Best printers in the ~$100 range.

[KeyGrip]

Well, my printer finally crapped out. I had an HP Deskjet 990 something or other, and it makes a very angry mechanical noise when turned on. Time to move on to something more up to date. I'm not focused on a specific brand yet. Scanner/copier and wireless capabilities are welcome, but not necessary.
Who likes what, and why? Thanks in advance.

 

[CM]

Well, my printer finally crapped out. I had an HP Deskjet 990 something or other, and it makes a very angry mechanical noise when turned on. Time to move on to something more up to date. I'm not focused on a specific brand yet. Scanner/copier and wireless capabilities are welcome, but not necessary.
Who likes what, and why? Thanks in advance.

Cheap printers often come with a price. Big recurring costs on consumables, particularly ink. I bought a Brother HL5250 Laser printer (network ready) and have nothing but praise for it. I think laser is the way to go and if you have to print photos, do it at Walgreens. Their photo printers cannot be beat by any inkjet you get for the home.

 

[Lightmania]

I have been enjoying the Photosmart D5160 from HP and love its ability to print on CD/DVD directly.

Link to this printer at HP

 

[jumpstat]

I do photog work part time and I use 2 types, bubblejets and laser printers. I have used Epsons, HP, Canons, Brother,Lexmark but I settled for canons for bubblejet and HP for their lasers. They require less maintenance than the other brands IMO...

 

[Dr Jekell]

Cheap printers often come with a price. Big recurring costs on consumables, particularly ink. I bought a Brother HL5250 Laser printer (network ready) and have nothing but praise for it. I think laser is the way to go and if you have to print photos, do it at Walgreens. Their photo printers cannot be beat by any inkjet you get for the home.

+ 1

I have a Xerox Phaser 3115 & I can get at least double the amount of printing from one toner cartridge than I can from the inkjet I used to own.

They really come into their own when you are doing a lot of printing.

 

[js]

I have been totally THRILLED with my Cannon PiXMA iP4300! It produces amazing photo-quality prints, and yet is fast and the ink lasts a long time relative to Epson and HP inks I have used. Plus, it has two black inks--one for text and one for use in photos. The 4300 is the third generation of this model, and it looks as if the 4400 should be next. Perhaps it's alread here? Check the reviews on printers at PC magazine website. They've never steered me wrong.

And there are other Cannon models, of course, some of the all-in-one's, if that interests you. Personally, I have a separate printer and scanner (also a Cannon), and dislike the idea of an all-in-one.

Anyway, GOOD LUCK!

 

[bfg9000]

I would strongly recommend perusing some printer repair forums for awhile, since you may find certain features like "chipped" ink cartridges that shut off when still full (but time expired) or nonremovable printheads (that require shipping the whole printer off for servicing) or lack of after-sales service (e.g. no Vista driver will ever be released--even for one-year old products) to be deal-breakers.

 

[Gaffle]

I have the HP C3150. I love it. Scanner, Copier, Printer. We do not do photo prints (Snapfish is the best), but we made one 4x6 and it turned out great. The price of these are really nice too.

Actually Costco has the updated version of this printer, and its only $89.99. If you aren't a Costco member, become one!

 

[meuge]

Well, my printer finally crapped out. I had an HP Deskjet 990 something or other, and it makes a very angry mechanical noise when turned on. Time to move on to something more up to date. I'm not focused on a specific brand yet. Scanner/copier and wireless capabilities are welcome, but not necessary.
Who likes what, and why? Thanks in advance.

I would really advise against ANY consumer-level inkjet printers. They are cheap, but their cartridges are VERY expensive... and will cost you 4-5X the printer price, over its lifetime.

If you only need color for photos, print them at Walgreens for $0.19 per photo. If you buy photo paper, and use an inkjet, you'll likely pay $1/print... or more.

Get an entry-level laser printer for $100 or so... I got a Samsung ML-710 when I entered medical school and the toner that came with it (50% full) lasted me the first year (I printed A LOT)... and after paying $70 for a new toner, I am yet to finish it.

If you MUST have color for your documents, consider investing in an entry-level color laser.

 

[KeyGrip]

Thanks everybody, and to bfg9000 for that link. As for ink, there are a few refill places around town that give good prices for students, so I'm not as worried about the long term costs.

 

[Lite_me]

I have an older HP PSC 2170 all-in-one printer, copier, scanner and its been great. I've had Canon & an Epson, they didn't last. At least that's been my experience.

 

[Vikas Sontakke]

Buy a printer which can take generic ink. If you are not particular about the quality of the output, go with the cheapest inks. My Epson Photo EX was purchased refurbished from Epson more than a decade ago. I have fed it nothing but generic since the original ran out in 1996. On an average, I pay $0.99 for black cart and $2.50 for color cart.

I did the same thing with Canon i320 but it only lasted 7 years. Now half of the lines on the black print head do not fire. Anybody want to give me the printhead from their discarded Canon i320 printer ?

Replacing the Canon, I have now opnened Epson All-in-one CX6600 which was purchased from Staples and cost me negative dollars after Staples and Epson rebates. I just put a order for two set of generic carts for about $15.

- Vikas

 

[mrmike]

http://www.memjet.com/pages.aspx?id=videoimages

If this becomes a reality, I'll be junking my HP 995 in a second.

This is a new technology where the printhead is the width of the entire page. Click on the videos to see how fast these new printers are supposed to be...

 

[Lightmania]

http://www.memjet.com/pages.aspx?id=videoimages

If this becomes a reality, I'll be junking my HP 995 in a second.

This is a new technology where the printhead is the width of the entire page. Click on the videos to see how fast these new printers are supposed to be...

Wow!!

 

[Secur1]

Don't fall into the trap of getting a printer that looks good on paper, with fast printing etc.
Always look at the cartridge prices first ! And HP even if it does make some pretty good printers, it has the most expensive consumables.
I would look into the Canon range if you are looking for an inkjet printer or a Brother if you are looking for a laser printer.