recommendation for a Laser printer

[Rob]

I'm in the market for a cheaper colour laser printer.

Looking at the Epson C1100.

or is there something else which would be better more reliable etc

Help appreciated.


thanks

r

 

[Arthur Entlich]

There are a number of issues with color laser printers to consider.

Obviously number one is print quality, so try to see a sample.

Speed of first copy out and output there-after

Check to see if you can expand memory and if standard memory can be used
or it it is proprietary and likely quite costly

Toner qualities (some are matte, some semi-gloss and some glossy), and
depending upon the type of paper and "look" you are after can influence
which you prefer. Also, some allow for some adjustment to the gloss
level by changing fuser temperature or speed. Also look at what the
maximum size and thickness of paper stock the printer will accommodate.

Does it network, and is this important?

And lastly, but not leastly, look carefully at the amount of toner
offered in the original cartridges that come with the printer, cost of
the replacement cartridges, and what yield they will have, drums, belts
and other consumables and costs. Often the first replacement of the
toner cartridges will cost more than the full printer and initial
cartridges.

In general, just like inkjet printers, the cheaper the initial cost of
the printer, the more the replacement cartridges will cost, and as well,
the cost per print will be. Sometimes, a slightly more expensive
printer will come with twice the toner in the initial cartridges, and
considering cost of the toner, it will actually be cheaper that way, so
don't just look at acquisition price.

Most toner cartridges are rated in terms of output by a coverage of only
5% per color. That barely provides a wide margined text document.
Charts, images and photographs can easily use 50% or more coverage per
color, meaning 10X faster usage of the consumables. A toner cartridge
rated for 2000 copies at 5% may only give you 200 if you mainly print
full coverage photo images.

Oh, one more thing. Some toner cartridges are chipped so that once they
run out they cannot be refilled, or can only be refilled with a costly
chip replacement. If you are considering using refill kits try to find
a unit that doesn't microchip the toner cartridges so you can easily
refill them.

Art

 

[Rob]

There are a number of issues with color laser printers to consider.

Obviously number one is print quality, so try to see a sample.

Speed of first copy out and output there-after

Check to see if you can expand memory and if standard memory can be used
or it it is proprietary and likely quite costly

Toner qualities (some are matte, some semi-gloss and some glossy), and
depending upon the type of paper and "look" you are after can influence
which you prefer. Also, some allow for some adjustment to the gloss
level by changing fuser temperature or speed. Also look at what the
maximum size and thickness of paper stock the printer will accommodate.

Does it network, and is this important?

And lastly, but not leastly, look carefully at the amount of toner
offered in the original cartridges that come with the printer, cost of
the replacement cartridges, and what yield they will have, drums, belts
and other consumables and costs. Often the first replacement of the
toner cartridges will cost more than the full printer and initial
cartridges.

In general, just like inkjet printers, the cheaper the initial cost of
the printer, the more the replacement cartridges will cost, and as well,
the cost per print will be. Sometimes, a slightly more expensive
printer will come with twice the toner in the initial cartridges, and
considering cost of the toner, it will actually be cheaper that way, so
don't just look at acquisition price.

Most toner cartridges are rated in terms of output by a coverage of only
5% per color. That barely provides a wide margined text document.
Charts, images and photographs can easily use 50% or more coverage per
color, meaning 10X faster usage of the consumables. A toner cartridge
rated for 2000 copies at 5% may only give you 200 if you mainly print
full coverage photo images.

Oh, one more thing. Some toner cartridges are chipped so that once they
run out they cannot be refilled, or can only be refilled with a costly
chip replacement. If you are considering using refill kits try to find
a unit that doesn't microchip the toner cartridges so you can easily
refill them.

Art

Thanks Art


I actually had not considered some of the points you mentioned.

Did note the printers came with a short supply of toner which ever
printer you buy.

So for anyone, just don't pick the first and cheapest printer. Do a cost
analysis of the consumable as well.

r

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

To which I'd add this from my own experience:
- Is there an independent market of third-party consumables for the printer?
- What's the OE price for toner, and also _the drum_. The drum for my
Okidata LED printer is at least $165, and there are no third-party
replacements. That price inflates every year. Positive: the drum life is
long; negative -- it's expensive. Discounts are available that bring Oki
toner into a reasonable range. In fact, by comparison, the savings of
third-party toner make the alternative unattractive. Positive: the
machine is well-built and strong.

