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good multi function printer for home?
- Thread starter dynamota
- Start date
This is good on networks, good speed, reliable and great prints: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16828113169
Lemon law
Lifer
To dynamoto,
The question somewhat boils down to what is a great print? Or to better put it, do you need color or will a monochrome Laser do it? Because great print can also apply to photoprinting as well. If the monochrome Laser will do, that newegg one is not bad---but its not the only such fish swimming in the ocean either. But $300 might buy you a color Laser but not an all in one bundled with the package.
So the only color needing alternative is in the inkjet area----if you need that---I will tell you to look on ebay for a Canon MP780 after calling local office supplies in the hope they still have one. Failing that---there are few all in one ink jets that are decent buys if you do much printing. You may get some change back from $300, but they will make that up in ink cartridge consumable costs.
The question somewhat boils down to what is a great print? Or to better put it, do you need color or will a monochrome Laser do it? Because great print can also apply to photoprinting as well. If the monochrome Laser will do, that newegg one is not bad---but its not the only such fish swimming in the ocean either. But $300 might buy you a color Laser but not an all in one bundled with the package.
So the only color needing alternative is in the inkjet area----if you need that---I will tell you to look on ebay for a Canon MP780 after calling local office supplies in the hope they still have one. Failing that---there are few all in one ink jets that are decent buys if you do much printing. You may get some change back from $300, but they will make that up in ink cartridge consumable costs.
Hey L-L,
The MP-780 is no longer an option unless there is one sitting on a local shelf near him. There hasn't been a one on eBay in a good while. So the OP has really two choices. An MP-780 is almost worth any price as it will save that much in consumables costs - so it is worth checking every big box store in a 100 mi radius to ferret one out (at least to the east there isn't much land within 100 mi... 😉 . But living in or near Beantown, he is probably SOL as those thrifty students have grabbed them up long ago.
1- Excellent printing but relatively high consumables cost - Canon MP-? current model that uses the 5 and 8 series separate ink tanks - see other threads here on Canon ink tanks and others looking for AIOs for details. I'm tired of rewriting them. Some of last year's models may have lots of good deals as new ones are coming. Ink costs can be made reasonable by refilling your tanks. Some clone tanks for the 8 are here now others are supposed to be coming. See related threads for details.
2- Very nice scanning, networking, fair printing quality and not very fast (unless they have some new firmware to speed things up): Brother MFC-640 ($150. AR at Staples this week). The Brothers are the only current AIOs still using passive, separate ink tanks with clones available and refillable. So they have relatively low consumables costs and low hassle as you don't HAVE TO refill unless you want. I think all Brothers in the new series have internal modems, so faxing can be done with PC disconnected. All have at least 10/100 LAN connector and some (e.g. the 640) have wireless networking built in too (a card is available for others).
I would also suggest getting a Canon iP4200 (or the new replacement, iP4300, that's almost here). The shelves have almost been cleared of the 4200. About all I could find at well-known resellers were refurbs from Outpost.com a while ago when I looked. Same ink issues as Canon MP series but HELP is supposed to be "on the way". See other threads for details. And a separate scanner - tons of Epsons on eBay for cheap. And a fax-modem in your PC for faxing. And a copy of Smith-Micro's HotFax Message Center 6 (search in Hot Deals section, on HotFax, for thread on 40% off thru EOM) to handle Fax software needs. Don't buy AIOs unless forced. You can build or buy a stack rack to alleviate crowded work-surface problems. One part breaks and all has to go to shop or be replaced. You'll be much better off in the long run.
The one drawback of separates is that you must have the PC on to do copies and faxing. For home use, that shouldn't be an issue.
.bh.
The MP-780 is no longer an option unless there is one sitting on a local shelf near him. There hasn't been a one on eBay in a good while. So the OP has really two choices. An MP-780 is almost worth any price as it will save that much in consumables costs - so it is worth checking every big box store in a 100 mi radius to ferret one out (at least to the east there isn't much land within 100 mi... 😉 . But living in or near Beantown, he is probably SOL as those thrifty students have grabbed them up long ago.
