Printer/Scanner for infrequent use

cormie

Hey folks,
My Canon MP620 printer has served me quite well, but because I use it so infrequently, maybe printing an average of about 10 pages a year if even, it seems I don't really get much out of the ink, that maybe most of it's used during the nozzle cleaning start up process.

Anyway, tanks are empty again and a new error has started popping up.

I was wondering, if perhaps there's any printers out there, that are specifically for infrequent use, where the ink won't dry up or be used up in excessive nozzle cleans whenever the printer is turned on?

I'd also want:
Scanner
Copier
WiFi wirelss printing

I'd just like it to be easy to use and for ink not to go so quick considering the usage.

Any feedback would be great

Davy

You might have the exact same issues with a replacement printer. Have you considered cleaning the heads yourself with some warm isopropyl?

cormie

Yeah, I was wondering if there's any alternatives to the inkjet technology in the MP620 and maybe there's another type of printer that would be more suitable to infrequent printing?

L1011

No inkjet is suited to infrequent use. Get a cheap PCL laser - any Brother will do as they have cheap toner also - and a separate scanner as laser MFPs are too expensive.

cormie

What exactly is a PCL printer? Is that a lazer printer? I had a quick check on amazon, and they look HUUUGE :eek: Is that same tech no possible to fit into something similarly sized to the MP620?



Guessing PCL is laser and MFP is multi function printer now actually

I see this wireless colour multi function one for £189:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-C480FW-Colour-Multifunction-Printer/dp/B010NE2HKI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1546223107&sr=8-4&keywords=laser+printer+and+scanner

But then I see options with a toner for like £210 more! Does this mean the toner cartridges are about £200 :eek::eek:

How long would they last I wonder?

L1011

PCL is a control language that printers - mostly laser, but some inkjet - use. A PCL printer is guaranteed to be compatible with whatever Windows/Mac/Linux/whatever you use in to the next century. High-end HP, most/all Oki, Brother, Samsung use it.

Small laser printers exist but small laser MFPs generally do not - that is why I said buy a separate scanner. Or else you will spend your life dealing with clogged inkjets. Laser engines are vastly larger than inkjet, they cannot be made the same size or smaller ever.

Most cheap lasers have incredibly expensive toner - a few months to a year after they come out, generic toners become available. Brother have acceptably priced toner from day 1 normally, for all price points.

cormie

Thanks again for the continued input! I'd be ok spending a bit extra to get everything in one and to be able to do quick photocopies without the need of computer and having to scan first and then print.

So I guess I'm looking for a printer with:

Colour printing
Photocopying (B&W and Colour option)
Scanning
Wi-Fi
And if possible, printing from phone via NFC or something like that too.

The main reason I'd be upgrading from an inkjet and choosing to invest in a new printer instead of replacement ink, is because I feel as I print so infrequently that the length of time the cartridges I get last me, isn't worth what I pay for them based on the amount of pages I get printed from them.

If I knew I could invest in a printer that is more economical and better at managing ink than what I have, and if it could last me 20 years, I'm happy to spend the money on an entry level one if it has the above features. Quality of printing isn't so important but I guess one I could maybe print the odd photo from (very very rare that I'd ever do that - or need anything of high quality), but again, I'd rather pay a little extra now than having to go to a printing shop to do any half way decent prints.

Would that Samsung one I linked to above suit I wonder? I'm guessing it comes without a toner and it may or may not be possible to get a generic toner? If you may have any other suggestions, I'd appreciate any help

Imagine a toner was good for 1000 pages and I did 20 a year, would it hypothetically last 50 years, or would the toner eventually dry up after maybe 5 years?

Pkiernan

Any Brother Wireless Laser printer will be perfect.

L1011

Toner *is* dry. It can't dry further. I have never had a laser fail from lack of use - even dot matrixes dry up but if you're using carbon or NCR paper it doesn't matter as much.

