Shopping for laser printer - little help please.

[george graves]

I need to pick up a laser printer. I was thinking of a Dell color laser.

It's hard to find real reviews on printers. Anyone have first hand experience?

- I'm open to any brand - but I'm happy with Dell and HP.
- I don't need speed at all
- I know a color laser is bigger, but I'd prefer that it's not HUGE.
- Budget is $200-$300

If I can't find a well built color - maybe I'll just go with a old HP laserjet mono? There are some Laserjet 4+ printers out there with replaced rollers for less than $150 shipped - it aslo would come with a direct jet lan card installed.

Advice? Thanks guys!

gg

[george graves]

bump

[Wiglaf]

I've have good experience with Brother. HP makes good hardware, but HP and lexmark I avoid because thier drivers are so overbloated and terrible.
HP's are quite tolerable if you have a microsoft driver for it.

[imdashiz]

so you'd be willing pay 50 bucks for each (4) cartridge when they run out.

[markseven]

How will you use the printer? Is it for maps and directions, or business use? Will you use it to proof artwork or output collateral for distribution?

[quickervicar]

I've had an H-P LaserJet 4050TN going non-stop since 1998. It had to be cleaned several times & needed a fuser once, but it has been an absolute workhorse for us. Current print counter is over 295,000 pages. I can't recommend commercial-grade Hewlett-Packard stuff enough.

[equate975]

I've have good experience with Brother. HP makes good hardware, but HP and lexmark I avoid because thier drivers are so overbloated and terrible.
HP's are quite tolerable if you have a microsoft driver for it.

HP does have just the drive on their website for printers. You don't have to install all their crap, I hate it and never do.

I've had an H-P LaserJet 4050TN going non-stop since 1998. It had to be cleaned several times & needed a fuser once, but it has been an absolute workhorse for us. Current print counter is over 295,000 pages. I can't recommend commercial-grade Hewlett-Packard stuff enough.

Yeah they don't build them like they used to. I have several HP lasers from that era still running strong. Still any laser should outlast any inkjet, those things die after a year or two.

Just don't put sketchy aftermarket carts in. I just recycled a really nice HP color laser at work because the guy put some ebay carts in, the leaked allover inside the printer. Ended up stripping all the gears out.

[Desaevious]

You have to replace drums on Brother laser printers. For the most part they're good for 12,000 pages or so and then they need to be replaced at about $100-$180 for the drum. That's all I'll help with...I don't like thinking about work when I'm not punched in at my part time job at Staples...