Help me to choose a printer with low running cost and reasonable print quality

HappySad

Hi MSE-Techies... Can you help...

Can you recommend any good printers that offer reasonable print quality for my business and does not cost a bomb with the ink cartridge.

I have a Epson stylus sx215 and the cost of the tiny cartridges is too much and it only last a short time. Compatibles don't work with this printer also.

I am not looking to print photographs just want it mainly for text and a few graphics printing for my business. Running cost is important. Should I invest in a laser printer???

If you have links to your recommended printer(s) this would help but just stating the make/model is just OK too.

Can you help??? :wave:

Firetastic

Hi what about having a look at Kodak? Here is a link to a printer I found.

http://shop.kodak.co.uk/store/ekconseu/en_GB/pd/ESP_3250_All-in-One_Printer/productID.163021800

esuhl

Not sure if you can still get them, but our Canon Pixma iP4500 is great. Excellent print quality, never clogs or jams, chipless compatible cartridges are around £1.50 to £2.00 each.

But if you're using it for business, laser printers do give a better output generally and might work out cheaper if you're going to be using it a lot.

fwor

You don't say whether you need colour. If not (or if colour is only a small proportion of your printing) then there is no contest - a laser printer will probably save you lots of money, though you have to prepare for high costs for toner carts when they do eventually need replacing.

If you have to have colour, laser printers are still quite pricey - really only for bigger business with large print volumes.

If you want to stick to original cartridges then Kodak are about the cheapest. If you're happy to go with compatibles then Canon IP and MP series are pretty good, but check that you can get chipped compatibles for any specific models, as it takes a while for the compatible makers to copy the newest designs.

esuhl

fwor wrote: »

Canon IP and MP series are pretty good, but check that you can get chipped compatibles for any specific models, as it takes a while for the compatible makers to copy the newest designs.

If you don't mind transferring the chips between cartridges, don't worry about getting chipped compatibles - the unchipped ones are cheaper. All you need is a "chip resetter" (the one I got was about £15 to £20).

You touch the chip against the resetter for a second or two, then take it off the empty cartridge and place/stick it to the new chipless cartridge, then off you go.

bcl999

There is a Samsung colour laser listed somehwere today (either on this site or maybe hotukdeals) for about £65 with a full set of toners. Can't say anything about it except that I noticed the thread and thought that it was cheap enough to throw away once the toners were finished.

Owain_Moneysaver

colour laser every time. £84 ex vat.

In even a small business office you'll end up replacing ink carts almost daily.

Also lasers work great on cheap copy paper whereas inkjets don't.

Most printers come with 'starter' toners or ink, which don't last as long as the real thing.

HappySad

Thanks everyone for your advice, links and suggestions. I think I will look into laser. I would like some colour as I would want to print my company logo every now and then. I have my course manaual to print off and also business material and this printer is costing too much.

It looks like from what everyone is saying that lasers are cheaper to run for larger print jobs. I will join which? online for their introductory offer of 1 month for £1 and see what models they have on offer.. I don't really know much about laser printers so will read about what feature to look for.

What do you suggest? .. I think I want just basic text mainly with little graphics, no or virturally no phtographs.. for a small business. Where do you buy the catridges from for lasers? Where is the best place to find original catridges from?