1- Excellent printing but relatively high consumables cost - Canon MP-? current model that uses the 5 and 8 series separate ink tanks - see other threads here on Canon ink tanks and others looking for AIOs for details. I'm tired of rewriting them. Some of last year's models may have lots of good deals as new ones are coming. Ink costs can be made reasonable by refilling your tanks. Some clone tanks for the 8 are here now others are supposed to be coming. See related threads for details.
2- Very nice scanning, networking, fair printing quality and not very fast (unless they have some new firmware to speed things up): Brother MFC-640 ($150. AR at Staples this week). The Brothers are the only current AIOs still using passive, separate ink tanks with clones available and refillable. So they have relatively low consumables costs and low hassle as you don't HAVE TO refill unless you want. I think all Brothers in the new series have internal modems, so faxing can be done with PC disconnected. All have at least 10/100 LAN connector and some (e.g. the 640) have wireless networking built in too (a card is available for others).
I would also suggest getting a Canon iP4200 (or the new replacement, iP4300, that's almost here). The shelves have almost been cleared of the 4200. About all I could find at well-known resellers were refurbs from Outpost.com a while ago when I looked. Same ink issues as Canon MP series but HELP is supposed to be "on the way". See other threads for details. And a separate scanner - tons of Epsons on eBay for cheap. And a fax-modem in your PC for faxing. And a copy of Smith-Micro's HotFax Message Center 6 (search in Hot Deals section, on HotFax, for thread on 40% off thru EOM) to handle Fax software needs. Don't buy AIOs unless forced. You can build or buy a stack rack to alleviate crowded work-surface problems. One part breaks and all has to go to shop or be replaced. You'll be much better off in the long run.
The one drawback of separates is that you must have the PC on to do copies and faxing. For home use, that shouldn't be an issue.
.bh.
I got a Canon PIXMA MP500 .. i'd buy another one if i needed two and recommend it to anyone that wants a real good printer on a limited budget. The wife loves it too as it prints photos in great quality and she doesn't have to get them developed elsewhere ... two birds with one stone ... 😉.
Lemon law
Lifer
While I agree that the MP 500 is a great all in one---and it also does a heck of a job printing photos----my point is that something like the MP780---an unchipped Canon,
does equally as well for one eigth or so the ink consumable costs using third party prefilled cartridges readily available on the internet. Something the chip on the MP500
prevents you doing.
But if you refill like I do, you can save even more with either printer---except the MP780 makes refilling easy, and the MP500 makes into an artifically difficult giant hassle.
does equally as well for one eigth or so the ink consumable costs using third party prefilled cartridges readily available on the internet. Something the chip on the MP500
prevents you doing.
But if you refill like I do, you can save even more with either printer---except the MP780 makes refilling easy, and the MP500 makes into an artifically difficult giant hassle.
can't get newer than the iP4300 - not even in many stores yet. MFC-640 was intro'd in the last 6 mo. Older series Brothers are black-flagged!
There are others: Epsons have a severe clogging problem in low duty cycle locations (like home use) - but you can get cheap clone carts - for now (search tech news for reason - "Epson cracking down on cart cloners". HP are generally difficult to refill - moreso than the new Canons - refurb and OEM carts expensive and they use "Starter Cartridges" in lower end models. And Lexmark - well the less said the better. their ink jets may be taken as black-flagged too.
All the others but Canon and Brother had been sucking the ink cartridge teat REALLY HARD. Canon and Brother were the only holdouts - now Canon has gone over to the "dark side". So Brother is the only white Jedi knight left, if only it's print quality was better...
HP came out with a passive, separate tank printer this year - I think it's the K500. But it's for high-volume (in ink-jet terms that means around 7000 sheets per mo.) office use and it's photo print quality isn't that good. There are several reviews of it out there if you care to check it out. Typical selling price is around $200. and I think Swiftink.com (Official Ink Supplier to Anandtech) has clone tanks for it too.
