If you are reading this, we assume that you are a professional working from home, or you have kids with lots of printing requirements, and you are thinking of getting yourself your own printer at home.
With your busy schedule, going somewhere else for printing needs might be a hassle, especially if you frequently need them. Like many others, using your time efficiently for more important chores is preferable.
Owning a printer could cost you a bit initially, but it will save you time, energy, and money in the long run. Besides, there are hundreds of affordable printers on the market nowadays, so you don’t need to worry too much financially to get one!
So, how do you choose the best budget-friendly printer for your home?
In this guide, you will learn the key and quality factors to consider in choosing the best budget-friendly printer for your home.
Choosing a Budget-friendly Printer for your Home
When you think of buying just about anything, including a printer, price is the first thing you will consider. You will surely look for the cheapest in the market, sometimes overlooking and compromising the quality.
But is the price the most considerable factor when buying a printer? Remember that a printer is more of an investment, expecting it to give you some returns or at least help you save some money after some time.
Instead of the cheapest, go for a printer that gives the best value for your money while solving your printing needs.
To get the best value for money from your printer, you should also look for the following features and functions:
- Single or Multiple function
- Monochrome or Color Printer
- Type and cost of printer (Laser or Inkjet)
- Cost of ink and toner cartridges
- Page yield
Single or Multifunction
Printers come in different quality, features and multiple functions such as scanning, faxing and copying. When deciding to choose between a single function or a multifunction printer, always take into consideration your need for the other functions beyond just printing.
If you simply need a printer and not the other features, then go ahead and save yourself some money. For this purpose, Brother HL-L2375DW may likely be your cheapest and best option.
On the other note, if you think you would also require fax machine, scanners or photocopier, then it may be more cost-effective to buy all in one printer like the Brother DCP-L3551CDW Multifunction LED Laser Printer instead of buying them individually.
Monochrome or Color Printer
Monochrome printer is obviously significantly less expensive than color laser printer as it is limited to generating only black and white printouts compared to multi-colored prints that a color printer can produce.
The decision to buy either mono or color printer simply boils down to what type of document you assume to print. If you mostly print simple text documents or black and white images, then it is wise to keep your costs low by choosing a monochrome printer like DCP-L2550DW. However, if you produce pictures, brochures, flyers, and other promotional materials, then a color printer such as DCP-T520W would be the most suitable option for you.
Type and Cost of Printer (Laser or Inkjet Printer)
Laser printer or Inkjet printer are both good options for home use. Once again, it all depends on your requirements as the other type may be more appropriate than the other in some ways or features.
To help you understand better, here is a cost comparison of these two printers:
Printer Cost
Inkjet printers use liquid ink from separate ink cartridges or internal ink tank and are expelled onto the paper. On the other hand, laser printers use toner powders which are melted onto the paper to add colors.
Generally, Inkjet printers are less expensive than laser printers. However, although a laser printer is more expensive on the initial investment, the features such as exceptional speed and lower printing cost, make up for its initial investment and still make it a value for money option in the long run.
Cost of Ink and Toner Cartridges
One of the critical factors to consider when buying a printer is the cost of the ink or toner cartridges.
While inkjet printers are cheaper than laser printers, the ink cartridges of inkjet printers are relatively more expensive than the toner cartridges of laser printers. However, several factors affect the printing cost so you will have to consider the document type and printing frequency.
Assuming you will be printing frequently and in high volume, Brother DCP-L3551CDW Laser Printer is the best and value for money option for you as it requires affordable toners. And since toner cartridges are in dry powder form, laser toners last longer than ink cartridges, thus, you can avoid unnecessary wastage when left unused for long.
Whereas, if printing is an occasional task for you, then an inkjet printer may be a better choice. To help you save even more, some like DCP-T420W come with an internal ink reservoir that can be easily refilled. Keep in mind though that if left unused over a prolonged period, dried ink might cause issues to the printer.
Page Yield
So what exactly is page yield?
Page yield is the approximate number of pages you can print with a cartridge. When buying a printer, you need to consider and compare the page yield to minimize your overall printing budget. You can easily find this information on online catalogs, or on the boxes of the cartridges.
Page yield is usually based on a 5% page coverage, which means a page worth of short paragraphs or emails. Hence, if you are printing more full-bodied prints or a full-page color photo, then the page yield will decrease. Remember that the actual number of prints changes depending on the volume and the type of documents to print.
In general, laser toner cartridge has a higher page yield than an inkjet cartridge. A toner cartridge can print roughly 3,000 to 20,000 pages, whereas an ink cartridge can do between 135 to 1,000.
If high page yield is your requirement, consider the DCP-T220 Ink Tank Printer, which offers 7,500 page yield.
Tips for Extra Money-saving Printer Functions
When searching for the best budget-friendly printer, try to consider other important features and look for some “hidden” extra values. This way, not only do you get the cheapest, but the most value for money printer.
Apart from the main features, printers can also help you save electricity, ink, and paper. Like the HL-L3270CDW that has a deep sleep mode so you can use it more efficiently. Or the DCP-T720DW with an auto-duplexing capability eliminating the hassle of turning the paper manually – saves you more time too!
Conclusion
There is actually no “best” budget-friendly printer on the market as it will always come down to what you need. However, with these tips and information, you can now make a well-informed decision about your new printer!