Opinions please!
I'm about to throw in the towel with my Canon inkjet printer - getting all six cartridges to work at the same time is getting increasingly difficult. I've decided to cut my losses and replace it. I don't want another Canon, for obvious reasons. I've been surfing the net and pretty much narrowed it down to either a bog-standard HP or a much more expensive Brother. Does anyone have any views on the relative performance, and especially reliability, of the two makes?
Before anyone suggests it, a laser printer is not an option! For what I want it to do the physical size, and price, is out of my league.
Cheers,
Chris
Do you actually need "immediate" prints?
I gave up on my A3 inkjet when I found that I could get 18" x 12" proper photo prints for the princely sum of 99p each - although I see that they've now gone up to £1.30 :(
Has it been sitting unused and dried out? I've had that with inkjets before. I have a Canon A3 ink jet (picked up second-hand, on Gumtree, in March for £10, in preparation for WFH and used with cheap cartridges) and so far it has worked perfectly, even after standing for weeks. I also have an office grade laser printer (only printed 2500 pages) picked up for £2.50 on Ebay and just needing new (cheap) toners and a power lead. It is well worth looking out on Gumtree and Ebay.
I've had HP and found that they cost a fortune to run - needing new cartridges every time they were left unused for a while and with no cheap ink options.
I've run Epson and Canon inkjets in the past and they were good.
We used to have an A3 Brother inkjet, but being rarely used it tended to dry up and block up - plus the paper would jam a lot which apparently was a well known problem with this model (probably another reason it wasn't used much). I accept it's experience of just one printer but it's rather put me off the brand.
To be honest though, as a family we made the decision years ago to switch to lasers for efficiency and reliability/availability whenever needed. We're currently running both an HP colour laser and a Samsung mono laser on our home network. I wouldn't go back to inkjet now. If I particularly wanted a top quality photo-glossy image then I'd send off the file to be printed online.
Hi,
If you want cartridges that don't dry out then you probably need to buy a more expensive Inkjet, say 350 pounds vs 99, but of course these tend to be large and then you might as well get a Laser printer.
HP et al don't make money selling 99 pound printers, they make money selling the ink.
BUT when they sell a Multifunction Laser or Large format printer like the T125 then they are making money selling the printers as well as the ink.
For example I got an HP T120 large format printer 3 years ago, it cost $600 and replacement cartridges cost $50 each. I use it to print out track plans, location photos, and maps, even so, it rarely gets used more then once a month. None of the 4 cartridges have ever dried out.
Not a lot of help I know.
BTW did you know that HP licenced their Inkjet technology to Canon, in exchange for a licence for Canon's laser printer technology.
Regards,
John P
Quote from: ntpntpntp on October 31, 2020, 08:08:15 PM
To be honest though, as a family we made the decision years ago to switch to lasers for efficiency and reliability/availability whenever needed. We're currently running both an HP colour laser and a Samsung mono laser on our home network. I wouldn't go back to inkjet now. If I particularly wanted a top quality photo-glossy image then I'd send off the file to be printed online.
Same here. I bought a second hand HP colour laser, which does a perfectly acceptable job for, say, calendars - and can be refilled.
If I want a larger print or high quality one then off it goes to be printed and posted to me.
I spent a few years repairing printers, don't know if things have changed since but I would never want an Epson ink jet unless it was going to get more or less daily use, otherwise print heads get blocked, HP included the print head as part of the cartridge so was less of a problem, however the cost of ink is ridiculous; when you compare the cost per page of an ink jet against a laser I don't see why people still uuse ink jets.
I've been using Oki colour lasers for over 15 years. I print my own backscenes up to 4' long, print brick, stone and tile textures to A4 self adhesive label stock, or I can print direct to card up to 220gsm thick, plus laser printed material does not need varnishing like ink jet which is not waterproof, unless they've developed that recently. You can also now get clear plastic material for laser printing of OHP transparencies and label stock which can be used for coach sides.
At one time lasers were not considered suitable for photographic work, I don't see it as a problem now.
Thanks for the helpful replies, chaps. Despite what I said in my OP, I am under a certain amount of domestic pressure to look at lasers again. They do certainly seem to be cheaper than they used to be - you appear to be able to get hold of one with a reasonable spec for not much more than the Brother inkjet I was considering. If colour print quality has genuinely improved it might be the way to go.
Cheers,
Chris
QuoteThey do certainly seem to be cheaper than they used to be - you appear to be able to get hold of one with a reasonable spec for not much more than the Brother inkjet I was considering.