All-in-all, and as L-L said, the first series of Canon Pixma printers and AIOs that came out in late summer/early fall 2004 (or earlier ones yet like the i560 or i860) are the cheapest to operate, with the least hassle involved in refilling or finding clone ink tanks. Not hard to find bottom-end 3e and 6 series tanks that they use for around $1. each. Top quality ones are under $4. each. They have user-replaceable print heads too, to keep the output looking good. You'll have to work it to find a good specimen of one of those now. Good used ones can go for more than what their new series equivalents typically go for when not on sale.
I've got an iP3000 that I've used since late 2004, that would easily bring over $100. on eBay - go and look. They've got some new-in-box ones that are pushing toward $150. bid and the used ones I saw with short time left were over $100.. The iP3000 had an MSRP of $99.95 toward the end of the model run, and typically sold for $80 or less when new. I think I bought mine for under $70. on special. You can just about name your price if you're willing to part with an iP4000 or 5000. Owning this series might be better than owning real estate - at least for short-term appreciation. What I could do with a storage unit full of iP4000s and iP5000s now... 😀
$20 for a set of 5 top clone tanks vs nearly $80 some places for a set of 5 OEM tanks for the current models. Like I said, they'll pay the investment back reasonably quickly almost regardless of the purchase price. Besides they hardly ever clog or jam. Dual paper paths - stock two types of paper at a time. Auto-duplexing that is useful for short runs. Just excellent. Nothing else on the current market can touch them for overall quality and value.
Come back to the force, Dart... er, Canon! Return to the force before it's too late. 😉
.bh.
There are others: Epsons have a severe clogging problem in low duty cycle locations (like home use) - but you can get cheap clone carts - for now (search tech news for reason - "Epson cracking down on cart cloners". HP are generally difficult to refill - moreso than the new Canons - refurb and OEM carts expensive and they use "Starter Cartridges" in lower end models. And Lexmark - well the less said the better. their ink jets may be taken as black-flagged too.
All the others but Canon and Brother had been sucking the ink cartridge teat REALLY HARD. Canon and Brother were the only holdouts - now Canon has gone over to the "dark side". So Brother is the only white Jedi knight left, if only it's print quality was better...
HP came out with a passive, separate tank printer this year - I think it's the K500. But it's for high-volume (in ink-jet terms that means around 7000 sheets per mo.) office use and it's photo print quality isn't that good. There are several reviews of it out there if you care to check it out. Typical selling price is around $200. and I think Swiftink.com (Official Ink Supplier to Anandtech) has clone tanks for it too.
All-in-all, and as L-L said, the first series of Canon Pixma printers and AIOs that came out in late summer/early fall 2004 (or earlier ones yet like the i560 or i860) are the cheapest to operate, with the least hassle involved in refilling or finding clone ink tanks. Not hard to find bottom-end 3e and 6 series tanks that they use for around $1. each. Top quality ones are under $4. each. They have user-replaceable print heads too, to keep the output looking good. You'll have to work it to find a good specimen of one of those now. Good used ones can go for more than what their new series equivalents typically go for when not on sale.
I've got an iP3000 that I've used since late 2004, that would easily bring over $100. on eBay - go and look. They've got some new-in-box ones that are pushing toward $150. bid and the used ones I saw with short time left were over $100.. The iP3000 had an MSRP of $99.95 toward the end of the model run, and typically sold for $80 or less when new. I think I bought mine for under $70. on special. You can just about name your price if you're willing to part with an iP4000 or 5000. Owning this series might be better than owning real estate - at least for short-term appreciation. What I could do with a storage unit full of iP4000s and iP5000s now... 😀
$20 for a set of 5 top clone tanks vs nearly $80 some places for a set of 5 OEM tanks for the current models. Like I said, they'll pay the investment back reasonably quickly almost regardless of the purchase price. Besides they hardly ever clog or jam. Dual paper paths - stock two types of paper at a time. Auto-duplexing that is useful for short runs. Just excellent. Nothing else on the current market can touch them for overall quality and value.
Come back to the force, Dart... er, Canon! Return to the force before it's too late. 😉
.bh.
krazzypanda
Senior member
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