printer I won't hate?

[cahlton]

My Epson Workforce WF-3520 has died after ten years of steady service. Researching a replacement has been unexpectedly challenging. A friend recommended the HP9015e (the Wirecutter does too), but the reviews I've seen online say that HP has gone downhill in a big way in recent years. A Reddit thread seems to reach a tentative consensus on the Brother HLL2390DW, but a loud minority says in reviews that it's immensely frustrating to use; they also say that Brother's tech support is all but nonexistent. I've looked at ink-tank printers, because they're supposedly cheaper to run, and this WSJ writer recommends them, but even this seems to be a topic of debate.

My requirements are a copier/scanner and, ideally, a fax function, but the fax isn't a dealbreaker. I'd like double-sided printing and scanning, which my deceased printer had. I don't need or particularly want the ability to print in color. I have no preference between inkjet and laserjet. I print an average of 50 pages a month, I'd estimate. My budget is up to $275.

Do you enthusiastically recommend a brand/model of printer?

 

[Ferm Sheller]

My Epson Workforce WF-3520 has died after ten years of steady service. Researching a replacement has been unexpectedly challenging. A friend recommended the HP9015e (the Wirecutter does too), but the reviews I've seen online say that HP has gone downhill in a big way in recent years. A Reddit thread seems to reach a tentative consensus on the Brother HLL2390DW, but a loud minority says in reviews that it's immensely frustrating to use; they also say that Brother's tech support is all but nonexistent. I've looked at ink-tank printers, because they're supposedly cheaper to run, and this WSJ writer recommends them, but even this seems to be a topic of debate.

My requirements are a copier/scanner and, ideally, a fax function, but the fax isn't a dealbreaker. I'd like double-sided printing and scanning, which my deceased printer had. I don't need or particularly want the ability to print in color. I have no preference between inkjet and laserjet. I print an average of 50 pages a month, I'd estimate. My budget is up to $275.

Do you enthusiastically recommend a brand/model of printer?

I bought that same model (Brother HLL2390DW) on Amazon on Sept 1, 2018. It's a workhorse and it's served me well -- no issues at all and it prints tons of pages per toner cartridge. (If it matters, I print from a MacBook Pro.) It doesn't have a FAX, though.

EDIT: I only paid $99 for it, but it's now up to $189! Maybe keep your eye on pricing to see if it moves downward?

 

[Tangled Up In Red]

I bought an HP Envy 6455 last year based on this review.
It has been perfect for me, but I print less than you -- though I do scan a great deal. I don't believe it does double sided scanning, which is a bummer.
But it's small (I keep mine in a media cabinet), quick and quiet.

 

[luckiestman]

I bought that same model (Brother HLL2390DW) on Amazon on Sept 1, 2018. It's a workhorse and it's served me well -- no issues at all and it prints tons of pages per toner cartridge. (If it matters, I print from a MacBook Pro.) It doesn't have a FAX, though.

EDIT: I only paid $99 for it, but it's now up to $189! Maybe keep your eye on pricing to see if it moves downward?

I bought the same. I paid the current price a couple months ago.

 

[Ferm Sheller]

I bought the same. I paid the current price a couple months ago.

Camelcamelcamel.com tells me that the price tends to fluctuate up and down from that price quite a bit.

 

[bostonbeerbelly]

I have an HP 9015 at home and work that I love.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

I bought that same model (Brother HLL2390DW) on Amazon on Sept 1, 2018. It's a workhorse and it's served me well -- no issues at all and it prints tons of pages per toner cartridge. (If it matters, I print from a MacBook Pro.) It doesn't have a FAX, though.

EDIT: I only paid $99 for it, but it's now up to $189! Maybe keep your eye on pricing to see if it moves downward?

I bought it about a year ago, but same experience. I was coming from an HP Multi-Function and it would constantly not be on Airplay, not connected to wireless, need to rebooted etc. The brother is there, no frills, just runs and prints.

 

[Koufax]

I have the HP Envy 7800 series. It has been reliable. My advice is not to buy the cheapest model from any maker. They tend to be throwaways.

 

[opes]

The newest generation of printers should be out within a month, but i cant tell you much more about them.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

We just bought an Epson 4850 Ecotank. I like not having to deal with ink cartridges. So far so good -- set up was easily and our devices on our home network seem to find it reliably, which had been a real hassle with our HP.

https://www.staples.com/epson-ecotank-et-4850-wireless-color-all-in-one-inkjet-printer-c11cj60201/product_24495155?cid=PS:GS:SBD:NB:Tech&gclid=Cj0KCQiAutyfBhCMARIsAMgcRJT1FIA6LUDTakJPT-Aa4WIhBoNDR6_YXpjJVKpvvxso5YTWMcp1REMaAlkDEALw_wcB

 

[Ferm Sheller]

The newest generation of printers should be out within a month, but i cant tell you much more about them.

Can't or won't?

