Do you use a personal laser printer?

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

06/06/2005 09:33:34 PM · #1

My HP 4MP is dead I presume. It stopped loading paper and just makes a hellacious noise. So I need to replace it.

I used to like shopping on the internet. There was so much information. Now I find that I run into so much contradictory information, it's hard to decide.

Moreover, while laser printer prices have come down since I bought my 4MP (which I'm sure cost around $600), it also sounds like quality and reliability have come way down too.

So I wanted to poll here to see for those using "personal lasers", what your experience was, and if anyone felt their laser printer was so good they would unconditionally recommend it. I can check the specs and see if it meets my requirements (not to trouble you), but if you are curious, my requirements are:

1) relatively small, no more than 14 or so inches wide, or 8" tall
2) 4 ppm is enough, 12 ppm is more than enough.
3) power save mode, since I never turn it off
4) relatively quiet printing (and doesn't make my lights flicker!)
5) printer rather than host driven
6) economical page cost
7) enclosed feed tray (paper doesn't stick out)
8) good sheet feed for page based checks

Thanks in advance!

Neil

photodude

06/06/2005 09:38:10 PM · #2

Brother 2040... On sale this week for $99 (after rebate) at office depot.

Brother's are all we have at work... incredibly reliable and durable.

strangeghost

Canon EOS-7D

06/06/2005 09:46:20 PM · #3

I have a 4MP that I've been using for so long I can't remember exactly when we bought it. I has to be 11 or 12 years now. Too bad yours is biting the dust. I've never had a piece of hardware this reliable before.

Nordlys

Canon EOS R10

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

06/06/2005 09:46:46 PM · #4

I have a Brother HL-1440, which I bought based on a high ("excellent") rating by Consumer Reports. It's a great model if you just need basic functionality.

Nordlys

Prof_Fate

06/06/2005 10:02:42 PM · #5

I am still runing my 1994 HP 4P.
I considered very seriously replacing or supplementing it with a color laser, now that $400 to $600 will get you one.

Things have changed in the laser world...on my (and your) HP it would print until the toner ran out. be that 1000 pages or 4000. Nowadays, they count the pages, and when you hit that many pages it quits until you replace the toner cartridge...and the new units come with a 'partial' cartridge. Most the color ones i looked at seem to want to replace all 4 cartridges at the same page count, even if all you ever print is cyan, the magenta and yellow will cease functioning at some predetermined page count.

So check the above info, as the cost of consumables can easily outweight the cost of the unit.

One of the units i looked at (i forget which brand) had a dust catcher for used toner, and it was not emptyable. it had to be replaced. i thought that odd, as i have not seen that on a HP (but i have seen it on big office copiers). Anyway, the bigger issue was getting the supplies - they were scarce - not something you can run to Staples and just pick up. Try ordering it and waiting...6 weeks.And you can't print for those 6 weeks...

i got frustrated and quit looking. I hope my 4P lasts another 10 years.

As for speed - unless you are printing huge docs, the time for the initial page is the most important spec to watch.

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

06/06/2005 10:24:02 PM · #6

Thanks. One follow up: I am used to the HP toner/drum combination. What are the ups/downs of having a separate drum? Is it costly or a pain to replace?

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

06/06/2005 10:42:21 PM · #7

Still running a HP 4m Plus (the postscript version) and never had a moment's problem with it in maybe 10 years of use...

Robt.

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

06/06/2005 10:46:01 PM · #8

Originally posted by bear_music:

Still running a HP 4m Plus (the postscript version) and never had a moment's problem with it in maybe 10 years of use...

Robt.

I assume 4m Plus = 4MP. Yes, I just looked up my purchase date: 1/2/94. So I can't complain about something that lasted 11 years. But it's probably not worth fixing. I have 6 mbytes memory in mine, so if I can't use it again, someone with a 4MP who needs it is welcome to it.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

06/06/2005 10:49:01 PM · #9

Originally posted by nshapiro:

Originally posted by bear_music:
Still running a HP 4m Plus (the postscript version) and never had a moment's problem with it in maybe 10 years of use...

