Ask HN: What printer do you recommend for rare printing?

[joshstrange]

I need to print something once a month at best. I can use FedEx or other to print but it can be a PITA. I was hoping there are others here on HN that are in a similar situation. I'm looking for a printer that will do fine with infrequent use and the ink will still work when I go to use it.

I'm looking to print way less that 100 sheets/yr, we are talking shipping labels here, nothing serious.

[hprotagonist]

Any base model brother laser printer, preferably any that support wifi printing.

i’ve had one for 7 years, and replaced the toner exactly once.

[js2]

I followed "any Brother" advice years ago and had the bad luck of picking a Brother model (HL-3170CDW) plagued with a roller failure problem. Brother refused to fix it under warranty which turned me off the brand. This is not my review, but I had an identical experience, except this reviewer eventually got his replaced, whereas Brother refused to do so for me.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RKX2S5U90HT01?ref...

edit: then again, it was only a $200 color laser printer.

[einpoklum]

Many Brother printers are poorly-supported or simply not supported on Linux.

For example, I have an MFC-L2710DW (not what you would get for rare printing I suppose), and the official driver is always acting up: Delays of minutes (!) before starting to print, or simply not printing at all for some odd reason, but then obliging me if I power-cycle the printer. Maybe.

So, these printers may be fine, but check driver availability and user feedback about it first, if you're not on Windows.

[jjjbokma]

I own a Brother HL-L2350DW and can highly recommend it. It has wireless and does AirPrint. Works great from iOS and macOS.

[tyleo]

My roommate and I have had a Brother printer for years. It was damaged while moving and a bunch of parts fell out and it still worked great.

After that, we damaged it again when moving it around the house and even more parts fell out. Quality fell after that but its still kicking.

I bought another Brother this week to finally replace it. Like others in this thread, we never ran out of toner.

[abathur]

Another general vote for a Brother laser printer, though I differ on some details here.

In 2014 (if I'm remembering right...) I bought a DCP-7065DN (B/W all-in-one with wired Ethernet).

I don't print much (sometimes go months without). By volume, the lion's share of my printing is documents I need to copyedit/proof, followed by random receipts, tickets, shipping labels, etc--so I was hoping to optimize for cost and reliability. I make the same tradeoff wrt to using a local or online print service for anything that needs to be high-quality or color.

I didn't have to replace the undersized starter toner cartridge included until earlier this year. I haven't had any trouble with it so far (aside from having to occasionally prod it to keep printing until quality actually fell off a cliff at the end of the first toner cartridge.)

[grawprog]

I'm just going to throw another recommendation for a brother printer. We've got a few at my work, we do a lot of printing and copying. In the 5 years i've been there, i've changed the toner in the one in our office once.

[jeena]

Exactly the same here, I had my for many years and I forced my dad to buy one instead of a inkjet and some other friends, everyone is after many years still extremely happy with their choices. Some got one with a scanner, others color, I only have a plain black and white one and it always works from phone from Linux, etc. No problems at all. I connected it by network cable.

[beatgammit]

Same, but I'm on my first toner cartridge after 3 years or so. My biggest complaint is that it only supports Wireless-G, so I have to keep a separate network for it so it doesn't slow everything else down. I'm running cable to solve that problem instead of buying another printer just to fix a stupid WiFi issue.

[52-6F-62]

I'll second this. I had a Brother for years. I ran out of toner once (I did a lot of printing) and I think the second time I donated it or gave it to a friend.

I think the only pain point was the toner was almost as expensive as the original printer + toner. Go figure.

But they're good, reliable machines for sure. And affordable.

[koolba]

Yes they’re great for low volume printing and the Linux support is great too.

Newer models track the number of printed pages and nag to replace the toner. You can instead reset the page counter and continue printing. Exact steps vary by model but easily found online.

[asveikau]

Re: wifi: Maybe network accessible printers are super cheap and good these days, but I have always gone the lpd + samba route to get the same functionality from cheap/old/crappy printers.

[MrMember]

Yep, I think mine was maybe $70 when I bought it six years ago. It works without fail when I boot it up once or twice a month, well worth the money for the lack of hassle.

[nknealk]

I’ve had the same brother printer since my first day in undergrad which was in 2008. Only changed the toner twice. It’s been super reliable.

[bananapear]

I’ve had a Brother HL-1030 since I believe around ~2000, still works great.

