Good printer for home occasional use

[kevindd992002]

I need an all-in-one printer (scanner, copier, printer). From my research, I've narrowed down my brand choices to just either Brother or Epson. For occasional use, should I be looking for a laser printer? Going back to my printing habits over the years, I've only needed to print in black but I would also want to have the capability of printing in color. Are color laser printers too costly?

I was looking at the Epson EcoTank L6270 and was very close to pulling the trigger until I read here that a laser printer is more recommended for infrequent use. And don't ink tank printers have lower cost per page than laser printers in general? Or is it recommended to use third-party compatible tonrt cartridges for laser printers?

What do you guys recommend?

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

What is your actual printing habit - what does 'infrequent' actually mean - a page every day or 10 pages at one time in a month ?

You are right that a laser could be a better choice - laserprinters are less prone to have startup problems - clogs etc than inkjet printers if we talk about idle times of months. Don't consider the use of third party inks - cartridges - toners at all - if you only print a few pages your total printing cost should be pretty low - and you would not like to be bothered with issues around 3rd party supplies.

 

[kevindd992002]

Yeah, the latter so mostly 10 pages at one time in a month. Sometimes, it could even go a few months without any printing. I'm just tired of paying for overpriced printing services when it's time for me to print.

Could I get away with the ink drying up issue with ink tank printers if I print a nozzle check page once a week? It's a very inconvenient thing to do but I was just curious if this is really a thing as I read that some people do this.

So any type of third party supply (cartridges, drums, etc.) is a no-no for any type of printer? Do you have a specific recommendation of a printer that I can buy?

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Nothing is for free with 3rd party consumables - you just won't have the experience to handle any issues with those - to identify potential causes - and you'll loose warranty - you won't save anything at the end. You just can browse this forum to see how any postings are related to 3rd party consumables .

Printing nozzle checks on a particular frequency is a possible option but requires discipline to do it. I do it with one printer on a weekly basis since I don't use that large format printer regularly , other people just put the printer away when not in use so it does not take away space on the table .

I cannot recommend any printer at this time - you may look for special offers - go to an electronics store - or look for other opportunities in your vicinity.