Cheapest Canon, HP, or Epson printer?

von551

von551

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So basically i have a nice epson photo stylus r200 that i've had for a few years, but it's an ink monster and i only print in black and white (reciepts, directions, etc. I get my photos done elsewhere now. problem is even though i have it set to black and white, it still uses color when it does it's few test runs every time i turn it on. So i'm always replacing ink that i don't use! i get $9 refurbs, but still it adds up.

i honestly would want to buy a strictly black ink printer, but not sure if they make them at my price point (< $50). i would prefer a printer without 6 cartridges, at least, or maybe one that i can stop from using the color all together. i do want a quality brand, i have lexmark at work and they're junk. i found some good deals on re-certified canons and epsons on newegg.com for about $30, but haven't looked too much yet. thanks for any advice...
 
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If you really want a cheap b&w printer then save up another 50 and buy a laser printer. Buy a relatively common model so you could find a shop that has cheap refurb toner or refill services. You'll save a bundle in a long run going this route; this is if you on a regular basis print text intensive stuff or making estimate/invoices for a small business.

Avoid Lexmark (overpriced printers/ink and they break easily). I would recommend either Epson or HP (strictly for value...if you want quality...iono).

Other suggestions...
-Never buy those weird Chinese refill ink at home kits, they never work.
-Nearly all $50.00 printers at big department stores are really disposable printers (considering that an ink cartridge on average costs $40ish for both black and color).
-From experience I believe the non brand Epson cartridges are the cheapest.

Hope this helps
 
Get a laser printer. Don't get the cheapest inkjet you can find. They usually have the highest costs on ink. If you don't get a laser and absolutely want an inkjet, get something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828115182 that uses individual cartridges, in this case the 02 series. Then get a complete continuous ink supply system like the one here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220392768687

If you don't get a similar setup to the one I linked, It'll be hard to find a printer for $50 with cheap ink cartridges. You may need to spend a bit more, but in general, the more expensive printers use higher capacity cartridges. Also, check the manufacturers' websites to see what the yield is for each cartridge on whatever printer you decide on. You'll find that the cheap printers usually have cartridges that last around 200 pages based on 5% coverage per page.
 
ok, so laser seems the way to go, what's the diff between inkjet and laser? yes, serious question. so what's a good cheap black ink only printer? thanks for all the great info so far...
 
Well for one, inkjets use a liquid ink which has to dry, is prone to smudging, running etc. Laser printers use dry toner which is basically baked onto the paper with heat, it won't run or smudge. Plus they generally print much faster.
 
You've inspired me to purchase a laser printer, von. I'll tell you what I did last night/this morning to get a $45 monochrome wi-fi laser printer:

step 1. Go to eBay, win a Staples $25 off $75 coupon for about $2-$3 dollars. They're easy as pie to win, be sure to choose a seller that mentions they'll E-mail the code to you. (These coupons are great, valid for any online or phone purchase other than computers/laptops). Checking right now shows a few BIN options for $2.75-$3.50.

step 2. Go to Staples.com to purchase a Remanufactured Brother HL-2170W for $99.99 with a $30 rebate in the form of a prepaid Visa card ($69.99 A/R)

Step 3. Use the $25 coupon and buy it for $74.99 + Tax, free shipping.

Step 4. Fill out the Staples No Hassle online rebate form for the $30 rebate, wait 4-6 weeks for your hot pocket to cool.

Viola! $150+ laser printer with wired/wireless networking for $48ish (including the price of the eBay coupon) + tax.

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For real reviews on this model, check Amazon (4 1/2 stars from 272 reviewers FTW) or the non-refurb version being sold for $149 @ Staples (4 stars from 79 reviews).

Remember: Refurbished = they either fixed the crap that might have been wrong with it and/or a perfect working unit that was returned by someone who couldn't figure out how to use the wi-fi correctly.

Mine will be here on Tuesday or Wednesday.
 
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I would definitely listen to Kerig. I have a brother HL-2040 since 2006, my original toner that came with the printer is just now running out. I shook it and it's fine again. The beauty of it all is you can get original brother toners for less than $50. If you get an after market brand it like less than $30.
 
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