New Printer Options

[PenguinMaster]

Hi all-

 

I am looking to replace our Epson XP-830 printer as the thing is literally always out of ink or broken (prints lines through my print).  I've tried doing the head clean the alignment all the different troubleshooting tips to try and fix the printer.  It fixes it for about 10 prints and then it does it again.  I am not sure if this is because we are not using the printer enough or what.  The printer probably gets used about once per week, mostly for printing things like eBay labels, but also for the occasional picture.

 

I want to sell this printer we have and replace it with something more reliable and that still has good picture quality.  The budget is around $400.  I am open to buying printers on eBay if they are normally a $800+ printer, sometimes they can be found on eBay Open Box for around $400.

 

I was looking at the Epson Ecotanks since you can refill the ink with the bottles instead of spending a bazillion dollars on their proprietary cartridges, but I think I hate Epson and dont really want to give them any more business.

 

Is there really a big difference in quality of the print between a color laser printer and an inkjet printer?  I've found a lot of conflicting information online.  I was thinking about getting a laser printer since people say the quality seems to be better and they seem to be more reliable from my experience.

 

For the most part I am printing in monochrome, but sometimes I need the ability to print in decent quality for some photos.  This is why color is a must have.  I would also prefer a printer that has the copier on the top for the occasional copies I need to make.

 

For the laser printers on Consumer Reports I read that the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw and the Brother MFC-L3770CDW are both rated well, the brother being half the price however.

 

This is so overwhelming and there are too many variables to take into consideration.  I know someone will recommend just getting a thermal printer for my eBay labels, but those things are like $300 and I don't sell nearly enough stuff to justify the cost of that.