Best printer under $75?

Hello everyone, I’m looking to pick up a printer that uses refillable ink tanks. Color isn't actually a priority for me—honestly, I mostly just need black and white, though my parents keep an old photocopier at their place, so I usually just head over there whenever I need to scan or print something in color. This one would mainly be for printing out a few invoices a week and helping my partner print things out when she needs to get some work done.

What’s considered the best value for money these days?

EDIT:

Maybe something like this ?

I have to admit I’m a bit of a lazy guy, so if there's an option to just grab it from LinkedIn in San Francisco, that would be my ideal solution.😁

Here is what I'm currently considering:

It uses ink $30, with a yield of about 360 pages. I suspect I might only end up printing around 300 pages a year, so that capacity seems to fit my needs perfectly.

Joshua Ramos14 said:Hey everyone, I need a printer that actually has affordable replacement ink. Honestly, I only care about black and white; color is irrelevant (funny enough, my parents have a photocopier, so I just go there when I need to scan or print in color). This thing would basically just handle a few bills a week and some random stuff my wife needs to print occasionally.

What’s the best value move right now?

EDIT:

Maybe https://www.amazon.com/example-printer-link?

I'm a lazy bastard, so if there's an option for LinkedIn in San Francisco, I'm probably taking it.😁

Looking at this:

https://www.bestbuy.com/example-printer-link
Ink $30, prints up to 360 pages. I'll probably only hit maybe 300 pages a year, so that might actually work out.

When you're buying gear like this, ask yourself one extra question: how long do you expect this $500 investment to actually last? $200 Basically, after how many cycles will you be okay with shelling out the cash to buy the exact same thing all over again.

Once you figure that out, look up which models preceded the ones listed above.

Then, check this forum or Google to see if those specific devices actually survived their intended lifespan before someone tossed them in the recycling bin.

Pretty simple.

With any other option, at best, you're just subsidizing the government by 25%, the retailer by 10-20%, and the national deficit by 50%—once every couple of years.

So, just ask someone here who dropped $500 $200 and is still perfectly happy two years later without wanting to throw it out a window.

hollowmarlin27 said:When you're looking at buying something like this, you really ought to ask yourself one specific question regarding your investment timeline—essentially, over what period of time are you spending those $500? $200 In other words, after how many usage cycles would you feel perfectly fine about making that exact same investment all over again.

Once you've settled on that, take a moment to look up which older models preceded the devices mentioned above.

Then, I’d suggest checking back here on the forum or doing a quick Google search combined with some forum digging to see if those previous models actually lasted through their intended lifecycle before someone inevitably sent them off to a recycling center.

It's quite straightforward, really.

With any other option, at best, you're just subsidizing the federal budget by 25%, padding a retailer's pocket by 10-20%, and covering a payment deficit of 50% every year or two.

So, my advice is to just ask someone here who actually spent $500 $200 and found themselves completely satisfied two years later without feeling the urge to replace it.

Well, I certainly follow your logic, but my last printer was in the $12,000 to $15,000 range 🙂 ....which is why now, when I need a basic home printer for maybe 300 pages a year, I don't want to sink a massive amount of cash into it only to have to buy a new one in three or four years; so, let it be. Besides, for color jobs or anything over 100 pages, I'll just send it to a local photo lab and pick it up five minutes later.

I'm currently looking for something cheap with Wi-Fi so I can avoid running cables everywhere. I know the old adage "buy cheap, buy twice," but honestly, I just don't feel like dropping a fortune on a printer right now. It feels like finding an "okay" printer at this price point might actually be harder than finding a solid one once you cross the $1,500 mark.

Joshua Ramos14 said:Look, I get it. The last printer I picked up was easily in the $13,000 - $16,000 range :klap: ....so now, when I need a basic home printer to churn out maybe 300 pages a year, I’m not looking to drop a fortune just to end up buying a new one in 3 or 4 years anyway. So, whatever. Besides, if I need color or anything over 100 pages, I'll just send it to a local photo lab and be done with it in five minutes.

I'm looking for something cheap with Wi-Fi so I don't have to deal with cables. I know the drill—"buy cheap, buy twice"—but honestly, I don't want to sink a ton of money into this. I feel like finding a halfway decent printer at this price point is harder than finding a good one for $1,500+.