Robt.

I assume 4m Plus = 4MP. Yes, I just looked up my purchase date: 1/2/94. So I can't complain about something that lasted 11 years. But it's probably not worth fixing. I have 6 mbytes memory in mine, so if I can't use it again, someone with a 4MP who needs it is welcome to it.

Probably. Says "4M Plus" right on top. State of the art when I bought it, cost me 2500 bux or something gross like that. Used it for making camera-ready art for years. Great printer.

R.

06/06/2005 10:54:38 PM · #10

Originally posted by bear_music:

Originally posted by nshapiro:

Originally posted by bear_music:
Still running a HP 4m Plus (the postscript version) and never had a moment's problem with it in maybe 10 years of use...

Robt.

I assume 4m Plus = 4MP. Yes, I just looked up my purchase date: 1/2/94. So I can't complain about something that lasted 11 years. But it's probably not worth fixing. I have 6 mbytes memory in mine, so if I can't use it again, someone with a 4MP who needs it is welcome to it.

Probably. Says "4M Plus" right on top. State of the art when I bought it, cost me 2500 bux or something gross like that. Used it for making camera-ready art for years. Great printer.

R.

Actually, now that I think back, I think that you have an HP 4M plus postscript (added in). I have an HP 4P plus postcript, hence they add the "M", i.e., moniker 4MP. Who'd have thought it could make any less sense than that. ;)

The 4MP is a small, 4ppm printer. It was about $600; I gave away my HP LJIII when I bought it--I wanted something smaller that didn't bring down the power grid when it printed ;)

06/06/2005 10:55:00 PM · #11

Also reminds me: I just put a new toner cartridge in it. First time I bought 3rd party, but this was verbatim. So if anyone wants the almost brand new cartridge when I dispose of the printer, than you can have it for the price of shipping.

kyebosh

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 80-200mm f/2.8L

06/06/2005 10:57:39 PM · #12

I've got two b/w laser printers... I guess those don't count.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

06/06/2005 11:01:25 PM · #13

Originally posted by kyebosh:

I've got two b/w laser printers... I guess those don't count.

We are talking B&W! So yes, tell me about them.

kyebosh

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 80-200mm f/2.8L

06/06/2005 11:12:25 PM · #14

Ohhh... um one of them is an HP which is supposed to be great for laser printers. I don't recall the exact model and it's packed somewhere in the basement for the time being. It was about $500 and I modified it with an extra 64mb of memory so it's got 72mb total. 12 pages a minute at 600dpi iirc. Works very well for me and i'm still on the first toner cartridge. The other is a very old model that we got for free and I wouldn't recommend it. let me go look for the model number on the HP...

Laserjet 1200... I think it's bigger than your requirements however.

Message edited by author 2005-06-06 23:14:03.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

06/06/2005 11:16:55 PM · #15

I have a 6L that has gone on for nearly 10years before needing a new toner cartridge.

pixieland

Fujifilm FinePix S602Z

06/07/2005 02:56:26 AM · #16

Have you tried looking inside your printer to see if something fell in ? That's what happened to one of mine. A piece of junk fell into it and was causing it not to let the paper load. Sometimes it's something simple.

PaulMdx

Canon EOS-1D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM

06/07/2005 03:25:22 AM · #17

Originally posted by nshapiro:

My HP 4MP ..

I have a HP Laserjet 2100 that has served me well. I believe the 2000 series followed on from the LJ4's, so it might fit your needs well. Not sure on the price or size, but I know lasers have come down a LOT since I bought mine.

ganders

Canon EOS-40D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

06/07/2005 04:40:37 AM · #18

We recently had to replace our ailing Kyocera (astoundingly cheap to run, but the drum started failing and it was non-trivial to replace)

We got a Lexmark E232; it's unremarkable and the toner refills are scarily expensive after owning the Kyocera but the printer itself is fast and cheap.

photosense

Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro

06/07/2005 04:43:56 AM · #19

im just about to buy a colour laser printer, to print my calendars on, ive been recomended a xerox one at $2000 it is supposed to give great prints aswell being economical.

