Printers should ideally be replaced when they have reached the end of their useful life or when they are no longer efficient or cost-effective to repair. The lifespan of a printer depends on various factors such as the brand, model, usage frequency, maintenance, and technological advancements.
As technology advances rapidly, printers tend to become outdated quickly. Newer models often offer improved features, enhanced performance, and better energy efficiency compared to older versions. Therefore, keeping up with the latest technology can be a worthwhile investment for businesses and individuals who heavily rely on printers for their day-to-day operations.
Printers used in an office setting or by businesses typically have a higher workload and are subject to more wear and tear. As a result, they may have a shorter lifespan compared to printers used in a home environment. The printing volume also plays a crucial role in determining the lifespan of a printer. Higher printing volumes can cause more strain on a printer's components, potentially shortening its lifespan.
Regular maintenance and servicing can prolong the lifespan of a printer. Cleaning the print heads, replacing worn-out parts, and keeping up with firmware and driver updates can help improve the printer's performance and extend its lifespan.
Ultimately, the decision to replace a printer should depend on its functionality and cost-effectiveness. If a printer frequently requires costly repairs, experiences frequent breakdowns, or fails to meet the printing needs efficiently, it may be time to consider replacing it. Moreover, if newer printer models offer significant advancements in terms of speed, quality, or energy efficiency, upgrading to a new printer might be a wise decision.
While there is no predetermined "set in stone" timeframe for when printers should be replaced, a rough estimate for office printers is around 3-5 years. Home printers, on the other hand, can typically last longer, with an average lifespan of 5-10 years depending on usage and maintenance.
In conclusion, printers should be replaced based on their functionality, cost-effectiveness, technological advancements, and the specific needs of the user. Regular maintenance and keeping up with the latest trends in printer technology can help businesses and individuals make informed decisions about when to replace their printers.
Best Wireless Printers of 2024
1
Rating is 5 out of 5
Brother HLL2305W Compact Mono Laser Single Function Printer with Wireless and Mobile Device Printing
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Brother HL-L2305W Mono Laser Single Function Printer with Wireless and Mobile Device Printing
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Print more, wait less, get more done. Fast print speed of up to 24 pages per minute delivers increased efficiency so you can print more, wait less and have more time to focus on other things.
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Multiple printing options meet a variety of needs. The generous 250-sheet capacity adjustable paper tray easily handles letter and legal sizes paper and helps improve efficiency with less refills. The manual feed slot offers professional prints on a variety of papers and sizes including card stock, envelopes, and more.
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Mobile printing made simple. Enjoy easy, reliable, wireless printing from your desktop, laptop, smartphone and tablet¹ so you can print from virtually anywhere. This wireless budget-friendly printer is perfect for on-the-go individuals and families allowing them to print from virtually anywhere.
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Flexible connection options let you connect your way. Choose from the built-in wireless network interface to enable sharing with multiple users on your network or connect locally to a single computer via the USB interface.
2
Rating is 4.9 out of 5
Epson EcoTank ET-2800 Wireless Color All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer with Scan and Copy – The Ideal Basic Home Printer - Black, Medium
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Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing ― High-capacity ink tanks mean no more tiny, expensive ink cartridges; Epson’s exclusive EcoFit ink bottles make filling easy and worry-free
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Dramatic Savings on Replacement Ink ― Save up to 90% with replacement ink bottles vs. ink cartridges (1) – that’s enough to print up to 4,500 pages black/7,500 color (2), equivalent to about 90 individual ink cartridges (3)
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Stress-Free Printing — Up to 2 years of ink in the box (4) – and with every replacement ink set – for fewer out of ink frustrations
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Zero Cartridge Waste – By using an EcoTank printer, you can help reduce the amount of cartridge waste ending up in landfills
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Impressive Print Quality ― Unique Micro Piezo Heat-Free Technology produces sharp text – plus impressive color photos and graphics – on virtually any paper type
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Built-in Scanner & Copier ― High-resolution flatbed scanner and a color display for easy document copying and navigation
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Modern Connectivity ― Features wireless, plus hands-free voice-activated printing (5). Easily print from your smart device (6) using AirPrint or the intuitive Epson Smart Panel App (7)
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Designed for Reliability ― Worry-free 2-year limited warranty with registration (8), including full unit replacement
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Epson strongly recommends the use of genuine ink to ensure optimal print quality and performance. Use of non-genuine ink could cause damage not covered under the printer’s ltd. wnty.