These are the things that I've learned to consider. I found, for
example, that when I had an HP III printer, that the independent supply
was robust and extensive, bringing the cost of the aftermarket
toner/drum units very affordable, which means that the printer itself
becomes attractive to feed.

Richard

 

[Fred McKenzie]

Check to see if you can expand memory and if standard memory can be used
or it it is proprietary and likely quite costly

I did my analysis and decided on an HP 3800dtn, although it isn't
locally available in that configuration. Then I looked at the cost and
decided to compromise on the HP 2605dn, which is sold in most office
supply stores and weighs a lot less.

One feature that attracted me was HP's statement that the 2605 used
"industry standard" memory. It may be standard, but no one carries it
around here, not even the stores that sell the printer. HP doesn't even
have the maximum-size listed. I had to do a lot of searching on the web
to find a source, although it wasn't very expensive.

The 2605dn came with a set of full toner cartridges. I think it is up
to about 2000 copies now on the original set, although the black toner
is getting low.

I didn't realize I was going to use the 2605 as much when I bought it.
It is so much faster than an inkjet, that I print stuff I wouldn't have
printed before.

Fred

 

[rudijock]

I'm in the market for a cheaper colour laser printer.

Looking at the Epson C1100.

or is there something else which would be better more reliable etc

Help appreciated.

thanks

r

If you dont mind me asking, why consider a colour laser in the first
place over an ink jet?

Do you think they will print colour documents cheaply?

If it is a cost issue, please see my post on "best thing since sliced
bread":
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.periphs.printers/browse_thread/thread/ac87e32e0b8c7958

.... Rudi

 

[Pat]

I like mine too. It was priced less then the toner costs.

 

[Rob]

If you dont mind me asking, why consider a colour laser in the first
place over an ink jet?

Do you think they will print colour documents cheaply?

If it is a cost issue, please see my post on "best thing since sliced
bread":
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.periphs.printers/browse_thread/thread/ac87e32e0b8c7958

... Rudi

I have a r1800 epson also a r200 with a cis. so thats not an issue.

 

[rudijock]

I have a r1800 epson also a r200 with a cis. so thats not an issue.

Before you buy, see if it is a popular model for easy refilling or
aftermarket toners. I really hate paying a fortune for these things if
I am not making money with them.

 

[Rob]

I did my analysis and decided on an HP 3800dtn, although it isn't
locally available in that configuration. Then I looked at the cost and
decided to compromise on the HP 2605dn, which is sold in most office
supply stores and weighs a lot less.

One feature that attracted me was HP's statement that the 2605 used
"industry standard" memory. It may be standard, but no one carries it
around here, not even the stores that sell the printer. HP doesn't even
have the maximum-size listed. I had to do a lot of searching on the web
to find a source, although it wasn't very expensive.

The 2605dn came with a set of full toner cartridges. I think it is up
to about 2000 copies now on the original set, although the black toner
is getting low.

I didn't realize I was going to use the 2605 as much when I bought it.
It is so much faster than an inkjet, that I print stuff I wouldn't have
printed before.

Fred

I'm a bit skeptical about HP products, not sure with lasers, have
returned a inkjet, after trying to sort out a printing problem with the
Indian call centre. There have been some horror stories with HP
scanners as well.

But Ill look into the costing.

 

[Ivor Jones]

: : I'm in the market for a cheaper colour laser printer.
: :
: : Looking at the Epson C1100.
: :
: : or is there something else which would be better more
: : reliable etc
: :
: : Help appreciated.
: :
: :
: : thanks
: :
: : r

It all depends on your usage pattern. I'm a fairly light user and have
found the HP 2605dn an excellent choice.


Ivor

 

[Ivor Jones]

[snip]


: : I actually had not considered some of the points you
: : mentioned.
: :
: : Did note the printers came with a short supply of toner
: : which ever printer you buy.

The HP 2605dn doesn't. It comes with a full set of normal cartridges rated
at 2000 pages for the 3 colours and 2500 for the black.


