Recommend Me a Printer

[rob]

As per title.

Our beloved cheap Kodak died in the house move.

Looking for a replacement without much knowledge.  Budget £100-200.  Inkjet probably.  Cost of replacement cartridges reasonably important.   Mrs Rob, being an accountant, needs to print a reasonable amount of docs for work.

Thanks


Rob

[rafletcher]

As an accountant surely she can claim the cost of the printer against tax?  I’d look for a basic black and white laser printer, and find out how to reset the copy count so you get full value.

[robgul]

Don't waste your money on an inkjet - you can get a cheap mono laser (Samsung?) for less than £100 - and then buy non-OEM cartridges. 

Rob

[Diver300]

We've recently got an EPSON ET-2720. The ink comes in bottles, and it really doesn't seem to use much at all, and the levels are visible from the front.

Obviously it's connected by WiFi and it just worked with both PCs and Macs.

Rumour has it that this printer, like most / all Epson inkjets, counts how much ink has been dumped into the big felt pad, and will brick when it's considered full, which is actually about half full.

[ian]

Unless you need colour, buy a mono laser. They last forever, you can get decent knock-off toner cartridges, and that's about the only faff. No cleaning nozzles or fiddling with ink. Just shove a new toner cartridge in the hole. The newer ones are even reluctant to liberally dowse you with toner, probably a good thing, an old school battle with the office photocopier would leave you looking like you'd blacked up and joined a black and white minstrel troupe. That's not a good look in the current climate.

[sizbut]

Another vote for a laser. Much much better than an inkjet for black & white printing.

[citoyen]

For an audaxer, laser printing has the obvious advantage of routesheets that won't run in the rain.

I have an inkjet. Last time I looked, laser printers were too expensive. I guess I wasn't looking in the right place.

A laser printer would be very useful for work reasons right now - one small but vitally important aspect of my job is ensuring printed barcodes scan correctly (before they're published). Back in the good old days when we were office-based, as well as having proper big bastard laser printers, we also used to get sent cromalins from the repro house. So old school. Now it feels more like making a fanzine. Constantly have to remind myself that we don't have to Roneo copies to send to subscribers.

[Kim]

It's a shame they don't make Laserjet 4000s any more.

[Feanor]

It's a shame they don't make Laserjet 4000s any more.

Yes, agree.
But mine has started paper-jamming and is in need of fettling.

For the OP, the use scenario very much indicates a laser.
There are reasonable mono lasers out there, but I do like my HP4000.

[citoyen]

For the OP, the use scenario very much indicates a laser.

Am I right in thinking the cost per page is significantly lower with lasers?

[Canardly]

Brother DCP 7055W. or latest equivalent, scans, photocopies and prints very reasonable running costs.

[rob]

I have been informed that we need colour for some of Juniors stuff, but I think this is a small percentage of the general use.

Will look for a laser jet.

Thanks a lot.


Rob

[ian]

For an audaxer, laser printing has the obvious advantage of routesheets that won't run in the rain.

I have an inkjet. Last time I looked, laser printers were too expensive. I guess I wasn't looking in the right place.

A laser printer would be very useful for work reasons right now - one small but vitally important aspect of my job is ensuring printed barcodes scan correctly (before they're published). Back in the good old days when we were office-based, as well as having proper big bastard laser printers, we also used to get sent cromalins from the repro house. So old school. Now it feels more like making a fanzine. Constantly have to remind myself that we don't have to Roneo copies to send to subscribers.

Can't you just scan them on-screen?

I remember proper proofs. Not sure anyone else does these days.

Lasers are fairly inexpensive these days, they only really looked expensive because inkjets were sold below cost on account they'd then stuff you for the ink.

[Kim]

For the OP, the use scenario very much indicates a laser.

Am I right in thinking the cost per page is significantly lower with lasers?

It's approximately the cost of the paper.

[rafletcher]

I have been informed that we need colour for some of Juniors stuff, but I think this is a small percentage of the general use.

Will look for a laser jet.

Thanks a lot.


Rob

Then look at Brother multi-function printers. I’ve had one for 8 years, and still (after three page count resets) on the first set of toner. And it’s wireless of course.

[Canardly]

TBH the Brother wireless is a bit of a pain to set up but quality wise really good kit.

[rafletcher]

TBH the Brother wireless is a bit of a pain to set up but quality wise really good kit.

Mine was quite easy, but obvs YMMV. It may be my ignorance helped   

[Kim]

I've got a Brother label printer which is allowed special dispensation to be wireless on the grounds that it's battery powered.  Other than the IPv6 implementation not working properly (haven't fully investigated, but it seems like it can't send packets beyond its own subnet or something), it seems suspiciously good at connecting to and being accessible over the network.

Needless to say, while the driver itself seems fine the Windows label-creating software is horrible, the Android app is marginally more capable than using the built-in keyboard, and the only functional Linux driver for it requires that you connect over USB.  (I could probably fix this, but life's too short to write printer drivers.)

[Ham]

Printerland (https://www.printerland.co.uk/) seems to be a good place to browse, I'm looking to replace my 9 year old Brother, the drum is duff, punted £12 for a compatible, better but still no good, not worth £85 for the real thing. (up for grabs if someone wants it)

My current fave https://www.printerland.co.uk/product/xerox-b210/146516

(possibly, some of the Canon with cashback look appealing too)

[rachel t]

I  have been using a samsung M2020 mono laser for the past 3 or so years cost less than £50 when I brought it, I have used compatible from the first replacement, think they are about £8 each if I buy 3 at a time, seem to last ages. I think it produces decent enough results, occasionally jams paper but easy to get the jammed paper out.

I also own a very elderly epson r1800 A3 inkjet which I brought via the company I worked for upgraded all the stores planning printers & sold off to staff for £5 each.

[Ham]

Toner is mostly ok in compatible guise, but drums is hit and miss. I just missed.

[quixoticgeek]

Don't waste your money on an inkjet - you can get a cheap mono laser (Samsung?) for less than £100 - and then buy non-OEM cartridges. 

This.

Unless you are planning to print photos on a very regular basis, I would always say get a laser printer. They will pay for themselves in savings on cartridges within the life of the first pack of paper.

I have a Brother that is now 20 years old and it Just Works™. Would buy another.

J

[Ham]

I have a Brother that is now 20 years old and it Just Works™. Would buy another.

J

Prepare for disappointment at that stage.

(I still mourn my venerable Panasonic KXP4400)

[aidan.f]

I'm on the lookout to replace a Samsung  m2022 unless I can find a Linux mint driver that will print a pdf. Even using usb.

[CommuteTooFar]

I used to have an Epson inkjet for colour and a Brother HL-2070N for general black and white work.  I found that I hardly ever used the inkjet so the cartridges used to clog. As I had to use the printer unclogging method I only got a few pages per cartridge. Paying £20 per page is too expensive and I was not that upset when the printer clogged up completely.  After 10+ years the laser printer may need a toner cartridge.   Going on strong.