How long does HP ink toner last

The ink might still be good, but HP puts expiration dates on their ink and toner.   This prevents users from buying it on sale and stockpiling it.  Ink and toner can actually expire while installed in a machine - if you install a cartridge on January 12th and the expiration is January 13th, you get one day of use.

There is sometimes a workaround for this that allows overriding the problem.  (The printer will continue to complain and whine, but the cartridge can be used.)  It's not available on all HP printers and it's different for each one.  A search for "477dw expiration override" does return some hits, so there may be one for that printer depending on whether its firmware has been updated.

My advice:  Avoid HP products completely.  There are equally good products which do not make you do acrobatics or lock you into printer ink at $8,000 a gallon.

Disclosure:  I am an (unwilling) HP stockholder and I despise their printer products.

ain't capitalism great!

Carly messed up HP.

HP has a "Warranty ends" date...

So do I!  But the manufacturer didn't see fit to engrave it into my forehead - and I believe the "Best By" date has passed.

Hi,

So I see the recent HP ink cartridges have "Warranty ends" date.

If this is reached would the HP PageWide Pro 477dw printer stop accepting this ink cartridge and bring up an error?

I am unsure if there is an "Override".

Also do HP ink cartridges last as long as 2 years or more without drying out or could they dry out without being used?

Thanks,
Robbie

In theory, a sealed ink cartridge should last forever - disregarding any possible chemical changes over time.  In practice, cartridges have air vents to equalize pressure as ink is drawn out so the cartridges do eventually dry out.

Don't buy printers with expiring cartridges.  It's rent seeking.  You should just get rid of it and buy a better one.

Buy Laserjet instead, or buy an inject that support continuous flow add-ons.  Laserjets will outlast any inkjet with much less maintenance if you keep it long term, and they will be able to print at least 10 times as much.  I managed 3, of many, older HP printers, back before Carly destroyed HP, that each printed over a million pages in 3 years time, with maintenance kit replacements along the way.  They were only replaced because we needed something faster and didn't want to get another maintenance kit.

Continuous flow system inks cost about 2.5 to 3 times a regular ink cartridge, but last for 10 or more ink cartridges per refill.  Most of the inkjets are cheap junk anyway.  By the time you go through your second continous ink refill, the printer is already quite worn out.  If you go through 20 ink refill cartridges at 3-4 times the price, you'd experience about the same amount of wear and tear.  You also won't need to run cleaning cycles or reprime them at each refill, saving ink overall, ending up with more pages.   Large format (48" & 60" wide) inkjet printer/plotters have always used continuous flow ink systems, so it's a proven technology.  Also, with them being in the $5000- $2000 price range, they do last much longer than the letter sized inkjet printers, since they have sturdier metal gearing than the cheap letter sized printers.

If you get stupid artificially expiring ink cartridges, it's time to find a printer that doesn't have that problem.