Recommend me a printer, oh people who print a lot!

[Kitty Pryde]

I'm looking for something fairly cheap, with fairly cheap cartridges. I don't need to print in color. Or high resolution. Or photos. 99% of what I will use it for is:

-printing out drafts to edit
-printing driving directions from online
-printing out recipes for to cook with
-printing receipts and tickets and such

Ideas? I currently have a Kodak 5300, but it broke so many times that I lost hope, and now it is an enormous ugly paperweight. Thanks!

[Medievalist]

Get a laser printer for black and white printing.

I favor HP, but Canon also has good warranties.

A laserprinter costs much more up front, and the price per cartridge is high, but it will last for years, you can print reams and reams on a single cartridge (as in 15 or more reams, at least).

[Williebee]

"What Medi said" (Can I get that turned into a smiley?)

There are several places online to find good deals on b&w (mono) laser printers. (newegg and tigerdirect for example) You'll spend a couple hundred up front, but it will pay for itself in few months if you are doing hard copy submissions.

[JanDarby]

Ditto to laser. You pay more up front, but save over the long run on the toner versus cartridges; and a good laser printer will last a long time. My first laser printer lasted more than a dozen years of reasonably intense use, and my current one is ... about 4 years old, I think. According to my brother who's a systems engineer, most of the parts that are most likely to break in a laser printer are built into the toner cartridges, so every time you replace the cartridge, you're replacing all the important stuff.

I buy one cartridge every year or so, at a cost of under a hundred bucks.

Two things to avoid: vertical paper feeds (instead of horizontal drawers) because the paper bends and sticks and just generally causes problems, although that orientation is okay for a by-pass feed, which is useful for infrequent use when you're using special paper, like stationery, but not for the basic paper; and too-small feed trays (because it's a nuisance to keep filling a 20-sheet tray when you're printing out 100+ pages at a time).

JD

[Medievalist]

Check out Office Depot and Staples on prices; they have frequent sales, and will deliver.

[MaryMumsy]

I bought an HP P2035n in January. I have no complaints about the machine itself, but the cartridges...oy vey. I was used to an HP4, and easily got 15 reams or more out of a cartridge printing tax returns. The cartridges were about $90. With this new machine the cartridges are still about $90, but I'm lucky to get 4 reams printed. I spent more on cartridges this last three months than what the printer cost. I'll be shopping around before next tax season.

MM

[Medievalist]

I bought an HP P2035n in January. I have no complaints about the machine itself, but the cartridges...oy vey. I was used to an HP4, and easily got 15 reams or more out of a cartridge printing tax returns. The cartridges were about $90. With this new machine the cartridges are still about $90, but I'm lucky to get 4 reams printed. I spent more on cartridges this last three months than what the printer cost. I'll be shopping around before next tax season.

MM

There's something wrong with your printer. I suspect I know the problem, in fact--a three dollar gasket.

That's way of mark for this model--a very common SOHO printer.

[MaryMumsy]

There's something wrong with your printer. I suspect I know the problem, in fact--a three dollar gasket.

That's way of mark for this model--a very common SOHO printer.

Actually the cartridges are rated for 2300 pages (slightly less than 5 reams), a small detail I overlooked when shopping. I was somewhat misguided (in my own defense) by the fact there is an 05X cartridge which is rated for 6300 pages for about $160. The flaw in this info? The 05X does not fit in the P2035n. It does, however, fit the P2055n. The devil is always in the details.

MM

[Medievalist]

Actually the cartridges are rated for 2300 pages (slightly less than 5 reams), a small detail I overlooked when shopping. I was somewhat misguided (in my own defense) by the fact there is an 05X cartridge which is rated for 6300 pages for about $160. The flaw in this info? The 05X does not fit in the P2035n. It does, however, fit the P2055n. The devil is always in the details.

MM

Have you checked the "darkness" setting (sometimes called density) using the HP software? I wonder if it's at the highest setting, instead of somewhere around 60%

Those estimates per cartridge are generous; you should exceed them handily if you're printing text.

[Kitty Pryde]

Thanks, that is super helpful. And now to find a really good sale!

[Maryn]

Keep an eye peeled on the Sunday paper for both ads and steals. Last week, or maybe the week before, Staples had a coupon for $50 off any purchase of $200 or more, which would have been a great deal for a printer and a cartridge.

Maryn, whose elderly HP LaserJet has had two paper jams in eight years and routinely prints about 150% of the pages-per-cartridge it's rated for

[MaryMumsy]

Have you checked the "darkness" setting (sometimes called density) using the HP software? I wonder if it's at the highest setting, instead of somewhere around 60%

Those estimates per cartridge are generous; you should exceed them handily if you're printing text.

I'll see of I can figure out how to do that. I'm usually printing tax returns, which should use less toner than text. Lots of blank space on tax forms.

Maryn, whose elderly HP LaserJet has had two paper jams in eight years and routinely prints about 150% of the pages-per-cartridge it's rated for

My HP4 was purchased in March of 1994. I literally cried when it started jamming every other sheet. And I routinely got 150% of the pages also.

MM

[Kitty Pryde]

OK, I got me one! There was a good sale. Also it is WIRELESS! I am super excited. Now I'm off to set it up.

[AnkleSneeze]

I have had good success with refilled toners carts $24.00 as opposed to $120.00

[blacbird]

I'm looking for something fairly cheap,

Brother Fabian. Some bread and wine every day or two, and a supply of ink and quills, and he's a happy camper there in his cell.

caw

[Deep Woods Writer]

I have an old HP Laser Jet 6L. It's over 6 years old. It is still going strong, just like I took it outta the box. The printer cartridges are now really cheap ($17.--) a piece_ when you shop the Web. If anyone can beat that, please, let us all in on your secret.

DWW