that said if i was going for black and white i would buy a hp as they seem great on cartridge life

Sailingduck

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Canon EF 600mm f/4.0L IS USM

06/07/2005 08:32:29 AM · #20

Coincidentally, my HP 4L just died. I bought it in 1993! I will be eager to read other opinions on brand and model of laser printers since I'm in the market for a new one.

muckpond

Nikon D200

Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX Diagonal Fisheye for Nikon

06/07/2005 09:27:13 AM · #21

thumbs up on the Brother models. we have an HL-5170DN at work. kind of big for home, but it's a great little trooper.

semi-related story:
and if you buy it from Staples, you might get one free! i ordered one from them and they delivered it the next day. then the day after that another one showed up. i called them to tell them about it and they were going to charge me shipping to return the 2nd printer. the lady on the phone wouldn't listen to me, so i just hung up. it's still in the warehouse. someday i'll get around to taking it back. :)

in any case, look at the Brother line if you just need a cheapy B/W printer.

muckpond

Nikon D200

Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX Diagonal Fisheye for Nikon

06/07/2005 09:29:54 AM · #22

actually, looking at your requirements, the 5170 (or 5150 w/o network) might just be exactly what you're looking for...

06/08/2005 01:53:57 PM · #23

Thanks everyone for your help!!!!

Ok, FWIW here's my final decision process for the final two printers. I just ended up ordering the HP. I was REALLY REALLY tempted to get the Brother. The HP recycling program, and the power consumption tipped the scales for me to HP. They will take my previous printer back to recycle it for free (if I buy an HP), so it doesn't end up in a landfill for the next 300 years. Feature wise, other than power consumption, the Brother won by a small margin (more memory, network capabilities).

I bought it from Staples online, with a coupon and a rebate. I figured if the printer is a dog, with Staples, I can return it easily (as I recall, they'll even pick it up).

**********************************************************************
Final Comparison Sheet:

Brother 5170 (thanks Rob for suggesting this) $279 at staples
HP 1320 - $279 after rebate (at Staples, can do this online)

Common Features (not different enough to be pro or con):
1) Automatic duplex printing
2) 133 MHz processors (Brother has Fuji Sparclight)
3) 26 lbs / 25 lbs (Brother/HP)
4) Size: Brother: 15 x 15.8 x 9.9" (H) / HP: 13.8" x 14" x 10.03" (H)
5) 21 ppm (Brother), 22ppm (HP)
7) Parallel, USB 2.0 interfaces
8) 1 year warranty
9) PCL 6, and PS (I've used HP PS, never tried Brothers yet)
10) Includes auto duplex printing, save paper
11) Jams clearing from front of printer (since I have it installed in a under desk unit!)
12) Booklet printing!

Comparisons (only differences highlighted):

Brother Pros:
1) Includes 2 paper trays: 250 sheet, 50 sheet multipurpose
2) 32 MB Standard memory
3) Networking included (web page setup?)
4) Toner: TN-540 $64 3500 sheets
TN-570 $80 6700 sheets

Brother Cons:
1) More Power: < 460 printing, < 75 watts standby, sleep mode 5 watts
2) Separate Drum $125 replacment after 20,000 pages (7 cartridges)

Pros for the HP
1) Resolution: 1200x1200 (HP) versus 2400x600 (Brother)
2) Standby powre 6 watts, printing 345 watts, instant on fuser, 10 seconds from Standby to print
3) Monthly usage: 10,000 sheets

Cons for the HP:
1) One complaint from a person about the sheet feed
2) Only 16 MB Memory included
3) Toner: Q5949A 49A $80 (2500)
Q5949X 49X $170 (6000)
**********************************************************************

Thanks everyone for your help!!!!
Thanks everyone for your help!!!!
Thanks everyone for your help!!!!
Thanks everyone for your help!!!!
Thanks everyone for your help!!!!

06/08/2005 04:56:18 PM · #24

bump...for those interested, see my wrapup below...