Printer suggestions

Job and Knock · Post by **Job and Knock** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 6:56 pm

I am looking at doing a distance learning course in the new year which will unfortunately involve me in printing out a modicum of lecture notes, course texts, etc. Sorry, but I don't learn well from screens and in nay case at least some of my studying will be done on the train to and from work (1-1/2 hours a day), and I work in a very computer hostile environment (Victorian listed refurbishment), so printed texts really are the best way forward for me. That said I've ruled out inkjet printers (the pages run when they get damp, and this is the north west of England) so I'm considering a colour laser printer such as the HP MFP178 or HP Colour LaserJet Pro M254. Ooen to suggestions, though. Anyone have any thoughts about running costs?

Cannyfixit · Post by **Cannyfixit** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 7:21 pm

Having used both ,inkjet at home and lazer in the office the benefits of lazer out way that of the inkjet,for eg lazer toners don’t dry out unlike there counterparts and last a lot longer mechanically
Downside you need to buy lazer of inkjet paper as the toner doesn’t always adhere very well to inkjet paper
A lot depends how much you want to spend ,you can pick up a cheap inkjet printer for around £30 and most come with a couple of spare cartridges when it runs out it’s cheaper to buy another rather than replace the cartridge,(yeah I know it’s no good if your a tree hugger lol)
where as Lazer is usually more expensive but you won’t be replacing the cartridges due to drying out

ayjay · Post by **ayjay** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 7:22 pm

I'm sure that you don't need me to tell you, but the running costs depend on the price of the ink replacements, for some printers the costs are horrendous.

I've only got an inkjet printer, and can buy a complete set of five (there's a photo black as well as an ordinary black) replacement cartridges for under £13.

OchAye · Post by **OchAye** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 8:03 pm

A while back (a year ago???) I did a comparison of colour lasers vs mono lasers prices of consumables based on their claimed outputs per toner cartridge, i.e. cost per page. Within the same brand AND using original branded toners I found that mono was not cheaper than the cost of a B&W only print from a colour laser. The latter assumes that a B&W print from a colour laser will not use any colour toner. I can look for the spreadsheet I created if you like (if I can find anything). Being a tight one, I have been caught as I have a mono laser, and sometimes there are graphs or charts in colour ... grrrr I can't make them out, next one will be a colour laser.

BTW. I would not bother with inkjets, and I was only comparing Multifunction machines (scanner/printer and fax although I could not care less if fax was included), I wanted to see networkable (wired and via Wi-Fi). She ended up choosing an HP.

Job and Knock · Post by **Job and Knock** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 10:17 pm

There's a very simple reason why I don't want to do inkjet - I regularly have to print-out detail drawings and layout sketches which then go on site. Where it's often wet. And I don't like runny drawings. Which is what the office give me every single time........

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 10:41 pm

How about using a printing service? I an not sure what they charge but there is an equation of costs of a printer, cartridges and paper against the cost per sheet at an agency? I have no idea if this is viable But I thought I would pitch it as an idea to consider.

DWD

gas4you · Post by **gas4you** » Mon Dec 23, 2019 2:02 pm

Job and Knock wrote: ↑Sun Dec 22, 2019 10:17 pm There's a very simple reason why I don't want to do inkjet - I regularly have to print-out detail drawings and layout sketches which then go on site. Where it's often wet. And I don't like runny drawings. Which is what the office give me every single time........

I use inkjet and anything important or that is taken outside, I laminate.

etaf · Post by **etaf** » Tue Dec 24, 2019 12:36 pm

we do the same, laminate anything we use a lot or outside, which reminds me we need some more a4 sleeves, for some router instructions and BIT examples i setup and printed out - will keep those printouts within the 35 BIT Box itself, so easily see the profile, speed etc,

Bob225 · Post by **Bob225** » Tue Dec 24, 2019 7:50 pm

If you want A3 inkjet is the way to go (tweak the drying times in printer properties)

Networking, wifi or Bluetooth ? or are you just looking for a local USB printing?

I have used HP printers for 20+ years and maintained Laserjet 4 printers what had a 500K-million page counts, with the smaller colour laser printers look at the page yield of the toner carts

Edit. LaserJet Pro M254 looks like good one the black high yield does 3200 pages but are £60-80 a pop for the genuine HP - the toner that comes with it is usually 'standard' yield so 1800-2200 pages

Don't forget you can claim the vat back as it's for business use

Job and Knock · Post by **Job and Knock** » Wed Dec 25, 2019 11:17 pm

dewaltdisney wrote: ↑Sun Dec 22, 2019 10:41 pmHow about using a printing service?

