What is the best CHEAP B&W-only printer?

[Doppel]

Here's my problem: I have a Kodak printer and this piece of crap CRANKS through color ink like it is nobody's business even when I'm not printing anything in color (e.g. I replaced the color with an XL cartridge about three months ago and it is almost out). No problem right? Except this piece of crap will eventually stop printing black when the color it is out. It is a massive scam, and one very common to printers. I bought this because Kodak's "ink is cheap", but really it's not, as it all dries out and/or just requires replacing at a breathtaking pace.

Here is what I want:

1) wi-fi
2) B&W only
OR
Is guaranteed to print black when the color has run-out

I've looked around amazon and the majority of printers in the sub $100 range are varying degrees of unreliable garbage, but possibly I'm missing something?

I don't care about speed or quality, I just want something that doesn't cost me $20/month in ink to print a few docs a week, which this one seems to!

Thanks in advance!

 

[docp]

Get any brother based printer.
those are solid and stay away from HP.

 

[Doppel]

Get any brother based printer.
those are solid and stay away from HP.

Do these generally print B&W even if the color has not run out...?

HP was selling a printer for $19 on BF because they scam you on ink.

 

[docp]

yeah,b&w lasers do the best job and you just need to shake the toner ,that gives you few more print outs and far better results than inkjet printers.
all the best.

 

[bononos]

..... Here is what I want:

1) wi-fi
2) B&W only
OR
Is guaranteed to print black when the color has run-out

I've looked around amazon and the majority of printers in the sub $100 range are varying degrees of unreliable garbage, but possibly I'm missing something?

I don't care about speed or quality, I just want something that doesn't cost me $20/month in ink to print a few docs a week, which this one seems to!

Thanks in advance!

Even the cheap HP printers don't require the colour ink tank to be filled or even be present to be able to print b/w. You're model happens to be a total ripoff. The older canons (maybe present ones too) has a setting to only use the blank ink tank for b/w otherwise it would suck some colour inks and I also think its possible to print b/w without the colour ink present.

 

[CA19100]

Laser is the way to go, without question. Toner doesn't try out because it's already dry. The print head doesn't clog up because there isn't one. Whether you print several times a day or just a couple of times a month, it's always ready to work without problems and without wasting ink.

After my Epson inkjet finished chewing through an entire $80 set of cartridges trying to get the print head unclogged, and then told me it wanted more ink, I heaved it into the dumpster. Never again. If I want photos printed (which is rare), I upload them to my local Walgreens and pick them up in an hour.


My Brother HL-2170W has been rock-solid reliable since I bought it. Toner and imaging drum are separate, which is nice. And when the toner runs low, I can just put masking tape over the sensor hole on the toner cartridge, and drain the rest of the toner until I decide it's empty (i.e., the image quality is unacceptable).

If it ever dies, I'd buy another of their printers in a heartbeat.

 

[Destiny]

Brother HL-2270DW

Cheap Toner Cartridges (and even cheaper refills) but the cartridges are so cheap don't even bother with the refills.

Black and White, and Wifi...

We use it for our office.

 

[Doppel]

That's three votes for Brother Seems like i need to go that route. These cheap inkjets just have ridiculous running costs.

Is it safe to assume that the $100 Brother color printers (e.g. http://www.amazon.com/Brother-Printe...other++printer) are going to be as problematic as other brands in their love of cranking through ink and thus I MUST stay with a laser jet?

EDIT: Actually, that was a dumb question. IF I want a color brother laser jet the cost is about $400. Should it last as long as the black? Specifically, the damn things just will never dry out and if I go through the 2600 pages per toner in a month, or in four years it makes no difference? I think the entire marketing approach to printers (virtually free and then high running costs) is something that we've grown accustomed to, which is why $400 for a printer feels so shocking to me, but maybe it shouldn't be.

EDIT 2: Pretty much sold on the brother, thanks for the advice. I may splurge on one that does copy/scan, but even the $400 color one doesn't apparently print photo color quality, so I'll just do walgreens or walmart or whatever for those, as I have currently (since I never seem to have enough color ink anyway).

 

[Thump553]

Copy/scan (and fax) are great features to have, even if you only use them rarely. Check out the various versions of Brother's MFC line. The workhorse of my (solo) office is an ancient (10 years or so) Brother MFC. I probably average 100-200 pages a day, and over the years I've only had to replace the drum twice, a whole boatload of toner cartridges and replace one $11 hinge.

Color laser? It's up to you, my thoughts are why bother with the additional expense and complications. I don't need color, and the rare times that I do I'll just have a copy center print the job.

 

[Doppel]

Copy/scan (and fax) are great features to have, even if you only use them rarely. Check out the various versions of Brother's MFC line. The workhorse of my (solo) office is an ancient (10 years or so) Brother MFC. I probably average 100-200 pages a day, and over the years I've only had to replace the drum twice, a whole boatload of toner cartridges and replace one $11 hinge.

Color laser? It's up to you, my thoughts are why bother with the additional expense and complications. I don't need color, and the rare times that I do I'll just have a copy center print the job.

HL2280DW seems to be what I want, wireless, monochrome, does copy/scan and $130 on amazon.:thumbsup:

 

[wirednuts]

brother HL2270W or 2280W. we use them everyday at work. we print anywhere from 10 pages a day to 1000. nearly everyday we comment on how well these things work. theyre next to free, and the toner replacements dont cost that much either. i know they are consumer devices, but they really do perform well in a business setting.

 

[T2urtle]

HL2280DW seems to be what I want, wireless, monochrome, does copy/scan and $130 on amazon.:thumbsup:

Might be too late looking at the posting date. But these can go as low as $99 from amazon or local stores as well.

Its just a matter of time. I have the older 2170W, just the printer and i love that thing. But now i need to get one with a scanner for my mother.