Help find printer deal

I am looking for a all in one printer to fax/scan/print/copy etc... Wireless would be a cool addon but not necessary, i am looking to spend about 250, I would appreciate it if you guys could help me find some good ones (something that won't die) I want something that will last me and good quality, and at the sametime i want to find a great deal.

 

There's no such thing as a good multi-function device. You can do one function very well, or you can do a bunch of functions with mediocre results. Take your pic. Personally, I find the multi-function devices (especially the low cost ones) are complete trash.

 

The HP 6180 is in your price range. The printer retails for 299.99 but can be found for around 225 or so. Another option for you would be the canon MP830. The canon would be 280, but can be found for 240ish.

The hp model has wifi built in and used 6 different inks, so its more a photo quality printer then a strait up office printer/ mfc device. The canon model doesnt have duplex, but does have a 3inch screen for editiing photos and has duplexing built into the printer. The canon uses 5 different printer inks, but they are cheaper and last longer then the ones on the hp.

The hp one is probably one of the smallest ones around (with the exception of the brother mfc, which tend to break fairly quickly).

Let me know if you want any other suggestions or anything else.

 

Well, there are good multifunctions, but you have to spend $5000 to get into them, about $1500 for decent models. If you're really insistent on it, the Xerox WorkCentre PE220 looks passable, $299 after $100 in rebates ($50 instant, $50 mail-in). The Xerox Phaser 3200MFP for $100 more looks a lot more interesting, it's $399 without any rebates being offered. The HP 3052 also looks interesting, but it doesn't fax. The lower cost 3050 and more expensive 3055 both do, I'd look into a software fax solution and a modem and the 3052, or just step up to the 3055.

If you want color... don't. Not in that price range. You'll be limited to inkjet, and inkjet simply isn't suited for that task. It's great for fine art reproduction and photography and such, but it just blows for documents, and just generally in this price range. Inkjets also aren't known for their durability, even our $5000 to $8000 wide format inkjets at work have 3-4 year lifespans, and only our small continuous flow units really last. You can get a color laser multifunction for as little as $375 with the HP CM1015, but you probably don't want it. Really, I wouldn't even consider color until $650-$700 with offerings like the Xerox Phaser 6110MFP/6115MFP and the HP LaserJet 2800. But then, you know my opinion is that multifunctions suck until about $5000, it's just those will suck a whole lot less.

Generally it's a bad idea to buy from the consumer line, just like with laptops. Really, even more so with printers, since they have consumables to screw you with. The duty cycle is usually higher with the business line, too, not to mention build, scan, and print quality. Build quality is NOT limited to the outer plastics, a crappy auger, corona wire, cleaning web assembly, or flimsy drum make for crappy printers. It's also usually a bad idea to buy the lower printer in the line, pretty much every corner imaginable will have been cut. Like with the B&W HP 3050, even though it supports faxing I'd step up to the 3052 or the 3055, but that's just at a glance. This isn't as big a deal with Xerox, they don't really mess around with quality as much.

Oh, and try to get a document feeder which feeds long edge first, they're a LOT less problematic, and you won't find yourself cleaning the rollers as often. At least one which feeds from the top, and not from the bottom (that's a difference between the 3050 and the 3052/3055). For cleaning rollers, never use everyday solvents. Go to a local print shop and ask if you can buy a little bottle of Rubber Rejuvenator or Blanket Wash. Take the little bottle with you, they'll just have huge cans of the stuff.

 

Do any of the low price (under $300) Canon multifunctions have ethernet connections?