I probably only print about 100 pages a year - but usually when I come to use dthe Epson Printer it needs the heads cleaning that then runs dry a couple of cartridges!
I absolutely hate the idea that I should go and buy a new printer but if I do what is the current recommendation as I am likely to throw my SX235W out of the window soon.
If you don't need colour buy a cheap b/w laser printer. You can even get colour lasers for about £120.
A laser printer. My usage is similar to yours, and I have no regrets buying my HP colour laser. It never dries out, and just prints whenever I want it to.
Just buy a cheap laser. Running costs won't matter. Do you need colour?
Most lasers don't print photos well, though. Is that an issue?
Only real answer is a laser. They don't seem to object to being unused for ages.
Although modern ink jets don't seem to dry out quite so quickly as once.
+1 Assess whether you need colour (I don't) and buy a laser. You dont have problems with ink drying out as the toner is dry already.
Davey pretended :
+1. I have an ancient HP4000n with all the attachments as a B&W printer, as my basic workhorse. Then some sort of colour laser when I must have colour. Both can sit unused for months/years and just print when needed.
I've had my HP Officejet Pro 8100 for about two and a half years and my usage is very light, 950 pages so far. It was about one year before I needed to replace any of the original colour cartridges and two years for the black, I'm still using the replacement XL cartridges and it looks like I should get another 6 to 12 months out of the colour cartridges and 2 years out of the black. I've never had any problems with blocked jets and it seldom runs a cleaning cycle.
Of course that model is obsolete now but I'd expect the current OfficeJet Pro 8210 to be fairly similar.
One thing that might be significant is that I never power off the printer. The power consumption in sleep mode is trivial and it rarely decides to do a cleaning cycle. If you power it off it has no record of how long since the last clean so does a clean every time you power up.
That's what I did.
I also do very little printing and got sick to the back teeth of carts drying up.
15 months ago I bought a Ricoh SP211 black and white laser printer from Tesco. ?29.99 delivered and it worked straight out of the box. RTFM says it is good for 700 pages in economy mode. In the past 15 months I have printed out less than 60 pages - mainly house/car insurance/HMRC stuff, stuff that I like to have a hard copy of. It has worked faultlessly. I think it is discontinued now. But there will be others around.
My HP CP2025 prints then very well.
Bill
In message , Harry Bloomfield writes
+1 I have used an ancient Xerox P12 until recently. It's a Laserjet 2 clone. I think it cost a fiver, but I once had to buy it some toner.I retired it in favour of a Dell C1765nf colour MFP that I was given by a friend. He had a paper jam in one of these that couldn't be cleared. Mine is the free replacement he got from Dell. He had replaced it with a more industrial workhorse, so gave me this. It hasn't jammed on me, but I am wary of it. For redundancy I have an HP Laserjet MFP M275, which I couldn't resist when I saw it on offer for, I think, ?25. As he took my money, the salesman said "My God, is it colour, I'd have bought it if I'd known". No wonder Staples went bust. It's really weird with its 3D scanner but every 9 months or so I fire it up to see if it still works. It always does.
If I only had one laser printer, I would check that it could unfold or otherwise easily come apart to clear any paper jam.
I stand corrected, then. That's quite a high end printer, and my experience is with cheaper ones.
I bought a cheap Samsung laser some time ago. Didn't last long. Of course it was a Samsung, which may explain it. Paid a bit more for an HP which is better in every way - so far.
+1, but inkjets have got better over the years. I have an A3 multifunction Brother which doesn't get a lot of use, and that can tolerate a month or two idle.
I've still got several ink jet printers in the loft. 6 months ago I nearly broke my neck having a clear out with a big heavy HP monster that would do everything. The other printers can rot up there.
Try six months idle :-) The next time I print will be in September when I renew the car insurance. Then in January when I renew my house insurance. Ink carts would be dried up by then. I've been there and did not like it. Oh, I know it is good practice to print out a test page every month, but I always forget.
Laser is definitely the way to go. I picked up an HP MFP M125nw black and w hite multi functional one for £10 on eBay. The original cartridge was in it and lasted over a year with the kids homework, and a fair amount of p rinting. After a few shakes and refitting it needed changing. Replacement o ne was £7 for something like a forecasted 2000 pages. We leave ours sw itched on but the speed is incredible. You hit the print button walk to the printer and it is already spitting the document out.
Couldn't agree more.
for B/W you cant beat a Laser Im still using a HP LaserJet 5 which must be over 20year old and still prints ok but I also have inkjets for printing Photos and never have a problem with head blocking/cleaning but they are used regularly
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