looking for a printer with low cost per page

[robk97]

I have an older all-in-one printer, but it costs a fortune to run because it eats ink cartridges.
I'd like a new color printer that has a low cost per page.

If its an all-in-one so much the better to save desk space, but in the end all it needs to do is print for cheap.

Any suggestions?

 

[thecoolnessrune]

A cheapie monochrome laser printer will give you the lowest cost per page possible. We just got a new color laser all-in-one and that thing is really nice..

 

[QuixoticOne]

Yeah for color typically you're looking for a laser printer that takes either generic toner carts (hard to find), or at least which offers higher capacity carts from the OEM.

Typically a "business class" printer intended for small workgroup use will offer lower cost per page than any "personal" printer that is intended for light / personal use. Business printers are typically specified / advertised clearly with a given cost / page figure based on typical mixed text/color type of document printing. If you're printing photos or very high ink coverage/page area documents as a primary concern, you need to research the intended usage / applicability and cost model more carefully.

The other choice is to find some OLD model (used?) inkjet that takes GENERIC 3rd party ink cartridges without any hassle and then you'll have a low cost per page. Typically this is a bad choice if you're using it heavily since eventually the nozzles clog, the print head wears out, the mechanism breaks, etc. For light personal use it is a viable option since both the printer and inks are cheap but still usually a higher cost per page than a laser printer though with the laser there's a higher initial cost due to the printer cost.

 

[Infrnl]

what kind of color laser all-in-one did you go with. I am looking for a networking laser printer and was thinking about going color, but also thought about an all-in-one as well.

What are the color print qualities like on a color laser printer, how long are the cartridges supposed to last compared to black lasers, and how much more are the color cartridges? thanks for any info. and didnt mean to intrude on this topic.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

We (me and bro) just got a Samsung CLX3175-FN all in one for our dorm room. USB, ethernet, wireless (I think even bluetooth?) connectivity. We just use wired ethernet. On ethernet, you can use the SmartThru 4 program to scan to your computer, or from the printer itself you can scan to email, scan to PC (it can find your computer through any SmartThru 4 loaded system), or through USB (There is a pictbridge port on the front where you can connect a flash drive and it will scan all pictures to it).

It also has an automatic document feeder. It's also a fax and a copier. The downside is that it only has a 100 page output tray, so for big jobs you'll find yourself having to stick around to unload it.

Toner is easily changed from the front of the unit. I'm not sure how many pages the complementary cartridges are good for but it's not a horrible amount of money to replace them. We keep it in grayscale for all but the most necessary prints since the black toner is cheaper and twice as large as the color toners. You always hear about decibel ratings on lasers but this being my first laser its pretty obvious that its quieter than the "chop chop" sound that inkjets make. Plus it doesn't look like its trying to rattle my table apart. But is IS heavy (You'll at least need someone to open the doors for you to bring it in). I think its around 40-45lbs.

I'll provide pictures in a few minutes.

EDIT: pics

It
It's size compared to a router
The pict bridge port next to the output tray
250 page input tray
Toner bay just above the paper input tray
Toner cartridges and toner overflow container (far left where the color labels are)
Black toner is twice as large as the others but costs the same
Samsung's all-too-familiar blue ring

The unit cost us about $370.

 

[Infrnl]

Thats a nice looking all-in-one. I am still debating if I want an all in one- or just a printer. I think I am definately set on a color laserjet; probably use black mostly but the color might come in handy.

Staples has a sale on a brother HL-4040cn $200 that looks nice and has very good reviews, also saw the new Samsung CLP-315W which I believe is just the printer version of your all-in-one. My 2 biggest things are networking and color atm, but the all-in-one may come in handy too; although I already have 2 inkjets(1 all-in-one), another scanner, and a non-network monochrome samsung laser printer feeding 3 computers through the network. Problem being the computers have to be on to access the printers.

Going to continue my research, lol.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Just a warning, Smart Thru 4 has been havoc on our Vista 64 plus integrated bluetooth laptops. Can't seem to get to the software properly and keeps throwing up errors. Doesn't seem to ahve this problem with simple USB dongles. Just a heads up there concerning in network-connected Samsung All-In-One.

The color of a color laserjet is terrific. You just dont see the dots that you do on inkjets. As long as you're not doing photos, I prefer the color of a laser to the color of an inkjet.

 

[Infrnl]

Originally posted by: thecoolnessrune
Just a warning, Smart Thru 4 has been havoc on our Vista 64 plus integrated bluetooth laptops. Can't seem to get to the software properly and keeps throwing up errors. Doesn't seem to ahve this problem with simple USB dongles. Just a heads up there concerning in network-connected Samsung All-In-One.

The color of a color laserjet is terrific. You just dont see the dots that you do on inkjets. As long as you're not doing photos, I prefer the color of a laser to the color of an inkjet.

Thanks for the update as all of my computers including laptop are on Vista 64 bit

 

[Infrnl]

Update for the samsung Color laser printers. Just went to Staples to check out the Brother Color laser I listed in above post. Saw the samsungs there and are claimed to be the smallest color laser printers in the World! They look really nice too; I would say the nicest laserjet I have seen. I didnt know how to do a sample print though; which i would have liked to see.