 

[opes]

Can't sorry. Top secret stuff

 

[Ferm Sheller]

Can't sorry. Top secret stuff

No problem. I completely respect your obligation to stay mum.

 

[opes]

Its going to change everything. Think, no paper." I've said to much

 

[Catcher Block]

Bought a Brother MFC-L2710DW All-In-One for Covid schooling in 2020 and it's held up well with very little use. Maybe a dozen pages a month. I think we paid $175 for it.

Copying and scanning is simple enough, though their app (where we receive scans) leaves a lot to be desired.

Setup was a bit tedious but easy, and we can print from any device in the house. My only complaint is it will go into a deep sleep on occasion and requires me to walk over to the print and press a physical button to wake it up.

 

[Nick Kaufman]

The important principle is to make sure that the company which sold you the printer doesn't get to lock you into buying their consumables or otherwise intervene on how the machine operates through the cloud. This is not academic. HP does that trying to incentivize you to buy their toner.

On a related note, if you don't need to print color copies, go with a laser printer. More upfront cost, but less cost to operate it.

 

[ColdSoxPack]

Brother is my favorite printer so far and it doubles as a scanner too.

 

[Ale Xander]

Get whatever Brother is on sale

 

[bohous]

We just bought an Epson 4850 Ecotank. I like not having to deal with ink cartridges. So far so good -- set up was easily and our devices on our home network seem to find it reliably, which had been a real hassle with our HP.

https://www.staples.com/epson-ecotank-et-4850-wireless-color-all-in-one-inkjet-printer-c11cj60201/product_24495155?cid=PS:GS:SBD:NB:Tech&gclid=Cj0KCQiAutyfBhCMARIsAMgcRJT1FIA6LUDTakJPT-Aa4WIhBoNDR6_YXpjJVKpvvxso5YTWMcp1REMaAlkDEALw_wcB

I second the Epson EcoTank. Its not the fanciest printer I've owned, but leaps and bounds the most hassle free. Never a hiccup connecting to a device, no clogged nozzles or paper jams. Only nit pick is that I have a smaller 2803 model that has a tiny screen and the UI has a couple of quirks, but not really a problem once you learn it. Rarely need the screen anyway.

 

[CJM]

The important principle is to make sure that the company which sold you the printer doesn't get to lock you into buying their consumables or otherwise intervene on how the machine operates through the cloud. This is not academic. HP does that trying to incentivize you to buy their toner.

On a related note, if you don't need to print color copies, go with a laser printer. More upfront cost, but less cost to operate it.

I bought an HP 5258 a few years ago. For printing, it handles B&W and color pretty well, and doesn't use a metric ton of toner. For scanning (my primary use), it produces a clear image and allows edits mid-scan that can save time (like deleting and rescanning pages). I *think* it handles double-sided, but most of my scans are of books. It doesn't feel like the most sturdy device, but I bet I get at least a few more years out of it, for roughly ~$100.

The issue is that HP's just kind of a pain in the ass. You can use off-brand toner, but the whole damn machine locks up if you run out, even for scans. The app is a little glitchy and the machine is unusable if you don't have it or can't open it. It's also pushy about getting on their scammy toner instabuy program.

None of this has risen to the level of me getting a new printer/scanner before this one dies, and it's served me well enough, but know that HP won't make things easy for you interface-wise.

 

[stp]

I have an Epson EcoTank, (ET-2750) and I'm sure it's saved me a fortune in ink costs. It's an older model and I find that I do have to run printhead alignments and cleans more often than I'd like. I don't know if that's due to age or user error. I've read that you need to make sure you print something at least once a week to prevent ink clogging (that's probably true of any inkjet printer). I will say that overall it's probably my favorite of all the printers I've owned, and will replace it with another Epson EcoTank when the time comes. I think the main thing you need to think about when purchasing a printer, is if you print a lot of photos, or if you're printing mostly text documents and simple graphics. It sounds like photos aren't important to you. I recently recommended a laser printer to some one, but was told the toner was too expensive and had to be replaced often.

 

[Harry Hooper]

For the original poster, why not another Epson? I'd go with an Epson Workforce or a Canon Imageclass myself in a SOHO setup.

 

[cahlton]

Thank you for all of the advice! I was happy with my Epson, and like the idea of cheaper ink, and don't want to get locked into an HP program, so I'm going to go with the Epson EcoTank ET-3850. I would have spent another $50 to get the model that has a fax function, but Costco doesn't carry it. Buying the printer at Costco gives me some confidence that we'll be able to return it if it dies early on us. They have a pretty generous return policy.

 

[LoweTek]

I have an ET-3760. Color, print, scan, fax, double sided printing. Prints photos pretty well too.The scanner document feeder went out 20 minutes after the one year warranty but 98% of the time I can work around it. Third party replacement inks are widely available at least half the price of the Epson brand. After nearly two years, maybe a little longer, I just bought a couple of third party black ink bottles anticipating the black refill in the next month or so. I am at about 50 copies per month. Except for the document feeder glitch, I've been very happy with it.