Which Printer Should I Buy?
There are two main types of printers that you can get for your home or office use – a laser printer and an inkjet printer.
A laser printer is a comparatively newer technology that uses toner powder to make the prints. Since it uses modern technology, laser printers are an excellent alternative if you’re thinking about long-term savings as it takes lesser time to print a single page, thereby providing more prints in a particular time-frame. If you’re wondering how long does a laser printer last, you can rely on them for a couple of years at least.
An inkjet printer, on the other hand, is a more conventional form of technology spraying ink droplets to make the print. Due to older and basic tech, these printers are more affordable for an upfront purchase. However, their cost per page may be higher due to slower printing speeds.
How Long Should a Printer Last?
A printer’s lifespan highly depends upon your usage. Home usage is less frequent, and usually people prefer using an inkjet printer for it. Office usage requires a printer to be up and running throughout the day, which means more prints and higher durability are required, which is where laser printers come in.
But this doesn’t mean that you should always get an inkjet printer for home because if these printers are left unused for a while, their ink dries up, and you might have to go buy a cartridge more often this way. Laser printers are perfect for office use and good for residential purposes, where you make prints at least once every two to three days.
Monochrome printers
These are among the most common types of home printers. As the name suggests, these are black and white printers that only require a black printer cartridge. You can find these printers in a lot of small startups as well since there is not as much documentation to do.
Recommended Monochrome Printers
- Brother HL-L6200DW Monochrome Printer
- Canon Image CLASS D1620 Monochrome Printer
- Brother MFCL2710DW Monochrome Printer
- Brother HL-L2300D Monochrome Printer
- Brother HLL2390DW Monochrome Printer
Color Printers
If you were wondering how long do print-heads last, this information would probably help you out.
Both inkjet and laser printers offer color prints as well. However, if you’re into HQ photos, inkjet photo printers take the lead here as they highlight vivid colors in the picture making them look like professional pieces of art.
Since most of these printers are pigment-based, it allows photographers to print pictures on an array of paper types and sizes. Pigment ink also ensures the quality of your pictures over time, something that you cannot do with dye-based inkjet printers.
If you aren’t printing high-quality photographs, then a laser printer will yield better and faster prints for a longer period.
Recommended Inkjet Printers
- Brother MFC-J491DW All-in-One Inkjet Printer
- Canon G7020 All-In-One Inkjet Printer
- Canon TR8520 All-In-One Inkjet Printer
- Epson EcoTank ET-3760 All-in-One Inkjet Printer
Recommended Laser Printers
The Key Difference Between Laser And Inject Printers
A core reason why most people prefer using inkjet printers for residential use is that it doesn’t require drum kits. Inkjet printers only need an ink cartridge to make the print. Whereas laser printers need yet another component called the ‘drum’.
How long does a printer drum last? The only good thing about this is that drums do not need to be replaced as frequently. For safe and optimum use, follow a 4:1 schedule – for every four ink cartridges, replace one drum.
How Long Should A Printer Ink Last?
This is one of the most commonly asked questions by new printer users. There is no particular science behind it. When your prints start to become lighter and shadier, know that it is about time you install a new ink cartridge. Furthermore, when you buy a new cartridge, its capacity is often written on the packaging. Modern printers also provide a notification when a new cartridge is required.
Differences In A Nutshell – Laser Vs. Inkjet Printer
Benefits Of A Laser Printer
- The speed of prints is quite fast
- Cost per print is low
- The toner doesn’t drain your bank account
- More reliable for daily and constant use
Drawbacks Of A Laser Printer
- Higher upfront costs
- There is not much room for paper types that you can use
- Complex graphics are difficult to print
Benefits Of An Inkjet Printer
- Best for occasional use at home or small office
- Several paper types can be used for printing
- Easier to carry around if need be
- Excellent for photo-printing
Drawbacks Of Using An Inkjet Printer
- Cost per print may increase if you need it for regular use
- They aren’t capable to function well if used constantly throughout the month
- Low capacity paper-tray
- Prints turn up very slowly as compared to laser printers
Is It Time To Get A New Printer?
Wondering how long your printer should last? Is it about time that you buy a new one? Well, the following are a few clear-cut signs that it is time to say goodbye to your old printer and welcome a new one on board. (Confused if it should be a laser or an inkjet printer? Scroll up – we’ve provided all the details to make decision-making easy for you!)
- Your printer has stopped performing as it did before – slower speed and print blemishes have become a new regular
- It makes weird noises that it didn’t make before – the printing speed is deteriorated and the device malfunctions very commonly
- It is too old, and there are a lot of new and better versions available in the market – never get left behind in technology!
- Your printing capacities have increased, or you require a better printing quality
- The printer ceases too often while printing – time is of the essence in business, don’t waste it on worn-out printers
These are just a couple of transparent signs that you need a new printer for your residential or commercial use.
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In Conclusion
Printers have become a common part of our lives. While you print your assignments and other personal documents at home, offices have their own constant requirement of printing and duplication documents.
If your printer is giving you problems, and you aren’t sure which type of new printer you should go for, this article has everything laid out for you! So go ahead, and purchase just the right laser or inkjet printer for your needs.
I had HP-4502 envy for my home and using it for light printing. It’s probably 5 years old and still working fine.
Awesome content. I would say it depends on the usage and the average lifespan is around 3 years I guess.
I like it when folks come together and share views.
Great blog, continue the good work!
My workhorse of a machine Brother laser 2270DW just stopped. It printed 38.5 reams of paper. Used 1.7 Drums; 9.5 toner cartridges.
Apparently the paper pulling mechanism failed. I figure it was the weakest link in the otherwise very good machine. I have had it for, probably over 5. Well, this article says 2-3 years is all that can be expected. This is what I was looking for.