Need a New Printer

[ExFlyBoy5]

Just a short collective thank you to everyone who posted thoughts on this thread. All the commentary (laser vs. inkjest, Brother printer recommendations, etc.) was very helpful color and cut down a great deal on sifting of Amazon reviews.

Settled on the Brother DCPL25502DW as a good medium between cost and functionality. Wireless printing has been a revelation!

(Yes, still easily amazed by technology. Who was it who said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic...)

I think you have made a good choice. I have now had my "Baby Brother" (the HL-L2300D) for a few weeks and it has performed flawlessly.

 

[W2R]

I think you have made a good choice. I have now had my "Baby Brother" (the HL-L2300D) for a few weeks and it has performed flawlessly.

Thanks! That one looks great, so I bookmarked it too. I don't really need wi-fi or a copier so it is definitely in the running.

 

[harley]

(Yes, still easily amazed by technology. Who was it who said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic...)

That would be Clarke's Third Law. Arthur C. Clarke.

 

[calico1597]

I decided to purchase the Brother HL-L2395DW for AZ home. Best Buy had them for the same price as Amazon. Have had it about two weeks now, probably a couple dozen prints, working great.

Now I'm wondering if it's a good idea to get the same printer for our Illinois home. Having the driver's already installed on the laptops, how will I log into the Illinois wifi? I have the AZ wifi password on them now.

 

[Philliefan33]

I decided to purchase the Brother HL-L2395DW for AZ home. Best Buy had them for the same price as Amazon. Have had it about two weeks now, probably a couple dozen prints, working great.

Now I'm wondering if it's a good idea to get the same printer for our Illinois home. Having the driver's already installed on the laptops, how will I log into the Illinois wifi? I have the AZ wifi password on them now.

Just set up the second printer in IL, connected to the IL WiFi. When your laptop is in IL and connected to that WiFi, do the “add printer” function and connect to the printer. I would suggest renaming the printers to something like “printer in AZ” and “printer in IL” to avoid confusion and frustration when you wait for a document that you sent to the wrong printer.

The print driver is just a set of instructions that tell the laptop how to communicate with that particular printer model. The same driver will work for any instance of that model.

 

[omni550]

Now I'm wondering if it's a good idea to get the same printer for our Illinois home. Having the driver's already installed on the laptops, how will I log into the Illinois wifi? I have the AZ wifi password on them now.

Just set up the second printer in IL, connected to the IL WiFi. When your laptop is in IL and connected to that WiFi, do the “add printer” function and connect to the printer. I would suggest renaming the printers to something like “printer in AZ” and “printer in IL” to avoid confusion and frustration when you wait for a document that you sent to the wrong printer.

The print driver is just a set of instructions that tell the laptop how to communicate with that particular printer model. The same driver will work for any instance of that model.

Yep, just like Philliefan says.

Plus....with the usual commotion of setting up camp in my new (other) location, I sometimes forget to change the default printer on my computer to the one at the new location. Just something to keep in mind when you have just switched locations.

omni

 

[Revlefty]

Does printer ink dry out? I am hesitant to purchase a second printer for my Florida house because it will sit idle for six months. I am assuming that would clog up the printer jets.

 

[omni550]

Does printer ink dry out? I am hesitant to purchase a second printer for my Florida house because it will sit idle for six months. I am assuming that would clog up the printer jets.

Revlefty,

Toner ink (used in laser printers) does not dry out. I have two Brother laser printers, one at my home up north and one in Florida. They can sit idle (in my case, turned off) for up to 6-7 months, and the first page printed on startup is as good as the last page printed months before (= zero waste).

Additionally, I like the WiFi capability as I can print from my laptop, cell phone, and tablet from anywhere around the house & lanai.

omni

 

[Amethyst]

I'm tempted. Have had bad luck with a Brother inkjet so was reluctant to pull the cord on yet another Brother...if yours works out (and you tell us) I might just, though!

Just a short collective thank you to everyone who posted thoughts on this thread. All the commentary (laser vs. inkjest, Brother printer recommendations, etc.) was very helpful color and cut down a great deal on sifting of Amazon reviews.

Settled on the Brother DCPL25502DW as a good medium between cost and functionality. Wireless printing has been a revelation!

(Yes, still easily amazed by technology. Who was it who said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic...)

 

[mpeirce]

Does printer ink dry out?

