Best value monochrome laser printer: the definitive guide
Brother from €218, Samsung from €36: a real-world analysis of toner costs, refilling tricks and the laser vs inkjet dilemma for home use
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Brother vs Samsung: the best value monochrome laser printer
Looking for a black and white laser printer that won't bankrupt you on toner? The market offers options from 36 euros, but not everything is what it seems. We analyse the alternatives between Brother, Samsung and Lexmark with real consumable data.
The laser printer war
The debate over the best black and white laser printer comes down to two giants: Brother and Samsung. A Brother user once paid 218 euros for a multifunction device, while a Samsung on sale can cost as little as 36 euros, though with a toner that "screws you over", according to some. The Brother HL-5270DN, recommended for its durability and duplex printing, sits in the 250-euro range. Lexmark also appears as an option, with the advantage that its toner can be refilled by hand without a chip.
The real cost of toner and recycling tricks
The true cost is not in the printer, but in the consumables. An original Samsung toner can run around 25 euros for 1500-2000 pages, and chips block the generics. In contrast, the savviest users refill Lexmark toner with a bottle of powder and adhesive tape. Brother also allows cheap compatibles if you know where to look. But be careful: poor-quality paper sheds dust that wrecks the rollers, and paper weights sometimes lie. 80-gram OCE paper is the benchmark.
What if you barely print? Ink fights back
For low volumes (10 pages a month), laser can be a mistake. Toner expires and the Brother drum needs replacing every 3000 pages. Ink, with cartridges at 2 euros each, lets you print 10,000 pages for 25 euros. Canon, with its multi-cartridge system and wifi, offers a multifunction for 120 euros. The catch: the nozzles clog if you don't use it often. The radical alternative: outsource to a print shop, which by the calculations works out "a million times cheaper".
The conclusion is as ironic as it is practical: the best printer is the one you don't need to buy. But if you insist, make it laser for frequent use and ink for the rest. And the ultimate trick: buy it second-hand in Germany, famous for its sausages and its beer, not its printers, but because there companies throw out printers that are almost new.
Related discussions on the forum
Looking for a black and white laser printer that won't bankrupt you on toner? The market offers options from 36 euros, but not everything is what it seems. We analyse the alternatives between Brother, Samsung and Lexmark with real consumable data.
The laser printer war
The debate over the best black and white laser printer comes down to two giants: Brother and Samsung. A Brother user once paid 218 euros for a multifunction device, while a Samsung on sale can cost as little as 36 euros, though with a toner that "screws you over", according to some. The Brother HL-5270DN, recommended for its durability and duplex printing, sits in the 250-euro range. Lexmark also appears as an option, with the advantage that its toner can be refilled by hand without a chip.
The real cost of toner and recycling tricks
The true cost is not in the printer, but in the consumables. An original Samsung toner can run around 25 euros for 1500-2000 pages, and chips block the generics. In contrast, the savviest users refill Lexmark toner with a bottle of powder and adhesive tape. Brother also allows cheap compatibles if you know where to look. But be careful: poor-quality paper sheds dust that wrecks the rollers, and paper weights sometimes lie. 80-gram OCE paper is the benchmark.
What if you barely print? Ink fights back
For low volumes (10 pages a month), laser can be a mistake. Toner expires and the Brother drum needs replacing every 3000 pages. Ink, with cartridges at 2 euros each, lets you print 10,000 pages for 25 euros. Canon, with its multi-cartridge system and wifi, offers a multifunction for 120 euros. The catch: the nozzles clog if you don't use it often. The radical alternative: outsource to a print shop, which by the calculations works out "a million times cheaper".
The conclusion is as ironic as it is practical: the best printer is the one you don't need to buy. But if you insist, make it laser for frequent use and ink for the rest. And the ultimate trick: buy it second-hand in Germany, famous for its sausages and its beer, not its printers, but because there companies throw out printers that are almost new.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (24 replies).
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