Help me find my next new All-in-one Printer!

January 9, 2008 7:52 PM

Help me find my next new All-in-one Printer!

Here's the deal: My Brother 420CN clogs. A lot. I used to be able to
get it to clean itself over and over again to get it printing again,
but that doesn't work anymore.

I'm aware of previous questions like this, but they're not as current as I'd like and they don't have similar price restrictions and so on.

So here's what I need in my new all-in-one:

• Fax (negotiable, I could live without it. But my current one has it, and I like it.)


• Flatbed scanner. With an automatic document feeder is preferred but not required.


• Stand-alone copying is nice, and I'd like it. But I can live without if necessary.


• Built-in networking. USB is great too, but network support is a
  must.


• Under $150, please. (The Brother was $100 when I bought it.)


• It needs to be able to eat off-brand ink without choking on it. I think that's the source of my current problems.


• I'm willing to listen to recommendations for laser units, if they're only a little more expensive. Maybe I could even live with B&W only.


• Please recommend a printer that you own or have lots of experience with.


• I'm pretty well burned on Brother at this point, and I've
  never been too fond of Lexmark. Polaroid is out of the question. HP would be good if there's an obvious solution there.

Unnecessary (but ok if included):

Media card slots

Fancy software like OCR or Acrobat

Color LCD

Bonus: Anyone know how to get my current POS Brother 420 CN printing until the new one arrives? I've already tried doing the self-cleaning dance over and over, but it's just burning ink, and it still won't print.

posted by SlyBevel to computers & internet (13 comments total)

Why get another all-in-one? Why not just replace the component (printing) that's failed?

I own a Canon Pixma ip1200, which is about as low-end a printer as Canon makes, and I'm very happy with it. Cost me AU$39 (which is the same as the price of the color Canon cartridge supplied with it) and I spent another AU$36 on a black cartridge to go with it.

It doesn't have inbuilt networking, but I have it plugged into a Windows box and Windows shares it nicely on the LAN.

HP make OK printers (I believe that HP and Canon print heads and cartridges currently come out of the same factory) but their Windows drivers and driver installers are disastrous. Avoid.

I also know several people who are happy with their low-end Samsung mono lasers.
posted by flabdablet at 8:34 PM on January 9

Oh, and as for getting a badly clogged inkjet going again: if you haven't actually burned out the failing jets by printing them dry, you can often get good results by dipping just the very end (where the actual jets are) of the print cartridge in very-nearly-boiling water for a few seconds. I generally boil the kettle and pour some into a coffee cup for this exercise.

I have never had to do this to my ip1200, but I have fixed many BJC2200 cartridges this way.
posted by flabdablet at 8:37 PM on January 9

Kodak are binging out some inkjet-based all-in-one printers that have much cheaper ink than, say, Lexmark (*spit*).

Price appears to range from $130 to $200.
posted by krisjohn at 9:26 PM on January 9

Why not just replace the component (printing) that's failed?

Because I only have space for one machine, and the new one will have to go where the old one is now. Also, I'm completely disenchanted with this thing. I'll be getting rid of it as soon as I can.
posted by SlyBevel at 9:53 PM on January 9

Based on my previous positive experiences with cheap Canon printers, then, I'd recommend the MP150.
posted by flabdablet at 10:11 PM on January 9

If your computer has a dialup modem in it, just use Windows's inbuilt fax wizard for sending faxes. It works fine.
posted by flabdablet at 10:13 PM on January 9

Note that the MP150 has the same print heads in it as the ip1200 that I currently own and like.
posted by flabdablet at 10:14 PM on January 9

I heartily endorse Canon multis.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:16 PM on January 9

Canon MX 700.
Print, scan, copy, fax, ethernet, networkable, dual paper trays.
(And it looks good). It's great, it's in your price range. I have one, threw out (recycled) all my single components after testing it a while.
I'm not suggesting it will always work great if you feed it off brand inks, don't think anyone will suggest that, there are too many variables.
Check out all the good reviews on this one.
posted by artdrectr at 12:30 AM on January 10

Hey, now we're getting somewhere. Thanks Ambrosia and artdrectr, Canon is now the front-runner.
posted by SlyBevel at 8:41 AM on January 10

I've been looking for exactly the same thing and, being an Epson fan, am very tempted with the CX9400 (DX9400F in the UK).
posted by hmca at 11:46 AM on January 10

Epson printers do print very nicely indeed, but as far as I know they all have non-disposable print heads. That means that when (not if) your aftermarket inks clog them, they stay clogged until you spend money on servicing, and the service can cost as much as a replacement printer. Fatally clog a Canon or an HP, and you just shrug your shoulders, pay full price for a new cartridge, and you're literally as good as new.

This is kind of ironic, since one of the main selling points of the original Epson dot-matrix printers like the classic MX-80 was how easy it was to replace the print head.
posted by flabdablet at 12:16 AM on January 11

Update - I ended up ordering a Canon MX700 from Amazon, and it's great so far. Thanks for the recommendations to go to Canon.
posted by SlyBevel at 10:26 PM on February 8