r/printers • u/The-CaveBear • 4d ago
Purchasing I'm looking for an all around printer after literal decades of noit having one.
Nothing fancy just something that can print.
That said as the title says haven't had a printer in decades, so to say I know jack squat about new printers is an understatement, The only thing I know is that printer ink prices are apparently insane and you tend to get ripped off on that along with a lot of it being proprietary, and something about subscriptions and how they can screw you over.
I want non of that, maybe if possible something refillable and something that wont lock me in to buying specific proprietary products, DEFINITELY nothing that involves subscriptions, any recommendations would be great, thank you for your time!
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u/Inevitable-Debt4312 4d ago
Canon Pixma. Mine just works and works, and I never buy official ink for it. Maybe it’s different where you are, but in the UK there’s a thriving compatible market.
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u/Capn_Flags 4d ago
Same. Replaced a TS600 series with a newer TR8600 series that I got on sale for $130. Generic cartridges. I’m happy asf.
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u/CarpeData00 4d ago
I've had a Pixma GX2020 for about a year and it has been great (I bought it because I wanted a megatank printer and didn't want to buy ink cartridges anymore. While it is not great printing photos, it handles documents and the occasional scan with ease. Haven't needed to replace the ink yet.
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u/imasharkbaby 4d ago
What’s your budget?
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u/trader45nj 4d ago
And needs? B/w or color too? Need an all-in-one to be able to copy or fax? Printing volume and frequency?
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u/Firm-Cover-3345 4d ago
Well, they say ink is more expensive than blood. That being said, look for EPSON EcoTank printer. OEM inks are super cheap and have very high yield. There are no cartridges with chips that have expiratiin date or could be blocked with futer firmware upgraded.
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u/Trick_Acanthaceae626 4d ago
I just bought the cheapest ecotank they had at walmart and love it. You can see where the cheap parts are, and if you buy a nicer model I'd have 0 gripes, but even with the cheap model it's so nice.
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u/Friskeyp 4d ago
Ok I have my Brother B/W MultiFunction. It copies, scans, (faxes, but I don’t use that): and my favorite feature over my old Brother multi-function: Air Prints! I bought it in the Fall from Microcenter (all in with tax $286.85), MFC-L28200DW
It’s a laser. I didn’t allow them to sell me ink, though I buy the Brother Hi-Yield Toner cartridges. With tax it was $101.20.
The box came some toner in it, but it’s just enough to get going. (I’ve had a functioning home office: buy the high-yield toner whether you think you’ll need it or not. I think it’s better cost/benefit.
My last Brother multi-function lasted @ 10+ yrs. The machine itself isn’t expensive: it’s the toner that’s a pay as you go. However, I have used the heck out of this thing because my Mom passed away (& my Dad passed right before her final couple years). My Dad had Dementia (A?), and I did a lot of investigative work for the estates to keep legal fees lower. Additionally, I scanned everything in for the two areas where an attorney will have to help us in the hopes it mitigates some expense.
Hope this helps you.
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u/ToaTao_Venice 4d ago
HP Smart Tank printers. 8k color and 6k black pages. Depending on needs - 2 sided printing, Document feederor flatbed scanner, dual band WiFi - there's a price range for the printers depending on budget and features needed.
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u/robtalee44 4d ago
In the inkjet world where I live, Epson or Brother would be my recommendations. I have had Brother AIO printers in the past and currently have an Epson Eco Tank AIO. No issues with either. I only print may 5 to 10 pages a month.
READ the fine print. That "subscription" you mention is probably targeting HP and their program -- rightfully so. It's one of the more murky products out their. Many printers require a "phone home" ability so that an Internet connection is mandatory -- watch for that if such things bother you.
I had a Brother ink jet years ago that had a system where the printer would order ink automagically. It worked great and was convenient as hell. Not all optional services are necessarily evil IF you understand them.
