4 in 1 Laser Printer Recommendations?

[Mike C]

Hi All,

We have had an HP Laser Jet 3055 for years now and it has given us exceptional service. When we had to upgrade to Windows 8.1 we lost the ability to scan multiple docs because there was no scanner driver available. It still prints, copies and faxes, so we have been prepared to work around that shortcoming ... but we are now looking at replacing it.

Our requirements are:
Must be compatible with Windows 8.1
Laser
Printer / Copier / Scanner / Fax
Monochrome
Paper tray of at least 250 sheets
All in one Cartridge (ie it must not have an independent drum)
Does not have to be wireless.

Can anyone make any recommendations from their own experience?

[IanF]

Hi All,

We have had an HP Laser Jet 3055 for years now and it has given us exceptional service. When we had to upgrade to Windows 8.1 we lost the ability to scan multiple docs because there was no scanner driver available. It still prints, copies and faxes, so we have been prepared to work around that shortcoming ... but we are now looking at replacing it.

Our requirements are:
Must be compatible with Windows 8.1
Laser
Printer / Copier / Scanner / Fax
Monochrome
Paper tray of at least 250 sheets
All in one Cartridge (ie it must not have an independent drum)
Does not have to be wireless.

Can anyone make any recommendations from their own experience?

Mike
My experience from a printshop is if you have a reasonable volume get a colour copier from a reliable supplier. We currently use KM machines, but the service response is what counts. I have never seen a laser printer with an all in cartridge, maybe you are thinking of an inkjet.
If I had to replace now I would look seriously at Ricoh they are bringing out nice features.
If it is an inkjet you want then look at the Epson inktank system, we use one for fancy numbering jobs and it works.
Anyway look at your volume first.

[Mike C]

Hi IanF - Maybe I am using the wrong terminology, but the cartridge that we use in our present Laser printer has the drum as part of the cartridge. As a result when you replace the toner the drum inside the toner cartridge is also new (using original cartridges). It makes the printing a bit more expensive but the quality is always good.

We are not looking for a colour laser printer.

I have seen some laser printers where the toner cartridge is just toner. The drum then needs to be replaced every 2 years or after a certain number of copies - a system that I am not really keen on.

I am also not a great fan of Inkjet printers as they are slower and the copies fade over time.

[Dave A]

Hi IanF - Maybe I am using the wrong terminology, but the cartridge that we use in our present Laser printer has the drum as part of the cartridge. As a result when you replace the toner the drum inside the toner cartridge is also new (using original cartridges). It makes the printing a bit more expensive but the quality is always good.

More like a lot more expensive

Mike, how many pages do you print a month? I've found your volume and average yield makes a huge difference as to what printer you should be going for.

I've saved a small fortune switching from desktop HP's like the HP LaserJet 3055 with a per page printing cost well in excess of 20c per copy, to much bigger (albeit from a capital outlay point of view far more expensive) printers. My newer printer (a Develop on a maintenance contract) works out at around 7c per copy. My older Aficio where I'm "paying as I go" nowadays is working out to about 2c per copy in toner! When it comes to time to replace the drum, I'll still be laughing all the way to the bank.

In my case, my monthly volumes are about 8000 copies per month, so it doesn't take long at all to get over the breakeven point on the capital outlay. But even on smaller volumes, I suggest one shouldn't ignore the possibility that a desktop isn't the way to go.

[Mike C]

Thanks Dave. Our usage is about 1500 - 2000 copies a month during peak periods ... of which we have 2 that last about 3 months each.

[Dave A]

That means you're probably still in desktop territory, I guess.

My tips then are:

• Focus on the relationship between per copy cost and capital outlay to find your sweet spot. Ironically the better the "quality" of the machine, the cheaper the per copy cost tends to be.
• In comparing per copy costs, watch out for different print coverage assumptions across the different manufacturers.
• Don't hesitate to look at other main stream manufacturers' products.