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Finding a Reliable Laser Printer?

Posted by Cliff on from the rocks-of-printer-stability dept.

SpottedKuh asks: "Perhaps the days of sturdy laser printers are over, or perhaps it is just my bad luck. I've recently been the proud owner of two paperweights: First, an HP LaserJet 1100, which continually misfed papers and smeared toner. After selling that printer, I foolishly purchased a LaserJet 1012, not realizing just how poorly it played with my BSD systems. Naturally, I've learned my lesson about checking LinuxPrinting.org; but, more than that, I'm gun-shy about purchasing yet another printer to replace my current LaserJet. I look at one of my friends who has had a LaserJet 4P for probably around ten years, and it's still going strong. Are the days of such quality gone, or am I just looking in the wrong places?" "Though compatibility with *nix is a must, it is not all that I want. I want a printer that will be sturdy and reliable, with few toner smears and jams. Also, if I'm going to be dropping all this money again, a duplexing printer is a must! I've heard that there are a lot of design problems with the LaserJet 1320, mainly regarding the manual feed mechanism. Maybe the LaserJet 1*** printers just aren't well-built? So I'm thinking of purchasing a LaserJet 2420d; but, I haven't been able to find many reviews of that printer.

Can the Slashdot community provide me with feedback regarding the printers I have mentioned, or any other reliable duplexing laser for in my home office?"

1 of 181 comments (clear)

  1. paperweight? by hjf · · Score: 0, Troll

    paperweight? fuck you. my 1100 works fine since 2001, printing out at least 10 pages every day, and has absolutely no problems with multifeeding or anything. and to prove how much it rules, I took it apart and re assemblied it. i got 4 extra screws in the process. no idea where these should go, but the machine still prints.
    I even sneaked a peek into the optical unit. so simple and yet so effective.
    it only multifeeds if I feed it with paper right out of the box. If I ventilate the paper, like the manual says (as anyone who works with printers should), it prints great. I even refilled the original cartridge. twice already.