Printer etc. for only occasional use wanted. What are my options?

[Mike Reed]

Currently have HP all-in-one Envy 4500 which has ceased to print, despite trying to clear jets. Apart from the exorbitant and captive ink problem, It's been okay for a few years, but hasn't needed to be used for 6 months, so out usage has reduced considerably over the years.

I gather ink-jets, although cheap to buy, are problematic with irregular use. Nor does this occasional use justify an expensive 'other format' printer but we do need one, regardless. What are my options, taking into account the cost of inks. We used to use other, cheaper inks but not poss. since getting the H.P.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

What do you use it for? Do you require colour? If you're only printing out the occasional mono document, I'd go for a laser. My Lexmark E120 has been sitting quietly under my desk for years, gets used for a few pages every few weeks, and the toner doesn't go off, dry up, or degrade. And replacement toner cartridges aren't that costly.

 

[gintonic]

mono laser if colour isn't needed, is probably the inexpensive option

 

[davidsrsb]

All inkjets gum up if not used frequently

 

[Ian G]

Laser is the way to go Mike, I have a mono laser in the studio that might get used once every couple of years, prints every time. I probably shouldn't leave it on standby though

 

[Mike Reed]

What do you use it for? Do you require colour?

mono laser if colour isn't needed,

Thanks for comments and a good point; shall consider this as it's nearly always documents; never photos. but it must be a scanner and copier as well (as mine have been), so not sure if this presents a problem. I though laser machines were much more expensive than ink-jets.

 

[flapland]

If your only scanning/coping documents you can achieve very good results with a smartphone. That way you only need a basic single sided b/w laser printer.

 

[gintonic]

Thanks for comments and a good point; shall consider this as it's nearly always documents; never photos. but it must be a scanner and copier as well (as mine have been), so not sure if this presents a problem. I though laser machines were much more expensive than ink-jets.

dunno how good

Xerox B225 Multifunction Printer, Print/Scan/Copy, Black and White Laser, Wireless, All In One https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B099X6BS33/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

 

[Amber Audio]

Thanks for comments and a good point; shall consider this as it's nearly always documents; never photos. but it must be a scanner and copier as well (as mine have been), so not sure if this presents a problem. I though laser machines were much more expensive than ink-jets.

Covid has dried up supplies of cheap printers, used to get little Brother, Lexmark and Samsungs under £50 and multifunction Brother around £100.

Printerland often have deals but again since Covid much fewer on offer, they have Brother under £150
https://www.printerland.co.uk/printers/multifunction/mono?sortBy=Price+Ascending

​

 

[gavreid]

I've had an Epson Ecotank since the first lock down (home schooling etc) It's been marvellous. The ink is cheap enough that running something through fairly regularly isn't really an issue

 

[Amber Audio]

I've had an Epson Ecotank since the first lock down (home schooling etc) It's been marvellous. The ink is cheap enough that running something through fairly regularly isn't really an issue

Those type are great unless the user forgets the ritual of a few pages every few weeks/couple months, inevitably they’ll be desperate to print something after a year or more and the heads will be gummed solid.

 

[gavreid]

Those type are great unless the user forgets the ritual of a few pages every few weeks/couple months, inevitably they’ll be desperate to print something after a year or more and the heads will be gummed solid.

Very true.

 

[Mike Reed]

If you're only scanning/coping documents you can achieve very good results with a smartphone.

If I had one, maybe

 

[Yank]

How close is the nearest copy center?

 

[Mike Reed]

How close is the nearest copy center?

I've no idea what these are so I guess not very close. The hardware and stationers have facilities but that would be highly inconvenient, being used to office printers, working or not.

I was under the wrong impression in why our HP Envy doesn't print; I thought it was clogged jets but it's a machine malfunction, my wife tells me. The cheapo ink-jets are still, she found, as cheap as chips and as plentiful as previously. T.b.h., a £40 Canon which might give up in a couple of years to well over 3 x this price for a laser printer, and then in mono and only as a printer, it seems. Could be misguided here, maybe, but there doesn't seem to be a contest for our occasional use.

 

[MikeMA]

Like the OP I'm in the market for a replacement for an HP Envy 4500. A set of inks costs about the same as the printer did!

dunno how good

Xerox B225 Multifunction Printer, Print/Scan/Copy, Black and White Laser, Wireless, All In One https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B099X6BS33/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

That looks like incredibly good vfm.

 

[matt j]

My Dell laser printer is the best £50 I've ever spent, I've had it years and it is still on the original cartridge. I've lost count of how many inkjet printers I've taken to the tip and they never bloody worked right when you needed them to.

 

[Cesare]

Brother all in one printer here (MFC-L2740DW), the modern version is: https://www.brother.co.uk/printers/laser-printers/mfc-l2710dw

It's been excellent, it's used wireless from a number of machines, and does wireless printing and scanning. The document scanner does double sided which is handy for business stuff when scanning paperwork to send as emails, whilst the printing is fast and double sided as well (essential for our use here).

If this one packed up, i'd buy the equivalent modern replacement.

 

[cctaylor]

My Brother DCP7010 mono laser MFD is still going strong after 16 years. Now on its second drum, it got a lot more use when I was self employed and Heather was teaching. At current rate of usage it will do me a very long time. Was worried I was going need a replacement as my new PC couldn't see the scanner. However following a Google search I removed the printer from the PC restarted it and it installed correctly.

Perhaps a second hand mono laser might be a way forward. You need to check what life there is left on the drum. I did try using a toner refill off the bay but the print quality was dire and I bought a genuine cartridge.

 

[davidsrsb]

The cheapo ink-jets are still, she found, as cheap as chips and as plentiful as previously.

They have got better at locking you into the expensive DRMed ink cartridges.
As they say, the first fix from your local drug dealer is free