Fao Buenchico

[Hazlinny]

Hi Chris- am looking to purchase a new printer/scanner and wonder if you have any suggestions/advice. I only use it for printing documents, letters, etc. so it doesn't need to be top-of-the range.

[barry1010]

Does it have to be colour? How much printing to you do in an average week or month? Will standard A4 size suit?

[Hazlinny]

Preferably colour and A4. Don't use it much, some weeks not at all.

[bhg481]

If you don't use it much I'd recommend a laser printer as they don't suffer from long periods of non-use. I have a BROTHER DCPL3550CDW all-in-one which I like, cost about £330. Nice quick scanner, double-sided printing and wireless/USB connection.

[barry1010]

I have an inkjet printer/scanner/copier that goes weeks without being used, too. It is always 'on' and my energy meter tells me that it uses very little electricity in this state but twice a week or so it automatically does a clean that keeps the inkjets from drying out. I've had it a few years and no problems with it at all - works well with cheap compatibles.
It's a Brother, I've looked online but it is no longer available

[Hazlinny]

Thanks both.
Bhg/ don't want to spend as much as that.

[bhg481]

I appreciate it's expensive but my experience of inkjets are that the ink is expensive and you use more of it cleaning the heads than you do printing (Barry seems to have been lucky with his). Laserjets are cheaper in the long run.

[Buenchico]

My advice has long been to go for a printer that uses different cartridges for each colour, rather than one that just a has a single cartridge for all of the colours. They tend to be quite a bit dearer to buy but replacement cartridges for them are frequently a lot cheaper, meaning that you end up saving far more in the long run.

The brand that I tend to recommend (both from personal experience and because they don't seem to get as many problems reported here as some other brands do) is Canon.

Putting those two things together means that, if I was currently in your position, this is probably what I'd opt for:
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1931965

As you can see, that printer is around double the price of the cheapest printers but the inks tend to work out cheaper, so you end up saving overall fairly quickly. My preferred ink supplier charges £29.95 for a full set of all five inks (with discounts available for buying in quantity):
https://www.inkredible.co.uk/canon-pixma-ts6350-ink-cartridges

[Hazlinny]

Thanks Chris - will check that out.