Printer cheap using: any advice?

[Oneil]

The price of a printer is both when you buy it and when you buy the ink.

Sometimes the ink is VERY expensive.

I have to buy a simple printer (black, I don't need colour): any advice?

[Chris]

It depends on what you want to do with it, meaning.. the volume of things to print. If it's high volume I would suggest a laser printer.

Most printers these days are color. I have an officeject by Brother which doesn't use too much ink but can be a bit slow if printing at best quality (also in color). I have no experience with other Brother printers (the entry models) but they might be ok. Ink is not that expensive on these either.

I've had a few HP printers (3 officejets) but ink is quite expensive and easily blocks up the nozzles or the device malfunctioned and needed to be tossed so I personally would stay away from HP.

Dell is great but don't go there as you can only buy ink through them (in Europe, don't know about here) and pricey.

I've been happy with Epson before but it's too long ago.

I would look at Brother or Epson first. Then compare the prices of ink. Maybe get some models jotted down on a piece of paper and do a comparison online. I think CNET.com (there is an asian English language site also, don't remember the URL) has some very good reviews and has great user comments too.

Hope this helps.

[still very busy now but you've got my number, when you join an event let me know by sms and I might show up.... ;-) depends on how much work I have. Good to see you settling here ;-)]

[condotown]

If you don't need color, my recommendation is to not buy a printer.

Save everything on a USB thumb drive and take it to a nearby net shop and have each page printed for 4-6 baht per page. Then if duplicates are needed, make copies at half a baht per page.

It actually comes out cheaper for me than to replace ink cartridges that keep drying out.

[beej]

Man the best thing I ever did was buy one of those crap all in one Epson printers middle of the range ones that print photos/scan ****/ink jet specials, BUT with the sneaky 500ml ink tanks on the side of them that you can just pour the refills into.

Make sure you get the biggest tanks possible though!

I've had mine for 1 year now and filled it only once, only yesterday did I print out a photo quality print of Pams cat, **** me it looked perfect.

Panthip Plaza 5000b + 4 500ml inks.

[Stu_thailand]

Man the best thing I ever did was buy one of those crap all in one Epson printers middle of the range ones that print photos/scan sh*t/ink jet specials, BUT with the sneaky 500ml ink tanks on the side of them that you can just pour the refills into.

Make sure you get the biggest tanks possible though!

I've had mine for 1 year now and filled it only once, only yesterday did I print out a photo quality print of Pams cat, f*ck me it looked perfect.

Panthip Plaza 5000b + 4 500ml inks.

Yes, I would agree. I have a similar priced all in one from Lexmark, do my own re-fills, it's as cheap as chips, and the quality for photo's is as good as any kodak shop.

[duanja]

I bought HP inkjet for 1700 Baht. It is a cheap hardware. If you print just 3-4 pages per day, I suggest you go for an inkjet. There is no problem with it. You just need to be sure the ink tank coagulate.

Usually an inkjet has two ink tanks : a Black ink tank, and a colourful ink tank. Try not to use up colorful ink tank so quick so that you will buy only a new black ink tank. Or just let the shop refilled the ink for you. Or you just refill the black ink tank. Whenever the printer doesn't work out, it is cheaper to buy a new one.

However, if you print many pages per day. I think Laser printer is a better choice if you don't mind adding more bits of money in it.

1. When u haven't print for a year, the laser printer still works fine. While the ink tank will dry and coagulate so it cannot print.

2. It prints much faster than Inkjet.

3. Price for a black laser printer is not expensive today . And You can also refill the toner for a laser printer. Other cheaper alternative is buying an artificial catatridge.

I bought HP LASER PRINTER 1010 3 years ago for 7000 baht. Now it costs only 4000 Baht. 2 years ago I also bought Brother MFC-7420 All-in-one (fax-scan-copy, print) for 15,000 baht. Now the price reduced to 10,000 Baht.

[Oneil]

Actually I shouldn't have to print many pages for the moment.

Save on USB, that's what i do for now, but if it's OK for the price, you have to go to a shop and I like to print home.

"Other cheaper alternative is buying an artificial catatridge." ????????????

Thanks for advices, I'll go to Pantip and see around with your advices on a sheet of pap... BUT NO, I can't, no printer home, that's exactly the reason I want one home, ha ha.