whats cheaper to run - laser printers

[billb]

Can anyone answer an arguement we're having here at the mo - whats cheaper to run a HP black laserjet 6p printer or a big mumma hp laserjet 4600dn? - ie a small laser printer attached locally to a computer or a big networked one in terms of price per page printed?!

[Bodo]

Well, that depends on how many pages you print in the printer's lifetime.

[agent006]

Generally as the volume of prints increses, the larger printer becomes more economical.

[malman]

Simple answer is the longer you keep it and the more you print to it then its more likely that the 4600 will turn out cheaper.

4600 has larger duty cycle probably slightly cheaper consumeables for a given page count. If you hammer the 6p the way you could a 4600 then it would expire.

If you have a small office with not many people and they don't print much then you will not use enough volume to make the extra purchase price of the 4600 worthwhile.

All IMHO of course

>> Edited by malman on Monday 10th November 12:37

[billb]

there is a 3 person office with both printers in and they wanna print to the crappy one as they claim its cheaper but it'd make my life easier if they printed to the 4600 + i dont think it'd be any more expensive?

[Marshy]

A way around the inconvenience of people printing to your locally attached 6p would be:-

1) Stop sharing it to the network
2) See if you can find something like an Axis print server. It's basically a tiny little box that plugs onto the usual printer port on the printer, with an ethernet socket on the other side. Turns the ickle 6p into a network printer. Setup's a tad fiddly, but probably easier if you read the manuals first, unlike me.

And TBH, the laserjet 6 series are cracking bargain laser printers. I've got one that's 6 or 7 years old now and I'm only on my third toner cartridge. Well pleased with it.