Laserjet printer; second hand - yes or no?

[omarjk]

Hi, I would like to know which laserjets you would recommend inside a budget of £200/$300-350?

I cannot take the heartache of ink and wasted ink from inkjets any longer.

Would you advise against second-hand, and what are the pitfalls to look out for if I do?

Thank you.

 

[notjustjay]

"LaserJet" is an HP brand; did you mean specifically HP LaserJets or were you referring to laser printers in general?

When buying used, the only thing to be concerned about is that the cheaper models (the ones that sold for $100-200 new) are probably going to be junk, and the more expensive models, the ones designed for business use, will be reliable workhorses BUT often cost a lot to replace their consumables. A cheapo $99 printer might have a toner cartridge that costs $50, while a toner for a high-end LaserJet might cost $200. Of course, that $200 toner will last a lot longer, but you do have to get over the sticker shock.

Whether you buy new or used, buy something solid. There's a lot of junk out there right now.

 

[jbrenn]

printer

what ever you do do not buy a brother hl 2460 that printer is crap. I would recommend going with a hp laserjet 4000 or 4050 that printer is nice and reliable. Just change the rollers every 2k pages or so. i have 200000+ pages on the original fuser.

 

[rhyx]

what ever you do do not buy a brother hl 2460 that printer is crap. I would recommend going with a hp laserjet 4000 or 4050 that printer is nice and reliable. Just change the rollers every 2k pages or so. i have 200000+ pages on the original fuser.

4000 and 4050 are rock solid.

 

[omarjk]

OK, brother hl 2460 is off the shopping list.

To clarify, I did mean any laser printer and not just laserjets; blushing apologies for the oversight.

I'll take your advice and try to find the HP 4000/50.

a) can a user check how many pages they have printed on that model? b) at how many pages printed would it begin to be more economic to purchase brand new?

Thanks.

 

[omarjk]

Refilled Toner?

Thanks fellas,

I have purchased an HP 4050 TN for around $30. It has made c. 165,000 prints and has next to no toner, so I am looking to replace that part at least.

Can you say whether refills are good value or should I steer clear?

Thanks.

 

[Tomorrow]

I have purchased an HP 4050 TN for around $30. It has made c. 165,000 prints and has next to no toner, so I am looking to replace that part at least.

Can you say whether refills are good value or should I steer clear?

If it were me, I'd just buy a new one, typically they're not too expensive - most seem to run around $100 or so. Store brands are probably okay, but I've never bought them. No telling how long a refilled cartridge will last.

 

[omarjk]

Refill/networking

True, refills are an unknown quantity unless particularly widely used.

I think I can get some genuine HP toner on eBay; especially as the 4050 seems so ubiquitous among home/small-office users.

Good tip so far.

ps I have seen queries from users on how to configure their networks with HPs. Well for posterity, I connected the HP 4050 TN - I am unsure if the 'N' denotes network, but I was very glad it was there - to my router. Any computer connected wirelessly/by ethernet cable on the same network can send documents straight to the printer without making a direct physical connection. I used Appletalk, which can be found in the menu if you send any doc to print and select 'Add Printer/Fax' from the drop down menu.

PM me if you need any help with this in the future.