All-in-one printers

[ddub]

We currently have an Epson All-in-One Printer, copier, scanner,fax which I am not very happy with. I wonder if any one has one they like and would recommend. Don't need the fax function.

The one we have is an ink hog, they may all be. It also needs the print heads cleaned very frequently to avoid messy printing.

[63 R2 Hawk]

I have always had good experience with HP printers... BUT I worked for them about 13 years ago. I worked on the automated ink pen assembly lines and helped develop some of the ink delivery systems. It seems like all the printer manufacturers now have realized they can practically give the printers away, charging exhorbitant amounts for replacement cartridges. HP is no different in that espect. I usually buy refilled cartriges but I used to refill my own for real cheap. If you do a lot of printing, look for a business oriented printer that uses off-axis ink technology. I can't recommend any since I don't pay attention to printer technology any more, but I think HP would be a good place to start looking.

[BobPalma]

I've been pleased with my HP ENVY 5530, Don. They have an excellent "automatic ink" program through the internet that monitors how much ink you use. No need for you to do anything but sign up and give them a credit card number.

They charge your credit card a fixed amount every month based on which plan you choose, depending on how many copies you think you'll use. If you go over that, they charge you "X" amount for an additional 100 copies.

When you are running low on ink, they automatically send you additional cartridges in time.

I've had the printer and the plan more than two years and really like it; no guessing and no shopping for ink. My plan is a fixed $5.34 per month, ink delivered to my house. I've never needed ink and didn't have it, nor have they sent too much ink at any one time.

No complaints; no regrets, and the printer/copier/scanner has given me no trouble at all. It prints real photographs on photo paper very well, directly from my camera; excellent quality. BP

[bumpkinvilledano]

I use an HP 8600 Officejet Pro. Had it at least 4 years, probably 5 in reality, so I'm not even sure if it's still in production. It has served me well, even after getting knocked off it's stand once. Ink isn't cheap, $90 for a color set of cartridges, but they do last a decent amount of time.

[BobWaitz]

https://www.inkhub.com.au/ink/why-printers-use-so-much-ink

Ink jet printers use ink just sitting around -- I'm not joking. All the noise you hear is them spewing ink into a pad to keep the jets clear. In their defense, if they didn't do that they wouldn't last a week. The down side is they go through ink like crazy. We finally got tired of this and bought an inexpensive Canon laser printer. If I was going to get back into a color printer I would do what Bob Palma is doing and just get an inkjet printer without a scanning or fax function.

As soon as I got a smart phone I never used the scanner feature again. I just take a picture and email it.

[sweetolbob]

HP here also. I've had an 8610 Officejet Pro like the one mentioned above for about 4 years also. It's big but it does everything well.

As far as ink, I've bought a couple of non-OEM cartridge sets off the internet I can't tell them from the OEM stuff. Initially the printer tells you they are not HP but if you click the message off it shuts up and prints well.

The best thing the HP's do is quickly and easily hookup to the internet to print locally or from the HP cloud so you can use it from a Chromebook or smart phone.

I've hooked up a couple of Canon printers recently and they are a bitch to get functioning on the world wide web.

If you will need to print using other than the USB connection, strongly consider an HP.

Keep looking for sales, Staples and Best Buy seriously discount these printers on occasion and I'll assume Amazon does also. Mine came from Staples back then at about 60% off.

Bob

[jnormanh]

Apparently lots of folks here are happy with their HP printers.

I had one which I grew to hate. IIRC, it was about $250. Right out of the box it wouldn't work, so I called HP. The helpful lady told me "they all do that"...I'll email you a simple fix...all you need is some duct tape.

Cartridges and print heads were probably $100 per year.

I threw it in the trash and bought a Brother. About $100. It's now 5-6 years old. $20/year for generic ink cartridges, that's all.

Your results may differ.

[JimK]

HP for us as well. You may have trouble finding an all-in-one without a fax, but that may change.

We have a Color LaserJet. The toner cartridges are certainly not cheap, but with our infrequent usage I don't
need to get any but every other year or so. Laser printers may be cheaper in the long run even with higher
usage (as compared to ink jets) - some homework is called for.

[rockne10]

I've been using an all-in-one Brother MFC-240C for over eleven years and have never had a problem with it. It has a fax function but I've never used that. Those of you who attended the Lancaster 2008 International Meet received in your goodie bag a notice of the First Annual Drive Your Studebaker Day. These were printed on my machine. My only regret is that it's an inkjet rather than laser.

[sasquatch]

Agree with sweetolbob on Canon printers. Bought an MG3620 so I could wirelessly print. After fighting with it for quite awhile, I finally got the wireless working but it quit after a short time. No help from Canon. Using it with a USB cord now. It's not a bad printer/scanner but it does eat expensive ink and doesn't like non-Canon cartridges. Seems like Canon quality has gone down and HP quality has gone up.

[Ron Strasser]

In 1986 I started out with a Star dot matrix printer connected to an Acer 286 with a 20 MB hard drive with software for 1500.00 . Upgraded the computers and printers over the years. Purchased an Epson color printer, beautiful printing, it mechanically failed. Had other printers; after a few years they mechanically failed. Ended up with a HP all in one, good printing the document feeder started putting a black line on copies. Still have it; it needs ink I never had any luck with non manufactures ink or filling my own. A Few years ago I purchased a Brother MFC9340CDW Lazar from Staples, on sale for 300 and change. Most of my printing is black. I don't believe the color is as good as the HP ink jet. Good enough for my use. The cost per copy is less. The ink does not dry up. I have it hard wired to my desk top and it also can be accessed by WiFi from my lap top. The trial black ink cartridge lasted almost a year; still using the color cartridges. I am on my second full size cartridge.
Ron

[Hulleywoodworking]

Laser printers are the most economical per copy. They are also better built and much quieter when running. I bought a HP all in one laser printer about 10 years ago for my business. I go through 3 to 5 toner cartridges per year, as I do a lot of printing. This is my second HP laser printer in 20 years. The HP units have been durable and reliable. I spent a total of about $650.00 for both units; that averages out to $37.50 per year for the printers, and about $185.00 per year for the toner.

[rockne10]

Laser printers are the most economical per copy.

And the ink doesn't bleed if it gets wet.

[Jeff_H]

Ink printers are a "scam" IMO. The printers sell cheap and they get you on the ink cartridges. The thrift stores around here usually have a full shelf of these printers that are not very old. My late father purchased a HP all in one type around 2009 or so since it could be used to scan and print copies of photos and documents w/o a computer (he didn't use one). Quickly found that the cartridges did not last very long. A set of 4 color carts would be about $50 or so too. After he passed in 2012, it had been unused for a bit and my sister and I tried to use it to simply scan a legal document to my laptop and it refused since the cartridges had "chips" in them with date stamps so that the whole thing was useless for anything (even scanning) if any of the cartridges had expired from "old age".

I had a circa 1994 Canon ink jet printer that I used sporadically for many years. The cartridges were about $25 each and you would be lucky to print 30 pages with one it seemed. I seldom print anything so it was not too big a deal but eventually I had to order aftermarket ones when Canon quit supplying for that vintage unit.

Did some research and got a Brother HL-2270DW B&W laser printer. So far the "starter" cartridge has lasted A LOT longer than those old ink carts would. Usually printers come with a reduced capacity cartridge when new.

I DO have a separate Epson flat bed scanner I had prior to this printer that I got mostly to scan photos and negatives and that unit is a more higher end one than you would get in those all in ones. It certainly puts my Dad's old HP to shame in that area.