Advice On Buying A Printer?

System

i understand the point in the forums! the op posted


"Im looking to buy a new printer, cant afford an expensive one, but would like one that prints, scans & photo copies too, not worried about it being perfect for printing photos just something that is reliable AND MOST IMPORTANTLY doesnt cost a fortune in cartridges."

therefore suggestions of printing photos at a supermarket are not really a way to save money for the op - i was mearly trying to get the thread back on track for the op, as it is also something i was interested in, i really don't think there is any need for your remarks brian

podcake

I have to say I agree with a previous poster

Buy a colour laser (and a scanner if you need scanning functionality)

I spent a happy weekend last October working out exactly how much various devices cost, how much ink/toner cost and how long they lasted. I then graphed them up and made it all snazzy and interactive.

please trust me when I say, unless you print less than, say a ream of paper a year you will save money in the long run

in the end I bought a brother HL4040-CN (mainly because I required network use). It has lasted me EXCEPTIONALLY well so far, and at the time (after a discount applied on a special offer) I paid in the order of £170


Whilst this might SEEM a lot of money I have printed in the order of 9,000 pages (which I know is extreme) and I have only just recently (in the last 700 or so) replaced the colour toners, and before that I replaced the black toner at approximately 5000 pages. I would think that a large majority of users would never need to replace the toner and it would last them a lifetime.

A quick glance on the internet throws this printer up at £200 or so.

compared to an AIO ( I picked a random one off ebuyer which was about half way up the price range - the brother DCP-J125 )
Black ink will cost £15 a cartridge - (ish)
Colour is about £9 each

and the unit is £74
200-74 = 126

£126 of ink cartridges will buy you eight blacks or 14 colours.

assuming that you replace them at a rate of two black for every set of three colours ( and they actually manage the sellers rating of 300 pages before drying out etc..)

you would manage approximately 1500 pages on the same cost as the printer I bought, after which you are at a loss. Also note that there are many printers cheaper (and indeed SMALLER) than the one I bought, I required the network functionality....

Just a thought (if a somewhat long-winded one)

podcake

further to my post, please find this link, Samsung now make a colour laser for less than £100...

http://www.ebuyer.com/220887-samsung-clp-320-colour-laser-printer-toners-included-clp-320-see

you would clearly have to review how much toner you get with it etc... But Ive had lasers a while now and I simply wouldn't go back

harry74

epson for cheap compatable inks and good machines, kodaks are good too but reliability??

santer_2

Another option, as long as the firmware isn't locked to use their cartridges only

http://www.digitalversus.com/printer-lexmark-pro905-the-inkjet-that-cheaper-to-run-than-laser-news-12384.html

interstellaflyer

podcake wrote: »

further to my post, please find this link, Samsung now make a colour laser for less than £100...

http://www.ebuyer.com/220887-samsung-clp-320-colour-laser-printer-toners-included-clp-320-see

you would clearly have to review how much toner you get with it etc... But Ive had lasers a while now and I simply wouldn't go back

Please be aware, many of the low end Samsung machines will lock you into buying OEM toners, supplied with your £100 are starter cartridges that do very little, usualy 200 - 500 pages (based on a 5% coverage) then you need to buy new toners and that's where you find you've just thrown £100 down the drain. Also a big problem with Samsung is firmware updates, don't accept them unless you want to be locked into buying OEM toners.

podcake

indeed, I would hate to think that people assumed that ALL laser printers did the numbers of pages that mine did on the starter toner. I apologize if I gave that view. Just to say though I just found black toner at £36 and colour at £33 each for the above printer at 1000 pages ( one assumes using the industry standard 5% yield) that is still 1.5 times what the brother I found would do for the same price (and a similar upstart cost)..

Broadly speaking the 'bigger' the printer in terms of designed use the cheaper it will be to run

joe134

interstellaflyer wrote: »

OK:

Canon MG5150 or MG5250 if you need WiFi, no contest far better than any other machine in the price band. Both are quality machines with top and bottom paper feed, decent capacity cartridges, reasonably cheap OEM, cheep refill/compatibles accessable print head meaning it can be soaked in Di-Ionised water should it clogg, this is far better and cheaper than running countless expensive head cleaning cycles, all the other machines have print heads buried in the machine except the HP Photosmart (364 series cartridges) machines but The HP machines are very poor quality for the money.

As I am in identical position as OP, due to my Lexmarkx1180, refusing to re-instal after going back to factory settings on pc, I have just been on Amizon and I couldn,t find what you reccomended, so have no idea of cost.
However, they have a Canon PixmaMP280.£26.99.+£10.49 forblack ink.+£13.75 for colour=£51.19. Similar priced ink as my Lexmark compatables, a lot cheaper than originals, however, no ink amount specified. pg-510 black. cl-511 colour.
Now then, what,s the verdict on this, as I am thinking of ordering it. I do very little printing, but want it for convenience sake , but do NOT want all bells and whisltes, If I could get Lexy going I would keep it.

I,m going to check the
compatible prices of both inks from IJT, who I have used for years, and will return.
It doesn,t say if inks , even small ones included in £26.99, but doubt it.

joe134

joe134 wrote: »

As I am in identical position as OP, due to my Lexmarkx1180, refusing to re-instal after going back to factory settings on pc, I have just been on Amizon and I couldn,t find what you reccomended, so have no idea of cost.
However, they have a Canon PixmaMP280.£26.99.+£10.49 forblack ink.+£13.75 for colour=£51.19. Similar priced ink as my Lexmark compatables, a lot cheaper than originals, however, no ink amount specified. pg-510 black. cl-511 colour.
Now then, what,s the verdict on this, as I am thinking of ordering it. I do very little printing, but want it for convenience sake , but do NOT want all bells and whisltes, If I could get Lexy going I would keep it.

I,m going to check the
compatible prices of both inks from IJT, who I have used for years, and will return.
It doesn,t say if inks , even small ones included in £26.99, but doubt it.

Just done that,
1,It does have ink included in the price, but it will be starter cartridges, although their Canon ones Are cheaper than IJT compatables::They do NOt say ink included, hoping you buy there Ink as well with it, as punters have done.
2.As per norm, no USB cable included, and not even mentioned, until I read reviews.Same as Lexi.
£1.40 for USB, but will my Lexi one fit, presume they are standard.
would appreciate any feedback.

MoneySavingUser

I had heard about Kodak having cheap ink - but from this topic it seems Epson are a better bet

I currently have a HP Photosmart actually....

I find that buying the XL cartridges is cheaper per ml - and refurbished ones work fine