Printer
Author
Discussion

Kent Border Kenny

Original Poster:

2,219 posts

90 months

Thursday 3rd September 2020
quotequote all
I’ve not had a printer in a while. I got completely fed-up with the fact that my rare need to print meant a huge amount of faffing to unblock heads and / or a streaky weird-coloured output when I did print something, but working from home means that I could do with one again.

I’d like high quality colour output for documents, and the ability to not clog up completely if left for a few weeks needing new cartridges, does anyone have a recommendation?

I don’t mind spending a good few hundred pounds.

DANTR

34 posts

105 months

Thursday 3rd September 2020
quotequote all
I’ve not long had a Brother HL-L3230CDW delivered and it’s brilliant

Colour laser, auto double side printing etc

It was a which Best Buy, £200 from eBuyer

Kent Border Kenny

Original Poster:

2,219 posts

90 months

Thursday 3rd September 2020
quotequote all
DANTR said:
I’ve not long had a Brother HL-L3230CDW delivered and it’s brilliant

Colour laser, auto double side printing etc

It was a which Best Buy, £200 from eBuyer
Looks just the ticket, thanks.

Who me ?

7,455 posts

242 months

Thursday 3rd September 2020
quotequote all
Possibly out of production, but I've got an Epson WF-2010 which seems just to sit there and print when I ask it. Occasionally had a problem with head clean, but it always prints OK.

thebraketester

15,822 posts

168 months

Thursday 3rd September 2020
quotequote all
Kent Border Kenny said:
DANTR said:
I’ve not long had a Brother HL-L3230CDW delivered and it’s brilliant

Colour laser, auto double side printing etc

It was a which Best Buy, £200 from eBuyer
Looks just the ticket, thanks.
Watch out for consumable prices on anything you buy. OEM laser stuff tends to require one to “assume the position”

LeeM135i

711 posts

84 months

Friday 4th September 2020
quotequote all
I picked up a Samsung Xpress C460W, WiFi, scanner colour laser printer about 8 years ago and it’s brilliant. Previously I had used cheap colour inkjets which are fine if you use them every week but I always found the ink dried out between uses.

I have just purchased a new genuine toner set for the Samsung (second set in 8 years) for £125, yes it’s expensive as a one off but it’s around £30 a year, which is fine with me. It has a really good iOS app so you can scan or print from your phone which can save the effort of firing the computer up if you just want to print a receipt or email.


dmsims

7,465 posts

297 months

Friday 4th September 2020
quotequote all
Colour laser

but

look at the life/cost of the drum

Some manufacturers are very picky about aftermarket toner cartridges, some less so

or if you are an infrequent colour user get a B&W laser and use a local print shop for the colour

alorotom

12,788 posts

217 months

Friday 4th September 2020
quotequote all
dmsims said:
Colour laser

but

look at the life/cost of the drum

Some manufacturers are very picky about aftermarket toner cartridges, some less so

or if you are an infrequent colour user get a B&W laser and use a local print shop for the colour
This is what I do - I have a cheap £50 Brother B&W laser that loves the toner from CartridgeSave (£11 each) and the odd colour I actually have done at my local library for pennies (IIRC about 20p) per sheet

anonymous-user

84 months

Friday 4th September 2020
quotequote all
I purchased HP Envy 6020 from Amazon the other week @ £69.99
Print is very good
I also signed up for HP ink @ £1.99 a month for 50 pages. They send ink foc when it’s low
Can carry 100 pages forward
Other deals available
Suits me £24 a year for ink as lightish user
300 odd pages free per month for first 3 months

Kent Border Kenny

Original Poster:

2,219 posts

90 months

Friday 4th September 2020
quotequote all
LeeM135i said:
I picked up a Samsung Xpress C460W, WiFi, scanner colour laser printer about 8 years ago and it’s brilliant. Previously I had used cheap colour inkjets which are fine if you use them every week but I always found the ink dried out between uses.

I have just purchased a new genuine toner set for the Samsung (second set in 8 years) for £125, yes it’s expensive as a one off but it’s around £30 a year, which is fine with me. It has a really good iOS app so you can scan or print from your phone which can save the effort of firing the computer up if you just want to print a receipt or email.
I’d not réaliséd until looking now that laser printers were much better than ink jets for letters and documents.

