Home printer?

[mdk1]

Ok so we need to get a new printer for home as our last Lexmark is about 5 years old, and not the most reliable, and ink prices are expensive.

So what should I be looking for?

Manly be used for printing Homework for the girls, the ability to scan would be handy.

What's the score with the price of ink now, seem to remember a big thing about Kodack having cheap ink, is that still the case?

[john999boy]

Consider a laser mfp instead of an inkjet and you'll save loads in the long run.

[skomaz]

Canon with non-oe ink from 7dayshop.

Edited 15 November, 2015 by skomaz

[StevesTruck]

Unless you really, really need colour. Get a laser.

[GentleGiant]

I disagree, since Epson won a ruling against the big 3rd party refillers, toner prices have been taking the ****. Unless you are willing to buy from China and refill yourself, it is much cheaper to run an "office" inkjet. I bought my Epson WP4535 2 years ago and despite printing many hundreds of pages, I am STILL using the original demo carts.

 

Speed is another issue, unless you are printing lots of photos, a modern inkjet isnt any slower than a laser, in fact, you have to be printing a pretty big document before a laser has warmed up and caught up with the inkjet.

[Kenny R]

If you have iPads or tablets a wireless 3 in 1, it's great being able to print straight from iPad, phone etc. I bought an Epson XP-315 when it was on offer in Tesco. It prints great an is a lot smaller than any printer we've had before.

[Auric Goldfinger]

I have a Samsung Wireless printer/scanner/copier. I was quite expensive but for the amount we print the ink kept drying up on our old printer. The one we have now use's toners which I think are powder loaded so the don't dry up and should last a good few years.

Edited 16 November, 2015 by Auric Goldfinger

[Phil-E]

Depends what you want to print.

 

If just black and white then get a mono laser.

 

If mainly black and white with a bit of colour (charts etc) then a colour laser.

 

If you want to print photos then an inkjet.

 

We have a Samsung mono laser for just black and white stuff or high volume printing then a HP all in one with ePrint etc for printing photos and scanning etc. It has that HP instant ink where it orders it's own ink and it actually works out to be very competitive price wise.

 

Phil

[Aspman]

Consider a laser mfp instead of an inkjet and you'll save loads in the long run.

 

+1. they last a long time too since there is no liquid ink to dry up.

 

I think you can get colour mfds now but cheaper to get a mono if you don't really need colour.

 

I've a real old samsung (must be close to 10yr) which I feed cheap pattern toner for £10 a pop. The thing just keeps grinding along.

[gullyg]

+1. they last a long time too since there is no liquid ink to dry up.

I think you can get colour mfds now but cheaper to get a mono if you don't really need colour.

I've a real old samsung (must be close to 10yr) which I feed cheap pattern toner for £10 a pop. The thing just keeps grinding along.

++

I have some Samsung monstrosity I keep trying to kill as SWMBO won't let me dump it to get a decent printer (this thing only supports 802.11b wifi so has to be hard wired) with AirPrint but no matter me giving it a £10 toner off eBay or generally abusing the thing it won't die.

To be fair we use it some infrequently I've only just replaced the started toner.

Edited 16 November, 2015 by gullyg

[Brianpilman]

++

I have some Samsung monstrosity I keep trying to kill as SWMBO won't let me dump it to get a decent printer (this thing only supports 802.11b wifi so has to be hard wired) with AirPrint but no matter me giving it a £10 toner off eBay or generally abusing the thing it won't die.

To be fair we use it some infrequently I've only just replaced the started toner.

You could setup a raspberry pii device as a print server and then you will have wireless printing. Took me about and hour and a half and that included putting the pii together

[gullyg]

You could setup a raspberry pii device as a print server and then you will have wireless printing. Took me about and hour and a half and that included putting the pii together

I got rid of all my PIs ages ago as never found a use for them (too weedy - now use a HP gen8 and hyperv.

Happy enough with it on Ethernet as I've got runs behind the walls to the main rooms, just means I can't stick it in the living room out of sight without knocking another hole in the plasterboard to run cable to that part of the room.

Easier just to buy a better printer - especially if I do that it's not my fault when SWMBO breaks it.

[StevesTruck]

I disagree, since Epson won a ruling against the big 3rd party refillers, toner prices have been taking the ****. Unless you are willing to buy from China and refill yourself, it is much cheaper to run an "office" inkjet. I bought my Epson WP4535 2 years ago and despite printing many hundreds of pages, I am STILL using the original demo carts.

 

Speed is another issue, unless you are printing lots of photos, a modern inkjet isnt any slower than a laser, in fact, you have to be printing a pretty big document before a laser has warmed up and caught up with the inkjet.

 

Bottom of the range HP laserjet here. I buy 2 pattern/reman'd carts for about £15. Current one's been in since January and I've easily used a box (not a ream) of paper in that time.

[mdk1]

Interesting reading guys, thanks very much.

[VWD]

Speed- inkjet .Longevity etc. laser. I'm now not a fan of integrated printer scanners , apart from my olde Cannon 2100, printer scanner, which still works even on W10, but I only use for a quick scan . Only practical way to use this one as a printer is to refill old cartridges(  yes ,it is that old ), so when my last Epson all in one went funny i opted for an Epson WF2010.Fast, but as it has a habit of going into sleep mode and doing an ink check on use, it uses a bit more ink than I think it should. But on standard quality on run of the mill paper it's print speed & quality is good .Speed for one offs is excellent.But over ten years ago, a satisfied client ( computer place) gave me a present of an OLD Apple 12/640 laser writer . Like gullyg, it refuses to die. I switched it off a year ago when I was looking for drivers for W7, and forgot to cover it up. result, I've got lines on paper ( dirty rollers, I suspect) ,when I last used it on XP.

