Re: Contemplating new MFC color laser printer purchase
On Saturday 02 April 2016 16:25:39 deloptes wrote:
> Gene Heskett wrote:
> > On Saturday 02 April 2016 09:52:58 deloptes wrote:
> >> Gene Heskett wrote:
> >> > Does anyone know if the scanner in a Dell H625cdw MFC is
> >> > recognized by xsane?
> >>
> >> http://www.sane-project.org/sane-backends.html
> >>
> >> I do not think so.
> >>
> >> I bought Epson 33/330 and I've been using it with the Epsons iscan
> >> tool (v.2.30) over 3y now. It works great for me.
> >
> > I have never been able to make iscan work here, at least in earlier
> > versions as its been 3 years or more since the last time. xsane
> > Just Works(TM) with an NX515 I bought several years ago, and whose
> > nozzles clogged in 2 weeks. Staples said I had to send it back to
> > Epson, but I recalled I had been spending $150 bucks for ink every
> > 90 days to keep the previous epson ink squirter working just because
> > the only way I could keep the nozzles clean was to have amanda print
> > its backup report every night, using up the ink.
>
> I did some research before buying the 30-330 and it payed off. If you
> print a lot it's cheaper to use laser - especially such one, that can
> use the black when low or empty color cart. I don't print a lot in
> color, so B/W laser and separate color ink are just best solution.
> I did also some research on multi function devices
> (scaner/fax/printer), but only the more expensive are reliable and
> usable under linux (perhaps also under windows).
>
> > So I voted with my wallet, and bought a Brother HL-3170CDW color
> > laser, but it never worked really well, and has now died, drum error
> > for all 4 drums, which my C.E.T. mind says is a high voltage
> > failure, but the brother techs won't hear of it, saying I need to
> > replace all 4 drums at $150/copy. Drums rated for 15,000 pages each,
> > and have nominally 3700 pages of use? Thats 600 bucks when I can buy
> > a new one now for $250? The thought of buying one for parts crossed
> > my mind, briefly.
> >
> > Tain't gonna happen, and Brother refuses to talk warranty.
>
> That's sad. At least we have consumer protection laws in Europe. They
> usually take care of such cases. Did you do some research before
> buying it? I found out that it is hard to find out what works good in
> the past years. A lot of new models changing frequently, so when you
> have reliable feedback the device is no longer for sale. I feel
> overruled by the industry. It's not only printers and a like -
> dishwasher, washing machines - crazy!
>
> > I could gain some desk space with the all in one, if it would work.
>
> Just spend some more time in researching before buying. It will pay
> off later. I usually check prices against functionality and start
> googling linux+vendor+model+problems or issues, compare with
> recommendations etc.
>
> > This MFC claims it works with ubuntu 12.04, so I am tempted to load
> > up xsane on my elderly lappy and take it to Staples to see if they
> > have one on display, and can the xfce install on it see the scanner.
> > The printer claims to handle all the common protocols including
> > pdf-1.7 so I don't think it will be a huge config problem.
>
> http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/19/SLN284830/en
>
> Don't know if it will work in debian without adjustments as they
> provide only rpms. One would need at least do alien upon it.
> The printing won't be an issue I guess, but if you want to use it via
> USB or so might be. The scanner would work also, because you could
> mail or whatever the scanned files to. It seems to have this modern
> whatever technology called to print from the phone to it, so ... looks
> like all is supported there. It seems to be a good piece of hardware.
> I like Dell - the notebooks. For the printers my preference is with HP
> - though I don't have any idea if quality in this segment is still the
> same as it used to be before.
> I googled fast on this Dell printer but could not find anything
> related to Linux.
>
> >> It states however that it can be used by sane as well.
> >>
> >> This might be of interest (I think it depends on what model you
> >> buy)
> >
> > If I buy an epson, which is not likely unless I could still buy a
> > C82. I used it to print a couple weddings I shot, selling the color
> > prints, they were that good. But that was then, this is now.
>
> Times are changing and the industry also. We can only follow. The
> worse thing is that it is not about quality anymore, but the margin.
> And here it's hard to follow, because we provide that margin and get
> crap.
>
> I've been looking recently into the newer HP devices. They also have
> multi function once at reasonable price.
>
> I don't know - it looks like you won't get reply here by someone using
> this device. I would buy one that more than 2 reported to be working
> without issue for at least 1y.
>
> regards
In defense of Brother, it did work, for about 3 years, but according to
its last status printout, the drums were at about 1/3rd their rated life
of 15,000 pages. This one has an electrical problem now, I believe in
the power supply, that causes it to think the corona wires need cleaned,
and the slider that does that does a decent job as I also chased it with
a clean q-tip and ended with a pretty clean q-tip. Its printout seemed
to be fading, as if its out of toner, but I opened one and it was at
least half full, so I taped up the hole again. On the display it shows
all 4 toner carts as being around 3/4 full.
That Dell H625cdw will be the next purchase, but not before I've set this
one up out in the shop, removed the right cover where the power supply
is, and see what this C.E.T.* can find. I may have to locate & borrow a
high voltage probe so I can actually measure that voltage as the supply
is quite likely good for only 1 or 2 milliamps before the measuring
device probe has loaded it to a protective extinction.
But to do that, I'll need to extract my 2 wheeled cart from behind about
a ton of stuff in the basement, the workers needed room against the
outside walls, and the space in front and back of the pool table, along
with the pool table is stacked with the stuff they had to move. About
4.5 feet deep, so it will take a while to move enough iof it to get out
the cart. I am also in the process of making me a path to gain access
to the floor joists and poke some 1" holes for romex passage as I've
brought in a new circuit to run the sump pumps on. The basement circuit
is loaded too heavily already & its too easy to trip that circuit
breaker. Then I need to get about 16 sheets of 2" styro & fit it to the
wall between the steel 4x4 I-Beam braces that were installed at the same
time as the hidden drainage ditch feeding the pump. When thats done,
then I can see about moveing a 20', 2 feet deep set of wooden shelves
back against it, and really start getting stuff up off the floor. Some
of it of course will to go the landfill. Several hundred lbs of
that "some" :) Never found a cure for the virus called "packratitis"
though.
But progress is slow when you are 81 & the back has crushed disks making
it dangerous to just pick it up and go like I could 60 years ago, which
now explains the bad back. Then I thought nothing of picking up 200 lbs
and walking off with it.
So that Brother printer will likely stand here against the door frame,
until I can extract the 2 wheeler so I can move it w/o further crippling
myself.
I don't recommend getting old, avoid it if at all possible. And, take
care of yourself while you are young. Demonstrating that you are 10
feet tall & bulletproof at 21, WILL bite you on the rear 60 years later.
BTDT.
Cheers, Gene Heskett
*C.E.T., Certified Electronics Technician.
--
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>
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