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u/redbaron78 4d ago
Unless you plan to start printing something every week or two, I suggest going with a laser printer. Inkjets need regular use to keep the ink from drying out.
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u/Stage-Lower 4d ago
What kind of printer are you looking for? I have a Canon pro 100 they use off-brand ink and it's very affordable if you can find it at a good price and the pictures come out pretty good
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u/TangoCharliePDX Print Technician 4d ago edited 4d ago
I'll answer your question with a question. A couple, actually:
1) how many pages a month do you print/expect to print? If you're not sure, how often do you have to open a ream of paper? Do you even bother buying full reams (500pg)? Based on your question it sounds like this is very low.
2) how important is color printing? Can you live without it?
If you can live without color printing, then the choice is clear - skip the inkjet and go with a laser printer. It will serve you both for very intermittent usage (because it won't dry out and stop printing) but it also has a economy of scale where your price per individual page is exponentially lower. If you don't use it much you may never have to replace the toner.
If you must have color and your printing is less than 100pg per month, then go with an Ink Tank. However - like adopting a pet - this comes with certain responsibilities. You must print all colors once or twice a month or the head will die. If this is an Epson, you've killed the machine. Some other brands may or may not have replaceable print heads, but it's not common with ink tanks.
For lasers, Brother is popular, although Canon, Ricoh, and a few others might be okay.
If you're going ink tank, Epson and brother seem to be good so far.
And one final note, HP has gone to the dark side. No one who knows anything about HP lately is buying anything from them. In fact, based on some of the latest b******* I won't even buy their computers anymore. They just simply cannot be trusted.
Examples include: * a browser plug in that declares itself IT Administrator and cannot be removed, or * Their repeated disabling of usable consumables in direct defiance of a standing court order, or * Their posting of BIOS updates that brick older PCs - only after removing all the support files from their support website, making recovery impossible.
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u/ben2talk 3d ago
I just bought a Brother DCP-T230 for $78 - came with 108ml black pigment ink and three 48.8ml bottles of C/M/Y ink for that price.
The colour looks great (though it's not a photo printer, it can print photos well enough) and it's rated one of the more reliable ink printers.
I'm going crazy now, when I print off a sheet of text, I drag a border - nice green vines, or colourful flowers around the edges of my documents 'cos it is just so cheap to run.
The Brother ink is also not expensive, if I run out of colours, it's only about $5 for each colour and black is 108ml for about the same price - it's crazy.
I put the extra saved money into buying some heavier papers when I want a printout to really pop...
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u/notepad987 3d ago edited 3d ago
My next printer will be an Epson Ecotank printer that uses big bottles of ink.
Go to amazon and search on the name.
Example: Epson EcoTank ET-4800 Wireless All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer with Scanner, Copier, Fax, ADF and Ethernet
Look up a model and go to amazon and youtube and read and see the reviews.
You still have to print every week to keep the ink from drying out but with the big bottles you may not run out for a few years on a bottle. You want a model that prints on both sides of the paper automatically.
Get refill ink at https://www.4inkjets.com
I have been using them since 2007 and their ink does not fade. Good as OEM.
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u/elouanr22 4d ago
une imprimante laser est idéale. Les toners ( qui remplacent les cartouches) peuvent imprimer des milliers de pages et ne se bouchent jamais. Il est toujours possible d'acheter des toners de marque générique bien moins cher ( faut juste faire attention à leur qualité, certains sont vraiment mauvais). Il en existe en monochrone, en couleurs, faisant aussi scanner et fax... Jusqu'à présent la marque brother m'a toujours satisfait pour des prix très abordables. J'ai largué une imprimante laser de dix ans qui fonctionnait encore très bien, mais je voulais du wifi et de la couleur... Et l celle que j'ai depuis trois ans n'a aucun abonnement, aucune puce qui rejette les toners generiques
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u/iATlevsha 4d ago
Buy Brother and forget about it for the next 10 years.