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Printer Buying Guide
Three decisions determine whether a printer is a good buy: what it will cost you to maintain over several years, whether you need color with any regularity, and which features on your checklist you'll actually use. This guide covers all three using the same data behind our ranking.
1. Calculate 5-year cost, not sticker price
Consumer Reports models a $128 cartridge printer at roughly $543 over five years once replacement ink is counted, against about $5 a year with a refillable tank printer. That gap is bigger than the purchase price of any of the three printers in our ranking — sticker price is, in practice, the least important figure on the spec sheet.
2. Decide inkjet vs laser based on color
If you never print in color, a mono laser like the Brother HL-L2465DW is more reliable and survives months of disuse — toner doesn't dry out the way an inkjet print head can. If you need color, a tank-ink printer offers comparable running-cost economics, without the cost penalty of a cartridge printer. See the full inkjet vs laser comparison →
3. Only list the features you'll actually use
An automatic document feeder (ADF) matters if you regularly scan stacks of paper — otherwise it's capacity you're paying for and not using. The same applies to fax and Ethernet: real for a shared office, skippable for an ordinary household. The Epson EcoTank ET-4800 includes all three; the cheaper ET-2803 does without them.
Common buying mistakes
- Judging only by sticker price instead of 5-year cost once ink or toner is counted.
- Buying an inkjet knowing it will sit unused for months — the print head dries out; a laser doesn't have that problem.
- Overpaying for ADF, fax or Ethernet you won't use in an ordinary household.
- Ignoring how much ink ships included from the factory when comparing prices between models.
Basic maintenance
- Inkjets: print something every few weeks to keep the head from drying out, and run the manufacturer's cleaning cycle if streaks appear.
- Tank printers: refill only with the ink the manufacturer specifies, never mixing colors or brands.
- Lasers: replace toner when the indicator calls for it; they don't need the same care around disuse that an inkjet does.
- Any model with a scanner: keep the glass clean to avoid lines or smudges on scanned documents.
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Frequently asked questions
What's the most common buying mistake?
Buying on sticker price instead of 5-year cost. Consumer Reports models a $128 cartridge printer at roughly $543 over five years once ink is counted — a far bigger gap than what separates purchase price between most printers.
How do I know if I need a laser or an inkjet?
If you never print in color and value reliability above everything, a mono laser is the safer choice — toner doesn't dry out during months of disuse, unlike an inkjet print head. If you need color with any regularity, a tank-ink printer offers running-cost economics comparable to a laser's.
How do I stop an inkjet's print head from drying out?
Print a test page at least every few weeks, even if you don't need one, and run the manufacturer's head-cleaning cycle if you notice streaks or incomplete colors. If you know you'll leave it unused for months at a time, a laser sidesteps the problem entirely.
What maintenance does a tank-ink printer need?
Refill the correct tank when the ink level indicator calls for it (never mixing colors or brands), run the nozzle-cleaning cycle from the device's own menu if print quality degrades, and keep the scanner glass clean if the machine also scans or copies.