Looking for the best multi function printer

[Randy B. Singer]

I always have a tough time deciding between a laser B&W and an inkjet.

That's why I have both. These days, if you choose carefully, but can have both at a very reasonable price, and have the best of both worlds and more.

So, I have several Canon MX922's for color printing, and their multi-function capabilities, and I have several Brother black and white laser printers. I use the Brothers for printing text, and a lot of copies, and I use the Canons for color prints.

Actually, more than any other of its capabilities, I use the sheet-feed scanner in the Canon. The whole Canon MX922 multi-function was significantly cheaper than most stand-alone sheet-feed scanners by themselves. Yet it works just as well for scanning.

 

[pm-r]

@Randy

So, I have several Canon MX922's for color printing, …

With you Canon MX922 AIO printers, have you discovered any way to at least slow down and the amounts of printer head cleaning they go through??

We had the same excessive cleaning problem with our MG5620 until it blew its printhead.

Yes, it's left turned On as many mention to do on various web pages/forums.

Not only will it do its printhead cleaning once, but sometimes several times, and then not only before it finally gets around to completing the print job, then it goes through what seems to be another set of cleaning cycles after completing the print job.

Tech's customer service has no constructive suggestions.

Saying it's excessive I would say is a huge understatement.




- Patrick
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[chscag]

I had the same problem with a Canon printer that we were using. I really liked the resolution and quality color output especially when we were doing a lot of Powerpoint slides but it blew the print head. Canon was no help at all and of course the printer was out of warranty at the time. That kind of set me against Canon printers. The Epson we're using now does not produce as good a quality color output as the Canon did but it seems much more durable.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

@Randy


With you Canon MX922 AIO printers, have you discovered any way to at least slow down and the amounts of printer head cleaning they go through??

Sure. The printer will do fewer head cleanings if you leave it on all the time, and let it go into sleep mode, instead of turning it off after each job. Of course, if you're not going to be printing for a while, it's probably better to turn the printer off.

But those head cleanings are the price that you pay for Canon being the brand of inkjet printer least likely to clog its print-heads. I know that you've had a problem with a clogged print-head on a Canon, but I've heard from hundreds of inkjet owners, and Canon is by far the best at resisting clogging. The worse is Epson. HP is somewhere in the middle.

I've actually timed the cleaning cycle that the MX922 goes through on startup. It seems like a long time, but it's actually only about a minute or so. A minute here or there isn't onerous. Do what I do...put a cute kitten and puppy calendar on your wall and look at it for a minute while you are waiting for your printer to finish its cleaning routine.

@Randy
Saying it's excessive I would say is a huge understatement.

Then you probably want a laser printer and not an inkjet printer. Because that's how inkjet printers are. They drink ink, they clean their heads a lot, they will clog their heads if you don't use them for a long time, they won't last forever, etc. The trade-off is that they tend to be really inexpensive to purchase, and the color fidelity of prints (especially on glossy paper) is fantastic. There is no perfect color printer.

 

[pm-r]

I know that you've had a problem with a clogged print-head on a Canon, …

Sorry Randy, not me, at least not clogged problem, but some inconsistant goofy B&W double characters with some lines printing problems. And it had been doing all the printhead cleaning it decided it needed to do.

..put a cute kitten and puppy calendar on your wall and look at it for a minute while you are waiting for your printer to finish its cleaning routine. /QUOTE]
And watch the ink level indicator drop some more because the stupid printer can't remember that it just cleaned the printhead the day before!! Gheese!!

Then you probably want a laser printer and not an inkjet printer. Because that's how inkjet printers are.

Got an old HP Laserjet 4ML thanks for all the larger B&W print jobs but unfortunately I have to boot the old G5 iMac under my desk running OS X 10.5.x 'cause Apple killed AppleTalk in later OS X versions that it needs to run. And oh yes, plus the AsanteTalk adapter!!!

Amazing tank-built type printer it is…


- Patrick
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[Rod]

Interestingly I have a Canon Pixma Inkjet which has served me well over several years but I refill my cartridges myself which makes a big difference to the running costs.

 

[nancyspeed]

The 990cse was an HP inkjet I bought in 2001. Before the digital era of course. A piece of paper stuck in it and when I pulled it out a tiny piece of plastic broke off that served as a "stop" on the printer head cartridge. I also had one of those HP 4ML laser printers and finally gave it away with my old Dell notebook.

I think that's just a good and maybe excellent way of deciding on what "best" printer to purchase, as long as it at least meets one's basic needs, and that's to get one "on sale".


So maybe the "best" printer to get after narrowing down ones choices's is the one on sale. Worked for me.


PS: What was wrong with your old one, or did I just miss something and what brand???







- Patrick
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[chscag]

My HP LJ 1012 from 2003 is still going strong. I've been using nothing but refilled toner cartridges for the last 10 years or so. What I really like about the older HP LaserJets is that the toner cartridge and drum are all in one unit. Brother makes very good laser printers also. If my HP dies before I do, I'll replace it with a Brother.