Sadly I don't think it's going to work for me - I live in a semi-rural area where we have no such beast (in fact all we have is two pubs, a newsagent/shop and a sub post office (and even that is under threat) and places tend not to be open at the time I go to work in the morning. Nice idea, though

gas4you wrote: ↑Mon Dec 23, 2019 2:02 pmI use inkjet and anything important or that is taken outside, I laminate.

I've had very mixed results with some laminated stuff failing when it gets wet. Of greater importance to me is the cost; I'm often printing out a couple of pages which will be used and thrown in a matter of hours and the cost/extra time of laminating over simply laser printing and holding the item in a plastic pocket makes quite a difference to me. I do laminate some stuff (like nailing pattern rules/templates) where the item is going to be re-used multiple times, but for the sake of a few hours or a day or two I just don't think it's viable

Bob225 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2019 7:50 pmNetworking, wifi or Bluetooth ? or are you just looking for a local USB printing?

Probably bluetooth. The printer is for personal use - a combination of work and studying. As to consumables, my employers will (allegedly) pay for those, but they won't supply the printer. Whilst A3 would be nice, A4 will do me just fine most of the time. I did have HP LaserJets in the past (both an LJII and an LJIV) and they served me well. But that as more than 10 years ago....

Sadly I don't think it's going to work for me - I live in a semi-rural area where we have no such beast (in fact all we have is two pubs, a newsagent/shop and a sub post office (and even that is under threat) and places tend not to be open at the time I go to work in the morning. Nice idea, though

gas4you wrote: ↑Mon Dec 23, 2019 2:02 pmI use inkjet and anything important or that is taken outside, I laminate.

I've had very mixed results with some laminated stuff failing when it gets wet. Of greater importance to me is the cost; I'm often printing out a couple of pages which will be used and thrown in a matter of hours and the cost/extra time of laminating over simply laser printing and holding the item in a plastic pocket makes quite a difference to me. I do laminate some stuff (like nailing pattern rules/templates) where the item is going to be re-used multiple times, but for the sake of a few hours or a day or two I just don't think it's viable

Bob225 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2019 7:50 pmNetworking, wifi or Bluetooth ? or are you just looking for a local USB printing?

Probably bluetooth. The printer is for personal use - a combination of work and studying. As to consumables, at 4p a sheet (plus paper) for colour (less for black and white only) the cost isn't unreasonable especially as my employers will (allegedly) pay for those, but they won't supply the printer. Whilst A3 would be nice, A4 will do me just fine most of the time. I do have access to an A3 inkjet on my "home site", but it looks like I'm going to be bouncing around between two sites for a while, so I won't always be able to get to it. I did have HP LaserJets in the past (both an LJII and an LJIV) and they served me well. But that as more than 10 years ago....

OchAye · Post by **OchAye** » Thu Dec 26, 2019 1:03 am

Job and Knock wrote: ↑Wed Dec 25, 2019 11:17 pm Bob225 wrote: ↑
Tue Dec 24, 2019 7:50 pm
Networking, wifi or Bluetooth ? or are you just looking for a local USB printing?

Probably bluetooth. The printer is for personal use - a combination of work and studying. As to consumables, my employers will (allegedly) pay for those, but they won't supply the printer. Whilst A3 would be nice, A4 will do me just fine most of the time. I did have HP LaserJets in the past (both an LJII and an LJIV) and they served me well. But that as more than 10 years ago...

If A4 then Laser, if A3 it might be Laser or Inkjet and if larger than A3 you have a problem as you get in a different game of expensive inkjets and some do photographic quality work. I know you said A4 is sufficient. Do not worry too much about connectivity/networking, the price difference for those that can be hardwired to you router or have wi-fi or bluetooth is such that I would make sure I get one that connects in every possible way. What is more important is to consider what you buy with regards to prices of consumables, service etc. For example Lexmark have/had long(er?) warranties but no alternative consumables than their own, but back then I found them to be comparable in running costs to other brands using original consumables. HPs were brilliant (that is all I ever had at work and a Lexmark at some point) but the HPs now are made to a price like all other printers. All in all, you can now buy a relatively cheap printer and pay the real cost for it through the price of consumables.

A couple of comments by the by:
a. Work at some point insisted we used remanufactured cartridges for our printers. They were sh1te compared to the HP originals both in longevity (cartridge failing before the toner run out), numbers of pages output and certainly quality.
b. I bought a Kyocera for home (for environmental reasons blah blah). What a load of sh1te, I don't think it managed to get through 1 ream of paper, jam after jam, clear the jam, eventually I damaged the drum - my fault - and a replacement was more expensive than a new printer. It has now gone brand new including it spare cartridge to the council's recycling skip. If you have environmental concerns, buy the printer that will last the longest even if it appears to be the least environmentally friendly gadget.