Good occasional use printer

  • Thread starter Thread starter OldNick
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OldNick

I only use a printer occasionally; maybe once per week, for a
couple/few pages. I am not in a situation where I cam simply borrow
another one to print.

I was using an HP printer. However I had many paper feed problems, as
did at least one other person I knew. So I bought an Epson or two, the
current one being a C61.

The troubles are twofold
(1) It clogs if I don't run it every day (often I am not even there)
(2) Its "cleaning" process, whether I turn it off or leave it on,
meant I was paying damn near Aud$1.00 per page in ink, because I will
often run off only one page or so. The ink was just flying out the
door.

So, has some honest maker reverted to printers that did not use ink as
a money-making venture yet? <G>. I would even consider another HP,
feed and all, if I could trust that they were better.

Thanks for any advice.
 
Hi!
I only use a printer occasionally; maybe once per week, for a
couple/few pages. I am not in a situation where I cam simply borrow
another one to print.

Have you considered a laser printer? If you don't need color output, a laser
printer won't "mind" sitting around for a while between prints. Black and
white laser printers can be had very cheaply.

Color lasers do exist, but they are generally more expensive to buy and
maintain.

While it is no longer a current model, my HP DeskJet 870cse doesn't mind
sitting around for a long time without use. I've let it sit two months
without use and never had trouble. The DeskJet paper feed problems are
rather common but easily fixed. I haven't had any trouble with my 870
feeding paper...at least not yet.

William
 
On Mon, 14 Aug 2006 00:41:03 GMT, "William R. Walsh"

Thanks for the reply. I take your point and it confirms what I
suspected about laser. Loss is either a large cost or B&W, as you say.
I have to think about that. Every now and then I want a colour chart
etc. But fior that rare occasion I could probably "farm it out".

So you have helped me with food for thought. Thanks.
 
A laser would be a better choice. Or an HP with an integrated ink cart
in the printhead
 
OldNick said:
Ok. Thanks. OOI, what is the advantage of the head/cartridge being
together?

Less likely to clog. Every time you buy a new cartridge, you get a brand new
print head. No brand is perfect for everyone, but I've had good results
with HP printers.
 
Less likely to clog. Every time you buy a new cartridge, you get a brand new
print head. No brand is perfect for everyone, but I've had good results
with HP printers.

Thanks for taking the trouble Edwin.

I recall your name from various interactions...it may have been
here.... or metalwork?

OK. As I said I had HP printers and gave up on them because of feed
problems. They (last time I looked) tend to be more $$, but given my
$1 per page costs, this soon disappears even at my low usage <G>

However. Does this stop the clogging problem as such? My current
printer gave me trouble even on the first cartridge.
 
OldNick said:
Ok. Thanks. OOI, what is the advantage of the head/cartridge being
together?

For infrequent users the advantage is when you change the ink you get a
new printhead. If the printhead clogs then just replacer the ink cart
and the problem is solved. Even though the HP cart costs more it is
mitigated by infrequent use therefore few changes.
 
OldNick said:
Thanks for taking the trouble Edwin.

I recall your name from various interactions...it may have been
here.... or metalwork?

OK. As I said I had HP printers and gave up on them because of feed
problems.

Since the HP990CSE there has been no feed problems. Before that model
you are correct. Be sure you only use HP ink.
 
Thanks for all the input you guys.

I guess my questions still are:
- Will the HP chew up vast quantities of ink due to "cleaning" every
time I either turn it on or print a page or two?
- this seems to be all the rage these days.
- even with a new head with every cartridge, wilol it still clog?
- I do remeber that my older HOPs were much better than anything I
have had since for clogging. However, things change :-<
 
If you buy an HP with integrated heads clogging will be at a minimum, the heads
are capped when not in use and if the worst happens a new cartridge will fix
the problem.
Secondly some of the new HP's recycle the ink that is used for cleaning back
into the cartridge, sorry I don't know which models do that but it will
eliminate ink wastage due to head cleaning.
Tony
 
OK. Sounds like HP are the best-looking so far. Thanks for the hints.
I will follow that up. I just gave up using the printer. IT wasn't
worth it.
 
OldNick said:
I only use a printer occasionally; maybe once per week, for a
couple/few pages. I am not in a situation where I cam simply borrow
another one to print.

I was using an HP printer. However I had many paper feed problems, as
did at least one other person I knew. So I bought an Epson or two, the
current one being a C61.

The troubles are twofold
(1) It clogs if I don't run it every day (often I am not even there)
(2) Its "cleaning" process, whether I turn it off or leave it on,
meant I was paying damn near Aud$1.00 per page in ink, because I will
often run off only one page or so. The ink was just flying out the
door.

So, has some honest maker reverted to printers that did not use ink as
a money-making venture yet? <G>. I would even consider another HP,
feed and all, if I could trust that they were better.

Thanks for any advice.

Hi,

Your printing needs sound very familiar with mine. I should also add that
I hate printers. I've literally slapped a few around, similiar to the
slapping the printer in "Office Space" received.

I went with a cheap laser printer and couldn't be happier. My main printing
needs are technical; documentations, diagrams, schematics, tables, etc. No
need for color. In fact, I wouldn't want to use color as I find it
distracting.