Colour lasers are Really Quite Big as they are basically four laser printers in a row.

https://www.123ink.ie/Brother-MFC-9340CDW-All-in-One-Colour-Laser-Printer-MFC9340CDWRF1-i35878.html?mkwid=sNhcJsWHD_dc%7Cpcrid%7C245775000925%7Cpkw%7C%7Cpmt%7C%7Cslid%7C%7Cpgrid%7C53759594609%7Cptaid%7Cpla-322713600696&utm_source=google-shopping&utm_content=sNhcJsWHD_dc%7Cpcrid%7C245775000925%7Cpkw%7C%7Cpmt%7C%7Cslid%7C%7Cpgrid%7C53759594609%7Cptaid%7Cpla-322713600696&gclid=Cj0KCQiA37HhBRC8ARIsAPWoO0wtJjLb405_HJK8OBCO-EvENcBdOGJOqCH75_S4L0P26eiB0PzvQ-EaAoN0EALw_wcB looks OK but no personal experience

cormie

Thanks a lot for the info folks!

Do I need to worry about dot matrix, carbon or ncr paper and can I prevent any issues by changing something if I get this?


Thanks for the link suggestion for the Brother, that website is working out cheaper than the same model on Amazon too

However... this Samsung one seems to have all the same features, except for double sided printing and is like half the price and comes with "Starter Toner (700 page mono, 500 page CMY)" so that could potentially last me YEARS before I have to change toners?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-C480FW-Colour-Multifunction-Printer/dp/B010NE2HKI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1546223107&sr=8-4&keywords=laser+printer+and+scanner

I'm used to doing manual refeeding for double sided printing when I ever need to (which itself is rare)... so for half the cost, the samsung one may be a better option I wonder, unless there's something important I'm missing..

cormie

Seems this one offers pretty much everything the one for £406 does, besides FAX, which I don't need... and it does a few less pages per minute and may not do double side scanning, none of which are issues for me:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brother-DCP-9020CDW-Wireless-Connected-Printing/dp/B00CN5KGQS?pd_rd_wg=MXOSQ&pd_rd_r=696d6b6c-80fb-45ba-8c51-d964da386f40&pd_rd_w=wjPwG&ref_=pd_gw_cartx&pf_rd_r=JA5250QR33BABC8NBC7M&pf_rd_p=caabac26-d982-5319-8971-862146c79e32


There's a comparison on the brother page here:
https://www.brother.co.uk/product-comparison?returnurl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.brother.co.uk%2fprinters%2fall-colour-lasers%2fcolour-laser-all-in-one

Although you may have to select the printers...

It does double sided printing so has one up on the Samsung in that regard I guess..

jimmycrackcorm

cormie wrote:

But then I see options with a toner for like £210 more! Does this mean the toner cartridges are about £200

Sell the printer cheap and buy a new one when the supplied toner runs out

cormie

I see the genuine brother cartridges are going to be at least €200 for 4 :eek: I see you can get generic ones much cheaper, like €50 for 4, but a few quality issues and reviews saying they have messed up the printer itself.

There's a brother drum for about €120, is this just something that holds the cartridges, or is it a cheaper way to buy 4 cartridges and it's actually the ink itself, just sold as all 4 together?

Looks to be a choice between:

Brother DCP-9020CDW

Will be at least €300
Automatic feed for scanning multiple pages at once
Double sided printing

And

Samsung C480FW

Can get a warehouse deal for about €165
No automatic scan feed or double sided printing
Seems a lot more compact and lighter

ImARebel

Or

Get the lidl canon printer that's going to be coming in, I got it for 35eur, if it doesn't last so be it, it was only 35 quid

Has scanner, Wi-Fi and all you need

I will say compared to my previous canon which I paid 100eur there is no comparison with the photo quality but for normal paper printing it's perfect and Wi-Fi is so handy and for the kids photos for school again it's fine

Worth considering for the price I think

Alun

I second the laser printer suggestion. After years of inkjet printers and clogged print heads wasting ink and taking ages with cleaning cycles, I've never looked back. I got a Brother HL- 3150CDW from 123ink.ie, and kept my old HP inkjet MFP for the very occasional time I need to scan anything. It works fine for that with no ink cartridges in it.

The starter toner lasted a good while, and I replaced them with 123ink.ie generic ones. Just as good, higher capacity and cheaper.

