Four Student-Friendly Monochrome Laser Printers Under $200

Laser printers are often thought of as all-business machines. Lately, though, we’ve seen inexpensive monochrome laser printers for more casual users hitting all sorts of price lows. These modest monochrome lasers aren’t built for the grinding duties of their larger siblings, and they are light on features. But their speed and high-quality text output sure could come in handy next time you’re printing out a term paper at the last minute.

How low do they go? We’ve seen a few models, such as the Samsung ML-2525W we tested, fall to as little as $100. Just a year ago, this would have been unheard of for a new, non-refurbished laser printer. We even saw one under-$200 all-in-one printer that can scan and copy, as well as print: the Dell 1135n.

You’ll want to tread carefully, though. Consider first the cost of consumables. The initial purchase prices of these printers may be relatively low, but those savings evaporate in the long run when purchasing toner, especially if you’ll print a lot. In the reviews below, pay close attention to the cost per page (CPP) of each model. We recommend looking for a CPP of less than 4 cents.

Another major factor is duty cycle, or how many pages, at most, the manufacturer rates the machine to print per month. The ceiling for most of the models in this roundup is 12,000 pages per month, so if you’re looking to print hundreds of pages a day, these relatively low-load printers are not for you. For students who are just printing out the occasional term paper or worksheet, however, these printers will do the trick.

The final feature you’ll want to pay attention to is connectivity. We were pleasantly surprised that two out of the three printers here support wireless printing via Wi-Fi. But be aware that connectivity varies greatly from model to model on budget printers. On some you’ll get an Ethernet interface for easy printer sharing across a home network; on others, all you’ll get is a straight USB interface. Be sure to pinpoint how you want to connect your printers to your PC(s) before you buy.

Considering their prices, of course, know that these models will have limitations. Features are scarce on bargain models, so don’t expect a fancy color LCD screen, automatic duplexing, or loads of printing options in the driver. Also, since these models print black and white only, don’t expect great-quality graphics or photos. Finally, these space-saving models don’t come with huge paper trays; most max out at 250 pages of paper handling. (The most compact of the three printers reviewed here, the HP OfficeJet Pro P1102w, has a paper tray that will hold a mere 150 sheets. The Dell 1130n, however, will hold up to 250 sheets.) That said, since these aren’t machines built for hefty print jobs, this shouldn’t be a problem. And their small size makes them perfect for cramped dorm rooms.

Don’t automatically assume that a student budget makes a laser printer unattainable. These low-cost models are perfect for most student-printing purposes. (And if you decide one of these budget printers isn’t for you, check out our 2010 Ultimate Printer Buying Guide. A different kind of printer might be a better fit for you.)

Via: computershopper.com