[gtirloni]

+1

I have a DCP-L2540DW that is awesome (and has a flatbed scanner with feeder).

[kube-system]

You want a laser printer. Inkjets will clog up with infrequent use, but lasers won't.

HP makes some interesting compact laser printers these days that could easily be stored away while you're not using them -- something like the HP LaserJet Pro M15w might be nice for infrequent use.

[avhon1]

That sure is a compact laser printer! And it only draws 210 watts while printing! Unfortunately, I was disappointed by this part of the description:

> Dynamic security enabled printer. Only intended to be used with cartridges using an HP original chip. Cartridges using a non-HP chip may not work, and those that work today may not work in the future.

DRMed toner cartridges with OTA "security" improvements? That sounds like a major anti-feature.

[PaulKeeble]

Actually they don't clog that isn't true. What inkjets do is pull ink and clean their heads on a semi-regular basis. This is actually one of the bigger costs associated with Inkjets that aren't used frequently as it wastes ink. Some models waste dramatically more ink than others and there are economical for long term inkjets available. At some point the laser will end up cheap on low use as the catridge doesn't get wasted but that pay back period is quite long verses a low ink usage inkjet.

[rudedogg]

> You want a laser printer.

I agree. I bought a Epson ET-2750 EcoTank InkJet to replace a really old Brother laser printer and regret it. Text and even graphics (to look at UI designs, etc.) from a laser printer are so much better.

[orev]

Only thing I can add to the laser printer choir: I used to try to go with inkjets because they were so cheap, and the price of a laser really put me off (wanted a color one). The inkjets jammed and clogged every time I tried to use them, which was very infrequently. I finally bit the bullet and went with a Brother color laser (MFC-9340CDW) and it is one of the best purchases I have ever made. You can print stuff directly from your phone, and I don’t have to spend all night trying to unclog the print head (wasting valuable ink) the night before I have an early flight (back when you still printed boarding passes). The reduction in stress by knowing it will “just work” when I need it is priceless.

Only issues I have had with this model are the auto feed on the scanner stopped working, and when it did work the scans came out a little skewed.

[exhilaration]

Brother printers are great. I have a B&W Brother laser printer (HL-2280DW) that I bought used in 2015 for $50. It still works perfectly, can print/scan directly from Android and iPhone apps. We would only print a few times a year but now that the kids are older is gets used once or twice a week. It supports IPP so I can even print to it from a Chromebook.

[rhombocombus]

Plus one on the color laser. It hurt having to buy all of that expensive toner, but the robustness, the long interval between toner change, and the quality and speed of printing has made inkjets a false economy. Inkjets produce better photos, but I decided that I would just pay a photo printer when I need prints made (and they are better prints than I could ever make at home anyway).

[slantyyz]

>> I'm looking to print way less that 100 sheets/yr, we are talking shipping labels here, nothing serious.

If you're only doing shipping labels, you might want to consider a label printer. I got a Brother thermal label printer (QL-700) for well under $100, and there are third party label makers that sell spools of labels. The great thing about it is that the output looks great and the only consumables are the labels. No ink or toner to worry about.

There's also a slightly more expensive model that can do black and red (labels cost more too).

[tamalpais]

I recommend checking Wirecutter [0] when making a purchase like this. It’s a site that publishes detailed, well-organized, and well-researched reviews of consumer products. I check anytime I buy anything durable, though I don’t always go with their recommendations.

Their “Affordable and reliable” printer pick is the Brother HL-L2350DW for ~$100 on Amazon [1]. I have a similar model, the HL-L2340DW, for the same reason you’re looking for.

[0] https://thewirecutter.com/

[1] https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-home-printers/

[bryanlarsen]

Wirecutter makes their money from affiliate links, so the potential for conflict is high.

They also mostly just meta-analysis rather than doing their own. Their biggest source is Consumer Reports, who don't make their money from advertisers. Much better to go straight to the source: https://www.consumerreports.org/printers/best-laser-printers...

Subscription required, but that's the point -- no conflict of interest.

For those who don't want to subscribe, here are the Consumer Reports recommendations:

Best for work: Brother MFC-L2710DW

Best for price: Brother HL-L5200DW

Best for presentations: Canon imageCLASS MF642Cdw

[cr0sh]

I have an HP Laserjet 6P - I bought it (used) years ago because I rarely print things, and every inkjet I owned would "clog up" and be useless when I needed it. The 6P (as well as its predecessor, the 5) was/is a "business workhorse". Mine had less than 25k pages on it - a complete "baby" when I got it; I'm still well under 50k.

