Can any one recommend a good 4-in-1 home printer?

[jim.mar]

I am tired of struggling with my HP 4500 All-in-one wireless printer.  It works fine some of the time and at other times i get very frustrated with it.  It (inadverdantly) refuses to use oem cartridges,  locks up, sends out error messages, prints 1/4 page (vertically) ...   I have decided to quit fighting it and  get a different one.  Can you advise me as to what a good choice would be?
 
For home use (not office)
Price cap $125.00
Preferably wireless but not mandatory
4-in-1 attributes (printer,scanner, copier, fax)
Will accept refilled cartridges.   (I don't like being chained to HP replacement cartridgges)
Will operate with Windows 7 x64
Will perform well in Arizona climate after setting unused for several days (90 degrees inside, 10% humidity).

Any advice will be appreciated.   Thank you...

[Geek-9pm]

That is a tall order. If you find one, I want to know. That is why I am posting here.  I have an HP  that cost us about  $200 at local store. It has excellent quality, but drinks like a fisherman. Ink, not beer. I could afford it if it drank beer and not ink. 

It is hard to find a 4 in one under $140 anywhere.

[jim.mar]

Thanks for the comeback.   Will let yo know if i find one...lol..

[soybean]

It is hard to find a 4 in one under $140 anywhere.

Nonsense.  There are scores of AIO (All-in-One) units for under $140, or under $125.  Take a look at newegg.com, amazon.com, and many other sellers. 

I'm gonna mention Brother since I had a Brother AIO for about 3 years.  I've stuck with Brother ink cartridges (4 cartridges - 1 black and 1 for each of of the 3 colors {cyan, magenta, and yellow}) but can get good prices by buying ink on amazon.com.  However, lower cost after-market brands are available and easy to find on the Internet.

Edit: Can these cartridges be refilled?  I've never done it but I can find Internet sources (youtube, etc.) which say they can be refilled.

[jim.mar]

Soybean:  Thank you.  I am considering a Brothers Brother MFC J435W.   For about $100.00 Haven't looked at Newegg yet.   Thnks for the info.    JIM

[truenorth]

jim.mar, I would like to be able to agree with Geek's statement but then i am afraid two of us would be wrong. On the other hand i do concur with soybean's comment re price i could easily produce many under even $75.00 (Can). However i also recommend "Brother" more for the reason alluded to in both your( yours and soybean's) posts.From my regular ink bulk supplier in GA, U.S.A when asked the specific question=what is the best brand of printer to buy that offers the easiest process of self refilling of the cartridges his immediate reply was just about any Brother model. I cannot remember the last time this household purchased a replacement ink cartridge. The printer usually gives up the ghost before i have ever needed to buy cartridges. There are also good methods to apply to minimize printer problems and longevity of cartridges when using your printer. truenorth

[jim.mar]

Truenorth; Yes, Thank you.   I contacted your ink supplier in GA and he recommended a Brother  MFC J435W.   I am looking at those right now.   I am puzzled about the difference in the 425, 430, and 435.  The specs are very nearly the same and they are basiclly the same package.  It looks like the printing speed may be a little different but that is not a priority item with me..   Brother sells them all at the same price.   
 
 I have to wait a couple of weeks then I will order one of the three.    Where would I find out about those methods to minimize power and improve longevity of crtridges??    I'm guessing the people in Georgia would tell me if I asked the right questions..   Am I right??  JIM

[truenorth]

Yes as i believe you have experienced the supplier in GA is extremely knowledgeable and shows a determination to be helpful. Some of the issues of "best" printer use i have determined from experience and research are to turn off the printer if you don't intend to use it for more than an hour. Leaving it on can have it cycle (doing head cleanings for instance) causing ink to be wasted.Also in the "off" position the heads travel to the park position and are not susceptible to the "drying" that can be accelerated otherwise. I personally as soon as i have exhausted the cartridges that come with the printer purchase replacements (empty) from the GA source that are clear (no sponges) so i can readily monitor the ink levels. With sponge type that is difficult to do. The reason for wanting to monitor is an ability to ensure that the cartridge is not allowed to go empty. Which on a sponge cartridge can render them non refillable.Of course the cartridges that come with the printer can often be refilled however they can create their own issues. Such as to reuse them after a refill usually would require a device to reset the chips. That item is about the same cost as the clear cartridges which do not have chips that require reprogramming. These are some of the more important factors relating to printer use and cartridge maintenance.
truenorth

[jim.mar]

Truenorth; Thanks again..  JIM

[truenorth]

Jim given that you seem to be tilting in favour of a Brother all in one i want to give you some additional information re a specific product of theirs. It is the MFC 240C model. We owned one and used it regularly for many years (very satisfactorily). So when it finally gave up the ghost i purchased another of the exact same model. Right out of the box it had an issue in that it would NOT utilize the magenta colour. As is contrary to my normal practice (i usually do it BEFORE a purchase) i did some online research and found that this was a very common problem with that model. Even the company acknowledged it. I guess i was blinded by my earlier satisfaction with the same model. So do NOT be tempted to buy one of that model no matter how inexpensive it may be. Also when you do think you know the one you intend to buy research and read all you can about it.truenorth