Top-Rated Brother Laser Printer for $240 Shipped at Mercata ENDS SUNDAY!!

[MontyBurns]

Mercata has the Brother HL-1240 laser printer for $299.99, and with the new member 20% off (you can register for this through Sunday, see home page) it comes to $239.99. Shipping is free through Sunday. (Sorry, can't figure out how to link directly to it without including my session info... go to Mercata and search for "brother".)

Here's what you should know about this printer: It has a Parallel OR USB connection (USB is reasonably rare on laser printers even these days), 2 megs memory, 12 PPM print speed (incredibly fast), true 600 x 600 resolution. Perhaps more important, this printer was rated #1 by PC World in May (see reviews: http://www.pcworld.com/top400/article/chart/0,2078,15710+2+0,00.html), and is rated Editor's Choice at C-Net (see http://computers.cnet.com/hardware/0-1065-404-132491.html?tag=st.co.1065-418-132491.bc.1065-404-132491).

I've placed my order at Mercata, as this is the best price anywhere for this printer right now. IF YOU HAVE THIS PRINTER, and have any comments on it, please share. (However, speculation about "brother printers suck" or "2 megs isn't enough" isn't that helpful. This isn't a $500 laser printer, I know that. This is a $240 laser printer, which is about what I spend on inkjet cartridges in a year for my %&*@!#!^ Epson.)

Check out the reviews at C-Net. There are 115 of them, and they're pretty informative. Most people rave about the print quality, and a dominant theme is "I can't believe I paid $150 more for an HP." Everyone seems to say installation was a breeze. Both the PC World and CNet review note the printer is unusually quiet.

Some of the complaints from the user reviews are a lack of a paper tray for feeding manual sheets, and complaints that the printer isn't upgradeable (you can't add memory, and the printer doesn't support postscript. This is NOT a high-end graphics printer, and you shouldn't buy it if that's what you're looking for.) Note also that a few users complained that they had to replace the print drum after about a year of use. While that sounds serious, there weren't enough of those complaints to convince me not to buy.

Overall, the reviews of this printer are spectacular. And since it also happens to be one of the cheapest laser printers available, I'm taking the plunge. (Note that this printer doesn't include a USB or parallel cable.)


I did a search, and toners for this printer are really reasonably priced: about $40 for a regular yield (3000 pages) and $60 for a high yield (6000 pages). Your first toner cartridge is included with the printer, of course.

 

[Buzzard]

If you're really looking for this printer, you can get a slightly hotter deal through Onvia. They carry it for $266.90 - $25 coupon = $241.90. Count in the 10% pointclick rebate and you're below $220.

I was itching for a laser printer a while back, and this was at the top of my list when I first began digging up reviews. Everyone seemed wowed by its speed. ZDNet, however, didn't place it quite as highly as some others. Some info can be found at http://www.zdnet.com/products/stories/reviews/0,4161,2347395,00.html.

Anyway, my search ended when I got the $25 Epson Stylus 740. Not a laser, obviously, but a damn fine inkjet for the price.

 

[MontyBurns]

I, too, have the Epson Stylus 740. And while I think it's tops as far as inkjets go, I've just become frustrated by the cost of operating the damn thing, and I'm not really happy with the text it prints on the highest-quality setting (or the time it takes, ugh.)

Thanks for the note about Onvia. I've had uneven experience at PointClick, though. I'm going to stick with Mercata.

 

[Terp]

I agree, Monty....I go through color cartridges like they are going out of style while school is in session...I love the quality it produces (Epson Stylus 800) on my slides and charts for college. When it comes to reports and papers, however, I do pull out my OLD Brother's laser


PS...I found some nice deals on replacement cartridges on E*Bay from some power sellers that have websites...think I pay $4.95 for black OEM ones, and $5-6.95 for color...and can?t tell the difference from the Epson cartridges...other than they are 1/4 the cost.

 

[RossMAN]

I own the Brother HL-1240 laser printer which I purchased for $0.00 (remember the MSN/OD $400 legal loophole?).

If you're a Mac user, it's a great CHEAP laser printer to own. The drivers are unfortunatley outdated and buggy though. I'm using the latest Mac OS 9.04 and it prints just fine. I wish I could have afforded an HP laser printer but it would have been at least twice as much. It's a nice compact design and prints pages relatively fast.

It's definitely cheaper to operate compared to my Epson 740 (which I returned to CostCo without receipt and received all my money back). I just wish Brother would develop some new drivers for the Mac OS.

Don't expect super sharp text and graphics like an HP but if you are interested in this laser printer it should satisfy your printing needs.

 

[masterc]

I picked up a Samsung Qwiklaser 5100A for $249 Can.(after $50 rebate), that's less than $175 U.S.

It's a great printer... both parallel and USB connections, 4meg upgradeable to 36 meg with standard 72 pin simms!! True 600 dpi resolution, 1200 through software.

It's drivers and software work great. It even came with 2 toner cartridges.

I don't know if Samsung still sells it, but Xerox uses the same print engine in one of theirs (The printer looks idenitcal to the Samsung).
If you can find one, it's a great deal.
(Some of the Computer stores in Toronto still have some.)