Printer - low running cost - colour laser

WallyBird

Please can anyone help me?

My Canon Pixma ip4000 has given up the ghost. I am looking for something to replace it and was thinking of a laser printer.

Requirements:

Not to expensive to buy (could be recond or second hand)
Reliable (inkjet printers always seem to break eventually)
Cheap to run
Duplex and colour would be nice
Able to switch off when not in use
Not too big to sit on my desk

I have never had a laser printer before. Are the cartridges very expensive and how long do they last? I do not print all that much or often, so would they dry out?

Many thanks! WB

kwikbreaks

I'll be interested to see what recommendations come up too.

On the "drying out" front laser toner is dry powder to start with. It may cake up but shaking the toner cartridge usually helps (this is based on experience with office b+w lasers and may not be 100% applicable to a home colour machine).

Running cost wise they usually quote how many pages a toner will produce based on average coverages. I suspect photo printing would be both expensive and probably disappointing as I think lasers are more used for presentations etc. than photos but could be wrong. I've found that using an ink-jet printer with "compatible" cartridges to be the cheapest option but probably not giving quite such good photo results. If you really want to print a lot of photos then putting them on CD and taking them to Tesco or Boots etc. would likely be best.

WallyBird

Thank you. I don't need to print photos. Mainly text, but perhaps the odd page with colour in it.

aerostar

You can buy a colour laser printer very cheaply, BUT the cost of toners will add up to MUCH more than the original printer cost.

Also your printer will probably only have what is called a demo amount of toner, not full cartridges, so you would soon need to replace a set.

WallyBird

Hmm - I don't want to spend loads on toners, that would defeat the object. Is there any way around this?

macman

But laser toner will last many times longer than inkjet carts, that's the whole point. Bigger upfront expenditure, but much lower running costs.
Inkjet printers are heavily subsidised in order to lock you into buying the ink-that's were the profit is made.
What is your monthly page count? That's what matters when doing the break-even calculations.

WallyBird

Very low. Max 100 a month, I should think. Sometimes less.

But I hate it when the printer breaks down. Would like one I can forget about!

macman

Then a colour laser printer is not suitable, as you'll take years to recover the extra upfront investment.
I'd buy another Canon inkjet, just make sure if has separate carts and not the cheaper combined C/M/Y ones.
A mono laser (at about £70 for a small Samsung) would be worth it though if you can do without colour. You can always have a budget inkjet as well for occasional colour.

WallyBird

I wondered if that might be the case. That's why I was thinking second hand or reconditioned, but I did not know how much the toners would cost.

e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270850055723?_trksid=p5197.c0.m619

I don't have space for two printers (hardly enough for one).

macman

I wouldn't consider a used printer, unless it comes with at least a year's warranty.

WallyBird

That one does, but no idea if it is any good or not.