As mentioned, I prefer individual printers and scanners now, and I've got my PC world cheapo back working on W7 & 10 .

I'll bow to the experts, but I look at combi's as the same as Sport 4x4 vehicles Even JLR can't make a large 4x4 into a good off roader and vehicle with handling, despite the price ( ref -LR Disco Sport) , and I think likewise on printer scanners.

Ink- I go for places like rapid resolutions on line (wwwrefillman.com) , who can give me a complete set of guaranteed to work cartridges for the price of an OEM single . Warranty problems from maker- buy from a store with a no Quibble warranty.

[Lady Elanore]

I bought my Dad a cheap Epsom printer/copier/scanner/CD label maker - inkjet printer a few years ago (something like a 530 model?). It takes an extra big black ink cartridge too The printer cost around £50 at the time, is pretty quick and so far has been 100% reliable. it even has built in WiFi so anyone on a laptop can print to it from anywhere in the house and if you want you can email direct to it (I have a bigger Epsom which does this and find the email feature really useful with my job)

[GentleGiant]

Bottom of the range HP laserjet here. I buy 2 pattern/reman'd carts for about £15. Current one's been in since January and I've easily used a box (not a ream) of paper in that time.

 

I think that is a rarity these days, is it a very old model?? The HP MF laser at work costs £65 per black toner and they only last for 900-1100 pages (colour toners are even more expensive).

[jlwah]

I think that is a rarity these days, is it a very old model?? The HP MF laser at work costs £65 per black toner and they only last for 900-1100 pages (colour toners are even more expensive).

Worth bearing in mind that these days toners supplied with new printers are often low capacity ones capable of barely 1000 pages or so to keep the printer cost down.

 

I have an HP Laserjet Pro 200 that came with low fill toners and I'm just about to replace the black toner for the first time after approx 900 pages. The replacement was £55 and is reckoned to be capable of 2400 pages of print.

 

Whilst HP's print utility has been complaining for some time about the low black toner, there seems to be no loss of print quality and I haven't even got round to removing it and giving it a shake (usually yields another 100 pages or so).

 

Overall I'm very pleased with this printer as it also does scanning and copying so negating the need to replace my ancient (and not supported after Win XP) HP Scanjet.

Edited 17 November, 2015 by jlwah

[Aspman]

It's always been a rule of thumb that the cheaper the printer the more expensive the ink.

 

Over time you might find it cheaper to run a more business-like printer like an Oki or Kyocera. They tend to be more expensive up front but a bit cheaper to run and more serviceable.

[StevesTruck]

I think that is a rarity these days, is it a very old model?? The HP MF laser at work costs £65 per black toner and they only last for 900-1100 pages (colour toners are even more expensive).

 

HP Laserjet P1102, at work, mum and dad have the older version... P10-something I think?

 

They take the same cartridges though, so they're common as muck and literally loose change. I've probably had one out of 6-8 that only did a couple of reams of paper before it ran out, but at that price, I really don't care. I normally get them off this bloke http://stores.ebay.co.uk/colour-perfect?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

[GentleGiant]

Worth bearing in mind that these days toners supplied with new printers are often low capacity ones capable of barely 1000 pages or so to keep the printer cost down.

 

I have an HP Laserjet Pro 200 that came with low fill toners and I'm just about to replace the black toner for the first time after approx 900 pages. The replacement was £55 and is reckoned to be capable of 2400 pages of print.

 

Whilst HP's print utility has been complaining for some time about the low black toner, there seems to be no loss of print quality and I haven't even got round to removing it and giving it a shake (usually yields another 100 pages or so).

 

Overall I'm very pleased with this printer as it also does scanning and copying so negating the need to replace my ancient (and not supported after Win XP) HP Scanjet.

 

The HP at work was cheap for a colour laser, just under £300, but even the brand new carts only just do 1,000 pages, and that is only after I switched off the "toner empty" nag that comes on after about TWO HUNDRED pages.

[gadgetman]

If like me you print very rarely, HP cartridges don't seem to dry out/block like other brands I've tried.

Lexmark are terrible (from experience) for their print heads drying out and blocking to the point that half used cartridges are only good for the bin.

Cartridges in my hp2570 are at least a year old, and I only print a few pages a month. Previous set was at least 4 years old.

[GeoffH]

I have an HP Envy 5530 Inkjet  from Amazon @ £66

I also subscribe to" HP Instant Ink" which I pay a monthly fee of £3.49 and can print 100 pages.... I print 100 A4 Colour Photos which still costs £3.49 as a page is a page whatever is on it!

HP monitor your usage and post you ink cartridges when you drop to about 50% ink level. Rates are: 50 Pages £1.99 pcm.  100 Pages £3.49 pcm. 300 Pages £7.99 pcm. You can carry up to your monthly allowance forward to the next month so if I don't use mine for a month I can print 200 the following month.

The print quality on Photographs is excellent on the Envy 5530.

[Lady Elanore]

I've had Lexmark, HP and Epsom printers and the Lexmark was by far the most, er.... 'problematic', the ink did dry up frequently.

 

I've currently got a Epsom 730 (6xClaria inks) and it only has any drying of the heads if the printer is left for a month or so (if I am away for any length of time I can email a doc to it in order to keep the heads clean ). It has been faultless and also takes the bigger inks too. Mind you it's the photoprinter inks so they probably cost a little more.

[cheezemonkhai]

Unless you really, really need colour. Get a laser.

 

You can get a very reasonable brother colour laser MFC too, if you do need colour and print volume.