Printer ink dries out over time - especially in a nozzle - which is problem for printers that use ink like inkjet printers. But laser printers don't use ink. They use toner which is a dry power. It doesn't really age (OK, maybe after a few decades, not sure).

That's why laser printers are so great for intermittent use. They can sit there for months without use and still be ready to go with zero maintenance.

I won't bore you with an explanation of how laser printers work, but I think it is fascinating. There are lots of good explanations out on the web if you search for them.

 

[scrabbler1]

My LF has a Lexmark all-in-one color printer but she rarely prints or makes copies but the ink cartridges dry up quickly, requiring replacement or refill (which I have to do). Her birthday is in a few weeks so I will buy her an all-in-one laser printer (black ink only, no color) for around $100 and take her old one so I can have something which can scan/fax and with my existing laser printer use it as a copier. Remember, laser printers use toner which is fine powder, not ink, so they won't dry up due to infrequent use.

I ended up buying her an HP Laserjet Pro MFP M130nw all-in-one printer from Best Buy. It was marked down to $70, a pleasant surprise. I installed it at her place last week (prior to her b-day) and she has already used it to print some stuff. I took her old all-in-one because I can use a scanner and can combine that feature with my own PC and printer to make copies of documents once in a while.

 

[TimeMeasure]

If there are any electricians in the crowd, would be interested in thoughts...

When printing from the brand new laser printer, lights in a couple of the upstairs rooms flicker. The rest of the house is fine.

Reading up on laser printers, apparently this is normal, if laser printers are on the same circuit as lights.

The flickering isn't really more than a curiosity. But I do wonder whether, after the power drawdown that causes the flicker, there is then a corresponding power surge to outlets in the rest of the house... and whether electronics could be at risk as a result (e.g. iPad plugged in to charge).

If so, presumably one solution (short of having an electrician move the printer outlet to a separate circuit) would be to buy surge protectors for the important outlets in the house... but before going to that trouble and expense, would be interested to know whether, from the point of view of folks more electrically knowledgeable, it would be worthwhile or not.

 

[Sunset]

Just a short collective thank you to everyone who posted thoughts on this thread. All the commentary (laser vs. inkjest, Brother printer recommendations, etc.) was very helpful color and cut down a great deal on sifting of Amazon reviews.

Settled on the Brother DCPL25502DW as a good medium between cost and functionality. Wireless printing has been a revelation!

(Yes, still easily amazed by technology. Who was it who said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic...)

Thanks for letting us know, and I added that printer to my wishlist as it looks like an easy replacement for my current one, if/when it wears out.

 

[Walt34]

If there are any electricians in the crowd, would be interested in thoughts...

When printing from the brand new laser printer, lights in a couple of the upstairs rooms flicker. The rest of the house is fine.

I can't answer your other questions but when we bought our first laser printer, when it powered up the voltage drawdown would cause the PC to reboot even though it was on a UPS. The temporary fix was to run a 12-gauge extension cord to it from one of the 20-amp circuits in the kitchen. That of course was a royal pita and DW grumped a bit.

The more permanent fix was to have an electrician install a separate 20-amp circuit just for the printer. The replacement laser printer doesn't draw nearly as much power but since the separate outlet is there I continue to use that.

 

[JoeWras]

If there are any electricians in the crowd, would be interested in thoughts...

When printing from the brand new laser printer, lights in a couple of the upstairs rooms flicker. The rest of the house is fine.

Reading up on laser printers, apparently this is normal, if laser printers are on the same circuit as lights.

The flickering isn't really more than a curiosity. But I do wonder whether, after the power drawdown that causes the flicker, there is then a corresponding power surge to outlets in the rest of the house... and whether electronics could be at risk as a result (e.g. iPad plugged in to charge).

If so, presumably one solution (short of having an electrician move the printer outlet to a separate circuit) would be to buy surge protectors for the important outlets in the house... but before going to that trouble and expense, would be interested to know whether, from the point of view of folks more electrically knowledgeable, it would be worthwhile or not.

I wouldn't worry about surge damage from this effect. Most devices these days can handle a little voltage drop, which is what you are seeing. An iPad on charge? Nah, don't worry about that. No surge, at worse, an interruption in charging.

More concerning would be a computer or DVR that takes enough of a hit to reboot. That's unusual these days, but you see Walt had that issue a while ago. Anything that reboots or resets is a problem. Otherwise, you are OK. I have my computers on very small UPS devices to absorb voltage drops. We get them from time to time on the main line.