I went with an HP Laserjet 1020 for $112 from Newegg. No major complaints
so far. Print quality, in my eyes, is as sharp and vivid as the
multi-thousand dollar laser printers I use at work. Its also quiet and
fast. Basically, everything you'd expect from a laser printer -- expensive
or cheap.

My only very minor complaint is that, while printing large documentation,
the paper begins to curl a bit as the drum gets really hot. The paper
straightens itself out as it cools though. This is probably something that
all cheap laser printers face.

Also, its a "Win"-printer that can't standalone on a network by itself. The
GNU/Linux and Mac communities have gotten it to work partially, but best the
place for it is hanging off a Windoze computer.

As others have said, one of the advantages of laser toner over inkjet ink is
that since it is already dry you can go much longer inactive. I've had
inkjets in the past, but I'm through with them now. Should've gone to a
laser years ago. In the future, if I ever have a real need for color, its
going to be a laser color printer.

Cheers,
Eric
 
Well that pretty well says it, Eric. Thanks. Certainly sounds as if
Laser is the way to go.
Hi,

Your printing needs sound very familiar with mine. I should also add that
I hate printers. I've literally slapped a few around, similiar to the
slapping the printer in "Office Space" received.

I own a 12 tonne Front End Loader. My last printer went under the
 
OldNick said:
Well that pretty well says it, Eric. Thanks. Certainly sounds as if
Laser is the way to go.


I own a 12 tonne Front End Loader. My last printer went under the
wheels ! Now _that_ is how to slap a printer! <G>

If violence is the answer, you're asking the wrong question.

TJ
 
OldNick said:
Well that pretty well says it, Eric. Thanks. Certainly sounds as if
Laser is the way to go.

Yeah. Laser definetly makes sense if you don't print that often and don't
need/want color. I'm happy.
Toner (whole drum assembly) for laser printers cost more than inkjet carts,
but lasts longer and can sit around dormant much longer.
I haven't bothered playing with any any numbers, but I suspect that the
manufacturers have and made sure that the overall maintanence of a cheap
laser printer comes out relatively even with that of an inkjet. They aren't
going to let us off that easy.

All the printer manufacturers are Ink Empires.

Cheers,
Eric
 
Well, this thread is addressing my interests and situation, too. First I
want to jump in on the evils of printers. My opinion is that all printers
are the spawn of Satan, and their only real purpose in life is to mangle as
much paper as they can get into their little trays. The last good printer
was Benjamin Franklin. Brother MFC error 41 is only the latest manifestation
of printer evilness.

I will mention one alternative that hasn't been mentioned, but I'm pretty
sure the response is going to be either "What?" or "It's extinct." A company
named ALPS used to make printers with a kind of film ribbon cartridge
instead of ink or laser. The printer itself wasn't too expensive, but my
recollection is that the ribbons were pretty pricey. However, if you print
very rarely, which is my situation, then the ribbons would last
indefinitely.

Right now, I'm just reentering the printer market because of the demise of
my Brother MFC (mentioned in another thread). I hate to give up the color
capabilities, but it looks like I should be considering a color laser
printer, expensive though it might be... The discussion seems to say that
the integrated ink cartridge and printhead printers are no longer being
made? If that's incorrect, concrete models would be appreciated.

The MFC (multifunction thing) appealed to me, and actually I did much more
scanning than printing with the Brother. However, the error 41 has disabled
the scanning capabilities, too, so I feel thoroughly screwed, and I'm
inclined against buying another MFC device. Can anyone address those
questions in the context of the rarely used printer part? I think it just
makes more sense to get a good small printer and a good small scanner than
to try to get one device that does a mediocre job in both categories--and
especially when the resulting complexity of the integration makes it easy
for the device to go bonkers.
 
Canon, Epson and HP seem to make the best printers. None is perfect, as
a former ALPS printer owner, it was a terror, always jamming with the 3
paper pulls.
I would split up the scanner and printer. Stay away from HP scanners,
it seems to be the one folks have the most problems with, their
printers are fine. Buying the bottom end of any product line is frought
with peril, skip the top of the line too. I have both an Epson and HP
printers (mid range) they are both over 2 years old and are working
fine. The Epson is a pigment ink version, gets used the least and has a
little clogging problem, but one or two cleanings and it is fine. The
HP is our house printer and just keeps working, to the Epson's defence
it is a dye ink model.

Good luck
Tom
 
tomm42 said:
Canon, Epson and HP seem to make the best printers.
True

None is perfect, as
a former ALPS printer owner, it was a terror, always jamming with the 3
paper pulls.
ALPS had a good reputation.
I would split up the scanner and printer.
Me Too
Stay away from HP scanners,
it seems to be the one folks have the most problems with, their
printers are fine. Buying the bottom end of any product line is frought
with peril,
True

skip the top of the line too.

Unless you got the money and do not care about the value
 
ALPS had a good reputation.
Mine was a terror, if it wasn't the paper jamming, the ribbons would
break. It was a nice text printer though, as long as I didn't have
multiple passes. I had the first model, the later ones seemed more
robust.

Tom
 
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