Add in the cost of a few replacement cartridges and the cost will get even closer,i bought my present laser printer 6 years ago and apart from adding paper nothing more needed.
QuoteFor what I want it to do the physical size
most printers these days,apart from the bargain bucket range,will be able to connect via wifi meaning you can plonk the printer anywhere theirs a signal and electrickery so it dosnt need to sit next to the computer
The cheaqper OKI 300 and 500 series seem to be out of stock at most places, there is one, same model as mine, on Ebay at a good price, but it's buyer collect only located Addlestone Surrey
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OKI-C531dn-HD-Laser-Printer/184488908869?hash=item2af4655845:g:b98AAOSwHXxfiAFl (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OKI-C531dn-HD-Laser-Printer/184488908869?hash=item2af4655845:g:b98AAOSwHXxfiAFl)
for 50 quid more you can get a new brother laser printer from currys,complete with unused toner,garentee and free delivery
I have been using an Epson SX-425 inklet for years for general printing and instructions, etc. The official cartridges are great for high-quality permanent printing but you can get cheap knock off cartridges for a much less.
It's interesting (or maybe not) how people's experiences vary. I had no end of problems with Canon ink jets blocking through infrequent use but have had no problem with the HP 1110 I'm using now. I chose HP because they have better Linux software than others I'm aware of.
I had an OKIpage laser printer for quite a while but it's now dead - prints black over the entire page. Free to a good home if anyone wants to take it away.
Ink jet cartridges are expensive, but instead of thinking about cost per sheet I think of cost per year. I do very little printing so my annual budget is insignificant compared to, say, my beer bill.
We have two Epson EcoTank printer and are quite happy with them. a 2600 series and a 16000 series.
I am currently using a hip printer plus I have a old hp printer in the railway room that still works even though it is a bit battered. I always said I will never touch Epson again, I bought one to print cd's etc and windows updated but Epson did not bother updating there software so it would not work any more. A lot of printer's now stop working when the colour cartridges get low! I get my ink online and always buy genuine after having a bad experience buying cheap ink. If I was buying now I think I would get a colour laser printer, the price has come down a lot.
I'm using an HP Envy5530 printer/copier/scanner, (after being a commited Epson fan, due to being able to use cheap ink cartridges) was pleasently suprised at how much better it is than the epsons I've had.
Ink is not an issue, I've subscibed to their instant ink system. I pay £1.99 a month for 50 pages, and if I don't use them all, they roll over. The printer communes with HP when it needs more ink, and the new cartridge(s) just drops though the letterbox with no intervention from me. Like it a lot.
https://instantink.hpconnected.com/uk/en/l/?gclid=CjwKCAiAnIT9BRAmEiwANaoE1SJben2tYeX61aZUqTXbByuvAeCsyvpyAq2JgbB1R7bkTAslzsSRkBoCbRwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Yes my recent HP Printer is a Envy5540, I have not bothered enabling auto ink order though but I buy genuine online cheap enough.
Update
Thanks once again for the very interesting discussion. I'm here to tell you that I have joined the ranks of the laser converts! It occurred to me that the one part of the old Canon that was still working properly was the scanner, so I could save a considerable amount of money by going for a simple printer. As @lil chris (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=1784) says, the prices seem to have come down a lot, so I bought a Brother colour laser for what I consider to be a very reasonable price. Setting it up was relatively easy and I test printed a photo on to ordinary paper and I was very pleasantly surprised by how good the quality was. A good investment, I hope.
Cheers,
Chris
A tip for you with the Laser printer, we used to use the Brother Laser printers where I worked. When it tells you it is running out, remove the cartridge and give it a shake, it is surprising how long it will last for doing that, mind the ones we used were not colour.
I had a canon mg5750 that broke itself a couple of weeks ago after a paper jam. It pulled the paper in so far and started to print before realising it was stuck (I had to switch it off). To get the paper out I had to take the sides off the printer in the end to be able to retrieve the ripped and stuck paper. I need a new one but cannot decide which way to go.
I found that the printer cartridges did not get blocked, but I suspect it emptied a bit of ink every time I switched it on and a cartridge would never last anything like 80 pages or whatever it stated. It also took a long time from power on to actually print. During the startup you heard motors whirring, clicking noises and other things. Then it would print fine.
I used it mainly for printing textures of buildings and building outlines.
If I was to choose a colour laser, I like the ideas of the printer printing to card, transparencies, not needing to be varnished etc but I am not so keen on the large size and weight of them.
I wanted to know if anyone on the forum who prints textures for buildings / scalescenes etc has used a colour laser?
And are the colours all the same no matter which make you choose or which toner you use?
