Which budget printer for occasional use and also BJ vs Laser?

LFalchoon on 14/08/2015 - 10:48

Hi folks, I currently have a HPDeskjet F380 printer-scanner-copier and the ink has dried up from lack of us. Because I dojn't use it that often I ignored this and started going to the local library to print out stuff I needed for 20c a copy. Seemed cheaper and less hassle than buying a new ink cartridge or new printer. But the convenience or lack thereof is getting to me. Internet at the library is sooooo sloooow, it seems to be pretty much dial-up speed (took me an hour the other day to print 4 x 2 page documents) and that is after getting to the library (about a 15 mins drive). I used to be able to print stuff at work but have changed jobs now so can't do this anymore.

SO I looked into replacing the ink cartridge (not into refilling, tried that once, messy and inconvenient), the #21 ink cartridge (bundled with #22 colour cartridge which I don't really want as 99.99% of printing is B&W) is $45 at Officeworks. A new similar printer (Epson XP200 as reccommended in another thread) is $49 at Bing Lee or price match at OW (more convenient for me to go to OW). Or I can buy a laser printer (Brother HL-1110) which is $45 at Officeworks or alternatively it's bigger brother Brother HL-1210W $79 @ OW. Only problem with the cheaper laser printer is replacement ink cartridge is $63.59 so more than the cost of the printer.

I'm leaning toward the dearer Brother one because of it's wireless connection.

Or is there another brand/model of printer that is better value?

Computing

Comments

  • nocure on 14/08/2015 - 10:57

    i buy the cheapest available currently HP1510 once the inks run out it goes into the wheelie bin and i open a new one.

  • StewBalls on 14/08/2015 - 11:15
    +1

    Go for any of the Brother laser options, you'll never look back!

    There's always plenty of cheap generic toner cartridges on ebay too if you're worried about consumables; but don't forget you'll get a lot more mileage out of toner (even the starter ones) than inkjet carts! ;)

  • affable on 14/08/2015 - 11:38

    Definitely go laser for low print volume, I havn't had an inkjet for many years.
    I bought the Brother 1110 for about $36 on sale a couple of months ago as a 2nd printer (we also have a $300 Xerox 3 in 1 colour laser) as the wifi on the Xerox was unreliable and I don't mind only USB on the 1110.
    The Brother 1110 is a very cheap printer so don't expect Xerox print quality, however its incredibly fast from cold power up to get a page in your hand so perfect for 1 page quick prints. I probably won't get a replacement toner for it (I've yet to buy a toner for a laser as we don't use them much).

  • hypie on 14/08/2015 - 13:05
    +1

    +1 for Brother Laser Printers, We have 4 in the house now. All work great, easy to setup and reliable.

  • iratepirate on 14/08/2015 - 14:30
    +1

    Don't worry about wireless it's not that useful a feature unless you want to leave the printer on all the time.

    Get the Brother HL-1110 price matched at OW from Dick Smith

    http://www.dicksmith.com.au/laser-printers/brother-hl-1110-m…

    On sale today (and every second day :)) for $37.76

    So $35.87 for a solid printer.

    • scrimshaw on 14/08/2015 - 21:18
      +1

      Wireless is good, you can place the printer anywhere in your home and it's not restricted to being 'next to the PC'. Worth paying for IMO so long as you can get a good deal.

      If you can't afford a wifi printer, the next best choice is to plug one directly into your modem router (one that supports a USB port and has print server). However it's a bit tricky to configure.

      • affable on 15/08/2015 - 10:38
        +1

        Remember you can probably get 2 or 3 Brother 1110 printers for the price of a single wifi one, so only bother with wifi if you need to print from a mobile phone or tablet that doesn't have USB.

  • Falchoon on 15/08/2015 - 19:07

    I ended up buying the Brother HL-1210W (wireless) printer from Officeworks. Could of got it a bit cheaper if I bought it online and was prepared to wait for it but I needed it this weekend. I got the display model on special for $69.

    I even installed it and got it working by myself (I'm no tech head…)! It's very fast, heaps quicker to print than my old inkjet printer.

  • BradH13 on 16/08/2015 - 11:38

    I've got the HL-1110 and it's a great little printer. You can get replacement toner from eBay for $15~, rather than getting the genuine Brother one for $60~ and it does the same job.

    Lasers are much better suited to those who don't print often, or those who just print B&W.

  • BradH13 on 16/08/2015 - 11:41

    I see you got the 1210W.

    Here's a link to some cheap toner for future reference.
    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1-x-Compatible-TN1070-for-Brother…

    I use the same toner in my 1110, and it's as good as original Brother toner!

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