# Printer recommendations needed.



## unregistered358967 (Jul 17, 2013)

I'll try to be brief. I have an HP photosmart C5180 - inkjet. It scans, copies and prints..an all in one. It's broken..lots of tiny lines when we scan a document. Searches for a fix all say the same thing..I need a new printer. Here's my needs:


Must scan
must copy
has to be color and b&w
ink relatively cheap
needs to be bought at a brick & mortar store (i have all the major stores 
near me)..I need a printer asap for my kids' school projects. There's no good time for a printer to bite the dust. :sob:
not too concerned about price, meaning don't mind spending more on one especially if ink would be cheaper in the long run.
open to a laser printer..do they print in color though?

I honestly don't know where to start and really trust you all on this site and would love some personal recommendations. I'll be back later to check but thank you, thank you for your help.


----------



## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

I go for cheapest ink jet that I can get that does all that you say. As far as ink goes, ALWAYS print in draft mode and you will extend the cartridge life a lot. And when you get the nag screen to replace the cartridge (as is the case with HP), IGNORE it until you actually need a cartridge. I have had the nag screen pop up for nearly 5 months now!


----------



## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

I like LexMarks myself. They have all in ones pretty cheap and you won't have to take out a loan to buy ink.


----------



## mrs whodunit (Feb 3, 2012)

We have a HP Officejet Pro 8600

The ink for it lasts a long time. I just had to replace the yellow original cartridge.

Bought the printer this past summer on sale, and all but one ink cartridge are original. We print a lot.

We bought ink from LD Products as it was the cheapest with good reviews. We also bought XL cartridges as they hold more ink.

I would say the hp 8600 is easy on ink, and the fact the one can replace one color cartridge that is empty instead of throwing away unused ink is wonderful


----------



## unregistered358967 (Jul 17, 2013)

Thanks so far, everyone! I think I'll shop during the superbowl to minimize crowds.


----------



## MoonShadows (Jan 11, 2014)

I have used several brands, but now I swear by the Canon Pixma series. I have two of them and they are work horses. One is a bw/color inkjet printer/copier/scanner (MG6220). I use both of them for my 4 online businesses and print hundreds of sheets and labels each week. I think I paid $99.00 direct from Canon Online.

Ink...InkTechnologies (http://www.inktechnologies.com/). Compatible cartridges are about 1/4 the price of Canon cartridges, and if you order 12 at a time (I think the number is 12), you get free shipping. Never had a problem with these generic cartridges. Delivery in 2-3 days.

Hope this helps.
Jim


----------



## farmerj (Aug 20, 2011)

HP office jet 4630.

Just bought one for the truck.

35 page document feeder
Duplex printer
Scanner
Fax
Copier.

Uses HP 61 cartridges.


----------



## pookford (Jan 11, 2014)

I personally have a Canon Pixma all-in-one (print, copy, scan, fax) and I absolutely love it. It has an automatic document feeder so you can plop in a stack of things to copy or scan instead of having to scan each sheet one-by-one. It's held up for longer than any of the Lexmark or HP machines we've owned. These can be found at most major retailers.

At work, we have a number of HP inkjet all-in-ones and they've been decent too. The HP software is a bit more intrusive than some other brands (nags for new ink cartridges long before they're needed, awkward install process on some computers, etc.) Overall, they get the job done, ink is reasonably priced, and they're easily found anywhere printers are sold.

They do make color laser all-in-ones but they're a lot more expensive than inkjet models and in many cases, are overkill for the average user. These printers, and the toner (ink) they use, aren't as easy to find at box stores, so you'd probably have to order online or shop at an office supply store to find them.


----------



## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

For maximum economy I use an HP B&W laser printer for normal printing, then scan & do color printing with my Canon all-in-one ink jet printer. That's not a bad way to go. I got my laser printer (used) for $50 delivered from eBay, and got my all-in-one ink jet printer (new) for $45 locally. I sometimes print books, so the B&W laser printer is important to me. I get toner cartridges that print 7,000 pages for under $20. Can't beat that.

If you are determined to have a single printer but still want maximum economy then you might consider a used all-in-one color laser printer. They don't have to be expensive if you're willing to settle for a used model. The going price for good operating color laser printers is about $100 plus $20 shipping. Here's an example.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brother-MFC...28761860?pt=COMP_Printers&hash=item2ece3f7904

That printer takes 4 toner cartridges: black, cyan, yellow, & magenta. Full sets of compatible cartridges start at $70, but can be purchased individually. Color cartridges are normally good for 3,500 sheets printed in color, while the black is good for 6,000 sheets printed in black. Black toner cartridges run around $20.

Look for good deals, and do your homework.


----------



## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

I only buy HP printers, all others always fail way too soon.
Currently have an HP Photosmart 6520.
I used to have an old HP psc 1210 all-in-one for many years.


----------



## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

secuono said:


> I only buy HP printers, all others always fail way too soon.
> Currently have an HP Photosmart 6520.
> I used to have an old HP psc 1210 all-in-one for many years.


I prefer HP printers because the printer drivers seem more stable than other brands. The driver for my Canon all-in-one printer has always been flaky. But I wouldn't object to a good Brother model.

I've never been one to care much for brand. If it does what I need at a fair price I'll probably buy it regardless of brand.


----------



## farmerj (Aug 20, 2011)

secuono said:


> I only buy HP printers, all others always fail way too soon.
> Currently have an HP Photosmart 6520.
> I used to have an old HP psc 1210 all-in-one for many years.


I have had my brother printer for going on 7 years now. The only reason it's getting replaced "someday" is because we had a lightening strike 2 years ago and it took out anything hardwired to the network. Modem, router and printer.

It works on USB still, just not network.

The two that have been the most reliable and economical I have found are brothers and HP. With brothers being a little bit cheaper on consumables.

Lasers being considerably cheaper to run than a inkjet.


----------



## unregistered358967 (Jul 17, 2013)

Thanks for the responses everyone. Once I figure out how much my dumb car is going to cost to fix, I can start thinking about a printer.


----------

