Question Cost effective MFP Duplex Color Laser Printer - - - ongoing toner costs are too high ?

[alitechno]

I am in the market for a cost effective solution for an MFP color laser printer with copy, scan and duplex function + wifi.

THere are many in the market right now but the ongoing costs are a rip off. The toner costs are stupid and in my opinion not worth it. I am happy to buy a used one even and I am looking for ideas.

I had a Dell C1765NFW printer which has all these functions apart from duplex. This beast is from 2014 or somewhere around that time. The aftermarket toners for this printer are superbly cheap even to this day, like $50 for a pack for 4 aftermarket toners that do the job like OEM. Yield for these aftermarket toners is around 4000 pages and I cannot complain. I can no longer use this printer as it is now has issues with the scanner, haze etc and is also not compatible with 120W power, I have moved to the US.

Its quite hard to search for printers from 9 or 10 years ago on google, as it always shows shopping results for the latest printers on the market. If there was a way to only search for these exclusive search terms that would give me what I need. I am happy to go with other brands also, not set on Dell. The ongoing toner cost is what puts me off all of these new printers, as these new printers require a smart chip on every toner replacement so harder to source aftermarket toners.

I hope all this makes sense, hope someone would be able to give me some insight on their personal experience with other printers that they have used and happily use cheap aftermarket cartridges from the market.

the wishlist once again.

1. Color laser
2. MFP (scan, copy, print) No fax needed.
3. Wifi
4. Automatic Duplex printing
5. Cheap aftermarket toners

I am not fussed about the DPI, 600 is plenty.

Ideas?

 

[hedwar2011]

1) What kind of duty cycle do you typically run a month? As in how many pages.
2) Do you have a brand preference or loyalty that you are strict on?
3) Does it indeed have to be laser?

 

[alitechno]

Thank you fir your reply. Looking at about 500 pages a month.

No brand loyalty. Has to be laser.

Hope that helps ?

 

[hedwar2011]

Only reason I asked about it being laser or not is because some of the newer inkjet printers that have tanks, etc. have laser-capacity duty cycles and the cost is alot more efficient.

If you are wanting a multi-function laser, the cost is going to be on the higher side usually. More and more manufacturers (especially HP) are cracking down on using 3rd party or remanufactured toners to the point that it locks down the printer.

I really don't have any direct recommendations other than check out DELL, Epson, and HP and weigh the different options and then price out the toner cost like that.

I had to source a single function color laser for my employer not too long ago and created a spreadsheet with the contenders and we were still looking at between $300 (low end) - $700 (high end) for the printer and then $100 for each toner respectively.

 

[USAFRet]

FWIW, I've never had a good experience with aftermarket supplies, either laser or inkjet.

Color is off, clogs, etc, etc.