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Colour MFP -Inkjet or Laser ? (Possibly Noob question)

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  • 28-04-2015 8:54pm
    #1
    I swindled the NSA
    Closed Accounts Posts: 150 ✭✭


    (Hope Im in the correct forum -Don't see any one specifically for peripheral devices)

    I was always under the impression that the whole point of a Laser printer was that while initial purchase costs were higher the running costs (Ink/Toner) were lower.

    However a couple of recent magazine reviews Ive read seem to suggest that in many instances the opposite may be the case :confused:

    If so what (apart possibly from speed) is the point of a laser printer ? At the moment Ive an ancient mono laser printer which I want to replace with a colour MFP. Ink/Toner costs are my main concern. Ive read that the Canon Maxify MB5050 is pretty good in this regard. Should I go for this model or maybe stick with laser ??


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    #2
    ressem
    Registered Users Posts: 2,426 ✭✭✭ressem


    Most small printers are sold trying to make money back on ink.
    Often you can discard and replace the printer for half the price of 4 replacement laser toner carts (cyan, magenta, yellow, black).
    Which is an insane pricing structure.

    For HP and Brother lasers, you're often looking at €300 to replace all 4, and supplying the printer with half-filled 'starter' cartridges.
    And HP are trying to push monthly ink subscriptions if anyone's foolish enough to buy their equipment.

    Depends what volumes you'll be printing, and how inconvenient replacing ink is for you. Or if you need features like borderless printing.

    Those Epson ecotank printers add €200 to the up front price and charge prices for ink that are more like reality. 70ml for €15 each. Each HP 951xl officejet pro cartridge would cost more for a quarter of that, 17ml of ink each.
    Kind of doubt that the Ecotank will be anything other than a Green niche though, due to the sticker price.

    Lasers would usually give predictable output speed and less variation in pages for commercial work, no drying.


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    #3
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,465 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    One annoying aspect of inkjet printers is that if they're not used frequently, they have to go through a head purging / cleaning process which wastes loads of ink, and impacts on the cost per page too. I don't know if colour lasers go through a similar process, and haven't been able to find any reliable information on that either. All I can find out is that they need an occasional realignment / calibration but I suspect that's based on pages printed rather than time based, so may be not as bad as all that.


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    #4
    I swindled the NSA
    Closed Accounts Posts: 150 ✭✭I swindled the NSA


    ressem wrote: »
    Most small printers are sold trying to make money back on ink..... Often you can discard and replace the printer for half the price of 4 replacement laser toner carts (cyan, magenta, yellow, black).
    Which is an insane pricing structure. .

    How is such a pricing structure even sustainable with the refilling/recycling (by both individuals and companies such as "cartridge world") widespread :confused:


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