Ivor

 

[Ivor Jones]

: : In article <q4Mxi.68227$_d2.22997@pd7urf3no>,
: :
: : : Check to see if you can expand memory and if standard
: : : memory can be used or it it is proprietary and likely
: : : quite costly
: :
: : I did my analysis and decided on an HP 3800dtn,
: : although it isn't locally available in that
: : configuration. Then I looked at the cost and decided
: : to compromise on the HP 2605dn, which is sold in most
: : office supply stores and weighs a lot less.
: :
: : One feature that attracted me was HP's statement that
: : the 2605 used "industry standard" memory. It may be
: : standard, but no one carries it around here, not even
: : the stores that sell the printer. HP doesn't even have
: : the maximum-size listed. I had to do a lot of
: : searching on the web to find a source, although it
: : wasn't very expensive.
: :
: : The 2605dn came with a set of full toner cartridges. I
: : think it is up to about 2000 copies now on the original
: : set, although the black toner is getting low.
: :
: : I didn't realize I was going to use the 2605 as much
: : when I bought it. It is so much faster than an inkjet,
: : that I print stuff I wouldn't have printed before.
: :
: : Fred

I concur; the 2605dn is an excellent printer. I've had mine since March
and have printed around 1500 pages and still have plenty of the original
toner left.

There is one small niggling problem though, the counter figures for the
pages remaining count seem to go up and down, they don't go down by the
number of pages printed. This is not a major problem as the graphs
indicate the approximate level, but it does seem odd. Maybe a firmware
bug, have you experienced this, Fred..?

The memory is a good point, but it didn't take me long to find it on the
Crucial website and it was delivered within 48 hours.


Ivor

 

[Ivor Jones]

[snip]

: : If you dont mind me asking, why consider a colour laser
: : in the first place over an ink jet?
: :
: : Do you think they will print colour documents cheaply?

No, but they print on a far wider choice of paper, in better quality and a
*lot* faster.

Ivor

 

[Fred McKenzie]

If you dont mind me asking, why consider a colour laser in the first
place over an ink jet?

Do you think they will print colour documents cheaply?

Rudi-

I can't speak for Rob, but I do find the cost of printing less expensive
on the Laser Printer. Toner is expensive, but you get thousands of
prints compared to a hundred or so from an ink jet. It also takes me a
LOT longer to run out of toner than ink, when printing the same amount.

You may argue for refilling ink cartridges to save cost. That's OK if
you want to mess with it. I used to re-ink my ribbons on the old Epson
MX-80 printer, and it was more of a time-consuming mess than it was
worth. As far as refilling is concerned, you could save money refilling
toner cartridges as well.

My HP 2605dn is not as fast as the industrial printers, but at least as
fast as any color ink jet printer I've tried. I can tell it to print
multiple duplex copies of a document. It may take a while, but all I
have to do is feed paper. (The small 250 sheet paper tray is my main
complaint.)

Ivor - I didn't noticed the irregularity in the pages-remaining count,
but suspect it could be an estimate based on the coverage of the latest
document printed. Print a dense graphic and it may go down compared to
printing a sparse text page. At least that is the way my ink jet
printers work.

Pat - Where did you find yours for less than the cost of toner? I might
be interested in another one at that price!

Fred

 

[Ivor Jones]

[snip]

: : My HP 2605dn is not as fast as the industrial printers,
: : but at least as fast as any color ink jet printer I've
: : tried. I can tell it to print multiple duplex copies
: : of a document. It may take a while, but all I have to
: : do is feed paper. (The small 250 sheet paper tray is
: : my main complaint.)

That's a minor problem for me, my need is for printing on different paper
types, one for text and one for photos, so I invested in the extra
250-sheet tray.

: : Ivor - I didn't noticed the irregularity in the
: : pages-remaining count, but suspect it could be an
: : estimate based on the coverage of the latest document
: : printed. Print a dense graphic and it may go down
: : compared to printing a sparse text page. At least that
: : is the way my ink jet printers work.

Hmm, but mine sometimes goes *up* which I find odd. Which firmware version
do you have..?

Ivor

 

[Bob Headrick]

news:[email protected]

: : Ivor - I didn't noticed the irregularity in the
: : pages-remaining count, but suspect it could be an
: : estimate based on the coverage of the latest document
: : printed. Print a dense graphic and it may go down
: : compared to printing a sparse text page. At least that
: : is the way my ink jet printers work.

