Printer issues?

Which laser printer would you recommend for me? 🙂

There are some budget lasers where replacing the toner—assuming you stick to the originals—basically costs as much as buying a whole new printer;

Samsung SL-M2022
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Samsung+printer

or

HP LaserJet Pro P1102
https://www.staples.com/hp-laserjet

or

Canon i-SENSYS LBP6020
https://www.bestbuy.com/canon-printer

For instance, a compatible toner for the Samsung might run you about $67 for 1,000 pages https://www.amazon.com/s?k=MLT-D111S while the HP one is around $33 for 1,600 pages https://www.amazon.com/s?k=HP+85A, and the Canon is pretty similar to the HP price point https://www.amazon.com/s?k=canon+725

The next tier up would be printers starting at $333+, where the toners generally offer a higher page yield per cartridge.

The real issue here is that none of these models actually come with a scanner, and I really need one.

So now we're looking at a price tag somewhere around $130-$150 plus.
http://www.nabava.net/pisaci__110?&se=1698,172735

That’s basically double what you'd pay for an inkjet option. Besides—those starter toner cartridges on entry-level lasers don't really yield many pages before they run out.

If you ask me, an inkjet might actually end up being the more cost-effective route—you just can't afford to forget about the ink costs this time.

Ugh... okay, I am definitely switching back to an inkjet. This is just way too much hassle. But hey, lesson learned—next time, I'm getting a printer that stays powered on all the time. 😁

I'm on the hunt for a new MFP—printer, scanner, copier, all in one.
I need a laser, color is a waste of money for me. My volume is pretty heavy, probably around 3,000 to 5,000 pages a month. It really needs to have wireless capabilities because I’ve got several computers spread out across different rooms, and honestly, I can't stand the thought of running cables everywhere. Most importantly, I care about the bottom line—low cost per page is the goal here. I'm looking for a long-term solution; I don't want to be back in this exact same spot buying a new machine in a year. I’m willing to shell out more cash upfront if it means significant savings on ink and toner down the road.

Give me some options, please.

Thanks in advance.

What's the weight of that thin paper—and are we talking about standard US sizes like Letter or Tabloid?

George Sanders37 said:What’s the weight on that thin paper, and are we talking about standard sizes like Letter or Tabloid?

I've been sitting here thinking about it. I don't really need the whole thin paper printing thing anyway... it's not like that happens more than once a month. I've got OCR software. I can just scan the document, run it through the software to dump it into a Word doc, and then just print it normally.

So yeah, just standard Letter size.

Looking for some advice on which printer to grab
between an HP Envy series and a Canon mg5650
The HP Envy series is $60 cheaper upfront, but the Canon actually wins out on cost per page because of this black ink
HP 61XL (pigment black): 500 pages
CLI-551BK XL (black): 5530* pages
CLI-551C XL (cyan): 695 pages
CLI-551M XL (magenta): 680 pages
CLI-551Y XL (yellow): 695 pages

What's the deal with that one?
They're all 11ml, so why is the page count for that one ten times higher than the others...

I'm also weighing an HP 3525, a Canon mg5550 (though I assume the 5650 is better?), and a Canon OfficeJet series (but I'd rather pay a bit more $33 for an all-in-one)

Which one should I go with? Is there a bad choice here I should just cross off my list?

Mark Torres11 said:I'm looking for some advice on which printer to pick up
between an HP Envy series and a Canon mg5650
The HP Envy series is $60 cheaper, but I think the Canon wins on cost per page because of this black ink
HP 61XL (pigment black): 500 pages
CLI-551BK XL (black): 5530* pages
CLI-551C XL (cyan): 695 pages
CLI-551M XL (magenta): 680 pages
CLI-551Y XL (yellow): 695 pages

What's the deal with that?
They're all 11ml, so why does the page count look ten times higher for that one compared to the others?

Also on my list are the HP 3525, the Canon mg5550 (though maybe the 5650 is better?), and a Canon OfficeJet series (but I'd rather pay a bit more $33 for an all-in-one).

Which should I go with? Any of these bad choices I should just cross off?

I’ll focus mostly on the bolded part. There's an asterisk next to that number, so you'd probably need to check what that actually refers to. Honestly, at first glance, that looks like a typo to me—I found data suggesting it was closer to 1,130 pages.
http://www.cartridgeink.co.uk/origin...-6443b001.html
http://www.bossdirect.co.uk/storefro...9#.VVtmZEY71-o
http://www.printerland.co.uk/High-Yi...--P130518.aspx

Keep in mind these Canons have a printhead that’s a replaceable part—it’s an extra expense when it eventually fails (and it will). I also get the feeling that Canons are pretty thirsty for ink and run through it fast, especially if you're doing photo quality stuff. That said, the print quality from Canon is really good.