Quote
I wanted to know if anyone on the forum who prints textures for buildings / scalescenes etc has used a colour laser?
And are the colours all the same no matter which make you choose or which toner you use?
I've been using OKI colour laser printers for over 15 years, they are larger and dearer to buy than dot matrix but way cheaper to run when you compare cost per page; over the life of the printer the total cost is probably about the same, toner cartridges typically print between 3,000 and 5,000 pages, no more clogged print heads.
Laser prints do not need varnishing, I've not noticed any fading of colours, I can print to card up to 220gsm, I can also print back scenes up to 4' long
I use a colour laser, albeit mainly for decals, I used to use inkjet. You get variation depending on the specific settings of an individual printer, depending on saturation etc, but in general it's not like something which looked right on an inkjet would suddenly look wrong on laser.
I prefer the laser on balance.
I must admit we moved our two household printers from inkjet to networked laser printers many years ago. Started off with the most basic little Samsung mono printer and that was great but I think we wore it out :) , now we have one Samsung mono multifunction printer for general use (it stays on 24/7) and a HP colour laser multifunction when we need it. Much more economical, no clogging if not used for a while.
We've had Epson and Canon inkjets over the years. The Canon did produce nice photos on glossy paper but we never used it that much. We did try a Brother A3 format multifunction inkjet for a while (son had it for 6th form and Uni work) but it wasn't brilliant, forever paper jamming and yes eventually the head clogged up through lack of continuous use. My best efforts with cleaning kits wouldn't shift it so we junked it.
I've yet to try our colour laser on anything other than standard paper so far. I wouldn't say it's a massive weighty thing at all. HP MFP277DW - it's a superseded model now.
(https://ssl-product-images.www8-hp.com/digmedialib/prodimg/lowres/c04591723.png)
The only other printer we still have is my ancient Alps technology printer for decals.
Thanks for the replies ... I am half way between colour laser and a good inkjet, but what is difficult for me is seeing the price of replacement toner - a set of 4 genuine low yield cartridges seems to cost as much or slightly more than most entry level laser printers. (I don't want fax or scan so I am thinking of a smaller sizes.)
The question I'd ask myself is how often you're going to use it. Inkjets are prone to clogging with intermittent use, which can ultimately destroy the printer (or at least make repair uneconomical). A laser will be far more stable. If you're not using it frequently then the cost of toner is insignificant (IMO outstripped by the cost of replacement cartridges which have dried up).
Yes it is marginally bulkier, but not in a way which really matters. The footprint is virtually identical, and it's not like the extra height really matters. Neither is a thing of beauty!
For typical intermittent home use a Laserjet is the way to go, or drop in excess £600 on a seriously good, large format inkjet printer.
We have had our HP Laserjet for 4 years now and I'm just getting round to replacing some of the colour toner cartridges. We've gone through a couple of black one's but my wife likes to file things on paper rather than on a computer. None of the toner cartridges have ever clogged up.
I've also got an HP T120 large format printer, it's an inkjet but the cartridges and print head are better quality than a typical desktop Inkjet printer. I've had that 4 years as well and only use it intermittently, for printing out full size layout plans! I've replaced the black cartridge but none of them have ever clogged up.
Regards,
John P
Inkjets have a built in suicide switch - a reservoir for excess ink during printing, when it is full, it may be impossible to remove it without dismantling the whole printer!!
https://refreshcartridges.co.uk/igloo/clearing-canon-waste-ink-tank-full-message/ (https://refreshcartridges.co.uk/igloo/clearing-canon-waste-ink-tank-full-message/)
http://www.kadansky.com/files/newsletters/2011/2011_01_26.html (http://www.kadansky.com/files/newsletters/2011/2011_01_26.html)
Lasers are an investment in long term peace of mind! ( I have a Brother L8410) - clone carts are available, but they killed my Kyocera, so I'm sticking to the Real Thing.
I have a Brother HL L 8260 CDW laser printer. Currently £235. Crucially mine came with full toner cartridges, none of these quarter filled starter cartridges. About two years later they are still a third full. It sits under my desk and has never given me a moment of trouble. It even accepts AirPrint from my iThings.
That's one of the ones I was thinking of, do you use it to print out scalescenes or textures?
Yes, i do use it for printing out card kits. It works very well for that purpose. I did do a test between laser and inkjet, as at work we have both HP lasers and high end inkjets. For card kits/brick papers it was hard to say one was better than the other.
I have the Scanner version of this printer ( flat bed and sheet feeder) - strongly recommended
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/112/2975-030821121400.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=112285)
Cheers,
Chris