Although I did a sample on the Brother laser printer and they came out really good. A lot better than I expected from a color laser. Even pictures come out pretty darn nice; however i would probably still use my photo printer for pictures. another thing I like about the brother printers is that you can get hi capacity cartridges for them as i do not know if thats an option for the Samsungs. I know my monochrome samsung has the high cap ones. One bad thing about the brother printers are that they are pretty big; weigh about 70lbs., but still seem to be a nice printer. I would say for the price the Samsung all-in-one looks to be a great printer. not sure if Brother offers one that cheap, but are very well rated.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Originally posted by: Infrnl
Update for the samsung Color laser printers. Just went to Staples to check out the Brother Color laser I listed in above post. Saw the samsungs there and are claimed to be the smallest color laser printers in the World! They look really nice too; I would say the nicest laserjet I have seen. I didnt know how to do a sample print though; which i would have liked to see.

Although I did a sample on the Brother laser printer and they came out really good. A lot better than I expected from a color laser. Even pictures come out pretty darn nice; however i would probably still use my photo printer for pictures. another thing I like about the brother printers is that you can get hi capacity cartridges for them as i do not know if thats an option for the Samsungs. I know my monochrome samsung has the high cap ones. One bad thing about the brother printers are that they are pretty big; weigh about 70lbs., but still seem to be a nice printer. I would say for the price the Samsung all-in-one looks to be a great printer. not sure if Brother offers one that cheap, but are very well rated.

One important note is not to goo too cheap. Laser printer have heated drums which are highly heated for printing (that's why laser printers consume upwards of 300 watts when printing). These drums have to be oiled and undergo high heat when printing. The drums must be replaced every once in a blue moon (though some printers include the drum with the toner cartridge, though that makes for a pricey toner replacement).

Get too cheap of a printer and you may get drums that are made out of plastic, and after a few thousand pages you could be looking upwards and beyond $100 to replace them when they go out.

 

[robk97]

Thanks for the input. The samsung CLX3175-FN looks like it might be the way to go (I don't run vista, thank G-d), and they're mac compatible, although thats nearly standard these days. On the otherhand it looks like I may save a hundred dollars, by purchasing a simple laser color instead of an all in one.

I found the CLX3175-FN for under $300 including rebates at a few big box stores, but those rebates ended on Saturday, so I may just wait a few weeks to see if they're on sale/rebate again. The CLX3175-FN looks sleek and would fit in my home office better, although my old Lexmark x6170 looked like that when I bought it too.

I don't do this often, but on rare occasions I've printed color photos on my old inkjet that looked fairly good. How do laser's handle photos? How do they handle other non-paper media (transparencies, iron-on-decals, etc.)?

 

[Infrnl]

Originally posted by: robk97
Thanks for the input. The samsung CLX3175-FN looks like it might be the way to go (I don't run vista, thank G-d), and they're mac compatible, although thats nearly standard these days. On the otherhand it looks like I may save a hundred dollars, by purchasing a simple laser color instead of an all in one.

I found the CLX3175-FN for under $300 including rebates at a few big box stores, but those rebates ended on Saturday, so I may just wait a few weeks to see if they're on sale/rebate again. The CLX3175-FN looks sleek and would fit in my home office better, although my old Lexmark x6170 looked like that when I bought it too.

I don't do this often, but on rare occasions I've printed color photos on my old inkjet that looked fairly good. How do laser's handle photos? How do they handle other non-paper media (transparencies, iron-on-decals, etc.)?

Edit: Found the sammy clx-3175fn @buy.com for $300 after $100 rebate ends on the 24th. also somewhere here on the forum I think I saw a 5%off coupon which would save you an additional $20 so would be $280 after rebate. not bad deal! http://www.buy.com/retail/coupon.asp?prid=84773074 only good for up to $15 so printer will be $285 after rebate, 5% is instant

I would imagine that they would look better than your inkjet prints but not as good as photo printer. I have also been doing research myself. one thing I wonder is how well this all-in-one does compared to just a laser printer? Think about it; an all-in-one for roughly $100 more and you get a scanner, copier, and fax on top of the printer; does this mean the prints wont be quite as good? usually a printer alone will have better performance, but not always the case; or maybe the scanner and fax would not be as good as a stand alone unit. one other thing that makes me turn from the all-in-one; is if one thing fails, they all fail, or if you run out of toner, then nothing else works either. this has been the case on past photo/inkjet all-in-ones. just some things to think about

 

[robk97]

I found the HP Deskjet F4180 CB584A, which is an inkjet, but appears to have very low cost per page. It's an all-in-one for under $100. I also saw the Samsung CLP-315 on rebate for $150 at Staples. Its similar to the CLX3175 without scanner/fax/copier functions. The HP Deskjet D2430 CB614A is a $25 stopgap I may use until the CLP-315 gets cheap again.