Need me a printer....

Ok so I need a new printer...it has to be

As small as possible
I only need black ink...no need to print in color
I need it to be cheap
Don't need some huge scanner doohickey on top

Cheap ink is preferable !!!!!! I know that ain't gonna happen

Any advice would be appreciated....ryan

 

Look at a laser printer. The cartridges are relatively expensive but they last forever, well almost.

 

I'm using a brother HL 2240 printer. Relatively cheap and you can refill cartridges with a little know how. A set of 2 refills set me back ~ $7

 

Do you want a portable printer? One that has a battery pack?
HP makes a nice portable for around $200. But you have to buy the battery separately for around $100 IIRC

If you are just looking for a small desk printer I'd go with a basic laser printer. As stated the laser cartridges last quite awhile and won't ever dry out if you don't print very often.

You might have trouble finding an inkjet printer that ONLY prints. If you do, it will be the same price as a basic 3 in 1 printer and the salesman will try to sell you the 3 in one.

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/400372/HP-LaserJet-Pro-P1102w-Monochrome-Laser/

That's a decent one. The cartridge costs $68 and will yield 1,600 pages.

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/386637/Brother-HL-2270DW-Wireless-Monochrome-Laser/

Also decent and cheap. $45 for the cartridge and 1,200 yield. BUT with this one you also have to buy a drum after around 12,00 pages. The drum costs as much as the printer.

 

2 laser cartridge refills for 7 bucks??

 

I don't know if I wanna fill my own cartridges. The mrs doesn't want a big printer with scanner etc. it's hard finding a smaller one nowadays. And it is gonna be in my office. Doesn't need to be portable

 

I'd recommend a small laser printer then. You don't have to refill the cartridges and I wouldn't recommend it anyway.
if you have a Staples or OfficeMax/Depot around you they will sell most all laser cartridges if you buy a new modern printer. Otherwise you have the internet.

If it were me I would buy the HP in the link. Look around and you can likely find it cheaper than that.
It's wireless too which is a nice feature if you have a wireless network in your home and use laptops or even 2 or more desktop computers. Every computer can share the printer without it having to be plugged in to each one.

You can likely find a small inkjet printer for around $40-$70. You will have the color option if you ever need it. But you will be buying more cartridges in the long run because they don't last as long as a laser cartridge. If you don't print very often you run the risk of your ink drying out. (I've never experienced it but it does happen). Small inexpensive inkjet printers are more prone to breakdowns IMO.

 

HP Laser pro 400

http://www.amazon.com/HP-LaserJet-Printer-M401n-Print/dp/B007ED7V7G

Large duty cycle.. pretty bulletproof, usb.ethernet. Helluva buy

 

brian that printer looks good but out of my budget unfortunately , i don't print enough to justify it…ryan

 

why r the cartridges so expensive for the laser printers…are they that different than a regular thing of ink…..i guess i do have to get a laser printer…that seems like the only option for something on the smaller size, just black and no scanner….ryan

 

Bigger, higher yeild, more plastic more parts to make for them. Toner and ink isn't cheap either. Not sure the price of toner but last i checked a gallon of black ink was around $3,000.

Toner cartridges might be more expensive but they will last longer. By the time you buy 3 black inkjet cartridges you'd still be using the one laser cartridge.
They are cheaper in the long run. And IMO produce a better quality print.

Ink gets sprayed on the paper by a nozzle that moves left to right over the paper. It has to soak in to the paper. Depending on the quality of paper it could soak through, or not dry very quickly. And because of the nozzle flying left and right over and over again you have a greater chance of a malfunction. Each time the nozzle moves left a roller moves the paper a tiny amount then the nozzle moves right and the roller moves the paper again a tiny amount. Repeat that process over and over and over again.

Whereas a laser printer uses a dry black powder that gets fused to the paper with heat. The paper rolls around the drum in one continuous motion and gets spit out. When it comes out its dry and ready for whatever. Because the paper is simply rolling around the drum/cartridge and not stopping laser printers can produce high yields without an issue. It's just one simple motion to apply the toner

 

Sorry for the long post. I spent 10 years managing Office Depot/OfficeMax stores.
This is actually a topic here I can contribute too!

 

Thanks I appreciate it....sounds like the hp might be the best choice....ryan

 

HP makes a good product. They have always been the leader and spend butt loads on R&D.

One good thing about an HP laser is you get the cartridge and drum unit for one price.

Brother sells them separately and granted you won't have to replace the drum unit very often - after 12,000 pages typically. And it does come with one when you buy the printer. But when you do have to replace it they cost $100+.

 

So with the hp I won't have to replace the drum? Or u have to replace the drum eventually with all laser printers?

 

No drum on the HP. Some laser printers have separate drum units and toner cartridges. Like the brother in the link. The HP in the link has the drum built in to the toner cartridge.

The drum is what puts the toner to the paper.

 

Which is another reason why the HP cartridge is a little more expensive.
You get a brand new unit each time you replace it. Drum+toner

 

In the olden days, Epson and IBM used to advertise "emulates HP"... I could never understand why for a few $$ more you wouldn't buy HP. I have never had luck with brother. Ricoh though I have had luck with

 

I have friends, low volume users, that make a good argument for treating a printer as disposable. Spend $60-$70, when toner runs out (or more often dries out) get a new one. I'm not there yet but it gets more compelling every time I buy refills.

 

Ricoh! Haven't heard that name in a long time. I think when I first started at Office Depot they sold them. Or we used them in the office. Laser printers were expensive back then!