All about printers

[CodeMonk]

Well, as some of you have seen, my laser printer is not in such great shape  ( http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=102705.msg912361#msg912361 ).
Sadly, don't really have the money for a new one ATM, but my toner is going to run out soon anyway.
And the toner for my printer (HP 4P) locally runs $130 - $150.
So I may, at that point just have to get a new printer.
Need something low cost but still need the quality to do boards. Toner transfer method.
Locally I have Office Depot and Best Buy (If you consider a good 45 minute drive minimum "local")..

This one looks interesting and fits my (non-existent) budget : http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+LaserJet+Pro+P1102w+Wireless+Black-and-White+Printer/5471522.p?id=1218650524037&skuId=5471522#tab=specifications

Looking for other recommendations and such.

Thanks


Oh, and I used to work as a computer/network consultant/tech/whatever and have had to deal with loads of issues with Lexmark and Brother printers, so I would like to avoid those.

[GGBB]

The only advice I have is to pay attention to the fine print on the package/specs.  Nowadays most budget-oriented laser printers ship with "starter" toner cartridges that are only rated for 1000 pages or so.  They also have low lifespan ratings on the drum and other parts.  So long-term they may not be good value.  If it were me I look for clear-outs and other deals and buy something that gives me as many pages as possible out of the starter cartridge at the lowest per-page price.  Unless you do a lot of printing and need a high-end heavy duty model, it can be cheaper in the long run to replace the printer than to buy a new cartridge.  I wouldn't worry too much about brand - print quality isn't going to be a lot different at the low end.

Funny that you mention Brother and Lexmark - My low-end Brother is running out of toner after 10 or so years of trouble free operation, so I've replaced it with a Colour Lexmark. 

[deadastronaut]

samsung ml-1660

does a good job.

[R.G.]

Oh, and I used to work as a computer/network consultant/tech/whatever and have had to deal with loads of issues with Lexmark and Brother printers, so I would like to avoid those.

The best deals for a given function if you're not picky about certain things like size and appearance are nearly always used. A year-old used car is a much better deal in terms of transportation per dollar than a new one.

As an ex-computer/whatever, you're in a good position to use your past and contacts to find a used laser printer for as low as free. I once got an HP workgroup printer for $20. This thing was about a 2-foot cube and weighed nearly 100 pounds. But for the $20, I got well over 20,000 high quality, fast, duplexed and collated printed sheets before it even ran out of the leftover toner. It was a huge wallowing beast. But it was cheap, and worked well for quite a while.

Think of it as an alternative approach to consider.

[Mark Hammer]

While just about every laser printer will do PnP sheets easily, they vary in terms of how friendly they are with photo paper.  I have a cheaper Samsung printer, and while it does a fabulous job at many things, it is very picky about feeding things that are a little thicker than normal.

For that reason, I will recommend the practice of printing out the patterns you want on regular paper, cutting them out and arranging them on an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet, and bringing THAT, with your photo paper, to your local photocopy shop.  They will only charge you for the copies, and if the photo paper sticks in the feed mechanism, you're out the price of the paper, but THEY eat the cost of the copy.

I know that some places will balk at PnP, but you can tell them with great confidence that it is IDENTICAL to overhead acetate transparencies, and simply has an opaque emulsion (rather than clear) for its particular purpose.  If you want, print out the damn instructions from the PnP site to show them how it is INTENDED for use in toner-based systems.

I say all this with the understanding that everybody wants at least a little autonomy and the thought of having to depend on a commercial place and their operating hours is annoying.  However, if money is an issue, and if you are relatively committed to photo paper (because PnP is pricey), this represents a viable alternative with less risk.

BTW, I had a 20lb behemoth that I bought surplus as well - an HP Laserjet II.  It served me well for a few years and was eventually replaced by a low-end Samsung that I bought new for $60.

[Resynthesis]

Can you use toner refills with your cartridges? I had a cheap Samsung and tried a toner refill fearing the worst but it's not been bad at all and it's still runnning fine after 200 or so pages on the refill

[artifus]

recently acquired one of these very cheaply and have no complaints so far but have yet to try this mod: http://runawaybrainz.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/guide-samsung-ml-2165-toner-transfer.html - no need here but may be of interest to others.

[GGBB]

Used CAN be a good deal, but you really have to watch out.  You really need to check out the print quality (unless it's free) to look for signs of drum wear and the like.  Look up the specs so you know the cartridge capacity and drum life.  Find out how to print off the self diagnostic sheet so you can know how many pages have been printed to try and gauge how much toner, drum life etc. might be left.  And I wouldn't bother with a used low-end model - they are likely to have the original starter toner cartridge that's nearing depletion or degraded, or they have been heavily used and are showing signs of drum wear.

[Mark Hammer]

Can you use toner refills with your cartridges? I had a cheap Samsung and tried a toner refill fearing the worst but it's not been bad at all and it's still runnning fine after 200 or so pages on the refill

Pretty much any toner cartridge can be refilled with toner.  Generally speaking (though I suppose it varies from place to place), places that do toner refills for a living will take your cartridge and provide you with another of the same type, all filled up, rather than taking yours and filling it on the spot.  When I brought my Samsung cartridge to a nearby place for that, I was told that it wasn't on their list.  The fellow then asked me "Is it a new or recent model?".  When I told him it was, he replied that it can take a while for enough used-up cartridges to become available before they start being able to do the swap.  I suspect it probably is now, some 2 years later.

[CodeMonk]

I'll hunt around for some used ones via my old contacts, yard sales, CL, etc and see what comes up.

With the condition that my current printer is in, new or toner refill is down on the list (See first link in OP to see what how it prints now. And its not a bad toner cartridge issue).

I have an ink jet so my only need for laser is for PCBs.

And since the nearest place where I can get a commercial place to print for me is at least a 45 minute drive, thats not really an option for me
Hell, I have to drive 30 minutes just for a loaf of bread.

I've been using glossy presentation paper lately for the prints since my printer won't pick up most photo paper (anything much more than 7 or 8 mils it has trouble with).
Seems to work just as good as photo paper.

And damn, I never even thought of running it through twice. Gonna have to give that a try next time.

[Pettol]

As you're looking for something cheap this might be pointless, but I've never had any success with color printers for any kind of toner transfer. So I recommend staying away from them.

[CodeMonk]

As you're looking for something cheap this might be pointless, but I've never had any success with color printers for any kind of toner transfer. So I recommend staying away from them.

Yeah, no color lasers for me.
I've heard they suck for toner transfer.