Printer recommendations

Discussion of all things non-11 Plus related

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

11 Plus Platform - Online Practice Makes Perfect - Try Now
Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Printer recommendations

Post by Tinkers »

Our printer has given up the ghost, it has ceased to be, it is an ex printer, or rather it's now an ornament on the shelf above the desk.

Obviously DD needs access to one, although she could use the ones at school but it's a bit of a pain. I also need to use it for crafty things, like templates for glass painting etc.

We don't mind paying more for one that doesn't have expensive cartridges or has cartridges that last a decent amount of time. Alternately we want one we can use a CISS with*. Also need one we can print from IPads and iPhones and over wifi. Scanning/copying is useful but not essential.



* continuous ink supply system. Had one on our now broken printer. I can well recommend one. Had our 18 months and never had to top up the ink. Previously we were going through replacement cartridges at a rate of knots.
PettswoodFiona
Posts: 2134
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:24 pm
Location: Petts Wood, Bromley, Kent

Re: Printer recommendations

Post by PettswoodFiona »

I had a similar experience recently. I decided to give up with ink jet and have gone with a laser printer. My requirements were it could be networked, print direct from mobile device, colour or b&w, two sided, scan with a feeder. I had also sworn off any HP printer due to my various bed experienced with them. In the end I have been very happy with my Brother DCP-L8400CDN A4 Colour All-In-One Laser Printer. I had to get something quick due to homework deadlines of DD so I ended up getting it from PC world on free next day delivery for £200 but could have got it cheaper if I had been prepared to wait. Inks aren't cheap but they seem to print 1,500 pages to my previous cartridges of a few hundred so it looks expensive but think it will work out cheaper in the long run. Downside is it is a bit bulkier than my previous printers but for quality and not having wonky pages it knocks the socks off what I've had before.
Rugbymumto2
Posts: 105
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2016 8:49 am

Re: Printer recommendations

Post by Rugbymumto2 »

This is OH area, he would not recommend CISS as they have a tendency to break and leak ink.
Brother MFC-J5320DW or MFC-J5620DW are under £100 on Amazon and can take 229xl black which prints 2900 pages and compatible ink is £10
ETA it does print from iPad etc
Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Printer recommendations

Post by Tinkers »

We've had a CISS for over 18 months and never had a problem with it. I guess some makes are better than others.

Thanks for the responses, we are looking at laser printers. We wouldn't have thought about them before.
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Printer recommendations

Post by Amber »

My sons did some kind of calculation based on prices of toner vs prices of ink cartridges or something and read lots of reviews and we ended up with a HP laser jet pro. It is enormous and very ugly but it is a jolly excellent printer - the best we have ever had - and doesn't ever seem to run out of anything or jam or stuff like that.
SunlampVexesEel
Posts: 1245
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:31 pm

Re: Printer recommendations

Post by SunlampVexesEel »

I have a HP Officejet Pro 8100 sitting next to me.

DD1 has a HP Envy 4502 at Uni.

YMMV
Animis opibusque parati
hermanmunster
Posts: 12817
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Printer recommendations

Post by hermanmunster »

We seem to have a family of assorted Brother Lasers in this household - cost about £50 each and toners last ages.
BucksBornNBred
Posts: 1031
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2015 4:01 pm

Re: Printer recommendations

Post by BucksBornNBred »

We have an ex printer too :-) We are also going the laserjet route as inkjets just aren't economical for sporadic homework printing! Still looking into models though, so no specific advice.
Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Printer recommendations

Post by Tinkers »

Having looked at various ones for the last couple of days, we are very likely to go down the laser route. Seems the brother ones tend to get good reviews too, and there are a few models that are wifi enabled and we can print from iPads.

We are going to have a look at some tomorrow. Whether we buy in store or from that well known big river site depends on whether they are supplied with start up toner cartridges, standard cartridges or none.
Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Printer recommendations

Post by Tinkers »

Well that didn't go according to plan, but hopefully has worked out in the end.

We didn't buy a laser printer.

We bought another ink jet... With a difference.

Instead of cartridges, it has ink tanks, each one holds 70ml. Replacement ink costs £8 a bottle (rather than the arm and leg it costs for cartridges). I know from using the CISS that we didn't use anything like 100ml of each ink in 18 months. It is effectively an inkjet with a built in CISS.

Downside is it cost more than a normal inkjet, plus side it was significantly smaller than the lasers, so means we don't have to reorganise everything to find space for it.

It's an Epsom ET-2550 btw
Post Reply
11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now