Printer Recommendations?

[crazy steve]

Well, my Epson printer is dead and somehow I doubt it's worth taking in for repair seeing how it's 4-5 years old. So can anyone give recommendation for a reliable printer? I've been searching the net, and it seems like nobody makes a printer that doesn't have some drawback, whether it's high cartridge costs, crummy paper feed, or whatnot....

I don't want a 'all-in-one' and I do want one with 'back feed' on the paper as I do print labels on occasion and front feed printers seem to jam too easily, and I want reasonably decent color printing. I was looking at the Epson Artisan 50, but it got terrible reviews for not accepting replacement ink cartridges, even OEM ones... plus ink is big $$$.

You would think that they could figure out how to build a good printer by now, but apparently not.

Anybody?

[andylawcc]

I don't know the amount you print but based on what you liked, the Epson Artisan 50, it seems like its more-than-average.

Now i can't find anything that's similar, and you probably found what I found, but here goes, they have very good reviews on Newegg.com

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16828103070

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16828102471

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16828113519

[jwhughes3]

Unless you really need color consider a laser.

I got tired of ink jet costs. Picked up a used okidata laser and prints great and cheap.

John

[crazy steve]

I'm starting to think I need to look at laser printers; more $$$, but I use my printer in spurts. It may sit for several months sometimes, and I'm finding out that inkjets don't like that, which may be why the one I have went TU.

Decisions, decisions....

[natemoen]

Unless you really need color consider a laser.

I got tired of ink jet costs. Picked up a used okidata laser and prints great and cheap.

John

+1!!!

I ditched the color function with my last inkjet and went laser! Never going to look back.

I rarely print color so I figured if I ever do need to I can print that someplace else. I got a brothers all in one laser and can get generic toner cartridges off amazon for $12 and they last around 10 months (but that was the short filled OEM one). I have printed labels with it as well and it is great (just never do it on a partially full sheet of labels cause the imaging drum does NOT like the waxy backing behind the labels).

If you don't NEED color dont get it.

[IanDMacDonald]

Lexmark Prospect Pro205 Pro 205
Epson Stylus Pro 3880

Both highly rated inkjet printers.

[DiverRay]

If the printer sets for more than two weeks, get a laser and dump the color! I use an HP that cost me $110, and a replacement toner from HP was $65, I think. As I also don't print for a while, I have given up on inkjets, and will just take any color printing to a local shop on a memory stick. My $0.02

[andylawcc]

so the conclusion is: if you don't print often, and rarely print colors, get a laser?

seems kinda ironic, since the higher entry cost of the Laser printer is the reason why people still buy InkJet

[crazy steve]

Laser it is....

After the advice here (and also talking to my local computer shop), I ordered a HP Pro 200 Color laser printer. Cartridges are expensive @ about $65 each but seeing they're rated for about 1600 pages vs the 250 pages inkjet can manage, I'll save money in the long run. I was also told the laser printers are better-built.

I print color, but I don't need photo-quality so this should be fine...

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Steve,

I've always been partial to HP inkjet printers, but not their laptops/desktops!

The older models used to come with decent sized cartridges, but now they are very small.....ie.l 15ml or so. The I/J units are made very cheaply because they (HP) make their $$ with their exhorbitant ink prices. I cheat because I do a fair bit of color printing for work from home, so I get my cartridges free from work!

Another interesting thing I found out with their higher end commercial style Inkjet printers....separate cartridges for each primary color...Cyan, Yello, Magenta, and black....is they have expiration dates built into the electronic coding and the printer will not use the cartridge once it goes past it's date, even though the cartridges are not dried out...just NOS!

Steve, I'm sure you know that you can set the default print mode for your new laser to both B&W/Greyscale, as well as normal or draft vs. best to help save on TONER.

It's funny how they got labelled as "LASER" printers, when they are really just fancy xerox type printers...using the powdered plastic toner that is just adhered to the printing drum via static electricity and then transferred and melted to the paper. The prices have come down drastically compared to 5-10 years ago! But I was going to suggest getting a B&W laser for your general volume printing, and a cheap inkjet for your color jobs.

I have had my mom take her printer cartridges and put them into a plastic freezer bag with a moistened paper towel to help prevent them from drying out until she needs to print something, which is very rarely.

T.C.

[Jerry]

That HP 200 should work well. I have a couple in service and have had no problems with them. Color output is quite good and the wireless printing is a plus. HP currently has them on sale for $260.00 with free shipping.

I have a photo-quality printer at home, an Epson R1900. It uses 8 ink cartridges, all very low capacity, but I print out more photos than documents. Very expensive per-page cost compared to a color laser printer but when calibrated correctly, which took me a little bit to figure out, it puts out excellent results. Like all ink-jet printers it has to have a cleaning cycle run occasionally to ensure optimum results. Laser printers also have a cleaning cycle that you should run from time to time.