A printer that used to cost $1,500+ from the manufacturer probably cost at least $167
And the one that costs $167 today actually costs $50 once you factor in inflation.

So, it makes sense that the one costing $50 lasts x years, while the one costing 3* $50 lasts 3 * x years.

Maybe go ask people who dropped $167 how many years x actually turned out to be in their case.

So, what you're essentially suggesting is that if I'm only printing, say, ten pages a week, it actually makes more sense for me to just shell out the cash upfront $500 for a dedicated printer. Personally, I’d much rather drop $500-$200 now and then simply pick up a brand-new model in about three years when this one eventually gives up the ghost.

I've been doing a bit of extra digging online, and this particular option is looking like a real win-win situation to me, though I'm curious if anyone here has actually put it through its paces?

Joshua Ramos14 said:So, you're basically telling me that if I'm only printing, say, 10 pages a week, it's actually smarter to just drop the cash upfront $500 for a printer. Personally, I'd rather shell out $500-$200, then just buy a brand new one in three years or so.

After doing a bit more browsing, this one looks like a win-win situation to me. Does anyone here actually have experience with it?

Not really. $200

It comes with a starter toner rated for 500 pages. Once you hit that limit, you can't refill that specific starter cartridge for more than those initial 500 pages.
There's a toner kit available for $17 that gives you another 2 * 500 pages.
Or, you could go with a third-party replacement toner that does 1,000 to 1,500 pages for about $100 - $50.

But here's the catch: the second you pop a third-party toner into that HP LaserJet P1102W, your warranty is dead. And if you try to sell the printer after using up the starter toner and swapping in a cheap replacement, nobody is going to give you even $150 - $67
.
Basically, you're pulling $267 out of your wallet today, and two months later, you're sitting on an $800+ $50 debt on your Diners credit card. And to pay off that balance, the best you might manage to scrape together is $67.

That's my two cents on the matter.

So, what’s your actual recommendation here? If we’re going down that road, maybe I should just grab that extra Canon ir5075n sitting in the corner waiting for better days and let it handle about 20 pages a week?

Could you give me an example of what actually makes sense to buy within a budget of roughly $110 to $130?

It’s easy enough to say "you'll lose money here but save it there," but I'd love some specifics. Give me a concrete example of which printer is actually worth it if I'm only printing a couple hundred pages a year.

P.S. Where on earth did you find that burger, man? 👏

EDIT:

As for this HP LaserJet P1102W, even if it only gets 500 prints out of it, that could easily last a year or two. At that point, it isn't a huge deal to just grab an original toner and keep things running for another year or two, provided the hardware holds up. Besides, it’s strictly for black and white anyway; color isn't even on my radar.

hollowmarlin27 said:Not really. $200

You get a starter toner that's rated for about 500 pages. Just a heads-up though—once you hit that 500-page mark, this specific cartridge isn't meant to be refilled. It’s strictly for those first few hundred prints!
Do you have a toner kit for him? $17 Looking to get 2 runs of 500 copies?
You can also grab a replacement toner for him that hits anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 pages for about $100. Not bad, right? $50.

You know, once you pop a third-party toner cartridge into that HP LaserJet P1102W, just consider your warranty dead and buried. Seriously, why even bother? And if you think you can flip that printer for a decent profit after burning through the starter toner and swapping in some cheap refill? Good luck with that. Who's actually going to hand over $150 for a used machine that's been running on knock-off ink? Not happening. $67

So, what did you pull out of your wallet today? $267 And just like that, you're down over $800 in two months? Seriously? $50 Maybe try putting it on a Diner's Club card? And if you really need to clear that credit card balance, you could always just try to scrape together as much cash as possible. $67.

That’s all I’ve got on this topic.

