GOLFMK8
GOLFMK7
GOLFMK6
GOLFMKV

Printer Recommendations?

snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
So I think it's time to retire my old HP (C5580) all-in-one inkjet printer. Ink is like nonexistent for it now, and I hardly use it and so the times I do need it....well, the ink has dried up by then.
The kids are starting to grow older and will have projects and what not now too....that's what happened yesterday (no ink to print).

Anyways.....so I would like another "all-in-one" printer (w/scanner) and would prefer it to be wireless this time (which I think most are now).

Would a laser color printer make sense, as the ink wouldn't dry up if it isn't used much? OR are they, and the toner, just too expensive?

Looking for recommendations please, either ink or laser, as I'm shopping blindly & have no clue what to look for or get.
Looking to definitely keep it under $500, as I saw the lasers get pretty pricey....hence the higher price limit, if it was a laser.
Just something nice/that'll last & do the job, and also the ink or toner isn't stupid expensive.
 

StorableComa

Autocross Champion
Can't speak to personal laser printers, but I got tired of having to buy ink all the time and went with a MegaTank printer/scanner combo. Wireless scanning can be a little wonky at times, but other than that it's been a great printer, ink lasts awhile and is super cheap to refill when needed. Also works with mobile devices. Can't speak to iOS, but their Android app works great for printing out stuff or scanning.

https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/pixma-g6020-megatank-ciss-printer

They have a bigger one with a fax in it too if you need that for like 50 bucks more. Think it's the G7020
 

snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
Can't speak to personal laser printers, but I got tired of having to buy ink all the time and went with a MegaTank printer/scanner combo. Wireless scanning can be a little wonky at times, but other than that it's been a great printer, ink lasts awhile and is super cheap to refill when needed. Also works with mobile devices. Can't speak to iOS, but their Android app works great for printing out stuff or scanning.

https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/pixma-g6020-megatank-ciss-printer

They have a bigger one with a fax in it too if you need that for like 50 bucks more. Think it's the G7020
Hmm....seems like a decent option. Is it new(er), or been out a while? (that model)

Does the ink last a while?
Ink expensive?
I assume it wouldn't "dry up" like my cartridges were on my HP either?

Does it do a decent print job too? (like pictures)
 

helushune

Ready to race!
Inkjets suck; the heads gum up without somewhat frequent use but they produce better looking color prints than a color laserjet. If the print head is serviceable, you can soak it in isopropyl for a couple days and they sometimes become functional again but it's a PITA. New color laserjets are still pretty expensive for home use, usually starting in the $500 range. Check office clearance or PC recycling replaces as they tend to have more printers than they know what to do with and you can sometimes get a good deal. Laserjets last practically forever; I have an HP from the early 90s that's still going.

It's hard to recommend a specific brand as all brands have wildly varying quality depending on their target market and price point. HP used to be the heavyweight but have lost their way and are knee-deep in DRM tactics trying to stop third party toner and drum replacements. Brother is generally fine but power hungry. I only have experience with large enterprise copiers by Xerox and Canon but they were fine. Avoid Lexmark.
 

StorableComa

Autocross Champion
Hmm....seems like a decent option. Is it new(er), or been out a while? (that model)

Does the ink last a while?
Ink expensive?
I assume it wouldn't "dry up" like my cartridges were on my HP either?

Does it do a decent print job too? (like pictures)
This model has been out a few years. Ink is cheap, I think 50 bucks for all of it when I first bought it. Lasts a long while. I have yet to go through all the ink I've purchased.

No issues with it drying up on my end.

Works pretty well for pictures, but we mainly use it as a document printer.
 

snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
Inkjets suck; the heads gum up without somewhat frequent use but they produce better looking color prints than a color laserjet. If the print head is serviceable, you can soak it in isopropyl for a couple days and they sometimes become functional again but it's a PITA. New color laserjets are still pretty expensive for home use, usually starting in the $500 range. Check office clearance or PC recycling replaces as they tend to have more printers than they know what to do with and you can sometimes get a good deal. Laserjets last practically forever; I have an HP from the early 90s that's still going.

It's hard to recommend a specific brand as all brands have wildly varying quality depending on their target market and price point. HP used to be the heavyweight but have lost their way and are knee-deep in DRM tactics trying to stop third party toner and drum replacements. Brother is generally fine but power hungry. I only have experience with large enterprise copiers by Xerox and Canon but they were fine. Avoid Lexmark.
You said you have a old laser jet.....
You can still find toner for it?

Interesting on which brands to avoid, thanks.
ANY recommendations at all though for a color one?
 

snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
This model has been out a few years. Ink is cheap, I think 50 bucks for all of it when I first bought it. Lasts a long while. I have yet to go through all the ink I've purchased.

No issues with it drying up on my end.

Works pretty well for pictures, but we mainly use it as a document printer.
Thanks
Have you had issues with the print head clogging or anything?

I'd probably use it, mainly, for printing documents......but in the chance of something color, obviously we'd "need" a color printer
 

StorableComa

Autocross Champion
Thanks
Have you had issues with the print head clogging or anything?

I'd probably use it, mainly, for printing documents......but in the chance of something color, obviously we'd "need" a color printer
No issues with it clogging. And it has sat for months without being used previously. Been working like a champ so far.
 

KevinC

Autocross Champion
I have a black-only cheap Canon laser all-in-one. It's been spectacularly reliable over the 4 years I've had it. Starter toner cartridge lasted forever, only recently replaced it with a normal full-capacity replacement, that should literally last virtually forever at the rate I use it. Color lasers are so cheap now that if I were buying today, I'd go color. But black has suited my needs just fine.