When I need it, it works (assuming paper is loaded). A toner cartridge lasts forever. I've maybe changed cartridges a couple of times in the past 20 years.

The only upgrades I did to the printer was maxing out it's memory (to 8 meg) and putting in the Postscript SIMM. I also have it hooked up via a USB to parallel port cable. There are ways to get it connected to the network, but I've never done it since it gets used so rarely and only by myself usually.

It isn't fast - it won't win no prizes there. But when I need it, it works. That is all that matters to me.

[deedubaya]

I've given up on owning my own printer. They seem to last all of two seconds. I spend too much time to figure out why they aren't working, eventually giving up.

I have used the Lob.com API to print something, have it mailed to me, and then used. Inefficient and slow, but it is my reality.

If I'm desperate, I go to the public library.

[jlarocco]

I live near a library and print there when I need to. They're a little cheaper than FedEx and usually less busy. I suppose for large volume or something more complicated I'd still go to FedEx, though.

[joezydeco]

Find a used HP Laserjet 1020. Used ones are all over the place and you can probably get a decent one for $50.

Drivers are easy, works on good ol' USB, and a single $20 toner cartridge will last you a decade.

[PenguinCoder]

Seconding this. I have an HP 4250, with three trays and a duplexer. Cost me $40 on craigslist from a bank closing. I've been running it for ~7 yrs, and only replaced the toner cart once. If all you need is black text/graphics, these things are workhorses.

[systemdtrigger]

By decade you mean 1000pages (OP mentions 100/yr)?

[camflan]

a ~$100 black and white laser printer.

I got a HP 1102w for this about 6 or 7 years ago and it's never failed. By getting laser, you can avoid the clogged print heads issues and other issues inkjets have with infrequent use.

[rshnotsecure]

I would make sure to use Google Cloud Print, and restrict all local access to your printer (e.g. can only print via Chrome via Google Cloud Print).

Typically printers will expose more security settings via SNMPv3 and you should take advantage of these (absolutely amazing learning opportunity for up and coming sysadmins/cloud engineers too).

I think HP is highly underrated for their printer security currently. Yes, it’s probably hackable in 5 mins like everything else in that space, but it has signed firmware! And they are the first printer company to be participating in a big bounty saas platform! Good things all around.

Also go with a monochrome black and white printer laser toner to really get costs down. You don’t need color as much as is thought...

[fyfy18]

I bought a Dell multifunction colour laser printer / scanner / fax (C1765NF) around 8 years ago. It is perfect for occasional usage, and a full set of toners is only £25. Unfortunately they sold their printer branch and no longer make them.

I believe there's only two companies making laser printers now (HP and Brother?), so there isn't really much choice. As others say you might be better off getting something on eBay.

Whatever you get check the prices of new toners (third party are fine; refilling yourself isn't worth the effort/mess) first as some are going to be the same price as the printer.

[einpoklum]

> I believe there's only two companies making laser printers now

Oh no, not at all: Samsung, OKI, Epson, Canon, Xerox, Kyocera and maybe others all have multiple models of B&W laser printers.

[mch82]

I was at Staples to get some supplies & they recommended https://printme.com/

1. Send your print, 2. Get a code, 3. Go to a partner like Staples, 4. Pick up your print

The Staples rep said the document is encrypted & no human ever sees it. I don’t know if that’s true. Haven’t tried it yet, but plan to. Maybe someone else on HN already has?

Edit: This sounds cool because it’s not tied to any one store. So you always print to the same “place” and pickup anywhere. We have a “roaming print” setup like this where I work and it’s super convenient.

[yellowapple]

If by "we are talking shipping labels here" you literally mean "I'm going to be using this to print shipping labels", it's hard to go wrong with a thermal printer:

https://www.amazon.com/Zebra-Receipts-Barcodes-Parallel-Conn...

It checks your boxes:

- It'll do great with infrequent use

- There's no ink involved, so you don't have to worry about that

1000 4×6 labels (i.e. the kind you'd want to use for shipping) would net you less than $40: https://www.amazon.com/OfficeSmartLabels-ZE1400600-Thermal-S...