If all I need is black and white printing, why would I even bother with those ink-jet fanatics? I'm skipping them every single time.
If you're only looking at a duty cycle of a few hundred pages a year, I’m officially ruling out the inkjet crowd. Again. Honestly, you can leave toner sitting around for a century and it'll still print perfectly fine. Why deal with the headache of printing regular test pages just to stop the nozzles from clogging or to save the print head? No thanks. I don't need all that extra maintenance nonsense in my life.
Look, that starter toner they give you? It’s basically built for testing, but honestly, in this case, it might actually last you nearly two years of printing. And all that talk about third-party toners voiding your warranty? Total nonsense. I’ve been running lasers for about 15 years now, and after the first year, I switch exclusively to compatibles. Between my last two printers, I’ve put out over 200,000 pages. I’ve gone through enough toner to fill a small moving van! Out of all that, I ran into exactly one factory defect on a cartridge—one quick claim and I had a fresh replacement. Why stress about it?
Honestly, you can squeeze about 80 to 100 decent pages out of any toner just by giving it a good shake once it starts fading. Plus, if you're just doing standard office work, you can usually count on getting about 10% more prints than what's actually listed on the box. I mean, who isn't happy with extra pages for free?
Look, factory replacement toners—you know, the ones where you aren't messing around with loose powder yourself—actually give you quality that's pretty much on par with the originals. Why bother with those cheap refill services? They usually just end up leaving you with a total mess and black smudge marks everywhere. Not worth the headache, right?
HP is pretty much the gold standard for business here in the States. I mean, the software support? Top-tier. And you can grab toner for an HP at basically any local convenience store or big-box retailer. It’s just not like dealing with Samsung, Xerox, or OKI. Don't even get me started on ink—you either deal with those annoying chip restrictions or end up stuck waiting forever for decent third-party refills to actually hit the market. Why make life harder than it needs to be?
These little compact "toaster" printers are honestly the sweet spot if you want to save desk space without sacrificing print quality or speed. They’re super easy to use for those random, one-off tasks that pop up. Look, let's be real—the tech isn't exactly cutting-edge anymore, but who expects a tiny machine like this to handle a heavy duty cycle of 10,000 pages a month? That’s just not what they were built for. Besides, spending maybe $100 or so is a total steal when you consider how much they actually get done for a small home office setup. Isn't that worth it?
Besides, you aren't going to find any "real," heavy-duty laser without some kind of cooling fan, and that’s a whole different conversation entirely.

Honestly, there’s just zero competition or real alternatives around here. It's basically a "take it or leave it" situation. If the requirements were actually different—say, if you needed massive print volumes and a solid USB connection—then we could talk about looking at some heavy-duty refurbished lasers like an HP 1320 or something similar. Those machines are the last generation of true hardware, you know? They’re built like tanks, they never quit, and you can basically rebuild them from the ground up with spare parts. But based on what's actually being asked for right now? That's not the case. And let's be real, you shouldn't be overthinking these tiny little purchases...

Joshua Ramos14 said:So what's your actual solution here? If we're playing it that way, maybe I should just drag out that spare Canon ir5075n sitting in the corner waiting for better days and use it for, what, 20 pages a week?

Give me a real example of what's actually worth buying for around $110-$130 then.

It's easy to say "you're losing money here" or "you're saving money there." Give me a concrete scenario. Which printer actually makes sense if you're printing a few hundred pages a year?

P.S. Where on earth did you find those burgers, man? 👏

EDIT:

With this P1102W, let's say it hits 500 prints—that's plenty for a year, maybe two. Then it's no big deal to grab an original toner and get another year or two out of it, assuming nothing else breaks. Besides, it's just for black and white anyway; color isn't even on the menu.

Sorry, no concrete answer from me. Why?
Because we’re living in times that aren't much different from feudalism. Basically, the second you touch the interests of some lord (read: distributor or importer), you can expect an inquisition and a bonfire.

You have the tools, so deal with the headache if you don't want to be treated like some wide-eyed peasant.

Or just look at what's being offered in the biggest feudal system in the world. Over there, the peasants are slightly better educated, so obviously, other options exist.

Which means if they're offering something over there, there's clearly a market for it—customers who see things our local peasants miss.

http://refurbexperts.com/category/49/HP-Mono-Printers

http://www.gtprinters.com/HP-Printers/
http://www.printertechs.com/shop/printers?

Clearly, these aren't printers meant to be disposable.

My personal experience
I’ve been running a Xerox 3140 for a few years now, having put through roughly 12,000 pages in total. I typically swap out the toner $57 every 2,500 pages or so. Despite sitting right on the floor and being constantly exposed to sawdust in my workshop, it hasn't missed a beat or thrown a single error code.

