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What are the pros and cons of laser printers?

B

bupkus

Diamond Member
I can get a Samsung model ML-1430 laser printer for about $100 after MIR or keep my Epson stylus 740 and keep feeding it cheap ink.

My question goes to the overall cost of ownership and I've never owned a laser printer before.

I print an occasional document or map and never use the printer for its colors.
The cheap ink in the inkjet doesn't look so good but how long will the ink last in the samsung with my spotty use. Can the laser printer get clogged from lack of usage? Will it use a lot of electricity or will it "power down"?
 
1) It won't get spotty from lack of use.
2) Turn it off when not in use, and save $$$$
 
go laser for b&w printing, text
you'll never go back
none of the inkjet problems.
cheaper per page printing.
i've gone > 1 year with a toner cartridge in a laserjet iii - no problems.
 
Originally posted by: heartsurgeon
go laser for b&w printing, text
you'll never go back
none of the inkjet problems.
cheaper per page printing.
i've gone > 1 year with a toner cartridge in a laserjet iii - no problems.
Click to expand...
Exactly, it usually took me a couple of years to use up a cartridge in my HP 4ML, and the 2,000th page was as sharp as the first (much sharper than my Bubblejet 4300).

I say "was" because my HP finally died last month after 10 years of use. Right now I'm using the buublejet while I decide what to get -- the Brother 5040, HP 2300 and HP 2500 color laser are all tempting (but the color is supposed to be very loud).

 
1) Average full page of text costs 10 cents in an inkjet for black and white (about $1 for color). It costs 2 cents in a laser.
2) Lasers are much faster than most inkjets.
3) The print quality is so much better for a laser.
4) Laser images last a lot longer (most inkjet prints fade quite quickly in sunlight, or fade within a couple of years if protected from the sun).

Unless you print out photos, the question should be why would anyone want an inkjet?
 
Originally posted by: draggoon01
don't laser printed texts have problem of cracking off the page when folded? (as would be done to fold for envelope)
Click to expand...
No, lasers use the same technology as photocopiers.
 
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Originally posted by: draggoon01
don't laser printed texts have problem of cracking off the page when folded? (as would be done to fold for envelope)
Click to expand...
No, lasers use the same technology as photocopiers.
Click to expand...

Actually, cracking can happen at the crease + multiple sheet documents (or folded documents, basically anything where a fused image comes into contact with the back of another page) that are mailed may cause ghosting where the printed surface touched something else.

Overall it is quite durable (when properly fused), but it's not perfect (nor is any printing technique).

As far as your original questions:

1) Laser printers don't really have anything to "clog," though if used in an improper environment toner can clump together. Most commonly this is caused by low temperatures, if you attempt to use the printer with toner in that state you could damage the imaging drum or cleaning blade, both of which could result in print quality defects. The damage would be limited to the toner cartridge, though, or the toner cartridge/drum in a printer that uses a separate toner cartridge and drum (ie Brother). In general as long as you use & store the printer in a proper environment you won't have a problem, my dad has been through two toner cartridges in the nearly 10 years he's had his HP.

2) Modern laser printers use fusers that heat up in a matter of seconds, they sit at room temperature when not in use.

Viper GTS
 
The black ink carts for my Epson 880 cost about $2 from Megatoners and I can print 250+ pages with it 😉
 
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Originally posted by: heartsurgeon
go laser for b&w printing, text
you'll never go back
none of the inkjet problems.
cheaper per page printing.
i've gone > 1 year with a toner cartridge in a laserjet iii - no problems.
Click to expand...
Exactly, it usually took me a couple of years to use up a cartridge in my HP 4ML, and the 2,000th page was as sharp as the first (much sharper than my Bubblejet 4300).

I say "was" because my HP finally died last month after 10 years of use. Right now I'm using the buublejet while I decide what to get -- the Brother 5040, HP 2300 and HP 2500 color laser are all tempting (but the color is supposed to be very loud).
Click to expand...

2300 - Continuation of 2100/2200 series. The 2100 is a personal level laser, the 2200 is a personal laser that tries to pass as a corporate laser. The 2300 is basically a 2200 with a control panel, which is definitely a valuable addition & moves it closer to being a true corporate level printer. Overall they are OK printers, but nothing special. They are definitely a personal printer trying to be something more, but you do get quite a bit for the money. They're quick, 1200 dpi, EIO support, duplexing capabilities, etc. They have limited paper handling capabilities, they do not recognize paper types and do not automatically detect paper size (one of the major reasons they're not a real corporate printer).

2500 - Basically a shrunk/simplified 4500/4550. Uses the same carousel + drum/ITB process that the 4500 and 4550 do, but combines the ITB and drum into one consumable item. Prints reasonably fast in monochrome, slow in color (has to do four passes instead of one, speed drops to 1/4 of it's monochrome speed). 600 dpi hardware, 2400 RET - Can look quite good. Lacks a control panel, which is limiting.

Viper GTS
 
Originally posted by: Viper GTS


2300 - Continuation of 2100/2200 series. The 2100 is a personal level laser, the 2200 is a personal laser that tries to pass as a corporate laser. The 2300 is basically a 2200 with a control panel, which is definitely a valuable addition & moves it closer to being a true corporate level printer. Overall they are OK printers, but nothing special. They are definitely a personal printer trying to be something more, but you do get quite a bit for the money. They're quick, 1200 dpi, EIO support, duplexing capabilities, etc. They have limited paper handling capabilities, they do not recognize paper types and do not automatically detect paper size (one of the major reasons they're not a real corporate printer).

2500 - Basically a shrunk/simplified 4500/4550. Uses the same carousel + drum/ITB process that the 4500 and 4550 do, but combines the ITB and drum into one consumable item. Prints reasonably fast in monochrome, slow in color (has to do four passes instead of one, speed drops to 1/4 of it's monochrome speed). 600 dpi hardware, 2400 RET - Can look quite good. Lacks a control panel, which is limiting.
Click to expand...

Thanks, there isn't much on either model yet besides the official PR. It's for my home office so I don't really need workgroup features, but I do care about quality and durability. I'd probably be fine with a $150 inkjet (aside from the annoyance of carts drying out), or a $200 laser, but I wonder how sturdy these cheap printers like the Brother and HP's own 1300 are. And $750 seems pretty reasonable to me compared to what I paid for my 4ML.
 
Go with the laser printer. Inkjet printers suck and the ink costs too freakin much. when ever I need to print a lot in color I just go to kinkos. I rarely NEED to have something in color and if I do it is something that needs to be printer from color laser for quality.
 
lasers are the choice for black and white printing these days, colour lasers are not up to par yet, but B&W you neeed a laser, nothing else is as perfect as it, and they're quite durable, we had a HP here lasting around 16 years, before finally a hair cought up in the drum and was burned in the oven, making every page get a streak on it, stuipid, otherwise we would still have it.
 
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