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Let me ask this: How much would anyone here pay for a quality printer that lasts virtually forever, has great software support across all platform and got cheap

by sly010 10y ago

Let me ask this: How much would anyone here pay for a quality printer that lasts virtually forever, has great software support across all platform and got cheap ink/toner that fits automatically replaced?

zanny 10y ago
I currently use XP-320's everywhere because of the lack of any higher grade controller printer that isn't a laser. Those are $50 each, so I'd take what you are talking about (I get aftermarket 4 sets of ink cartridges for my printers for about $6, so the ink price would probably just be similar) for about $500.
pcurve 10y ago
I have a wireless Brother printer that I paid $120 for 8 years ago and still on the 'starter' toner. Worked fine through XP, Windows 7, 8, 10, and Mac. I have a replacement toner that I bought 4 years ago because the printer said toner was running low, but I must've printed out at least 1000 sheets since then and still it prints fine. Bottom line... no more than $150.
- paulmd 10y ago
  Yup Brother is the way to go. I have one of their MFP units and it's been rock solid. My parents have been using a printer unit for about a decade now. I wish I had a color laser but it's at least $300 more for an equivalent unit and I just don't care that much anymore. Most of what we'd print are photos and it's cheaper to just go to the supermarket and have them run on a Kodak machine. A couple cents per print = oh well. An inkjet system would probably end up costing us more anyway once you factor in wastage like ink lost to head cleaning. Inkjets are really only economical for people who are using them for color photo prints on a daily basis, and those people are moving to bulk-ink/inktank systems and getting bigtime savings. For everyone else, B+W laser is by far the best solution for "occasional printing" and has really nice bleed/smear resistance, and the Brothers are best-in-class.
ecopoesis 10y ago
I paid about $250 12 years ago for exactly what you describe. It's an HP Color LaserJet. Since it's laser, there are no clogged cartridges, the toner works forever. It has built in Ethernet, and both MacOs and Windows can auto discover it. Since it's jet direct, you can just send it PCL so there will always be drivers. It only has three problems: 1) no WiFi (which is understandable given its age), which we solve with a bridge. 2) if you leave it on, it occasionally runs a self test/clean cycle, which set off our old house's smoke detector. Fixed this by turning it on when we need it. 3) no duplex option. Other then these issues, it's a great machine and is literally the oldest piece of tech we own.
sly010 10y ago
To answer my own question I have a Samsung ML-1520, a laser printer smaller than most laser printers on the market and lasts about forever. Haven't had to replace the toner cartridge yet. It's only missing the mac driver from the list above. There exists a CUPS driver though.
coldpie 10y ago
Two hundred bucks for the printer and, I dunno, twenty bucks per toner replacement?
wodenokoto 10y ago
i think i payed just under 200usd for a no thrills brother bw laser print. rock solid, just plug in the usb and print.
ianamartin 10y ago
I've had a Brother for 10 years now. Still on the first toner cartridge, though it's been telling me it's low for about 3 years. I paid $150 for it. Just plain works. I keep wishing it would die so I have an excuse to put a wireless one somewhere not close to the router. But whatever. You can get almost the same model (newer and allegedly better and with wifi) for under $75 bucks today.
jay-anderson 10y ago
I bought an HP LaserJet 5M (with duplexer, extra tray, and network interface) at a university surplus about 11 years ago for $35. It just works (linux, mac, windows). Haven't had issues with it except for it being heavy and a bit slow printing sometimes. The toner isn't cheap, but it lasts us a long time (we don't print a ton). I'm not quite sure how much I'd pay for a new printer like you describe. Every once in a while I look around for a new printer which can handle larger paper sizes (12x18 and A3), but I haven't found one which looks like it will do what I want (low volume laser printer for larger paper sizes with linux, mac, windows support) and still doesn't cost a ton. I think it's a niche market unfortunately.

by sly010 10y ago

zanny 10y ago

I currently use XP-320's everywhere because of the lack of any higher grade controller printer that isn't a laser. Those are $50 each, so I'd take what you are talking about (I get aftermarket 4 sets of ink cartridges for my printers for about $6, so the ink price would probably just be similar) for about $500.

pcurve 10y ago

I have a wireless Brother printer that I paid $120 for 8 years ago and still on the 'starter' toner. Worked fine through XP, Windows 7, 8, 10, and Mac. I have a replacement toner that I bought 4 years ago because the printer said toner was running low, but I must've printed out at least 1000 sheets since then and still it prints fine. Bottom line... no more than $150.

paulmd 10y ago
Yup Brother is the way to go. I have one of their MFP units and it's been rock solid. My parents have been using a printer unit for about a decade now. I wish I had a color laser but it's at least $300 more for an equivalent unit and I just don't care that much anymore. Most of what we'd print are photos and it's cheaper to just go to the supermarket and have them run on a Kodak machine. A couple cents per print = oh well. An inkjet system would probably end up costing us more anyway once you factor in wastage like ink lost to head cleaning. Inkjets are really only economical for people who are using them for color photo prints on a daily basis, and those people are moving to bulk-ink/inktank systems and getting bigtime savings. For everyone else, B+W laser is by far the best solution for "occasional printing" and has really nice bleed/smear resistance, and the Brothers are best-in-class.

ecopoesis 10y ago

I paid about $250 12 years ago for exactly what you describe. It's an HP Color LaserJet. Since it's laser, there are no clogged cartridges, the toner works forever. It has built in Ethernet, and both MacOs and Windows can auto discover it. Since it's jet direct, you can just send it PCL so there will always be drivers. It only has three problems: 1) no WiFi (which is understandable given its age), which we solve with a bridge. 2) if you leave it on, it occasionally runs a self test/clean cycle, which set off our old house's smoke detector. Fixed this by turning it on when we need it. 3) no duplex option. Other then these issues, it's a great machine and is literally the oldest piece of tech we own.

sly010 10y ago

To answer my own question I have a Samsung ML-1520, a laser printer smaller than most laser printers on the market and lasts about forever. Haven't had to replace the toner cartridge yet. It's only missing the mac driver from the list above. There exists a CUPS driver though.

coldpie 10y ago

Two hundred bucks for the printer and, I dunno, twenty bucks per toner replacement?

wodenokoto 10y ago

i think i payed just under 200usd for a no thrills brother bw laser print. rock solid, just plug in the usb and print.

ianamartin 10y ago

I've had a Brother for 10 years now. Still on the first toner cartridge, though it's been telling me it's low for about 3 years. I paid $150 for it. Just plain works. I keep wishing it would die so I have an excuse to put a wireless one somewhere not close to the router. But whatever. You can get almost the same model (newer and allegedly better and with wifi) for under $75 bucks today.

jay-anderson 10y ago

I bought an HP LaserJet 5M (with duplexer, extra tray, and network interface) at a university surplus about 11 years ago for $35. It just works (linux, mac, windows). Haven't had issues with it except for it being heavy and a bit slow printing sometimes. The toner isn't cheap, but it lasts us a long time (we don't print a ton). I'm not quite sure how much I'd pay for a new printer like you describe. Every once in a while I look around for a new printer which can handle larger paper sizes (12x18 and A3), but I haven't found one which looks like it will do what I want (low volume laser printer for larger paper sizes with linux, mac, windows support) and still doesn't cost a ton. I think it's a niche market unfortunately.