About low-cost printers.

[Geek-9pm]

Two printers just failed me. They both insist there is something wrong that can not be fixed with just more ink. So, it is time to get a new printer.

Much to my surprise, a friend bought me a new cheap printer. Now  I am not going to say anything bad about it. It was a gift. Still, it is among the lowest price models. There are a lot of them out there.

Some quick checking, a short list of good cheep inkjets were  grouped with one laser. Hard to believe. A laser at a inkjet price. Hard to believe.

Short list:
https://www.consumerreports.org/printers/best-printers-for-under-150-dollars/
"
A few low-cost standouts from CR testing on more than 160 models
By Tercius Bufete
November 01, 2017

Basic Laser Printer
Brother HL-L2360DW
 ~ $85.

All-in-One Laser Printer
Samsung Xpress M2070FW
 ~ $ 120

All-in-One Inkjet Printer
Canon Pixma MG3620
 ~ $44

Another All-in-One Inkjet Option
Kodak Verite 65 Plus
 ~ $130
"
He says  the cost of owning these will be from 250 to 300 per year, on average. Maybe. The last model, the Kodak has the loosest cost of ownership. But he did not like the idea of replacement of all the ink when only one color goes dry.

Anyway, my printer in the Cannon Pixma 2500 group.
It goes through ink very fast. 

So, I refill the thing with generic ink and it works, but it still complains that there is not enough ink. And my hands  are stained with ink.   

What do you think? 
Are you going to buy a new cheap printer soon?
If so, buy a box of latex gloves.   

[Salmon Trout]

A laser at a inkjet price. Hard to believe.

That laser is black only, whereas the inkjets are colour (or "color"). Inexpensive compact black-only laser printers for home use have been around for at least 10 years. Now colour lasers are dropping in price too. In 2008 I had a Canon Pixma that cost around $100. A set of cartridges was more than the price of the printer. I gave it away and bought instead a Canon compact black only laser for $80. If I wanted colour I went to a drugstore shop with a pen drive. I was still on the starter toner cartridge in 2015!!! In that year I found an ex-demo, unused, HP colour laser in a branch of Staples for $80. Would have cost around $200 if it had packaging and disks etc. I had to pay $15 for a taxi to get it home. I am still using it on the starter toners, although the black is nearly gone. $40 for a new one. The colour toners are still on 30%.

Inkjets are sold like Gillette sold safety razors - give the razors away or sell them at a loss, and make money on the blades. Unlike lasers, they use ink up even when not printing, as they blow ink through the printing nozzles to unclog them periodically.

You can get Epson inkjet printers with big tanks of ink ("EcoTank" models) that cost a little more, but the ink lasts up to 3 years and you can refill the tanks.

[DaveLembke]

I have 2 Pantum Laserjet printers that I bought for $29.99 and because I dont print often they have lasted 3 years and still havent replaced toner yet. Whenever I need to replace toner its pretty cheap to do too.

Prior to this I was getting jabbed by whenever I needed to print my inkjet printer had dry ink and having to spend $50 on a new set of ink for it. I so love my cheap laser printers.

Not sure if they would hold up to volume printing but for someone who doesnt print often but when they need something printed the low cost laserjet printers work awesome. Never a worry about ink drying up and losing money.