Buying a laser printer

Hi there..

I'm looking to pick up a color laser printer, and I could really use some specifics and advice if anyone is willing to share.
I've been eyeing the HP LaserJet Pro model

I'm wondering—can the toner cartridges that come with it be refilled with ink, or is the machine locked down to only accept original HP toners?
Also, does anyone know what paper weight it can handle? I can't seem to find that info anywhere online. The only thing I see mentioned is "heavy paper," but I have no idea what kind of stock that actually refers to.

So, if anyone knows the answer, please let me know. THANK YOU SO MUCH for any help at all..

The paper weight is somewhere between 23 and 85 lb. As for toner—you’ll want to find someone else to bug about that.

Benjamin King2 said:Paper weight is 60-220g/m2. Someone else will probably chime in about the toner.

Look, when it comes to toner, there’s one golden rule. Walk into a store like Best Buy and ask them to hold the toner cartridge meant for your specific printer. Then, ask for the cartridge used in a much more expensive model from the same brand. Honestly, you might just fall out of your chair when you see the price gap between the two.

Or just look at

For > printers today, they only pack in about 35g of toner. Not long ago, a similar home user model would have had 80g, and the next tier up would have carried 160g of color toner. Now, thanks to some magic marketing trick, that old 80g tier is labeled an > and the 160g one is branded as "Space Shuttle" grade. Of course, the actual price difference between those tiers hasn't really changed much.

rustysurfer79 said:When it comes to toner, there really is one golden rule you should live by.

But if we’re talking about the absolute gold standard for anyone just starting out with printing, it’s this: THE CHEAPEST PRINTERS END UP HAVING THE MOST EXPENSIVE OVERALL COST.

Just to put things into perspective—take an HP inkjet printer using 951XL ink; a single color cartridge can churn out about 1,400 pages, and that cartridge will set you back $53. Meanwhile, that aforementioned color laser printer with its single toner cartridge priced at $150 can handle roughly 1,500 pages.

Mark Hill90 said:The single most important rule for new writers is this: CHEAP PRINTERS ARE THE MOST EXPENSIVE ONES YOU'LL EVER BUY.

To put that in perspective, an HP inkjet using 951XL ink—where one color cartridge can pump out 1,400 pages—will cost you $53 per tank. Meanwhile, that color laser printer mentioned above uses a single toner for $150 that hits 1,500 pages.

Since when did inkjets suddenly become better than lasers? Maybe since some marketing director decided we all needed to push specific hardware. As far as I recall, rustysurfer79 has been pushing that angle for 15 years now. It feels like we're just following a script from some HP training seminar.

I really need some buying advice here

Which color laser printer model should I go for?

I'm looking for something budget-friendly where the toner cartridges are easy to refill. Most importantly—if possible—it needs to handle heavy cardstock, around 280gsm. If it can handle even thicker paper, that would be even better.

To be honest, I don't know much about this kind of tech, so any help picking out a reliable model would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

shadowpanther0 said:I need some buying advice

Which color laser printer should I grab?

I want something budget-friendly where the toner can be refilled, and ideally, it handles heavy paper—like 280g if possible. Even more would be awesome.

I don't really know much about this tech, so any help picking a model would be great.

Thanks

Honestly, that kind of thing just doesn't exist anymore. They don't make them like that now. The closest you'll get is an HP LaserJet 4 l (around $167), but finding one in good shape is tough. You might find a couple on our local Craigslist. It can probably handle 250 - 300 gsm paper, but you can't just run it through heavy stock day in and day out.
After that, maybe some old OKI 3000 or 5000 models with a straight-through path could work. But man, finding one that actually works is basically mission impossible.

Anything else falls into the "industrial laser printer" category, which is gonna run you at least $1,500+. Take a look at these two links; maybe they'll help. Also, check out the latest professional A3+ inkjets. That's more of an investment, maybe $500 - $750. With Epson, you've got the CISS solution. For Canon, though, CISS = zero points in my book. And with HP, you're back to needing those older models that aren't being made anymore.

Good luck in hunting.