWh
Cost per year
₹160 (≈$1.92)
Cost over 5 years
₹800 (≈$9.60)
Often more than the price difference between two models.
Ink or toner cost per page matters far more than electricity here. Estimates only — actual consumption varies with ambient temperature, settings and unit condition. USD values are approximate.
For electronics the expensive failures are the display, the board and the battery. Extended cover is worth it only when it names those parts and offers a repair path in your city.
Ask these five questions
Usually not covered
Rule of thumb: worth considering on a high-value device you carry around, rarely worth it on a low-cost one where a plan costs more than ~15% of the price.
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If you are upgrading, a buyback quote changes the real cost of the new purchase.
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Buy it locally
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Refillable tanks, replaceable cartridges, or toner powder.
Why it matters
Ink tank ≈ 20–30 paise/page; cartridge ≈ ₹3–8 (≈$0.04–$0.10)/page; mono laser ≈ 50 paise/page and never dries up.
What to check
Cartridge printers are cheap upfront and brutal later.
Total consumable cost divided by pages yielded.
Why it matters
This is the real price of the printer over 3 years.
What to check
Ask for the bottle/toner price and its page yield, then divide.
Do you actually print colour?
Why it matters
If it's mostly school forms, tickets and documents, a mono laser is faster, cheaper and maintenance-free.
What to check
Occasional colour printing can be outsourced to a shop.
Automatic printing on both sides.
Why it matters
Halves paper cost for anyone printing volume.
What to check
'Manual duplex' means you flip pages yourself.
USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, mobile app printing.
Why it matters
Wi-Fi means any family phone can print without a .
What to check
Check the app supports your phone OS version.
How often you'll print.
Why it matters
Inkjets clog if idle for weeks; laser doesn't care.
What to check
For rare printing, choose laser over any inkjet.
Entry ink-tank all-in-ones to duplex laser printers.