Stop overpaying for ink. We test 120+ laser, inkjet, EcoTank and wide-format printers — teardown cost-per-page, speed, Wi-Fi, duplex and photo quality — so you buy once and print happy for years.
01 — About I Buy Printers
ibuyprinters.com started in 2009 as a small Chicago print shop tired of customers buying the wrong printer. Today we are a 24-person lab: engineers, photographers and small-business owners who buy every printer at retail, print 2,000+ pages on each, measure ink, noise, jams and power, then publish the brutal truth.
We buy retail, no free samples. 87-point checklist for every model.
We count cartridges, drums, paper and electricity for 3 years.
Free guides: unclog heads, reset chips, choose bulk ink safely.
EcoTank & duplex picks save up to 78% plastic and 41% paper.
ISO test charts, photo gradients, 80gsm / 260gsm / envelopes / labels. We jam it, drop Wi-Fi, print at 2AM to measure noise. Only 18% earn “Buy” badge.
Parents printing homework, realtors, Etsy sellers, architects plotting A1, clinics and logistics. Tell us your volume — we match the machine.
02 — Catalog 2026
Six categories, one winner in each. Prices include our negotiated warranty. Click any card to read full teardown in News.
40 ppm, auto-duplex, 250-sheet tray, AirPrint/Mopria. Toner 3,000 pages in box. Silent 48 dB.
Borderless photos, 6-color inks, 200-sheet + photo tray. Perfect for school + Etsy stickers.
2 years of ink in box = 7,500 color pages. Zero cartridges. Auto duplex + Ethernet.
For architects & photo studios. Roll + sheet, pigment inks, 2400 dpi, 31 sec A1.
| Model | Type | Speed | Cost/page | Best for | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaserPro 4100dn | Laser mono | 40 ppm | $0.018 | Office 500–2000 p/mo | ★★★★★ 4.9 |
| ColorJet Plus 7155 | Inkjet | 15 ppm | $0.04 | Home, photos | ★★★★★ 4.8 |
| EcoTank Mega 8550 | Refillable | 17 ppm | $0.008 | High volume, eco | ★★★★★ 5.0 |
| PlotWide 24” | Wide-format | A1/31s | $0.32 | CAD, posters | ★★★★☆ 4.7 |
| OfficeHub MFP 4-in-1 | Laser color MFP | 28 ppm | $0.06 | Small team | ★★★★☆ 4.6 |
03 — Buying Guide
90% of returns happen because people buy by price, not by pages. Follow our lab protocol.
<100/mo → inkjet. 300–2000 → laser. >2000 → EcoTank / laser with XL toner.
Text only? Mono laser saves $180/yr. Photos/posters? 6-color inkjet or pigment.
Cheap $49 printer + $70 cartridges = $490 in 2 years. $399 EcoTank = $150.
Duplex saves 41% paper. ADF + scan-to-email is must for office.
Check drum life, chip reset, bulk ink availability. We list all.
80gsm for drafts, 120gsm ColorLok for reports, 260gsm glossy for photos. Wrong paper = clogged heads and pale prints. Our test pack includes 6 papers free with every order via contact form.
Laser wins for speed, sharp text and sleeping months without clogs. Inkjet/EcoTank wins for color, photos and cost under 500 pages/mo if you print weekly. Never leave inkjet idle 2 months.
04 — Reviews
“Switched from cheap inkjet to EcoTank on their advice. 4,000 pages, still on first bottles.” — Maria K., Etsy seller
“LaserPro 4100dn runs 1,800 pages/mo. Setup in 11 minutes, Wi-Fi flawless.” — James T., real estate
“PlotWide prints CAD + photos. Colors pop, roll never skews.” — Arch Studio North
If you print <50 pages/mo but with long pauses, take laser — ink dries. If you print photos weekly, take inkjet/EcoTank and never let it sleep >10 days.
For text — yes, save 60%. For photos — no, colors shift. Never use refilled cartridges with new firmware before checking our chip-compatibility list in news.
Cartridge price ÷ yield. Example: $75 ÷ 1500 = $0.05. Multiply by your monthly volume ×36 months. Printer price is only 20% of total cost.
Yes — 48 states, free over $99. Offices get on-site setup, network + scan-to-folder, old printer recycling.
Auto-clean monthly, manual with distilled water if banding. Full video course after purchase + lifetime support.
07 — CONTACT • FREE CONSULT
We reply in 3 business hours with 2–3 exact models + cost math. No spam, no pushy sales. Bulk / schools / clinics — special -15%.