i need to buy a printer. any suggestions?

eric m. · Post by **eric m.** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 1:01 pm

well i need to get a new printer because my old one is just not cutting it anymore. i've had good luck with HP in the past, and bad luck with epson. but this was 5 years ago. if anyone can recommend a good printer for under $200, preferably in the $100-$150 range, that would be sweet. just something for general text as well as color photos. thanks.

Bio-Hazard · Post by **Bio-Hazard** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 2:22 pm

Can't help you out on that one...........

I've only got a Canon all in one Multipass F50 office printer on my network..............it was cheap though, got it on closeout for $200 at office max.

Post by **Illuminati** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 5:56 pm

I have really enjoyed my HP Photosmart 1215. You can get a much better photosmart for the pricerange you are talking about, too!

However, somedays I wish I had the office version with the Scanner/Copier/Printer/Fax all in one.

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 9:18 pm

Don't get something cheap. They always break. Lexmark is a bad one, for instance. Also, when choosing a printer, be sure to look at the price of ink and figure that into your decision. Illuminati's HP does work very nicely and prints great pictures. I'd recommend it, to be honest. But I agree, it would be nice to have one that scans, also. I think that HP is definitely a good brand, though.

eric m. · Post by **eric m.** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 8:18 am

cool. i found a nice HP printer that scans (and makes color copies) for $90.
the PSC 1315. but it's not a photosmart printer, and the only ones that have a flatbed on them are the big multi function ones. i like this one because it has a small footprint, unlike a lot of printers with scanners on them. i guess iit's the old price pyramid: low price vs. good print quality vs. more features. you can have 2 out of the 3, but never all 3. you just have to choose what is right for you.

and about lexmark, they are ok when you first buy them. i used to buy those z11 printers for $50 and replace them every few months, since the ink was like $40 anyway. but they started coming out with more expensive ones that still broke down in a few months and i stopped using them. but my girlfriend has one and she's been using it for over a year now with no problems. guess she got a lucky good one.

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 12:37 pm

well, i went through 2 lexmarks. I bought each of them for like $30, and the inks were $30 each (so $90 total). The first printer lasted over a year, but the quality wasn't very good and it was one of those situations where if it quit working, I'd just bang it around a bit and it would start up again. The second one did not last quite as long, but I used it more than the first one. So I spent $180 on printers in about 2 years, and Illuminati has had his HP for almost 2 years, and his price/year is already better than my cheap lexmarks.

dpalyu · Post by **dpalyu** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:02 pm

I would recomend a printer that has seperate color ink tanks i.e.Canon Pixma.

Razorbacx · Post by **Razorbacx** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:10 pm

You really don't need to drop a lot of money on a printer unless you are planning to use it for printing out photographs or other highly detailed graphics. Even then the cost of doing that has dropped so much that it is more cost effective to take a disc to your favorite processor and have them do it for you. My recommendation is to stay with the HP's. Sharp text and decent photo printing capabilities can be found in a sub $100.00 printer. You can even find one of those All-In-One printers for that price.

pointreyes · Post by **pointreyes** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 11:24 pm

Like already mentioned, have the photos printed at your local photo shop. If you really only do general prints, consider a low cost B&W laser printer. $70~$80 for 1,500 pages is real nice.

KnightRid · Post by **KnightRid** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 6:30 am

my 2 cents

Buy Canon! I print TENS OF THOUSANDS of pages out per year for my wife at work, and these things just rule! Individual ink tanks are great, and they are so easy to refill a 2 year old could do it!

Now with the amount I print I am lucky to get them to last a year or 2, but they are worth it!

NEVER buy an all-in-one - I hate them with a passion...one thing breaks, and you are screwed. If you need to save space, buy a bigger desk :p hate them with a capital H.

Now if you are just printing black and white, I agree with pointreyes about the cheap laser.

Photos are cheaper to get printed at Sam's Club than on your own printer, by alot!

Mike

oh I have an ip3000, and an ip4000 right now, so I dont buy the expensive ones. I think I got the one for $50 after rebate and the other was $80 after rebate. If you can still find these older models, you can save a ton of money, but you wont get the new 100 year ink system from Canon.