Drew Castillo5 said:My experience.
I’ve been using my Xerox 3140 for a few years now, and it’s been a reliable little workhorse for me. So far, I’ve put about 12,000 pages through it, and I'm currently looking into getting some more toner. $57I’ve personally managed to get about 2,500 pages out of it so far. It just sits right there on the floor, constantly exposed to all the sawdust in my workshop, yet it keeps running flawlessly without a single hiccup.

It’s a bit of a shame, really, because it lacks Wi-Fi connectivity. 😁

hollowmarlin27 said:It’s become quite clear to me that these printers aren't exactly meant to be disposable items.

I’m looking for a printer that won't completely give up on me after churning through maybe a thousand pages a year—or perhaps if I'm lucky, it might even last two years. I don't feel the need to go out and buy some heavy-duty industrial machine just for that level of usage. Since I'm picking this up here in the States, I'm perfectly comfortable spending anywhere from $100 to $200 to get the job done right.$100 Honestly, I don't really mind whether I deal with the manufacturer directly or go through the retailer; if anything happens, that warranty is my ultimate safety net. If they decide to just hand me a brand-new unit in a year's time, then so be it—I'm perfectly fine with that outcome.

Michael Jackson10
What are your thoughts on that HP model?

Drew Castillo5 said:My take on it:
I’ve been running a Xerox 3140 for a few years now. It’s clocked about 12,000 pages, and I’ve gone through $57 toner, which covers roughly 2,500 pages. It sits right on the floor, constantly covered in sawdust from the workshop, and hasn't missed a beat.

You want to know why?

Because the hardware was built to handle 2,500 prints easily. Modern lasers use the same mechanics from those old machines, but they pair them with toners rated for 2,500 to 7,000 pages—all while costing around $600. Basically, time proved that over-engineering the internals was overkill. There’s just no point in putting that kind of durability into a budget printer line.

Joshua Ramos14 said:Bummer, there's no Wi-Fi. 😁

I just need a printer that won't die on me after printing maybe 1,000 pages—or even two years of light use. I'm not looking for some heavy-duty industrial beast for that. And honestly, since I'm shopping here in the States, I don't mind dropping $100 or $200 to get it right.$100 Honestly, I don't care if it goes back to the manufacturer or whatever. If something breaks, that warranty is my safety net. So what if they just hand me a brand-new unit in a year? I'm totally fine with that. Who cares?

Michael Jackson10
What do you think about that HP?

Look, you basically said it all yourself. What else is there to ask?
Look, if you want a printer with a tiny footprint, just get one. Why would you want to be stuck managing some massive, bulky piece of junk taking up all your desk space for no reason?
So, I've got this thing where it's barely printing anything at all, and when it actually does? It’s totally random. Just tiny little bursts of pages at weird intervals. Anyone else dealt with this nonsense?
It’s gotta have WiFi. Seriously, how else are you supposed to get anything done?
Got plenty of supplies on hand!
So, what's the deal with compatibility? Is everything actually going to work together?

Look, this thing is basically entry-level laser tech. The only reason the price tag is pushed up to $750 is because of that WiFi feature—and hey, whether you actually need it or not is totally up to you. If you’re looking at places like Best Buy or Amazon, you might even see it go higher once you factor in shipping. Honestly? It’s such a small purchase that I wouldn't waste my energy stressing over it. Why spend five days researching when you could just grab it and get to work? Hopefully, it pays for itself after that first toner cartridge, or maybe just find a new career path!
It’s not like this is some massive capital investment that requires us to dive deep into economic theory or start preaching about renewable "marathon runners." Sure, those guys have their place, but they don't belong in this conversation. Why overcomplicate things?

When you look at the HP 1000 series—whether you're grabbing one of those GDI models or one with its own built-in processor—it’s basically the same story. They probably all run on the exact same engine anyway. I used to have one of these units, and honestly? The toner capacity looks tiny compared to how big the cartridge actually is. But does it even matter? Not really. If you aren't printing like a maniac, the difference in cost per page is practically nonexistent. I mean, unless you're cranking out 2,000 pages a month, you aren't going to see any real impact on your wallet. Why sweat the small stuff?