Direct thermal printers like the GK420d linked above do have a limited lifetime on the thermal head, but with infrequent use you're highly unlikely to hit that limit (it's more a problem for full-time shipping operations printing labels all day every day).

On that note, I would also recommend you not use a laser printer to print shipping labels unless that printer is specifically designed to handle labels. Nothing sucks more than having to clean up after a printer that bent the label sheet too tightly and ended up peeling the labels off into all sorts of crevices.

[whateveracct]

Any recommendations for one for rare printing that is also as small as it gets? I want to be able to put it away easily instead of give it space to live due to its size.

[Kliment]

Samsung M2026W is a super compact laser. I bought one to bring with me to events.

[antongribok]

I got pissed off supporting my parents' non-stop issues with inkjet printers, and bought them a nice Brother laser printer with duplex printing about 15 years ago.

This year I replaced it with another Brother Laser, and in between then and now, I've only had to buy a toner cartridge about once every 3 years or so.

Zero other issues. Worth every penny.

At home I have a cheap Samsung M2820DW (duplex as well).

Both Brother and Samsung seem to have good Linux support.

[james_in_the_uk]

> I need to print something once a month at best. I can use FedEx or other to print but it can be a PITA. I was hoping there are others here on HN that are in a similar situation. I'm looking for a printer that will do fine with infrequent use and the ink will still work when I go to use it.

> I'm looking to print way less that 100 sheets/yr, we are talking shipping labels here, nothing serious.

Contrary to most of the posts on here you can buy an inkjet, just make sure you meet three criteria:

1. Make sure print heads are on the cartridge not in the printer. So if they clog and cannot be unclogged through cleaning you just replace the print head.

2. Leave it plugged in and switched on. It will do a mini clean every so often to keep the print heads clear.

3. Make sure you can buy cheap compatible cartridges, that can be recycled. Then it doesn't matter that you waste some ink through cleaning cycles, or the occasional clogged cartridge.

I have an A3 Brother multifunctional inkjet and whilst it is far from the best print quality or usability compared to others I have owned, it has lasted years.

[slantyyz]

>> Make sure you can buy cheap compatible cartridges

This is not always an option.

Some companies have DRM on their cartridges. My dad's Epson printer's DRM wasn't strictly enforced until a recent firmware update rendered third party cartridges useless. I had to find a way to downgrade the firmware (which wasn't easy, because Epson took down all their old downloads) before compatible cartridges would be recognized again.

[starik36]

I have an old LaserJet 1320 sitting in the garage and like you, I use it very infrequently.

Unfortunately, it's not wireless and I didn't want to run a network cable just for that. So I bought a Raspberry Pi Zero W, connected it to the printer via a USB cable, installed cups and some other packages and now I can print wirelessly from either desktop or mobile.

The printer has been very reliable.

[bborud]

I agree. I have a very simple base model Laserjet that supports postscript. Regular black and white, the simplest possible model and no extra paper tray or anything that can go wrong. I've had mine for 15 years (replaced the toner cartridge once in that time), we bought roughly the same model at work 8 years ago (on my insistence). Both of them have worked flawlessly.

(Meanwhile at work, the other teams bought huge, complex beasts with lots of features and they are regularly down, offline, broken etc. I think they are on the fourth or fifth iteration of fancy printers).

Laserjet, simple, postscript, low price.

[yellowapple]

I have two LaserJet 1320s.¹ Got 'em as e-waste from a hospital I worked at. They're handy.

¹: ...well, had. My grandpa's using them now (one in use, and the other for spare parts), since he needed a reliable printer for his book sales.

[chewz]

I just take a bike and go printing at a railway station. I am better off, the planet is better off and I save some space at home.

[teddyc]

I'm just waiting for a laser printer to show up at a local Goodwill, but so far it's just dozens of inkjet printers.

The Goodwill stores in my area offer a 7 day return period for electronics. I imagine I'll get this for $10-30 and support the community when I make the purchase.

If this doesn't work out for me, I might break down and buy something new.

[teddyc]

I just scored a monochrome laser printer at Goodwill on my lunch break for $2.50. Of course I rounded up to help the community, so it was really $3.00. Still has a toner cartridge in it. I have 10 days to return it, not 7. It doesn't have a network port on it, but I have an old ethernet-to-parallel-port adapter to put to use for that. Now the question will be, how will I justify ever buying toner for this when the toner will be much greater in cost than the printer, but that's a problem for another day.