I need a new printer with cheap inks
- Thread starter digitalwanderer
- Start date
It's a good choice, but the toner is reasonably expensive. It's bigger brother (the 600 series) is much better, and not much more expensive if you shop around. I bought a new CLP-600N half a year ago for $224 (266 including VAT), and it's a great printer. Photos look much better than on just about any HP, and they're cheaper per page. They're fast (single pass, 20 ppm), but only have 32MB, so if you print documents with lots of photos they tend to wait a few seconds after every five pages or so.How's this one look? More than I wanted to spend, but hella cheap for what looks like a decent colour laser printer.
BTW-Sorry, could some kind mod move this to purchase decision help? My apologies for posting in the wrong forum.
You can still buy an CLP-600N (with network interface) for around $200-300 if you look around a bit.
A Konica Minolta Magicolor is even cheaper, comes with full toner cartridges and is great for photos, but noisy, rather slow and is more expensive per page.
A HP 1600 is reasonably cheap, but a network interface is expensive, it's slow (8 PPM), photos don't look very nice and it has ony 16 MB.
If you don't want to spend much money on the printer, the Samsung CLP-300(N) is a bargain.
Last edited by a moderator:
Btw, refilling toner cartridges isn't hard if you're a bit handy, but it's important that you get the right toner: half the toner offered is 'generic' and that won't produce satisfactory results. You need the powder that is made especially for that printer. And a few chips to replace the old ones, but they should be included.
If you do it right, you can refill your toner cartridges at least five times.
If you do it right, you can refill your toner cartridges at least five times.
Thanks Frank, really appreciate the info. I'm gonna keep looking for a bit for a better one now.
Totally agree with you on that, unless it's a rush/emergency replacement. I hate having a huge time pressure on something that should be enjoyed and savored.
This I'm not in a huge rush on, so I got time to find a deal.
This I'm not in a huge rush on, so I got time to find a deal.
The reason I got that CLP-600N so cheap is, that it's end-of-life; they aren't produced anymore. You might be able to find a similar deal for some nice color laser at the big shops around. Cheapish color lasers have been around for a few years, so there are plenty of older models being replaced.
Another advantage to buying such a printer is that just about any refill shop sells refilled toner cartridges for cheap.
HP has the advantage that they're plentiful. But their main disadvantage is that you pay more for less. And their reputation for quality products doesn't extend to the low end very well: they start cutting too many corners.
Another alternative is a cheap black and white laser for the main bulk, if you think that would work. Brother has some great and very cheap models of those.
Another advantage to buying such a printer is that just about any refill shop sells refilled toner cartridges for cheap.
HP has the advantage that they're plentiful. But their main disadvantage is that you pay more for less. And their reputation for quality products doesn't extend to the low end very well: they start cutting too many corners.
Another alternative is a cheap black and white laser for the main bulk, if you think that would work. Brother has some great and very cheap models of those.
Last edited by a moderator:
Build quality seems pretty bad judging from the Amazon reviews. Some of the cheaper color printers seem to really drive up the per page cost too with the amount of color they use while printing even black&white pages ...
I'm looking for a laser myself and I'm leaning towards a Samsung duplex printer, either the 2850d or the 2851nd. It has decent yield toner cartridges, although certainly not the cheapest (Brother seems better for models with high yield cartridges). My lazy side is really liking that duplex capability.
Marco
PS. where can I find a CLP-600N that cheap in the Netherlands?
Last edited by a moderator:
As for me - I have Brother HL-2140. I'm absolutely happy with the price of its inks. Very nice choice. Recommended for all!
the maddman
Regular
I have a Konica-Minolta DL-2430 that I'm happy with. Print quality is nice, built in print server, works from Windows, Macs and Linux. Only complaint I have is that I haven't figured out exactly how to change the toner cartridges in it yet. Good news is I'm still on the "starter" carts after 2000+ pages.
I was going to reccomend a pixma. I had one for quite awhile and the ink was reasonable compared to HP in price. It was the ip3000 though.
One other thing to think about.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201203323
http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201203323
Apparently I chose a Lexmark Printer - X5435, my wife brought one home today.
I can't find any info out about it anywhere, I have no clue. It's a 4-in-1 fax/copy/printer/something.
I can't find any info out about it anywhere, I have no clue. It's a 4-in-1 fax/copy/printer/something.
