Rooster_Ties Posted February 12, 2007 Report Posted February 12, 2007 Gonna bite the bullet and get a new PC for our home, and I'm really on the fence about what sort of printer to get. While price is certainly a factor, I'm more interested in something that will really last, that isn't gonna drown us in on-going costs for either ink-jet or toner cartridges. (So overall cost, including ongoing costs, are really what matters.) Yes, that means I've NOT (yet) decided on whether to get an inkjet printer, or a home laser-printer. Color would be nice, but I could be swayed into getting a B&W laser-printer if there's a good argument to be made for it (over an inkjet). Are the lowest-end home color laser-printers anything even worth looking at?? (I'm assuming not, but what do I know?) I just want a good printer, that will work well for 6 or 7 years -- and that won't soak us with ongoing costs. Don't know how to quantify how much we print here, but I'm sure it's not more than average. We certainly don't print a whole lot of stuff, I do know that. Any brands to really stay away from?? Recent horror stories to share?? Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted February 12, 2007 Author Report Posted February 12, 2007 (edited) Probably gonna get a Dell computer (at least we think), and here are the printers we could get bundled with our system... All-in-one Inkjets (from Dell) B&W Lasers (from Dell) Color Lasers (from Dell) Edited February 12, 2007 by Rooster_Ties Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted February 13, 2007 Report Posted February 13, 2007 From past experience, I will never buy a printer from anyone not named HP. Quote
Stereojack Posted February 13, 2007 Report Posted February 13, 2007 About 3 years ago I needed a color printer. I still had my first black & white Hewlett-Packard, which I had bought in 1996, but I wanted to upgrade to color, and the prices had come way down since I bought it. (It's still functioning today as my backup printer at work, btw.) I figured I'd save money and buy an inexpensive Epson printer (about 80.00). The damned thing started giving me trouble after about a year, and I don't even use it that heavily. It was clunky, and half the time I had to print more than once before the page came out right! I never was able to successfully adjust the alignment. I had invested quite a bit in ink cartridges (which are expensive) that I had yet to use, so I bought another Epson, figuring that the first one had been a lemon, or perhaps I had not maintained it properly. The second one started misbehaving just like the first one after about a year. I bit the bullet and bought a Hewlett-Packard (around 130.00 I think) and it has been completely dependable and trouble-free. And it prints smoothly and accurately. Don't buy an Epson! Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted February 13, 2007 Report Posted February 13, 2007 Just like any manufacture, Epson has crappy lower line printers as well as very good high-end ones. The latest Epson Stylus Photo series (ie, the R series) are very good. You're going to get hosed for replacement cartridges, but that is true for any printer these days. Your only respite is to buy non-OEM from sellers on eBay or other sources. As detailed in that thread, I've been using non-OEM ink for a year or so and I'm very happy with it. HP usually get high marks all-around, although I've never owned one. But they've been in the printing business a long time and I've used them in various business related environments. Stay away from Lexmark at all costs. I take it the printer from this past thread finally died? Quote
(BB) Posted February 13, 2007 Report Posted February 13, 2007 I have had my HP officejet 7110 for 4 years. It is the fax/copy/print/scan set up. I work out of the home and I can't imagine how much paper has run through that thing without any problems to speak of. Also having a copier in the house is one of those things that would be hard to go without once you get use to it. Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted February 13, 2007 Author Report Posted February 13, 2007 I take it the printer from this past thread finally died? Completely forgot about that thread. Nah, our old printer still mostly works, though it has certainly seen much better days. I figured that we were gonna get a new PC, we'd spring for a new printer as well -- especially since our current one (an extremely 'low-end' Lexmark, model Z52) is pretty worn and battered. Quote
JSngry Posted February 13, 2007 Report Posted February 13, 2007 HP all the way here. Last I heard, Dell's printers are Lexmark w/a Dell nameplate. Avoid. Quote
Quincy Posted February 13, 2007 Report Posted February 13, 2007 (edited) The more you print, the more sense it makes to buy a laser. And actually at this point considering the technology, it probably makes sense to buy a laser even if you don't print a lot. If you have the desk space and assuming your current color inkjet still works, it might make the most sense to buy a higher quality black & white laser and keep your old inkjet for those times when you need color (since it sounds like color use is just an occasional thing.) And don't buy your printer from Dell. Edited February 13, 2007 by Quincy Quote
.:.impossible Posted February 13, 2007 Report Posted February 13, 2007 I have an hp 7210xi All in One. I like the convenience, but I swear I have to reload the f'ing driver on my Windows laptop once every couple of weeks. The printer is ethernet, so it is connected to my router. We can print from anywhere in the house, which is nice. Quote
Niko Posted February 13, 2007 Report Posted February 13, 2007 would never buy anything other than HP (and at least overhere there are cheap and recommendable cartridges on the market by now, ) laser printers are said to be a bit problematic to have in the room for health reasons (infromed myself a little before deciding not to get one... research is still in te beginning however), so I (only I) would only get one if I had something like a "printing room" where it doesn't bother me all the time but wouldn't want one in my office or some other room where i spent a lot of time Quote
