Inkjet printers versus laser printers for infrequent printing

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amiga500

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#243886 7-Jan-2019 14:10

http://www.hp.com/pageyield/articles/ca/en/InkUseage.html

This seems to explain pretty well why an inkjet printer could be a bad choice if you are a very infrequent printer. In the last year I have printed at the most 20 A4 pages not counting another 10 or so pages that were pages that did not print properly. So maybe a little Brother laser printer might be a better option for me. I am pretty sure that a large proportion of the ink in my HP printer has been used for what HP call 'servicing'. I am looking at printing options as my HP printer shows signs of ink seepage on the bottom - caused by ink used for cleaning.

Actually, seeing how little printing I do the option of using a print shop or the Christchurch libraries is looking better and better. The new Central library has a nice big Fuji Xerox on every floor so the chances of walking in & getting your printing done quickly look pretty good. If you have uploaded your print jobs using the Pharos system all you have to do is login to the printer and press the big green button!

Another reason I don't want to buy a printer is that from watching youtube videos showing unboxing and setup, many of the current models look incredibly flimsy and cheaply made compared to the printer I have now.

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#2155852 7-Jan-2019 14:57

It's a no-brainer - laserjet.

You can pick up a brother laserjet for under a hundred bucks.

MikeAqua

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#2155868 7-Jan-2019 15:20

I have a Laserjet (HP CM1415) in my office at home.

It gets intermittent use, but has worked faultlessly for 5 years.

Mike

sbiddle

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#2155892 7-Jan-2019 16:13

The ink ran out on my HP Officejet Pro 8710 over Xmas. I got this about 18 months ago and the trial cartridges managed to print around a couple of hundred pages.

The decision now is whether I spent $200 on a full set of cartridges, around $120 on 3rd party cartridges OR just spend $99 when the printer next comes on special buying a brand new printer which will last me a few hundred more.

The whole printer business model is just broken.

rugrat

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#2155900 7-Jan-2019 16:25

We brought 3rd party cartridges in HP ink jet, then it just started printing stripe lines and a mess came out on paper.

The cartridges claimed they were compatible with model of printer had.

Wasn't sure if printer buggered, but brought HP ones, it started working again, and a message appeared on computer screen, "Thank you for using genuine HP ink" so that was end of that.

If ink dries up over time then guess laser better for infrequent use.

Hammerer

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#2155912 7-Jan-2019 16:47

For 10-20 pages a year, I wouldn't buy a printer if there were convenient alternatives, e.g. my neighbour uses my printers a few times each year.

If you're only printing monochrome or greyscale then a mono laser printer is better. But if you are printing in colour then the the intended purpose affects what I would buy.

- If you want translucent colour images more like watercolour then an inkjet printer is better.

- If you want images that don't bleed or run then a laser printer is better but the images usually print slightly darker so the image benefits from increased brightness.

amiga500

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#2155921 7-Jan-2019 17:16

Thanks for the replies guys. I gave the library option a trial run today & it all went very smoothly. The big Fuji Xerox printers they have are very similar to other ones I have used at work. If I do buy a printer it's probably going to be a Brother laser.

Gilco2

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#2155924 7-Jan-2019 17:23

I was replacing cartridges every 4 months or so as the cycle printer went through on startup used heaps of ink. $120 a set of cartridges. 3 years ago I bought a HP colour laser and have printed 500 pages and still toner left on original toner. I print 4 X 6 photos occasionally as well and couldnt find any paper here for laser. Bought some from USA. Havent looked back from buying it

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amiga500

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#2155932 7-Jan-2019 17:46

Gilco2:

I was replacing cartridges every 4 months or so as the cycle printer went through on startup used heaps of ink. $120 a set of cartridges. 3 years ago I bought a HP colour laser and have printed 500 pages and still toner left on original toner. I print 4 X 6 photos occasionally as well and couldnt find any paper here for laser. Bought some from USA. Havent looked back from buying it

My little old HP inkjet takes 21 and 22 cartridges & these are being stocked at fewer and fewer places, plus as I said it was seeping ink from the bottom so was a good excuse to stop using it! And the replacement budget HP models have even less ink in the cartridges than the HP 21 and 22 cartridges. I guess I could have carried on using the HP, but I went into Noel Leeming yesterday, and they had the combo 21 and 22 pack for $78.00. No way I was going to pay that much as the printer could have failed the moment I put the new ones in. I have seen that combo pack cheaper than that of course maybe $65.00, but what a waste and annoyance just to print maybe 15 pages a year. All I was printing were damned Jetstar boarding passes. I could have used an airport kiosk or app just as easily.

antoniosk

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#2155960 7-Jan-2019 19:30

My 9 year old HP inkjet is only doing duty now as a photo printer; I get 3rd party cartridges (HP02) for $5 each when required.

The replacement laser stung us when the bundled toner ran out fast, but the full cartridges seem to be doing well (410A) with the exception of black, as you'd expect. The colour's are at 60%, black is nearly gone :-(

Then again, it does get used a fair amount...

________

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rugrat

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#2156960 9-Jan-2019 12:29

Just got a JB hi-Fi mailer in letter box, HP ones

DeskJet 2620 All-in-one Printer $39, wirelessly print, copy scan

OfficeJet 5220 $59

and a canon one: TS5160 Pixmas Home Printer $99.

From looking around the $39 one is normally $79, and if the cartridge on link below is for same printer black refill $23.

http://www8.hp.com/nz/en/products/printers/product-detail.html?oid=16779284#!tab=oas

old3eyes

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#2162453 17-Jan-2019 10:35

Just wondering about one of Epson EcoTank ET-3700 Multifunction these a bit expensive at $599 compared to a color laser but the running costs are way less than a normal inkjet and color laser printer. Seems to do all the things that I would use.

Unfortunately only the WS sells this at present and the Epson site.

Regards,

Old3eyes

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#2162460 17-Jan-2019 10:48

Inkjets are OK for infrequent use, but you need to choose VERY carefully

Some models waste alot of ink in cleaning cycles, some dont.
Canon seem to be the worst , just avoid. I threw my canon in the bin because of this .

Consumer mag did a test of inkjets and recommended a few that didnt waste much ink.

If you dont need color, buy a cheap laser.

DaMuzzMan67

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#2162471 17-Jan-2019 11:03

I had gone through several Inkjet Printers and found the ink costs were too high. I managed to buy genuine cartridges for a Canon off trademe for cheaper than retail, but the per page cost was considerable.

So, I went for a Fuji Xero colour laser printer and think it is great. About a 10 cents per page cost vs about 30-45 cents per page. The quality of the printing is better as well. I managed to get a $330 machine with a $200 cashback - so look out for the cashback deals.

If you don't print much - ask at your work it is to do personal printing. Many of the printing companies have contracts at around 1-2 cents per Black and White page.

Batman

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#2162525 17-Jan-2019 12:20

Gilco2:
I was replacing cartridges every 4 months or so as the cycle printer went through on startup used heaps of ink. $120 a set of cartridges. 3 years ago I bought a HP colour laser and have printed 500 pages and still toner left on original toner. I print 4 X 6 photos occasionally as well and couldnt find any paper here for laser. Bought some from USA. Havent looked back from buying it

What model is your hp laser?

CrashAndBurn

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#2493432 28-May-2020 10:19

How about the new SuperTanks vs Colour Laser. I have just sold my HP Office Jet Pro 8710 as one of the colors ran out and because of that, it won't even print in black even after forcing to black and white settings. Occasional use for my son's school work.

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