OT - Printers

[Chas]

I need to add another printer to my stable. I want to have a dedicated printer just for checks. I have a bunch of printers - all HP - and they all use the HP92A cartridge.

OK you IT types or other techno-geeks -

I would like to buy a printer which uses the same cartridge. Does that make any sense? It would make my life just that much easier, and the thing will only sit and print maybe a hundred sheets per month: all checks, which don't have much text per sheet of course.

I have looked up the toner cartridge and it fits the following:

Canon
LBP-1110 (SE also)
LBP -1120
LBP-22X
LBP-250
LBP-350
LBP-800
LBP-810
P-420

The HP units it fits are:

HP Laserjet 1100
HP Laserjet 1100se
HP Laserjet 1100xi
HP Laserjet 1100A
HP Laserjet 1100A se
HP Laserjet 1100A xi
HP Laserjet 3200 (I have two of these and they work just great)
HP Laserjet 3200m
HP Laserjet 3200se

OK - what say you? I can find a few of these printers refurbished on eBay for less than $50, but as usual, the shipping will almost double the price. There are also some 'as is' units for under $30 in my state - $20 or less to ship.

Should I just go buy a new machine and get used to having to keep a couple of extra carts on hand - Are my units some sort of old technology which has been radically outdated by new stuff, or do all of these things just spit out pages and behave themselves? help.

I'm not trying to go cheap - if I need to buy a new printer I can and will. I just really like to have one cartridge fit all my printers if at all possible.

Thanks.

Chas

[Chas]

OK - this isn't getting me a lot of help....

Is there a "What's the Best Printer" site I could go see?

 8-)

[Brewman]

Sorry, Charlie, I don't have any experience with laser printers, just the ones we use at work.
 And the service desk takes care of those.  
 My home printers are all ink jets.

 I'm thinking that one toner cartridge should last a good long time if all you're going to use it for is printing checks- like you said, there isn't much text on a check.

What's the cost of new laser printers and the required toner cartridges vs the refurbs?


 

[svspa]

Chas,

I've been out of town, making a deposit in Reno.  

I have an old HP 2200, in addition to an HP ink jet all in one.

I don't think anything new will really help with check writing, maybe a bit faster, but it doesn't sound like that's a big deal.

Seems like a good plan to stick with the same carts, you can maybe buy in bulk and save a little money.

If I were in your shoes I would probably look for another HP, used but in good condition.

Steve

[Vinny]

Chas,

A friend of mine is a CPA and writes checks for his clients. He has told me that there is a special cartridge to print checks. I think it has either magnetic or metal filings in it to be able to be "scanned" and routed to the appropriate place.

I was thinking about buying a check printing software at one time and he advised me against it. I think it was versa check or something like that. I asked this a few years ago so maybe something has changed.

[Chas]

Vinny,

I use QuickBooks, and QB Point of Sale, and I buy pre-printed checks from Intuit, so the MICR part is already there. I just want to get away from pen and ink.

I like the idea of just getting a good used printer which uses the same carts. I have found a bunch of HP 1100 printers on eBay. Like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=002&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=120102284470&rd=1&rd=1

I'll watch a few and see if I can snipe one of them.

Good input so far -

Anyone have any reason to avoid the HP 1100 or any of the other ones?

Thanks

Chas

 8-)

[Vinny]

Vinny,

I use QuickBooks, and QB Point of Sale, and I buy pre-printed checks from Intuit, so the MICR part is already there. I just want to get away from pen and ink.

I like the idea of just getting a good used printer which uses the same carts. I have found a bunch of HP 1100 printers on eBay. Like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=002&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=120102284470&rd=1&rd=1

I'll watch a few and see if I can snipe one of them.

Good input so far -

Anyone have any reason to avoid the HP 1100 or any of the other ones?

Thanks

Chas

 8-)

Other than being old (assuming that the HP numbers go up as the models change every year), the only thing to worry about is the amount of use something got. In printers they are good for so many 1,000 pages. Some of the commercial printers can have service done to them to change out worn parts but the consumer end just are throw awayable. Maybe the other concern is IF HP obsoletes a laser cartridge, you'll have to replace all the printers

I deal with laser printers on medical equipment and sometimes we can't get anybody to service them as they were not meant to handle the workload. I have a printer on my network that has 2 paper bins and is huge, needs to be PMed every 20,000 pages, it is a work horse.

Personally, I think that any HP printer is the way to go. I have never been impressed with Cannon ... HP is getting smart on it's injets though - smaller ink cartridges.

Hope this helps!