Some of my house is wired with 12 gauge, and some with 14 gauge. If you ever find yourself building a house, insist on 20 amp circuits just about everywhere you expect to have any electronics.

BTW, you may not notice it, but I bet you your vacuum cleaner does the same thing to your power.

 

[Another Reader]

Thanks! That one looks great, so I bookmarked it too. I don't really need wi-fi or a copier so it is definitely in the running.

The 2320 is routinely on sale, often at $59.99 or even $49.99. Check Staples and Best Buy - both have had them for $49.99. We own four, one in Arizona and three spread out here. They are hardwired, not wireless, but they just keep working.

 

[W2R]

The 2320 is routinely on sale, often at $59.99 or even $49.99. Check Staples and Best Buy - both have had them for $49.99. We own four, one in Arizona and three spread out here. They are hardwired, not wireless, but they just keep working.

Thank you! That sounds like just what I want. I always use my laptop from my insanely expensive but oh-so-comfy Italian leather easy chair. I keep my printer right beside me there too, so it is actually easier for me to just use a USB connector instead of wireless.

 

[harley]

Does printer ink dry out? I am hesitant to purchase a second printer for my Florida house because it will sit idle for six months. I am assuming that would clog up the printer jets.

Printer ink dries out over time - especially in a nozzle - which is problem for printers that use ink like inkjet printers. But laser printers don't use ink. They use toner which is a dry power. It doesn't really age (OK, maybe after a few decades, not sure).

As I said somewhere else on this forum, I have a small business that does purchasing for some labs in my old Megacorp. For one of them over the past 9 years I've had to order refurbished HP Laserjets of a particular model, because they have a closet full of toner cartridges they are trying to use up. The toner has outlasted more than one printer.

 

[txtig]

Anybody have any experience with compact portable wireless printers? I’m looking for one to carry in the motor home for occasional printing needs. I don’t see that there is a lot of selection in this category. And, what’s out there seems a little pricy compared to regular desktop printers.

 

[frayne]

+1

I purchased a basic Brother laser printer for $50 a few years ago and it has worked great. No worry about dried ink, rebuilt replacement cartridges are cheap and the cartridges do a lot of printing before the ink runs out.

+1 for [-]cheap[/-] cost effective Brother laser printers. Current one is four years old and have used maybe three cartridges through the years.

I thought inkjet printers went out with the horse and buggy !

 

[JoeWras]

I currently have a laser Canon MF3010. It is a fine little machine. It lacks wireless and sheet feeder. Time has passed and features have gotten better.



This discussion has me thinking it might be time to make a change come next cartridge empty time.

 

[Another Reader]

Thank you! That sounds like just what I want. I always use my laptop from my insanely expensive but oh-so-comfy Italian leather easy chair. I keep my printer right beside me there too, so it is actually easier for me to just use a USB connector instead of wireless.

On sale at both Best Buy and Staples this week for $59.99.

 

[omni550]

I currently have a laser Canon MF3010. It is a fine little machine. It lacks wireless and sheet feeder. Time has passed and features have gotten better.



This discussion has me thinking it might be time to make a change come next cartridge empty time.

Perhaps consider shopping for a suitable laser printer when it's on sale. That way you'll have it on hand when the Canon [-]finally[/-] runs out of ink.

omni

 

[omni550]

Anybody have any experience with compact portable wireless printers? I’m looking for one to carry in the motor home for occasional printing needs. I don’t see that there is a lot of selection in this category. And, what’s out there seems a little pricy compared to regular desktop printers.

I don't know how small a unit needs to be to be defined as "compact".

My Brother printers are both 14"x14"x7" = essentially a small "box" in size and shape.

I think a Brother laser printer could be tucked into any nook or cranny. With units for sale for $49-99, they are inexpensive as well as long-lasting.

omni

 

[msieweke]

When printing from the brand new laser printer, lights in a couple of the upstairs rooms flicker. The rest of the house is fine.

If those lights are on the same circuit, it's probably no cause for alarm. You might throw a circuit breaker every now and then. If they're on a different circuit, that could indicate a floating neutral. A floating neutral can cause some circuits to see more than 120 volts, which is a problem. But if it was that, you would have seen similar behavior when running a microwave or vacuum or power tools.