Talk to me about printers and scanners...

[250224]

Originally Posted by Cpt Mark

I bought the newest HP 3652 because of it's size. Copies, scans, prints. What I don't like is that the ink cartridges seem to go bad really fast. Original ones dried up or whatever long before they were done and the replacements still have lots of ink but the print quality is horrible. A lot of missing or blurred info. 1st HP printer I've ever had that is bad.

Just throw this garbage over board...

I'd recommend to look into an Epson EcoTank printer: https://epson.com/ecotank-super-tank-printers.

While I don't have practical experience with this EcoTank, it's likely that my (cartridge voragious) photosmart will be replaces with such a device.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by blu3534

Just throw this garbage over board...

I'd recommend to look into an Epson EcoTank printer: https://epson.com/ecotank-super-tank-printers.

While I don't have practical experience with this EcoTank, it's likely that my (cartridge voragious) photosmart will be replaces with such a device.

Says 2 years based on average 150 pages per month = 3,600 pages in 24 months which I doubt most cruisers ever achieve.

I average probably 20 pages a month..as emailed scanned documents and electronic signatures remove the business side of printing when your cruising.

So my consumption theoretically would last 180 months or 15 years..
What would the condition of the print head and ink be after 10-12 years in the Tropics?

My HP F735 desk jet has been good but after 6 years, the heads don't clean as well and shelf life of ink cartridges seem less on this older model.

IF, as other say, a Laser printer ages well, maybe that fits a cruisers needs better?

[BigNut]

Hi David

We have been out for a year now, and have found the need for both scanning (single documents and books) and printing (on the boat and in various offices and cafes).

Our experience has certainly not been that you don’t need to print much. The exact opposite, in fact. In Obaldiá, Panama, we counted the port captain making 42 separate stamps to our clearance documents!
In fact, the big issue is changing requirements. Sometimes, you need a copy of a document you were given in the previous building.

So, I would say a portable battery-powered printer is important, coupled with a phone or tablet for single document scanning on the hoof. Combo units tend to be bulky and fragile for this kind of thing.

We take ashore preprinted documents, spare paper, our printer and a tablet in a backpack. Never pay $5 for a copy again! Having the ability to print colour impresses locals, some think they have an original, but B&W would likely be just fine also.

Back at the boat, we have a dedicated scanner.

Supplies? Carry cartridges in hermetically sealed pouched. We have used the same cartridge for a year, we recently replaced it. Your print volumes will be low.

You can get around without anything, as some say, but the aggro factor goes way, waaay up.

Printer: HP Officejet 200
Scanner: Scansnap iX500 - this is a beauty. Small, rugged, duplex, comes with OCR software. We scanned our whole library before selling up using this, and have it aboard now. It has ingested all our manuals, chartbooks. Up to A4 only. For bigger books I have set up a tripod, phone to shoot, and tablet to trigger with remote shutter app. Shoot all the pages, feed into PDFpenPro and you’re done. Remarkably efficient.

My 2p. Hope to see you out here soon.

[250224]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

I average probably 20 pages a month..as emailed scanned documents and electronic signatures remove the business side of printing when your cruising. .. My HP F735 desk jet has been good but after 6 years, the heads don't clean as well and shelf life of ink cartridges seem less on this older model. .. IF, as other say, a Laser printer ages well, maybe that fits a cruisers needs better?

But when your F735 lasted 6 years, didn't it age well? With your consumption needs I think a Laser is overkill. Most color laser models are much heavier than ink printers. Personally I only know Oki color lasers, and they are really heavy, but also very good quality (and bw HP LaserJet loong time ago, also very good quality -- but I distrust HP nowadays).

Even with modest print requirements I think these EcoTank printers look nice. One just doesn't have to think about cartriges, it just works. What I don't know is, if it also just works in the tropics?? And of course they are not as compact as some other printers.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by blu3534

.

Even with modest print requirements I think these EcoTank printers look nice. One just doesn't have to think about cartriges, it just works. What I don't know is, if it also just works in the tropics?? And of course they are not as compact as some other printers.

I took a look at one today. Bigger than my all in one HP , which on a boat is a consideration.
The HPF735 fits well on the end of my office desk under the shelf and I can still open lid for scanning A4s


Like everything else on a boat...not one solution fits all

[hellosailor]

Pelagic-
Buried in the sales sheets, for every printer there is a "duty cycle" rated in pages per month. I'm not sure who is using what numbers, but basically if you take that number of ppm times 60 months, five years, that's the lifetime you might expect before the whole printer can be tossed. None of them are "durable goods" any more. And unless you move from "home" to "office" category, they can have surprisingly low page counts. Which still might be more than a boat really needs.
Color lasers generally have 4 totally separate imaging stations, making them 4 times more complex than b&w laser printers. Generally an expense (buying 4 sets of imaging drums at $100? each) that smaller users wouldn't want to carry.
But the "tropics" in general, with higher humidity, would be good for inkjets, and that same humidity literally dissipates the static charge that lasers rely on to create the image. (On older models, it also lead to a gray background as the toner migrated everywhere.)
If you can find a machine from a vendor that does not require proprietary "chipped" cartridges, there's at least a chance you can find refilling in many places. The colors won't compete with Epson or other quality photo printers...but at least they can print.
I got a rude surprise from a well-rated Brother "office" inkjet. The colors are a very inferior mix, compared to an ordinary HP printer. But, the HP costs more to feed, and their reliability just isn't there. (This one needs a new circuit board, which costs substantially more than the printer did.)
Also beware of any model with a proven track record, because if it is five years old? Right, the maker will be discontinuing it soon, to replace it with something new. And that means no more ink cartridges. Make sure that whatever you get, it takes cartridges commonly found in office supply or discount stores, or available from third parties.
Third party ink *may* damage printheads, usually that's FUD. Some printers actually have a printhead ON the ink cartridge, so it is replaced whenever you change ink. Others, like (most? all?) the HP's, have the heads separate in the printer.
Bottom line, the printers these days are all like fruit, they will rot on the shelf and have to be replaced from time to time. Not the durable goods that they used to be.
Oh, and from HP: The cartridges, new, unopened, sealed spares? Also need to be stored "this side up" so that any pigment which does settle out and clog, won't clog the cartridge. Who knew?

[Pelagic]

Thanks hello sailor, very informative
I will stay with the HP F735 till it fails, then buy something cheap that fits.
I guess my printing standards just like new manufacturing trends, will just keep getting lower!