computer printer - which to buy?

[Gambatte 900]

Which to buy?

Reliable, fast, simple, overall cheap, the usual...

[HH_Sailor 3,541]

Well, 

this piece of string is green and 8cm

here is one that is blue and 42cm

finally this piece is white, double plaited and 165cm...

 

So many variables - this may narrow it down for you : 

https://www.officedepot.com/cm/buying-guide/printer-buying-guide

 

[HEM 11,079]

10 minutes ago, HH_Sailor said:

So many variables..

 

Thats true.  Remember that if the printer comes with ink included thats only a minimal amount of ink!

IIRC with my last printer the included ink tanks were described as "for testing purposes" or similar.

 

FWIW I have a HP ENVY 5032 printer/scanner since 2 years & its OK.

Connected to my desktop PC via USB (cable not supplied but luckily cable from previous printer fitted).

It also has WiFi activated for the various laptops around the house.

I have not worked out how to print envelopes!

[Gambatte 900]

Thanks.

Bought one for 90eur.

[HEM 11,079]

"One" what?

[cb6dba 7,318]

Buying a printer is a great way to learn about hidden costs and scaled obsolescence.

 

Cheap printer can mean expensive cartridges and the price of them can go up as the original manufacturer stops producing them. Then you start using third party ones  which invalidates any support from the maker.

 

Eventually you are using an unsupported printer with third party cartridges. The thing is obsolete from  support point of view (either because it is just too old to get support from the manufacturer or you are using third party cartridges)  but you can still use it. Eventually you can't get any ink for it or it just stops working. 

Although all that can also be applicable to an expensive printer as well..

 

We have a HP, it knows if we are using HP cartridges.

Then we have planned obsolescence, I can't prove this but it wouldn't surprise me if things just stop working at a planned time. We've had a cannon and a HP printer just stop working, wouldn't turn on after 3 years. Never seen that in another appliance we have. 

[karin_brenig 692]

which is why we have a good HP network printer in our home office and an instant ink subscription. The contraption works well, is cost efficient, and saves on taxes too :)

[DoubleDTown 388]

13 minutes ago, cb6dba said:

Buying a printer is a great way to learn about hidden costs and scaled obsolescence.

 

 

so true.  (1) toner cartridges are expensive; 

 

(2) I had a Sharp laser printer once that was fine, but then after Windows98 it wouldn't work -- Sharp just decided it didn't need to make new drivers (or maybe it really couldn't somehow?) so that once I gave up on Win98 I had to give up on that printer.  I still hold it against Sharp.  (same for a Logitech WebCam that wouldn't work with versions later than Win98.  Then there's those Apple handheld devices that one can't use newer apps on... but I digress) 

[cb6dba 7,318]

Just now, DoubleDTown said:

 

so true.  (1) toner cartridges are expensive; 

 

(2) I had a Sharp laser printer once that was fine, but then after Windows98 it wouldn't work -- Sharp just decided it didn't need to make new drivers (or maybe it really couldn't somehow?) so that once I gave up on Win98 I had to give up on that printer.  I still hold it against Sharp.  (same for a Logitech WebCam that wouldn't work with versions later than Win98) 

So right, I'd forgotten about the OS part of things becoming obsolete..

[DoubleDTown 388]

I've been happy with Samsung's Xpress printers.  I've had an M2070W and a M2675.  They've worked well, and also the M2070W can connect to network wirelessly so anything connected to the wifi network can print to it or scan with it. Wireless connection to network is genius so printer can be positioned anywhere, doesn't have to be near the router.  Also has WPS connection option.  I find "Printer Express" replacement toner cartridges are compatible with no probs. And I can print envelopes.

 

https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00I7PP0PU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[keith2011 2,579]

I have been very happy with the 2 Canon printers I have a MG6350 (on a Windows PC) and MG6450 on an (Apple PC) though bot are accessible to each other over the network. Both printers use the same cartridges which is useful because they are expensive. They are getting on a bit now but still function well, no problems getting the cartridges and there was even a recent Win 10 driver update for them. Much better than the HP ones I used to have both reliability and print quality, I no longer buy anything from HP, for other reasons but much prefer the Canons anyway.

I can print envelopes, double sided and even DVDs (MG 6350).