L1011

It won't last, it's an inkjet. Inkjets need to be used constantly


Samsung toners are usually vastly dearer than Brother. The drum is a component further along the print chain that needs to be replaced in the tens of thousands of pages range - something you are unlikely to ever reach

cormie

Great, thanks again! Yeah, I definitely don't want to just get a cheap inkjet, I just want something decent that will last and give me quality and the least hassle I can get. I'm also not fond of cheap disposable consumables from an environmental perspective :P Thanks for the suggestion though

Interesting the Samsung toners are vastly dearer I guess they are counting on you buying genuine with the cheaper initial purchase price of the printer. I prefer the more compact size of the Samsung, but I guess neither are gonna be anywhere near as compact as the injet I have anyway.

123ink.ie doesn't seem to have the Brother DCP-9020CDW unfortunately as their price was cheaper than Amazon for the MFC-9340!

Alun

The 9020CDW is discontinued, that's why you don't see it on 123ink.ie. Any you find online will be old stock. There's a couple of alternative models there although they're a bit more expensive.

cormie

Aha, seems this is the replacement:

https://www.brother.co.uk/printers/colour-laser-printers/dcp-l3550cdw

It's on Amazon for £190 pre order price, so I pre-ordered it while it's that price, which is the lowest it's been and if anything comes up in the mean time I can change/cancel.

I think it's pretty identical to the 9020CDW but a lot cheaper for some reason.

I can't see any big differences to warrant paying more for the 9020CDW?

Alun

Hmmm, although I came across one page saying the 9020CDW was discontinued (brother.ie) I still see it shown as available on brother.co.uk, strange.

Anyway, it looks like this is just a new model / range. Can't see any immediately obvious differences.

cormie

Yeah, I saw that too and was questioning your post saying it was discontinued, but then I clicked into the "buy online" link on the brother site and it just redirects to trusted sellers, where it says on a few of the pages that it has been discontinued and replaced with another one, so I guess the ones that still have it in stock are just getting rid of the last ones?


Then the MFC-9140CDN has been replaced with the MFC-L3730CDN which is only £170 ex vat from printerland.co.uk, so I'll have to compare that later as that's a pretty good price and seems to have the fax too!

3DataModem

As per above: laser is the way to go. I got a B+W laser and never looked back. Scanner is not important these days due to phone capture quality being so good.

cormie

I agree with the phone capture sentiment.. I have some bluetac up on my wall and digitise everything with a quick snap on the phone which then syncs immediately to Google Photos and I can organise that as I please via Google Backup and Sync (previously Drive). Is handy to have the scanner and copier for when you need exact flat copies though

cormie

cormie wrote: »

Aha, seems this is the replacement:

https://www.brother.co.uk/printers/colour-laser-printers/dcp-l3550cdw

It's on Amazon for £190

So I ended up getting this and have it hooked up and working already. Compared to the older inkjet Canon mp620 3 in 1 I had, it's huge, but I found a spot for it thankfully.

For anyone else, these were the ones I was considering. DCP is Print/Scan/Copy, MFC is Print/Scan/Copy/Fax

£190e - DCP-L3550CDW (print 2 side, auto scan/copy 1 side, wifi, no fax, mobile connectivity but no nfc)
£260e - DCP-9020CDW (Replaced by cheaper DCP-L3550CDW)
£205e - MFC-L3730CDN (same features as DCP-L3550CDW but has FAX but has NO wifi!!)
£224e - MFC-L3750CDW (same features as DCP-L3550CDW but has FAX and slightly faster print times)
£280e - MFC-L3770CDW (same features as MFC-L3750CDW but has NFC and automatic 2 sided scan/copy but is physically larger)
£300+ - MFC-9340CDW (Replaced by cheaper and physically bigger MFC-L3770CDW)

So as I'm never likely to need to fax, it was between the
£190e - DCP-L3550CDW
and
£280e - MFC-L3770CDW

for me. I may have decided to splash out the extra on the £280e - MFC-L3770CDW to get the NFC and auto 2 side scan and faster print times, but the fact it was physically larger put me off, so I just went with the DCP-L3550CDW.

From what one customer service rep said, the prices above may be introductory prices as these models are just new, hence why they are cheaper than the older models they are replacing.


Thanks for all the advice folks. When I first took it out of the box, I did have another Google to see if there was any super compact colour laser all in one as it was so big, but now I've found a place for it, it'll do fine I'm sure. The start up toners it came with say they last 1,000 pages, so I'm hoping that's well into double digits in years of hassle free printing to come.