PC Peripherals Laser Printer Help: Canon 2900B or 3250?

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techcheat

Adept
After lots of research on this forum for laser printer, I found no definitive conclusions on what is the best printer with refillable toner in this segment. I hope this thread would be complete and help not just me but also other perspective buyers:

Requirements: Mono Laser Printer for printing approx 20-30 pages per month

Budget: 5-6k

Optional Features: Network, Wireless, auto duplex, scanner

Must have: cheap toner refill

Good to have: fast speed

Options:

Samsung ML 1660: This printer is available on Ebay at 3400 Rs. The seller states that the toner can be refilled with "reset" chip for 200-400 Rs. This is actually very good VFM, but from what I have read so far on this forum, Samsung printers are difficult to hack with firmware upgrades and what not... Is reset chip really safe and requires no firmware upgrade? Should I consider this.

Samsung ML 1866 Wireless: For 6400 Rs again its a VFM for the features. Things keeping away are demo toner and refill issues.

Canon 2900B: Favorite of the forum. I am getting is for 5300 Rs. This runs on HP 12A toner and has no chip. Easy refills at Rs.200 available all over. No frills though, no networking, no duplex, no scanner, and it is pricey over ML1660. The only peace of mind with this printer is easy refill. Buy and forget kind off.

Canon 3250: This is not mentioned anywhere in forum. I am getting this for 5600 Rs. The only benefit over 2900B for this printer is the print speed of 25 ppm as opposed to 12 ppm for 2900 B. This printer supports HP 36A toner cartridge and has a chip. Calling a toner re filler told me over the phone that the toner can be filled for Rs.200 and chip can be had for Rs.100. Not bad if this is the only cost. Though I am not sure if he knew what he was talking about or just throwing it out there for me.

I need your advise as to which printer I should buy. I am kind of inclined towards Canon 3250 only caz of speed, but if the primary reason of not buying Samsung being chips, than buying a chipped Canon perhaps may not be advisable. Need advise from anyone. I am open for other options like Brother, but I guess our market dont have many of these and getting toner refilled may become an issue later. Please advise.
 
Friend i am also looking for a printer and my requirement is the same as you, and i am also look for a lot of toner cartridge and printer. First thanks for the information. I think we must go with a cartridge that will easily refill. Because the original toner cartridge price as high as half a new printer price, Company give us a cartridge free with that printer as the cartridge was not full with ink. As you say Hp 12A cartridge is refill easily. I think we must go with that cartridge. The cartridge support HP printer series :

Leserjet - 1012, 1018, 1020, 1022 and

All-in-one - 3015, 3020, 3030

But this leserjet printer price are beyond budget.

So I think we should go with cannon 2900B. Because only that the cartridge will be refill.

Hi, did you know about any other cartridge which can be refill, like 126A, 78A, 88A,
 
Finally here is what my research concluded:

1. Professionals do have chips (reset chip) for common HP catridges in India. They set you back by 300-400 Rs per chip.

2. For not so common brands like Brother the chips are available on Ebay US but finding them in local market is quesntionable.

3. HP's catridges/chips are by far the easiest to find. (Canon is compatible with HP catridges)

4. HP 12 A is the most common catridge in market without chip which gives a yield of 1500 pages per 200 Rs refill. That is less than 15 paise per print (excl paper)

5. Samsung printers offer the most feature per buck but are chipped and not all small shops would have their chips. Future availability of these chips as the models get older is a question. Best is to buy 5-6 chips when you buy this printer to have hassle free prints later.

6. Brother printer is perhaps most robust when it comes to printing, offering duplex features and fast print. But spares etc. in question.

7. HP is most commonly sold, catridges easily available but are pricey.

Finally given all of the above, I had to *settle* for no frills Canon 2900 B for Rs.5300 given that it is the cheapest printer with 12A toner catridge that can be re-filled even in a village. It doesnt support duplex, doesnt have high speed as Canon 3250 but virtually all refillers recomended this. So what you do get it most readily available spares and the cheapest running cost. Hope this helps any prespective buyers!
 
i fail to understand with 25-30 ppm why you are so focussed on the refills.

my estimate is you would need a refill once a year - and spending 1k on a proper cartridge would be okay wouldn't it?
 
babhishek said:
i fail to understand with 25-30 ppm why you are so focussed on the refills.

my estimate is you would need a refill once a year - and spending 1k on a proper cartridge would be okay wouldn't it?
Click to expand...

The only matter is how much i spent on printing a page, i mean cost per page printing is the only fact. Now i used a hp deskjet 2000 printer. And One small black cartridge is run 5 month for me and it cost Rs. 415/-. But the fact is it only give 90 page and to print cost for me is Rs. 5/- approx. for me. Where i get print from a cyber cafe @ Rs.1/- So in fact the printer i have is totally useless for me. But if i refill the cartridge the print cost get down to Rs. 0.75/- .

Now tell me which one is better.
 
It's not just about one time investment in printer that's needed it's the cost of running that's key in the long run. 12A refill 200 Rs for 1500 pages at 15 paisa per page. Add to this cost of 500 pages at 120 Rs at 25 paisa per page. Total cost per print 40 paisa. Now how quickly I use this is immaterial but I m not fettered by costs and would end up printing more compared to a printer that costs 5 Rs per print.
 
Canon 2900B is the printer of choice. It is very rugged - i know of one being used for over 2 years where the usage is over 2000 pages per month. Only cost is the refilled 12A cartridge. Trouble free choice.
 
hi I have a similar requirement,

I need a laser printer with scanner having a refillable cartridge any ideas..
 
JAK said:
hi I have a similar requirement,

I need a laser printer with scanner having a refillable cartridge any ideas..
Click to expand...

which printer did you wish to buy? HP or cannon. Only HP 12A cartridge are refillable. You should go with 12A. And as see with in 5k only cannon 2900B is available. and beyond that some Hp printer is Available. But cannon have no scanner. then you have to purchase a All in one series of HP printer like 3015, 3020, 3030. If you need the prince of the printer then ask for it. I will tell you or this is better to go a nearest HP dealer and asking for price. as i know.

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