Hey all,
I'm looking to get a cheap multifunction printer that has network printing capabilities. Price ideally would be around $100 but can go for a more expensive one if it turns out to be cheaper in the long run.
Ink costs are way too high so one that is efficient would be great.
I've done a little bit of searching and it seems most printers these days come with some kind of network ability but I'm just not sure what is the best option.
Thanks in advance!
Thanks for the reply!
So they don't do cartridges with the one colour cartridge anymore?
the brands I've dealt with have been 4-7 cartridges in modern times though yep as is said below hp sells tricolour cartridges… there would be other combinations around. Popularity of the printer would help with finding generics. ultimately the cost per page is what you are looking at determining.
I note a few people recommending continuous ink systems. Yes, awesome concept, keep in mind if you don't print much the ink gets old and that can be a problem. So if your a lower volume users the generic standard cartridges may be a good middle ground, keeps the ink fresher.
I use an Epson printer
and got sick of the printing costs
I rarely used colour but the printer uses it anyway
I tried a CIS inking unit and never looked back
lasted me a whole year for the cost of 1 set of cartridges
Can be a little fiddly to set up but once its done I hardly ever touch it.
It also has a RESET button to reset the TIME for new ink message
http://www.rihac.com.au/inklink-ciss-units-c-26.html
They are available on ebay , but I bought direct through these guys as they were helpful in choosing the correct unit
+1 for CISS. Just look into a wireless enabled printer and check whether or not its compatible using the website of one of the CISS companies. I'm also using rihac as they had a local store located at highpoint in Melbourne.
Not valid for WA :(
Hi Rith,
I've always been a HP fan- my Photosmart 4500 series (one colour, one black) MF wireless printer is still going strong after 4 years! I think I change the inks about 1-2 times a year (& that's with me & two kids printing work out). I never do photos on them because it's not worth it- the quality of the $40,000 Kodak machine at Officeworks is much better & cheaper- lol.
I also like the cartridges that have the print head on them instead of in the printer itself- when you change your cartridges, you have a new print head. The inks that don't have this basically soak a sponge inside the printer- which can clog & dry up if not used regularly.
To install, go to the support site & see if you can download only the drivers for the unit vs. using the bloated CD that comes with the printer. That's true of all printers, btw.
I'd look for a decent HP that takes XL cartridges as an option. For everyday printing, ALWAYS go to print properties & choose "draft/economy/fast" as the print quality. That, alone, saves about 50% of the ink (& is perfectly legible). Once you locate local stock of a unit you think seems good, double-check the reviews for it at amazon.com.
Imho.
Hi Rith
if you are not doing colour at home , getting a mono laser multifunction, ends up being cheaper, the toner last longer than ink, eg. a toner for the Dell B1163w in below promo is for 1500 pages, so you might no need to replace the toner for the entire year if you don't print much, save you time and money instead of having to buy new ink every month.
plus.. generics exist for many lasers too!
Ok, I cannot give you a model but I can help you refine the options.
Network enabled multifunction inkjets are pretty easy to find.. duplex is something else you might want to look for.
Canon, I've had good success with, I have two units both work well currently, best part is I can use generic cartridges without trouble, costs me about $20 to buy 13 ink tanks on ebay!!
Epson had serious problems some years ago, from a cost viewpoint they are starting to look better these days as they have extremely high yield cartridges, but I'd still not go out of my way to recommend them. We have one workforce unit that is doing well on ink, however its software isn't nearly as good as the canons nor are the on-board functions. Canons do suffer from duplex issues though if you are looking at duplex scanning.
Anyway, one rule of thumb is to check for availability of generic inks on ebay before buying and don't try to save money on older units (coz the inks will be harder to source) 4 cartridge systems are better from a cost view than say a 7 cartridge system particularly if you want for fun to stick with the branded inks (though I think that's a waste of money, never had issues with generics).
Hope that helps you start.