Man with the Golden Arm Posted February 13, 2007 Report Posted February 13, 2007 well, i have a canon that prints beautifully. thing i like is that it breaks down the CMYK into individual cartridges. so when you run outta blue you replace the cyan without having to chuck a big all in one cartridge. i'd buy based on cartidge replacement price ... the printer itself is just a loss leader. Quote
.:.impossible Posted February 13, 2007 Report Posted February 13, 2007 well, i have a canon that prints beautifully. thing i like is that it breaks down the CMYK into individual cartridges. so when you run outta blue you replace the cyan without having to chuck a big all in one cartridge. i'd buy based on cartidge replacement price ... the printer itself is just a loss leader. Great point. Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted February 13, 2007 Report Posted February 13, 2007 The Epson Stylus models have the same thing. Mine has six cartridges in it (black, magenta and light magenta, blue and light blue, and yellow). When one goes out, you replace it and you're on your way. Quote
.:.impossible Posted February 13, 2007 Report Posted February 13, 2007 Six! That is certainly innovative. Quote
mikeweil Posted February 13, 2007 Report Posted February 13, 2007 My HP deskjet 870cxi is doing a fine job for 7 years now, and I bought it used! Just need to clean some parts twice a year. Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted February 13, 2007 Report Posted February 13, 2007 Six! That is certainly innovative. Innovative and/or expensive, take your pick. Each catridge, if you buy them retail, is about $15. That's why I'm using the non-OEM stuff from eBay. Quote
Quincy Posted February 13, 2007 Report Posted February 13, 2007 (edited) well, i have a canon that prints beautifully. thing i like is that it breaks down the CMYK into individual cartridges. so when you run outta blue you replace the cyan without having to chuck a big all in one cartridge. I was attracted to the individual color cartridge concept and bought a Xerox 7 years ago that was designed the same way. I don't think I ever printed beyond 2 pages before having to replace all the colors in the 2 years the printer worked. But if you print tons of blue material... Since 2002 I've been using a HP 5550 inkjet. Other than wanting to print a test pattern on photo paper every 3 months for no apparent reason, other than to waste ink & paper, it's okay. I just assumed my next would be a laser. Some of the health issues brought by Niko can be read here. i'd buy based on cartidge replacement price ... the printer itself is just a loss leader. Well, there's the "pages per catridge" to factor in too. Some cartridges are good for only about 150 pages, others many more than that. Btw, I've seen either Jim's Epson or a very similar model. It's a mofo! Edited February 13, 2007 by Quincy Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted March 8, 2007 Report Posted March 8, 2007 Well, my Epson R200 just took a dump. One of the 6 colors is not printing at all and I've cleaned the heads multiple times. It could be from using non-OEM ink in it, as the Epson's are supposed to be very finicky about that, compared to other manufacturers. I've only had this printer for about a year and half, two years tops, but I've printed a lot of things. Even if it was the non-OEM ink that killed it, in the long run I still saved money, since Epson ink is so expensive it's like buying a new printer every time you replace the catridges anyway. I think I'm going to go with HP this time around. Quote
Shrdlu Posted March 9, 2007 Report Posted March 9, 2007 Ah, printers! An ongoing pain, and, as you put it, Jim, getting new cartridges is like having to buy a new printer. And the no-name generic cartridges wreck the printer. We had an HP 610-C. Admittedly not a high-end deal, but the paper feed mechanism was terrible, and it was really hard to get a page into it. The cartridges cost two arms and two legs. We now have an Epson C42UX. It is reasonable, but I'm always cleaning out black ink with Q-tips, to get rid of streaks. But we can't afford anything fancier right now. It's a bit like living with a dog. Ya love them but they crap in the yard. Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted March 9, 2007 Report Posted March 9, 2007 Well, I just changed the cartridge (it's light magenta that is not showing up at all) and cleaned several more times and still nothing. I just printed something on it two days ago and it was fine. Go figure. I really don't want to spend money on a new printer, especially since I'm broke, but what are you gonna do? Gotta print press kits! Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted March 9, 2007 Report Posted March 9, 2007 Well, I just changed the cartridge (it's light magenta that is not showing up at all) and cleaned several more times and still nothing. I just printed something on it two days ago and it was fine. Go figure. I really don't want to spend money on a new printer, especially since I'm broke, but what are you gonna do? Gotta print press kits! Kinko's? Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted March 9, 2007 Report Posted March 9, 2007 Yeah, I was thinking about that, but even with pdfs, it seems things print differently when you take them to a place like Kinko's. I got my presskit looking mighty fine. Plus I need a buttload of them. It's actually cheaper to buy a new printer and do it myself. Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted March 9, 2007 Report Posted March 9, 2007 Yeah, I was thinking about that, but even with pdfs, it seems things print differently when you take them to a place like Kinko's. I got my presskit looking mighty fine. Plus I need a buttload of them. It's actually cheaper to buy a new printer and do it myself. Buttloads are different. Quote
ejp626 Posted March 9, 2007 Report Posted March 9, 2007 Just want to agree that you want to avoid a Dell printer. You can only buy the cartridge through them by ordering by phone or on the internet. No running down to Staples or somewhere in an emergency. Quote
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