There are some tech-savvy folks here. I could use some advice.
I had experience with a couple good HP professional/business black and white (fast, reliable) printers over the years and went shopping for one for myself.
But the clerk told me HP quality isn’t what it used to be, based on printers coming in for repairs, and recommended the Brother brand. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.
I’ve seen HP printers go downhill over the past few years.
Their PC/laptops have been poor for several years and I don’t recommend them to anyone.
I have heard good things about Brother laser printers and am probably going to go with one fairly soon.
The older HP LaserJet 4000 series were nearly indestructible. I supported one that was somewhere in the 700K page rage and only normal wear and tear. Sadly, they do not like water from a fire hose.
I have a Brother HL-2070N B&W laser at home. It’s a little louder compared to similar HP’s but it has only needed regular supplies. Very rarely jams.
Brother hands-down. Here's why: When the HP laser cartridge gets below a certain threshold, it FORCES you - through firmware - to reorder.
Case in point: You work with a vendor company that demands faxes for all formal communications. You have an angry merchant demanding a solution. Money is tight. You DON'T CARE if the the printout has no black in it (purple or red or whatever is there is JUST FINE) because you're going through a FAX MACHINE - black and white.
The printer, nonetheless, forces you to go out and spend money you may not have.
The Brother, OTOH, simply became fainter and fainter as the drum ran low on toner. It did not force me to do anything; I could buy toner at a time that was convenient for me.
Not sure why we ended up replacing it; I think my (now ex-) wife bought a color printer on a whim and we needed space for it.
I really resent this corporate "you MUST give us money, now, to use our product" philosophy, esp. for what I now understand is an inferior product. Perhaps this kind of thinking is but one bit of anecdotal rationale for why Hewlett-Packard is now facing layoffs.
Does that help?