Printer recommendations?

Wait, are you guys actually seeing any kind of financial benefit from the Fed?

melloweagle26 said:Wait, do you guys actually get anything out of HP?

Well, someone has to praise them. If it isn't Intel or MS, it's got to be HP. 😁

My advice would be exactly the same—if you don't absolutely need color, just go out and grab a cheaper laser printer instead.
It all boils down to a simple equation: the more you invest upfront, the more you save in the long run. It’s just basic logic—if you’re going to be spending your life pouring ink onto paper, you might as well opt for the version that won't leave you stranded halfway through a project. Choosing quality isn't just a luxury; it's an investment in sanity and efficiency.

It’s been just under three years now—give or take a few months—since everything first went down. 😁So, I picked up a Canon LBP-800 back in the day. At that point, it was sitting right there at the entry level of the budget laser printer market—though you certainly couldn't say the same for HP, as their machines were priced like premium luxury goods back then. $1333I just picked this one up for about $2,500. I actually swapped out the toner for the first time last year—which was only after two years of use—and honestly, I’ve been printing quite a bit since then.
I mean, let’s be honest—dropping five hundred bucks just to get some ink on paper feels like a bit of a gut punch, doesn't it? It’s getting ridiculous.$200 (Let’s say we're looking at $550)... and honestly, I couldn't be more thrilled with how things turned out.

There’s a much wider selection of those budget-friendly models hitting the shelves lately, including plenty of options from HP and Samsung—and I have to say, I’ve been pretty satisfied with my Samsung setup at the office. That said, I can't help but notice that the older HPi 5 l and 6L units seem to be throwing quite a few tantrums whenever you try to run them under Windows XP.

If you want my two cents, just go for a more budget-friendly laser printer. I realize that the upfront cost might feel like a bit of a sting right now, but you have to look at the bigger picture. It’s much like buying a reliable used Toyota instead of a luxury European sedan; while the initial price tag is higher for the premium model, the long-term maintenance and total cost of ownership will eventually make you regret that flashy first purchase. $667It’s certainly an investment, but honestly? It’s worth every penny.

4,5,6... is there actually any real difference?

Whew, alright, let’s pivot away from that topic for a second.😁

[even if my advice hasn't changed one bit 😉]

The real headache boils down to this:
They've got XPSP1 installed, maybe some XP floating around, more or less... the OS itself usually recognizes the printer (mostly the 5L models, though even the 6L can be a real pain), and it goes ahead and installs Windows drivers for it. But the moment someone actually tries to print something remotely complex—say, a few pages of a document or a poorly formatted table—everything falls apart. You get these weird symbols instead of text, or parts of the page render in this massive, pixelated resolution that looks like it was designed by a toddler using a crayon. It's just a complete mess. 😁

If it’s not too late, I’d suggest going with a Canon Pixma. You can grab the black ink for about $20 and colors for roughly $43, and it handles small photo prints like a charm.

And just how long does the ink actually last before you're running dry?

slycrane94 said:So, you still haven't caught my drift.

I was just saying I know the word is toner, so you can go ahead and bother someone else with all that nonsense. 😛

Zebra 😁

And did you know people also call it a Cartridge? Hehehehe....
I guess if it's full of mice, does that mean the whole house is infested or just the yard? 😁 😉

Jeffrey Torres said:And did you know people also call it a Cartridge? Hehehe...
So, since there are mice everywhere now, is the whole house infested or just the backyard?''😁 😉

Keep pushing me and see what happens. I’m a moderator now—the evil version. 😁 😈

Jessica Roberts19 said:Well, my printer just kicked the bucket. It’s officially dead. 😢
I’m honestly thinking about picking up a new printer, but I am completely lost on which one to actually get. It would be such a lifesaver if I could just grab something that lets me refill the Cartridge myself. Otherwise, let's face it—buying replacements is getting ridiculously expensive. 😢 So, now that everyone is using chips that refuse to accept an empty Cartridge, I’m starting to wonder if there’s even any point in buying these things anymore. Is it actually worth the money? And more importantly, does anyone know if there's a way to just... bypass that protection entirely? Maybe there's a workaround I haven't heard about yet.
So, if you were in my shoes, what would you actually go for?

Maybe I'm a little late to the party here, but I just haven't had a chance to chime in until now...
Those pesky chips aren't even an issue anymore. If you're working with an Epson C60, C42, C62, or C82, there’s actually a reprogrammer out there that fixes the chip right up. Once that's sorted, you can finally get started on the refill. I guess it makes things a whole lot easier.
Honestly, I’m starting to think it’s just better to go through the trouble of refilling your own ink rather than gambling on those sketchy third-party replacement cartridges. You never really know what you're getting with the cheap knockoffs, and I guess it's just not worth the headache.
So, what should you actually pick up? It really just comes down to what you’re trying to do. If you’re looking for high-quality photos that actually look good, I'd say go with an Epson C62 or some kind of dedicated photo printer. But, if you're mostly just printing out documents and maybe a few snapshots here and there, then a Canon or an HP 3340, 3325 might be more your speed. Honestly, you can pretty much handle all of that on your own.
I’d say there’s a slight edge to the Canon 550, mostly because of those transparent ink tanks. It sounds like a small thing, but honestly, when you're dealing with refills, being able to actually see what's going on is pretty huge. Maybe it's just me, but I think it makes life a whole lot easier.
Give me a shout if you ever find yourself running low on ink or if you just need some advice on how to handle things... I might be able to help you out.