printers Printer Buying Guidelines

[Greenbell7]

Hi I'm trying to find a printer to replace our old HP Color LaserJet CP4520 Series printer. We bought a used one to replace the first one, but it didn't work out, we want one that will be long-lasting Got any tips on how to chose a brand-new one?

[Greenbell7]

16 minutes ago, Greenbell7 said:

Hi I'm trying to find a printer to replace our old HP Color LaserJet CP4520 Series printer. We bought a used one to replace the first one, but it didn't work out, we want one that will be long-lasting Got any tips on how to chose a brand-new one?

BTW, my budget is about $800 USD.

[starsmine]

If you have a library account, you are very likely to have a log in for https://www.consumerreports.org/search/?query=printer Consumer reports, you may have to go through your library's portal. 

[Donut417]

53 minutes ago, Greenbell7 said:

Got any tips on how to chose a brand-new one?

Printers were a nightmare in the 90s and are still a nightmare today. So just expect a certain amount of suckage. Also most companies are out to fuck you in some way, for example going out of their way to stop you from using non genuine ink/toner and such. 

 

That all being said. The first step is figuring out what features you need. Laser vs Inkjet. USB vs Network connectivity (Ive owned 2 WiFi printers and they both sucked). Scan, copy, fax, auto document feeder, are all features you need to figure out if you need them.  I have experience with HP and Canon Inkjets, Im not impressed. We have some HP Lasers at work and they do a good job for the most part. Ive heard Brother is suppose to be good, at least they were back in the day.

[Chiyawa]

Hmm... This is a tough one.

 

Anyway, what is your environment? Office, Home, or Home Office? For Office, you can try to get some consultation for your printer. My Office use Konika Minolta, so far it serves us well, but of course we use contract service (or in other words, loan their machine), so we basically just supply our own papers while they handle everything from printer break down to toners.

 

But for home and home office, I would suggest Epson L3250. It serves me well, having all the function I need. It has Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi direct (unfortunately doesn't support Microsoft PEAP Wi-Fi log in), ink tank system which make refilling ink way more easy and has a high yield cost saving printing, basic copying function without the need of a PC, scan function, up to A4 size printing and scanning. Down side is the maintenance, because sometimes the nozzle can clogged up degrading the print quality (missing lines). You can easily fix this issue with their software but sometimes you might need to do it a few times, each time take about 4 or 5 minutes.

[Greenbell7]

16 hours ago, Chiyawa said:

Hmm... This is a tough one.

 

Anyway, what is your environment? Office, Home, or Home Office? For Office, you can try to get some consultation for your printer. My Office use Konika Minolta, so far it serves us well, but of course we use contract service (or in other words, loan their machine), so we basically just supply our own papers while they handle everything from printer break down to toners.

 

But for home and home office, I would suggest Epson L3250. It serves me well, having all the function I need. It has Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi direct (unfortunately doesn't support Microsoft PEAP Wi-Fi log in), ink tank system which make refilling ink way more easy and has a high yield cost saving printing, basic copying function without the need of a PC, scan function, up to A4 size printing and scanning. Down side is the maintenance, because sometimes the nozzle can clogged up degrading the print quality (missing lines). You can easily fix this issue with their software but sometimes you might need to do it a few times, each time take about 4 or 5 minutes.

I guess it would be home office, I also just found out we need it to print card-stock paper.

[Chiyawa]

5 hours ago, Greenbell7 said:

I guess it would be home office, I also just found out we need it to print card-stock paper.

Oh. Well, I'm not sure if Epson L3250 can print card-stock paper. It can print on glossy photo paper to my knowledge, but I'm not sure about card-stock paper.