[Krieg 14,936]

In the days of Covid-19 and home schooling we have actually TWO printers.  An EPSON Inkjet which is the worst system ever, expensive cartridges, with chips to try to stop you from buying non original cartridges, if you do not use them for a couple of weeks the ink dries and clog the head and you have to spend forever trying to unclog it. Mostly every inkjet printer is crappy like that.  But they are good for two things, they come with a scanner and they can print fotos with reasonable quality and cost.   And we have a Brother laser printer, only prints in black, but it is fast, reliable and cheap to maintain.   So we print almost everything in the Brother, use the EPSON to scan and to print in color when needed.   The EPSON can scan and upload to the cloud, send the scans to your email, dropbox, etc.   Which is useful in these crappy days when the kids have to print and scan a gazillion things and send them via email to the teachers.  Because Germany is probably the only first world country that after one year still can't figure out home schooling and was not able to implement a paper free system.

[LeonG 14,797]

I have a Brother b/w laser printer w/ scanner.  Still going strong after 12 yrs.  Had to replace the toner every few years and the drum once.  It doesn't care if you use no brand toner or parts.  A friend of mine has a Brother too.  It's newer than mine and he hasn't had any  problems.  He also buys no brand toner for it.

[aeroplane 27]

I had put myself exactly the same question at the beginning of the pandemic when it became clear that working from Home-office is a new norm. I do not print a lot but i wanted to be able to print from my iPad and my iPhone as well as from my work laptop plus some solution for scanning. After a research I went with HP Tango X... a bit pricey at, if i recall €150 or so but it has all I needed and it also is smallest on the market and easy on the eye, not the least of factors  when putting an office equipment in one's home environment. It has a great app for scanning too.  I am told it works with Alexa...whatever it means in the hype world of printing... And so i have been happy since, so I highly recommend

[cb6dba 7,318]

last one we bought was a HP 6970, I think it cost around 90 to 120 (I think, it was a while ago).

We also subscribed to the instant ink thing they do. Costs us 2.99 a month for 50 pages which at the moment I think is a little pricy but as the ink stuff gets more expensive that cost will go down.

I also do not have to actually bother going out and buying ink stuff and if I'm honest, I would swear the stuff is lasting longer than it did with our last HP. Also, a replacement ink pack of all that goes in to the printer (the XL version) is going for around 70 euros at the moment. So at the moment it is cheaper for us to use the instant ink, if that works out the same for the entire life of the printer, can't say.

 

Who would have thought buying a printer would turn in to buying or renting a house  

 

 

 

[BethAnnBitt 2,907]

2 hours ago, cb6dba said:

last one we bought was a HP 6970, I think it cost around 90 to 120 (I think, it was a while ago)

It’s serving us well, after about 100€ two years ago.  Aside from printing we scan items frequently, such as tax documents.

[arunadasi 7,074]

Quote

 

last one we bought was a HP 6970, I think it cost around 90 to 120 (I think, it was a while ago).

We also subscribed to the instant ink thing they do. Costs us 2.99 a month for 50 pages which at the moment I think is a little pricy but as the ink stuff gets more expensive that cost will go down.

 

 

I've got one of these. I also have a Brother laser printer which I've had for at least ten years and still works perfectly and economically. |Every so often I need to buy a new cartridge but I don't print all that much anyway.
I use the instant ink thing but it's all been free up to now sine I still use the Brother. I use the Envy only for scanning - I do need to scan  a lot of items and it's easier than taking photos with my phone. I've also scanned all my photos so I can have them in digital. Occasionally I need to copy something and also use the Envy for that. I like that I can scan/print remotely. The Brother doesn't do that. So, best of both worlds.

 

[Narjiz 159]

I remember having a brother laser printer. Looked like this https://www.office-partner.de/brother-mfc-l2710dn-8336180 . This was a good 8 years ago and it had survived a total of 12 years before needing a new drum unit. The drum unit was more expensive than a new printer at the time so we got a new printer. This was back in Canada. Right now we are also looking for a printer and are torn between laser and inkjet. We don't print a whole lot, but we do a lot of scanning. A brother printer runs at around 180 which isn't exactly cheap. 

[Gambatte 900]

HP DeskJet Wireless Multifunctional Printer

 

[LeonG 14,797]

22 minutes ago, Narjiz said:

I remember having a brother laser printer. Looked like this https://www.office-partner.de/brother-mfc-l2710dn-8336180 . This was a good 8 years ago and it had survived a total of 12 years before needing a new drum unit. The drum unit was more expensive than a new printer at the time so we got a new printer. This was back in Canada. Right now we are also looking for a printer and are torn between laser and inkjet. We don't print a whole lot, but we do a lot of scanning. A brother printer runs at around 180 which isn't exactly cheap. 

 

I paid 20€ for a no name drum + toner for my Brother laser in 2019.  Í can't remember what I paid for the printer itself in 2009 but i think around 120.

 

If you don't print a lot, I'd recommend laser.  I always had problems in the past with ink drying up on me.