It might help if you let us know your budget and what you'll be using it for. It looks like you're eyeing printers with individual CMYK tanks, which gives you more accurate and "better" colors initially, but the running costs are higher. If you're strictly printing photos, it's probably fine, but for anything else, it seems way too expensive.

Around $200.
Just looking for a home printer.
The thing is, if they use separate CMYK tanks, you don't end up tossing out an entire color cartridge just because one shade runs dry.
I need color for printing photos every now and then.
Found some info on the black ink over on the Canon site http://www.canon.com/printers/inkjet/pixma/pixma_mg5650/
but even if you check the Technical specs, you kind of have to take it with a grain of salt.

Doesn't every printer come with its own print head? That’s actually why I’m shopping—my old Canon died on me because the head gave out and won't print black anymore.
From what I've read, those HP Envy series models are absolute ink hogs, and the temporary one I'm using right now drinks ink like a sailor...
Plus, most of the threads I see in the printer forums are just people complaining about Epson issues.

Regarding the tanks—yeah, if you’re running two tanks (black and color), you end up tossing the whole thing. But just because a CMYK system uses five tanks (black, key, and CMY) where you can swap them out one by one, it doesn't necessarily mean you're actually saving money.

When I talk about ink consumption, I'm speaking from my own experience with the Canon inkjets we use at the office—they absolutely gulp down ink.

Looking at this official page, it feels like a bit of a scam to me; there's no way it hits 5,000+ pages, even if you're printing in super draft mode and skipping every other line.

Some inkjets have a separate printhead, while others have them integrated directly into the cartridges—like with an HP, for example.

It looks like the printhead for this older model is pretty pricey; I guess you should be careful when buying a printer and check how much a replacement printhead actually costs.

How can I tell if a printer has the printhead built into the cartridge or not?
And how much do those heads even cost? Most of the time they aren't even worth the hassle, right?
From what I can tell, none of the ones I mentioned above have the head on the cartridge.
Does anyone know of a newer all-in-one inkjet that actually has the head on the cartridge? Ideally one where the refill ink isn't a total rip-off...

George Sanders37 said:Regarding the tanks, sure, if you have two tanks (black and color), you're tossing the whole thing. But just because a CMYK system uses five tanks—black, key, and the CMY colors—and you swap them out one by one, doesn't mean you're actually saving anything.

When I talk about ink consumption, I'm speaking from experience with the Canon inkjets we run at the office; they gulp down ink like there's no tomorrow.

Looking at what’s on the official website, it feels like a total scam to me. There is no way it can print over 5,000 pages, even if you're running it on some ultra-draft mode where it skips every other line.

Some inkjets have a separate printhead, while others have it integrated right into the cartridges, like with an HP.

I see that the printhead for this old model is pretty pricey. Just be careful when you're buying a printer—check how much a replacement printhead actually costs for it.

Yeah, but every company making toner puts it in the fine print—or just leaves it out entirely—that those "xy page" estimates are based on 5% coverage.

And 5% coverage is basically one-fifth of a page covered in very "thin characters."

Hey there!

I'm stuck in a bit of a loop here... should I just grab an all-in-one like an HP Envy series or would it be smarter to get a dedicated Scanner and pair it with a cheap inkjet printer separately?

The scanner part is huge for me because I've got a ton of old photos to digitize. So, what's the actual deal with scan quality? Is there a massive difference between a standalone scanner and the one built into those multi-purpose machines?
Also, for the printer side of things, I need something where finding replacement ink isn't a total nightmare and won't break the bank...

What do you guys think?

The scanners built into all-in-one units are perfectly fine for personal use. You know, printing stuff out, uploading things to the web, making digital photo albums, whatever. Their only real issue is the build quality. I mean, think about it—when you're picking up a color printer and scanner combo for maybe sixty bucks, what kind of materials do you expect? 😬 Sure, they’ll handle moderate scanning—maybe a few scans a day or even a couple dozen—without breaking a sweat. But once they die, they die hard. It’s not worth fixing because by the time the lamp or the feeder mechanism gives out, you might as well have just bought a brand-new unit.

Standalone scanners, unlike those multi-function printers, are generally built much tougher. They can handle a higher volume of scans without getting fried so easily. If I were you, I’d stick with a brand that actually has years of R&D behind them—something where the construction is solid enough that you don't deal with trivial junk like cheap plastic warping from the heat during heavy use, which ends up jamming the feeder or something similar...