Photos ordered online are cheap enough (and frustration free enough) that I’m happy to do them that way, or I’ve an excellent little Canon Selohy dye-sublimation printer for the smaller ones.

Kent Border Kenny

Original Poster:

2,219 posts

90 months

Friday 4th September 2020
quotequote all
dmsims said:
Colour laser

but

look at the life/cost of the drum

Some manufacturers are very picky about aftermarket toner cartridges, some less so

or if you are an infrequent colour user get a B&W laser and use a local print shop for the colour
Do the drums / toner go off, dry up like ink jets?

2 GKC

2,317 posts

135 months

Friday 4th September 2020
quotequote all
Jimboka said:
I purchased HP Envy 6020 from Amazon the other week @ £69.99
Print is very good
I also signed up for HP ink @ £1.99 a month for 50 pages. They send ink foc when it’s low
Can carry 100 pages forward
Other deals available
Suits me £24 a year for ink as lightish user
300 odd pages free per month for first 3 months
They don’t send anything FOC. They send what you’ve paid for

anonymous-user

84 months

Friday 4th September 2020
quotequote all
2 GKC said:
Jimboka said:
I purchased HP Envy 6020 from Amazon the other week @ £69.99
Print is very good
I also signed up for HP ink @ £1.99 a month for 50 pages. They send ink foc when it’s low
Can carry 100 pages forward
Other deals available
Suits me £24 a year for ink as lightish user
300 odd pages free per month for first 3 months
They don’t send anything FOC. They send what you’ve paid for
Yep
£1.99 a month for 50 pages a month (free for 3 months). When the ink is low they send new cartridges
So £24 a year for ink, enough pages for me

abzmike

12,076 posts

136 months

Friday 4th September 2020
quotequote all
Jimboka said:
Yep
£1.99 a month for 50 pages a month (free for 3 months). When the ink is low they send new cartridges
So £24 a year for ink, enough pages for me
+1 for one of these and the subscription too. Had mine 6 months and works well. Good quality print, decent enough for printing pictures for hanging on the stairs, easy to use on WiFi for printing from any device. The FOC referred to is P&P on ink deliveries.

sgrimshaw

7,587 posts

280 months

Tuesday 8th September 2020
quotequote all
Kent Border Kenny said:
Do the drums / toner go off, dry up like ink jets?
No

conkerman

3,519 posts

165 months

Tuesday 8th September 2020
quotequote all
Epson Eco tank.

No cartridges. Ever.

PomBstard

7,904 posts

272 months

Wednesday 9th September 2020
quotequote all
thebraketester said:
Kent Border Kenny said:
DANTR said:
I’ve not long had a Brother HL-L3230CDW delivered and it’s brilliant

Colour laser, auto double side printing etc

It was a which Best Buy, £200 from eBuyer
Looks just the ticket, thanks.
Watch out for consumable prices on anything you buy. OEM laser stuff tends to require one to “assume the position”
That is true, but having had a Brother MFC for a few years, a couple of things help:

When it tells you you're low on toner, reset the counter and go again. I replace my toners at the second time of asking

OEM toner cartridges are good, but expensive. Non-OEM will work fine, and some places here will do cartridge exchange - shop around for 'bonus' packs

The fuser unit is the expensive bit to replace, mine has lasted about 6 years, but needs it. Replacement is about 40% of the price of a new printer, so I'm just figuring out the best course of action - Man Maths is calling...

wong

1,449 posts

246 months

Wednesday 9th September 2020
quotequote all
conkerman said:
Epson Eco tank.

No cartridges. Ever.
Brother and Canon do these as well. Around £150. Inkjet printers with 4 refillable ink tanks. Do over 10,000 pages with one set of ink. Refill ink ~ £6 each or £24 a set, then you're ready for another 10K pages.

Burwood

18,718 posts

276 months

Wednesday 9th September 2020
quotequote all
DANTR said:
I’ve not long had a Brother HL-L3230CDW delivered and it’s brilliant

Colour laser, auto double side printing etc

It was a which Best Buy, £200 from eBuyer
Jesus £220 for oem cartridges(the 4).

Edited by Burwood on Wednesday 9th September 18:53