Hmm, but mine sometimes goes *up* which I find odd. Which firmware version
do you have..?

The estimated pages will go up if the recent (however many pages are used in
the calculation) pages have less coverage than the previously calculated
norm. The "pages out" gauge tries to calculate how many pages *of the type
you are typically printing* you have left. This will vary depending on the
density of what you have been printing recently.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, MS MVP Printing/Imaging

 

[Rob]

Rudi-

I can't speak for Rob, but I do find the cost of printing less expensive
on the Laser Printer. Toner is expensive, but you get thousands of
prints compared to a hundred or so from an ink jet. It also takes me a
LOT longer to run out of toner than ink, when printing the same amount.

You may argue for refilling ink cartridges to save cost. That's OK if
you want to mess with it. I used to re-ink my ribbons on the old Epson
MX-80 printer, and it was more of a time-consuming mess than it was
worth. As far as refilling is concerned, you could save money refilling
toner cartridges as well.

My HP 2605dn is not as fast as the industrial printers, but at least as
fast as any color ink jet printer I've tried. I can tell it to print
multiple duplex copies of a document. It may take a while, but all I
have to do is feed paper. (The small 250 sheet paper tray is my main
complaint.)

Ivor - I didn't noticed the irregularity in the pages-remaining count,
but suspect it could be an estimate based on the coverage of the latest
document printed. Print a dense graphic and it may go down compared to
printing a sparse text page. At least that is the way my ink jet
printers work.

Pat - Where did you find yours for less than the cost of toner? I might
be interested in another one at that price!

Fred

Why the 2605DN ? is that only for duplex printing and network The RRP
off the HP site is A$599(2605) and A$799 (2605DN) is it worth the A$200
extra? No doubt when I start looking at the deals it will be cheaper.


I just looked at a shopbot site listing prices and one store had the
2605DN at A$885 LOL. another lowest at A$644.

I would like to print mainly in black and say web pages with the
occasional photo, one of my printers being an inkjet needs head cleaning
on a regular basis, so I thought that a laser would be ready to use no
dry ink etc. and be more reliable.

I have 3 computers networked plus each can access both inkjets. The cost
of running the R1800 is high as there have not been reliable aftermarket
pigment inks available here, so I have used the OEM. Another thing, its
not worth printing small 6x4 photos with the R1800 or any other inkjet
when you go downtown and have them printed at 15c each.

r

 

[me]

There is one small niggling problem though, the counter figures for the
pages remaining count seem to go up and down, they don't go down by the
number of pages printed. This is not a major problem as the graphs
indicate the approximate level, but it does seem odd. Maybe a firmware
bug, have you experienced this, Fred..?

Maybe it is trying to guesstimate the number of pages left based on your
usage, so if you print 100 pages just with a single full stop in 4
point, it would then increase the estimated number of pages left
(assuming that's how it does it).

 

[Pat]

Rudi-

I can't speak for Rob, but I do find the cost of printing less expensive
on the Laser Printer. Toner is expensive, but you get thousands of
prints compared to a hundred or so from an ink jet. It also takes me a
LOT longer to run out of toner than ink, when printing the same amount.

You may argue for refilling ink cartridges to save cost. That's OK if
you want to mess with it. I used to re-ink my ribbons on the old Epson
MX-80 printer, and it was more of a time-consuming mess than it was
worth. As far as refilling is concerned, you could save money refilling
toner cartridges as well.

My HP 2605dn is not as fast as the industrial printers, but at least as
fast as any color ink jet printer I've tried. I can tell it to print
multiple duplex copies of a document. It may take a while, but all I
have to do is feed paper. (The small 250 sheet paper tray is my main
complaint.)

Ivor - I didn't noticed the irregularity in the pages-remaining count,
but suspect it could be an estimate based on the coverage of the latest
document printed. Print a dense graphic and it may go down compared to
printing a sparse text page. At least that is the way my ink jet
printers work.

Pat - Where did you find yours for less than the cost of toner? I might
be interested in another one at that price!

I bought mine at Staples. I had them match price with another store that
gave me another 10% off or so. I think I paid around $300 6 months ago.
Some people were getting even better prices by taking advantage of some
staple reward coupons. Very good price. Probably not available now.