Inkjets are nothing but an expensive nightmare. Never again.
 

cb1111

Newbie
How hardly is "hardly"? A ream of paper is 500 sheets - how long does that last? I print a couple of pages (at least) every week and sometimes (once a month or so) print 20 or 30 pages at a shot. I've had my HP 8625 (really a 8620, but Costco numbering) for about 5 years now and it is fine.

I've been tempted by the tank printers - are they messy?

I had an IBM 4029 Laser printer and loved that thing - until I couldn't buy toner anymore.
 

sterkrazzy

Autocross Champion
The brother inkjet I use at work has worked pretty well for me. I use third party ink, but sometimes it thinks it's out when it's not. I've had problems with the wireless losing connection every now and then, and then you gotta redo the set up to connect to it. Other than that there's been no real problems in the last 8 years or so.

I have to use inkjet though as it won't fade in the sun.
 

helushune

Ready to race!
You said you have a old laser jet.....
You can still find toner for it?

Interesting on which brands to avoid, thanks.
ANY recommendations at all though for a color one?
I honestly haven't had to find toner for the old beast, it just keeps going and I only print ~5 pages a year. Last time it ran out, I went to a place that refilled it but I don't even remember how long ago that was.

I only know stupid expensive enterprise-level hardware but I see there's a Brother color laserjet for ~$270 on Amazon that I'd take a chance on. Their firmware is a little oddball but someone who's not a computer/network nerd wouldn't notice. Or maybe this Xerox C230.

EDIT:
Actually, I do have experience with these Brother HL-L8260CDW and they were all fine. They don't reliably report toner levels over SNMP though, if that is a use-case for you. Instead, I had to write a check that watched what was being displayed on the LCD and throw an alert any time it said "Low toner".
 
Last edited:

snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
I honestly haven't had to find toner for the old beast, it just keeps going and I only print ~5 pages a year. Last time it ran out, I went to a place that refilled it but I don't even remember how long ago that was.

I only know stupid expensive enterprise-level hardware but I see there's a Brother color laserjet for ~$270 on Amazon that I'd take a chance on. Their firmware is a little oddball but someone who's not a computer/network nerd wouldn't notice. Or maybe this Xerox C230.

EDIT:
Actually, I do have experience with these Brother HL-L8260CDW and they were all fine. They don't reliably report toner levels over SNMP though, if that is a use-case for you. Instead, I had to write a check that watched what was being displayed on the LCD and throw an alert any time it said "Low toner".
Good info, and thanks!

So....do they not come with toner when you buy them brand new?

And the color lasers....am I seeing this right? They need 3 separate toner cartridges?

Of those 3 you linked....the prices all seem fine, so which one would you recommend?
You seem to have far more knowledge/experience with these....thanks
 

GIACUser

Master Wallet Mechanic
I keep a black and white Brother printer HL-L23800W (179.00) for 95% of my printing, scanning and uploading to google drive etc. Low cost, super reliable works wired or wireless from Mac, IOS, Windows etc. It does not fax but have not needed faxing but a couple of times in 6 years. In that case I just use the scan capability of the printer and an online fax service. Oh it will also do duplex printing (print both sides of paper). This particular model does not have a document feeder, no big deal for me.

Looks like this particular model is not readily available. Brother has

Brother MFC-L2710DC​

It has all same features as above, plus fax, plus document feeder and uses the same toner cartridge. 219.99 at Staples.


Color lasers are fine for documents that require color but at the consumer level are generally poor at printing photos.

Inkjets with good photo paper do the best job of printing photographs.

Because of the general issues with inkjet ink tech I have gone without a color printer for 5 years. I believe it has gotten only marginally better. I have a bunch of old photos I want to digitize and print in color. In the past I would run to a Fedex or copy store and use their printer which has proven to be way cheaper than buying and maintaing my own printer. Since I don't have a need to print color often it was reasonably convenient.

I am considering the purchase of a larger format inkjet and I really like the Epson line because they don't use cartridges. Those tiny cartridges add greatly to the expense of supplies. You can just buy in and fill the built-in tanks on the printer.
 
Last edited:

cb1111

Newbie
I keep a black and white Brother printer HL-L23800W (179.00) for 95% of my printing, scanning and uploading to google drive etc. Low cost, super reliable works wired or wireless from Mac, IOS, Windows etc. It does not fax but have not needed faxing but a couple of times in 6 years. In that case I just use the scan capability of the printer and an online fax service. Oh it will also do duplex printing (print both sides of paper). This particular model does not have a document feeder, no big deal for me.

Looks like this particular model is not readily available. Brother has

Brother MFC-L2710DC​

It has all same features as above, plus fax, plus document feeder and uses the same toner cartridge. 219.99 at Staples.


Color lasers are fine for documents that require color but at the consumer level are generally poor at printing photos.

Inkjets with good photo paper do the best job of printing photographs.

Because of the general issues with inkjet ink tech I have gone without a color printer for 5 years. I believe it has gotten only marginally better. I have a bunch of old photos I want to digitize and print in color. In the past I would run to a Fedex or copy store and use their printer which has proven to be way cheaper than buying and maintaing my own printer. Since I don't have a need to print color often it was reasonably convenient.

I am considering the purchase of a larger format inkjet and I really like the Epson line because they don't use cartridges. Those tiny cartridges add greatly to the expense of supplies. You can just buy in and fill the built-in tanks on the printer.
True, the epson printers lack snazzy features, but cost firtually nothing to print and the ink doesn't clog the nozzles
 
Top