Recommendations/Advice Wanted: Home Colour Laser MFC

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HaggisKiwi

94 posts

Master Geek

#231865 17-Mar-2018 09:22

I'm looking to replace a moneypit/unreliable HP 6960 inkjet (that only the scanner's any good on now) with a colour laser MFC for home use only.

It'd be mainly used for low-use printing & photo/document scanning (not enough desk space for separate printer & scanner). Duplex of both would be nice. Budget is up to $1500 (incl. first set of toners).

Any recommendations from our mass of knowledge? Any advice on device/consumables life expectancy too?

Thanks in advance.

Gilco2

1556 posts

Uber Geek

#1978956 17-Mar-2018 09:51

2 years ago I bought my HP MFC 277 printer as was sick of having to always replace the ink in inkjet that ran out quick. I bought it for $280 on sale and 4 replacement toners for $800. Not sure current price of toners. So far going really well and havent had to replace toner yet and looks like might get another year before I have to. Very pleased with results and I like the photo prints on plain and photo paper. At the time I couldnt find any photo paper for lasers locally so bought it from ebay and it has been great. I would recommend it going on my experience.

sbiddle

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Biddle Corp

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#1978964 17-Mar-2018 10:27

My only advice would be to very carefully look at the price of consumables and the per cost page. Colour lasers are still incredibly expensive to run per page (and probably more expensive than they were 10 years ago), and the costs do vary considerably between brands and even within the same brand.

HaggisKiwi

94 posts

Master Geek

#1978975 17-Mar-2018 11:13

Is yours similar to the HP M281fdn (https://www.ascent.co.nz/productspecification.aspx?itemID=448482)?

The HP specs seem almost identical.

nickb800

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#1979044 17-Mar-2018 15:48

I'd seriously think about inkjet for a low-use colour MFC - should get your far better bang for buck

old3eyes

9120 posts

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#1979049 17-Mar-2018 15:54

sbiddle:
My only advice would be to very carefully look at the price of consumables and the per cost page. Colour lasers are still incredibly expensive to run per page (and probably more expensive than they were 10 years ago), and the costs do vary considerably between brands and even within the same brand.

Yes I'm coming to the same conclusion. Looking at a ink tank printer but here in NZ Epsom seems to have the only on sale here and price accordingly. Overseas they also have Canon, HP and Brother.

Regards,

Old3eyes

networkn

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#1979058 17-Mar-2018 16:19

I'd consider the pagewide 477 etc series HP. Much cheaper to run but not laser. They are smokingly fast and genuinely as fast as specs claim.

We printed 70 pages of colour wikipedia in a minute on ours to test it (577).

MUCH cheaper to run than laser in almost every case.

Gilco2

1556 posts

Uber Geek

#1979073 17-Mar-2018 17:30

HaggisKiwi:

Is yours similar to the HP M281fdn (https://www.ascent.co.nz/productspecification.aspx?itemID=448482)?

The HP specs seem almost identical.

yes, mine looks identical to that one. Been really great and alot cheaper to run than the inkjets I have had. If printing heaps the inkjet probably would be cheaper. But the problem I have had since the dot matrix printers is with inkjets the jets clog and you use tons of ink cleaning them and the ink isnt cheap. My last one the Epson ink was $120 and had to do it every few months as heads clogged so often.

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old3eyes

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#1979273 18-Mar-2018 12:05

Gilco2:

HaggisKiwi:

Is yours similar to the HP M281fdn (https://www.ascent.co.nz/productspecification.aspx?itemID=448482)?

The HP specs seem almost identical.

yes, mine looks identical to that one. Been really great and alot cheaper to run than the inkjets I have had. If printing heaps the inkjet probably would be cheaper. But the problem I have had since the dot matrix printers is with inkjets the jets clog and you use tons of ink cleaning them and the ink isnt cheap. My last one the Epson ink was $120 and had to do it every few months as heads clogged so often.

That's why above I suggested an Ink Tank printer. The 70 ~ 100 mil ink bottles are less that a small ink cart. The printers them selves aren't cheap. Unfortunately most of them don't have underneath paper trays only top loading feed type trays with WiFi and USB as the interface.

Regards,

Old3eyes