Can someone suggest a good, solid, reliable printer that won't break the bank?

In My Humble Opinion
1

OK, here are my requirements:

Color printing
Regular paper
Relatively compact
NOT a Brother (I want something that will last more than a year without blowing a printhead)

Here are my desires:

Fax capability
Scan capability
Photocopy capability
Closed cabinet (so the monster that is my son can’t throw stuff into it)
Limited number of external things to rip off (again, the monster)

Oh, and I’m not looking for something that goes for a fortune. If I can find something with the right balance of features and price I’ll take it, but the sky is most definitely not the limit here. If it were I’d go for an office copier and be done with it.

So, thoughts? I tried wading through Epinions but without somewhere to start I was just spinning my wheels.

2

Have you checked out HP’s web site? I have been uniformly happy with their products, and would recommend them. I believe that they also have a ‘budget business’ line that might work for you.

3

I’ve sworn by Canon’s BJCs for a long time. The last one I got for $40 with a $20 rebate. But they’re only printers.

4

Since when do printers do fax and scan?

(Just tweaking Airman Doors, who apparently is actually looking for an “All-in-one” :wink: )

5

You’re looking for an All-In-One printer. I have a bias towards HP for any printer product because their machines have worked without any problems for me. The one time I had a problem, HP was quick to send me a replacement along with packaging for returning the bad machine. I’m using a HP 2410 that I bought about a year ago for under $200 with rebate. It has worked error free – will print, copy, fax, scan. The most current model is the 2710. I wouldn’t scrimp too much on costs if you want reliability.

6

I don’t know anyone who is unhappy with HP. Mine has performed very well, as have the ones at the firehouse. You think little Doors is a barbarian? A fireman can destroy damn near anything.

7

Ha! Aaron can make a fireman cry with his destructive skills. If you ever need a building imploded Aaron will take it down in 15 minutes, tops.

8

Hi Danceswithcats
There you have now met someone who has been unhappy with HP printers.
Quite a few years ago, my company gave me a 590 all in one to use with my laptop.
What a piece of crap!
Didn’t print for shit,
Didn’t scan for shit,
The copies looked like shit, and if that wasn’t enough
Every time I booted my laptop on the road, I got the seemly never ending stiring of pop ups telling me my printer was disconnected. No shit sherlock, it’s at my house a 1,000 miles away.
Prior to that I had very good luck with HP products. Since then I have been afraid or them, very afraid of them.

9

I highly recommend Canon printers. We have an i475D which was less than $100 and which has been fantastic in terms of performance and print quality. More importantly, their printer cartridges are much cheaper than most other brands. The black and white cartridges for our last printer, a Lexmark (piece of crap!) cost $25 each. Now, $8. I think color ones are $12-$15.

10

I still have an old HP laser printer, probably 15 years old, which works great. I think it was over $5k new, but I got it as a donation from my dad’s office. The thing weighs close to 100 pounds, and still uses powdered toner.

FTR I’m against Canon and Brother. The last two printers I bought were from them and neither bothered updating drivers for Windows XP, which made them doorstops overnight. The Brother was a multifunction purchased new less than a year before. I cussed them out good over the phone though :mad: (damn customer service rep quoting bullshit company policies :wink: )

My current (color) printer is a Lexmark, which was purchased solely because it was cheaper than the replacement price for ink, but it’s not exactly standard of quality either.

So another vote for HP.

My next printer will definitely have network capabilities.