If you decide to go the standalone route and want to see some decent options, check out the links in this post.

That said, for home use and light scanning, it’s probably smarter to just grab an all-in-one and not try to scan a mountain of paperwork all at once. Just take it bit by bit. Either way, make sure you get one with a decent warranty. That way, if the scanner dies, you at least still have a working printer, hopefully 😬 Because with these cheap units, if something goes wrong with the printer side—like the print head or a roller—the whole machine becomes a paperweight, even if the scanner part is technically fine. I haven't seen many cases where it works the other way around, but hey...

And if you're planning on doing a lot of printing, an Ink Tank System is the only way to go. Look for printers that have affordable Ink Tank System upgrades available, then pick your model based on that.

darkowl72 said:The scanners built into those all-in-one units are perfectly fine for personal stuff. You know, printing, uploading to the web, making digital albums... that kind of thing. The only real issue is how cheaply they're built. I mean, think about the materials used when you're getting both a color printer and a scanner for maybe $60 😬 Sure, if you're doing moderate scanning—like a few scans a day or maybe a couple dozen at most—they'll hold up. But once they break, they break hard. It’s usually the lamp or the feeder mechanism, and by then, a repair costs more than just buying a whole new unit.

Standalone scanners, unlike those multi-function printers, are generally built much tougher. They can handle a higher volume and won't die quite as easily. Personally, I'd stick with a brand that actually has some history and R&D behind them... something where the build quality is high enough that you don't deal with trivial junk like cheap plastic warping from the heat during heavy use, which ends up jamming the feeder or whatever else...

If you decide to go the standalone route and want to see what's actually worth buying, check out the links in this post.

But honestly, for home use and low-volume scanning, I think it's smarter to just grab an all-in-one. Just don't try to scan a mountain of stuff all at once; do it bit by bit. Either way, look for something with a solid warranty. That way, if it dies, you might at least still have a working printer, hopefully 😬 Because with these things, if the printer side fails—like a print head or a roller goes—the scanner often becomes a paperweight too, even if it was working fine before. If it's the other way around, it probably doesn't matter as much, but I haven't really run into that...

And if you're planning on printing a lot, CISS (continuous ink supply system) is the way to go. Check which printers have affordable CISS options available first, then pick your machine based on that.

First off, thanks for such a detailed breakdown 👍

The scanner is mostly for personal use, but I really want high scan quality. I've got tons of old photos—some are up to 60 years old—and that's the main reason I'm looking for a scanner. After that, I'll just use it whenever I need to (which won't be often).

As for the printer, I won't be using it that much either, just the occasional document or a photo here and there...

But I'm still lost, what should I do...

If I go for a dedicated scanner ($500-$200), should I go with Canon or HP?

Also, for a printer around $400-$200, any recommendations?
Obviously, I need separate ink tanks.

Or, if the difference in scan quality isn't actually that big, maybe I should just get an all-in-one...

EPSON XP225 or EPSON XP425 or maybe a Canon or HP?

Sorry for the barrage of questions, I'm totally overwhelmed here.

Standalone scanner: HP G3110. Not because I actually own one, but because it’s a proven workhorse. It’s been on the market long enough to shake out all the bugs, and you can find plenty of options around $233. Honestly, 48-bit is more than enough for what you need; the 96-bit models (like the G4010 or G4050) are $367 $500—you only really need those if you're cranking out massive TIFF files (which will eat up your PC's RAM anyway). Sure, they offer more data in terms of color depth and shadows, but for printing, screen viewing, or just general home use, they are total overkill...

Brush up on a few basic concepts here:

http://www.rideau-info.com/photos/colormodes.html

The HP lineup comes with solid software and TWAIN drivers that let you scan directly from third-party apps. They're intuitive and feature-rich; I'd say they lean toward semi-pro territory compared to the cheap consumer-grade junk at this price point.

Check out Telebit for a decent selection of scanners at reasonable prices.

Man, I honestly don't know how much longer I can stomach a price tag like that... especially since I actually need a printer right now...

So, what would you recommend instead?

Look, you might as well just grab an Epson 425. It should have a better scanner than the 225 anyway. You aren't scanning massive batches all at once—just do maybe 10 or 15 scans, let the thing rest for a bit, and you're good to go. Plus, Epson has those cheap orink replacement inks available...

As long as you aren't trying to blow up tiny little pictures way too much (like stretching a 2x3 cm photo to cover an entire sheet of A4 paper), it’ll work just fine... 👍