hi everyone,
so i just need a cheapo printer to print black text for work. I preferbly want one where i dont have to replace the black ink all the time and one where i can find cheap ink cartridges online or in the store. any suggestions? i found a lexmark for $25 on newegg.com. is it worth it to spend just $25 though? thanks for any help. good suggestions for cheap ink cartridges would be nice too. the volume of printing will vary from day to day. probably not more than 20 sheets in a day though.

For black and white printing, I bought an HP laserjet for under $80. I've had it since 2001. I print at least 15-20 pages a day on it and I just replaced the toner for the first time last month for about $60. You can probably get a cheap laser nowadays for less than $80. They're a lot less hassle than inkjets too.

I have a Lexmark Z705 that came with an emachines computer I bought about 7 years ago. It still works great, and could be what you're looking for... ink is pretty cheap, and easy to find on ebay for good prices. I don't have to replace it that frequently: I print a good bit (>25 pages a day), and replace the black ink maybe 3 times per year. I am able to find ink for about $16 a cartridge or so. It has color printing functions, but I never use that part of it.

I believe I have seen this same printer at buy.com for about $25 or $30... Sounds similar to what you're looking at. I have been pleased: it does its job.

ALSO: i don't think there is any reason to spend anywhere close to $80 for what you are looking for. In fact, I found that I needed a copier/scanner/fax, and bought a multifunction Brother machine at Staples for $50 (after rebate) that does all that. Pretty new, so I haven't had to replace ink yet, but for just black and white printing, $80 sounds pretty steep.

On the other hand, movieguru did report that he just replaced his ink for the first time, so you never know... six years out of an ink cartridge seems pretty incredible to me, esp. with constant printing. You never know.

thanks guys for the tips. what model laserjet did you buy movieguru?

I've had nothing but trouble with cheap lexmarks. I've had two of them and they both pulled the paper through crooked. I bought a $60 dollar HP and have no problems. And HP ink is generally cheaper from what I've seen.

Count me in as another person with Lexmark problems. Even with fairly regular use I had issues with the printer heads clogging up on three different models. I purchased a Samsung laser printer for under $100 years ago and have been extremely happy with not only the ink duration but the quality of the text. I'd personally avoid injets at all costs.

It is the HP Laserjet 1000 series. I thnk the laser printers are the way to go. They may cost a few more dollars initially than an entry level inkjet printer; but that cost is made up quickly with the reduced need to buy new cartridges or toners. Lasers print a whole lot faster than inkjets, the prints look crispers, there's no clogged printheadr or smearing. I got mine to print out barcode mailing labels for ebay as inkjet prints don't do barcodes that scan well. i won't go back to an inkjet again.

I second the laser printer advice. I've got a Brother laser printer, and love it. It's fast and has outstanding quality. I bought it about 2.5 years ago, and everything I read about it was good. The one warning was that the toner cartridge that came with it wasn't a fully filled, so I picked up a new one to go with it. All this time later, I have yet to use that spare cartridge. The toner light started blinking about 2 weeks ago, but it's still going strong. I only print about 30 pages a week.

Just be careful about buying a cheap printer ....USUALLY cheap printer means expensive ink. Used printers, you are usually buying somebody else's problem .

Councelor