Just one little tip for you: when you aren't using it, pull the paper out and shut that tray or cover tight. These models without a proper tray—or even just a lid—have this one annoying flaw. Over time, dust and junk just settle inside. Then, once you power it up, it sucks all that grit right into the drum. Suddenly, your entire toner life is ruined by random little dots all over your pages. I learned this the hard way in a super dusty workspace, but it happens more than you'd think with heavy use. This thing chewed through tons of paper with manual duplexing, dealing with everything from jammed sheets to stray staples. Now? It’s basically just my backup printer for the occasional errand.

@Michael Jackson10/">@@Michael Jackson10

Thanks, that’s exactly what I was thinking.

Michael Jackson10 said:Just one little tip from my experience: whenever you aren't actively using it, try to clear out any loose paper and close the tray or lid. These specific models that lack a proper enclosed tray or even a simple cover have this one annoying quirk where dust and debris tend to settle inside over time. Once you power it up, that buildup gets sucked right into the drum, leaving you stuck with those annoying little spots on every page for the entire life of the toner cartridge—I learned this the hard way working in an incredibly dusty environment with heavy daily usage. I once had a unit pull through a whole stack of paper during a manual duplex print job that was already jammed and full of staples, so now it just sits in the garage serving the kids for their occasional school projects.

I know exactly what you mean. I used to work in a print shop for years before it eventually became part of my family's business, so I've seen just about every possible issue you could run into with hardware like this. 😬

I'll most likely end up going with that HP in the end; I'll just tuck it away in a corner of the room so that when I need to print something, it's just a quick click and done, because I really don't have the patience for wrestling with cables every single time. 🕺

I came in here looking for the same thing, and if I'm following everyone correctly, it seems like everything in this price range is more or less the same?

Does anyone happen to have any experience dealing with Extreme Digital? Their prices look pretty solid and they offer a three-year warranty on most gear, but I sometimes get this nagging feeling that companies that operate strictly online might not be the most reliable.

Thx.

Honestly, you should probably do this in reverse. First, figure out your print volume. If you’re printing massive amounts or almost nothing at all, go with a laser printer. For high volume, it’s just cheaper per page since toner beats ink on cost. For low volume, you want to avoid the nightmare of clogged nozzles from disuse—otherwise, you're just throwing money down the 😬 hole.

Next, look at convenience. Where do you shop? Which local big-box stores or online retailers have decent third-party ink or toner available at a reasonable price? Only after that, and I mean 😬 at the very end, should you actually start looking for a printer that fits your budget.

But look, at the end of the day, most printers in that specific price bracket are pretty much identical in terms of quality and features. You'll find people praising one brand like it's holy writ and others trashing it, but don't let that get to you. That’s just personal preference and individual experience...

As for where to buy, the field is wide open. I don't have any major beef with any particular retailer or webshop, but you really ought to stick to established, mainstream stores—places that actually move more than one printer a year 😬

Regarding Extreme Digital, I personally wouldn't recommend them because they aren't actually based here. They're basically an outfit shipping goods from Canada, which can lead to headaches, even if nobody has reported any massive issues (at least not here) so far. Another thing is that if you need to use a warranty, you have to call them and ship stuff back to them, which is a total pain. Their prices aren't even significantly lower (if they are at all) enough to make it worth the hassle, at least in my book. Also, a three-year "warranty" isn't always what it sounds like. Products come with a manufacturer's warranty (which varies—6, 12, 24, 36 months...), and for printers, it's usually 12 months unless there's a special model or promotion. Anything beyond that isn't technically a standard warranty; it's more like insurance provided by an insurance company or a service provider under a separate contract. So, sure, it's a guarantee, but not under the same terms. We have similar setups here in the States too—just Google companies like Protecto or Corrigo.

These insurance-style warranties are a relatively new thing, so there isn't much feedback on them yet. It remains to be seen how they'll actually handle claims once they become common and someone actually needs to use them. I'd expect it'll be a lot easier to deal with a domestic insurance company than some company in Canada, right? We insure our cars, houses, and appliances here in America, not in Canada or somewhere else... But hey, that's just my two cents...

darkowl72 said:I suppose you just look at what’s most convenient for you, maybe where you already shop or somewhere nearby that offers decent third-party ink or toner cartridges at a reasonable price. Then, I guess, once you've factored all that in, 😬, you eventually settle on a printer that actually fits within your budget.

That sounds pretty smart, so I think I'll probably go about it that way.