local classroom printers

[MattDLEA]

Looking for some recommendations please.

 

We currently have kodak espc310 type printers in all our classrooms connected local to each machine. This is how the head wants it so each teacher gets a set amount of cartridges a year. He chose the kodaks as they are cheep and the ink is cheep. However we have found that after about 13 months the printer head breaks.

 

So we are now on the look out for another type that are a bit more reliable but still cheep ink and not to expensive.

We wont go to a centralized solution.

 

What do you use, any reccomendations

[speckytecky]

Classroom printers are a PITA. Best trying to get them to print to centrally located contract copiers I find - best being cost effectiveness and if you get the Admin Staff to maintain them least hassel to you. Where I have been pushed into allowing classroom printers I tend to go for the Samsung CLP680ND. It comes almost ready to use out of the box and has a super web interface (mind it's recommended that on older Samsungs you change the default password as it's been recognised as a weak link).

[TecD]

Hi may i suggest opting for something like Kyocera i know a lot of schools already have them, the reason i suggest is that you can pick up a Kodak for pretty cheap but the durability is very poor (13 months) and the cost for all the cartridges easily builds up. With Kyocera model they come with a ceramic drum technology which is a lot more durable they are built to last and if it does go wrong its easily to replace also a lot more pages per toner so overall save money.

 

[ben604]

Definitely go for Laserjets, inkjets don't last too long and the downtime they get in the holidays ruins the print heads!

 

We use the entry level HP laserjets, not sure of the current model number (they change every month it seems!), but they're reliable and ink lasts as long as any other laserjet with the footprint compatibles we get.

[gshaw]

Inkjet ouch, do you need colour in the classrooms? Agree with the above and get some cheapy \ refurb LaserJets and compatible toners from somewhere like Laserlife - More than, printer repairs

 

Cheap to run and will do the trick. MFPs are the way to go for ultimate efficiency but depends if you can have students leaving the room to collect print-outs