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Cost-effective duplexing B&W printer, new or used?

Muse

Muse

Lifer
I've owned one printer in my life, an HP4M I bought slightly used about 1994... actually a few years ago I found an HP4m+ on the sidewalk and got it working OK, bought very cheap RAM(compared to MSRP back in 1994 or so), so it's maxed out) so I'm a bit upgraded. However, I do wish it duplexed. There is a duplexing module for it but it's expensive (even used) and bulky. I have my printer in tight quarters.

I'm thinking this: printers have come way down in price from the ~$1600 I paid for my HP. The features I see advertized make my HPs seem lame, however it must be admitted, I think, that the HP4M and HP4M+ print very beautifully, sharp crisp text. To me, that's requirement number one.

I'm thinking maybe I can acquire a cheap duplexing printer for those frequent jobs where I print a manual. For instance I'm right now trying to print the manual for my Canon ELPH 100HS, 212 pages, and manually feeding 1/2 the pages and having to deal with the intricacies of making sure the pages are in order and correct is just such a fuss. Thanks for any input/ideas/suggestions... etc.!
 
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I can't pretend to be an expert so I can't comment on quality/durability (tho both seem fine for me)...But I was looking for a mono laser duplex & decided on a cheap one from local office place (AU$80 >year ago, Fuji p255dw). I've put thousands of pages through this baby & for a budget device I've been happily surprised by the results (plus I can get 2*~5000 page cartridges for ~AU$120).

This puppy does duplex, has decent drivers, large paper holding doobie, priority paper loader, wired/wireless networking, and all the doohickies I wanted; which, until I had this printer, I had assumed were only for $pro devices.

Since I cheaped out, & didn't really shop around, I can only assume there are plenty of devices out there which would surprise us people with antiquated ideas of the printer realm.
 
Ah, you're saying it's a Fuji p255dw? I'm not finding that for sale around here. The Google hits I'm getting seem to be in your neck of the woods (AU, NZ). Thanks for the writeup, that gives me much hope.
 
Yep Fuji Xerox p255 dw.

By no means anything special. The plastics and doors/hinges are bargain basement, and by gut instinct it should be horrible. But it has just worked (for me), and being an Aussie I assume everyone else can get this stuff cheaper.

I've had a remarkably good experience with this, and obvs xp differs, but I thought I could chime in with a "modern stuff is another ballgame" post.
 
You can't go wrong with one of these:

http://www.brother-usa.com/Printer/ModelDetail/1/hl5450dn/overview#.U1KY9FeN58E

Yeah, nobody builds 'em with the heavy duty plastics and super-thick steel like HP used to. Not even HP. But if the printer you have lasted you 20 years, one of the modern cheapies will still last you ten. Assuming you're nice to it and are gentle with paper trays and so on.

I have an HL-2070N that's about to celebrate its tenth birthday, my dad only recently retired an HL-1270N at the ripe old age of 13 (he couldn't find toner for it anymore), and I have a four-year-old HL-3040CN that is a dreamboat. (Don't tell the HL-2070N. I keep them in separate rooms so they don't find out about each other...)
 
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I use a Brother LH-5470DN for printing closings so I go through pretty high volume. It's rock solid and even better, you can use generic toner refills. Most bw laser printers these days are sold under the old Kodak system-just about give away the camera (printer), charge an arm and a leg for film (toner, etc).


Oh, and Dave is right-no one (and ESPECIALLY HP) builds them like the old days. Printers are a disposable item now-300k prints is about all I expect out of any printer.
 
Just to throw in my two cents. We had a Dell 1700 that lasted 9 years and primarily because I didn't feel like changing out the drum/toner again...

I think we paid $170 for it at the time.
 
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