3
Rating is 4.8 out of 5
JADENS Portable Printers Wireless for Travel, Support 8.5" X 11" US Letter, Bluetooth Thermal Printer Compatible with iOS, Android & Laptop, Inkless Mobile Printer for Office, Home, School
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Cost-Effective, Ink-Free Printing: The mobile phone printers offers an economical solution for everyday printing needs, eliminating the need for ink, toner, and ribbons. Print recipes, forms, letters, assignments, study materials, and travel documents hassle-free with advanced thermal technology. Each thermal paper costs only $0.07, resulting in substantial savings of hundreds of dollars per year. Perfect for home, small office, and school use.
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Easy Portability for On-the-Go Printing: Take printing wherever you need it with our mobile bluetooth printer. Whether it's in your car, backpack, or during business trips, JADENS portable printers wireless is your reliable companion for emergency scenarios, contracts, office documents, inventory lists, business checks, shipping labels, boarding passes, and more.
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Effortless Setup via Bluetooth or USB: Our mobile sticker printer easily connects to smart devices with iOS & Android systems via Bluetooth, and also functions as a compact printer for laptops and computers. Setup takes just 5 minutes from unboxing, making it a breeze to get started. (Note: For smartphone printing, please download the app in advance. For laptops, install the driver first.)
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Crisp Printing Quality & Long Battery Life: Experience crystal-clear printing with our portable travel printer, featuring 2 built-in 2600mAh batteries for continuous printing of up to 3 hours and 360 sheets on a single charge. With a remarkable 90 days standby time, this wireless printer is a must-have for businessmen and students on the move.
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Adjustable Paper Sizes & Reliable After-Sale Support: Print documents ranging from 2 to 8.5 inches in size, accommodating various needs. We are committed to providing exceptional after-sale service, offering lifetime tech support via phone and email. Whether you have inquiries before or after using our portable wireless printer, our dedicated team is here to assist you promptly and effectively.
4
Rating is 4.7 out of 5
HP DeskJet 4155e Wireless Color Inkjet Printer, Print, scan, copy, Easy setup, Mobile printing, Best-for home, Instant Ink with HP+,white
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PERFECT FOR HOME – Best for printing basic color documents like recipes, forms and travel documents. Print speeds up to 8.5 pages per minute in black or 5.5 pages per minute in color..Operating temperature range : 41 to 104°F / 5 to 40°C
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KEY FEATURES – Print, copy and scan in color, auto document feeder, mobile fax, mobile and wireless printing
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INCLUDES FREE HP+ SMART FEATURES – Upgrade free to HP+ during setup to get advanced features for mobile printing, security, automatic updates and more. HP+ only works with an HP account, internet connection and Original HP Ink for the life of the printer.
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CONNECTIVITY – Dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset automatically detects and resolves connectivity issues. Also includes USB 2.0 port.
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HP SMART APP – Simple, step-by-step guided setup. Print, scan, and copy everyday documents from your phone—from anywhere. Get advanced features with HP+ in the Smart app including mobile fax and advanced scanning features such as multi-item recognition.
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3 MONTHS OF INSTANT INK INCLUDED WITH HP+ – Print up to 700 pages a month and get ink delivered only when you need it. After 3 months, monthly fee applies unless cancelled, and you'll save up to 50% on ink.
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This printer is intended to work only with cartridges with original HP chips or circuitry and will block cartridges using non-HP chips or circuitry. Periodic firmware updates will maintain the effectiveness of these measures.
5
Rating is 4.6 out of 5
HP DeskJet 4133e All-in-One Printer with Bonus 6 Months of Instant Ink,White
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FROM AMERICA'S MOST TRUSTED PRINTER BRAND – Best for home printing, including basic color documents like recipes, forms and travel documents. Print speeds up to 8.5 pages per minute in black or 5.5 pages per minute in color.
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KEY FEATURES – Print, copy and scan in color, auto document feeder, mobile fax, mobile and wireless printing
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INCLUDES FREE HP+ SMART FEATURES – Upgrade free to HP+ during setup to get advanced features for mobile printing, security, automatic updates and more. HP+ only works with an HP account, internet connection and Original HP Ink for the life of the printer
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CONNECTIVITY – Dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset automatically detects and resolves connectivity issues. Also includes USB 2.0 port.
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HP SMART APP – Simple, step-by-step guided setup. Print, scan, and copy everyday documents from your phone—from anywhere. Get advanced features with HP+ in the Smart app including mobile fax and advanced scanning features such as multi-item recognition
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3 MONTHS OF INSTANT INK INCLUDED WITH HP+ – Print up to 700 pages a month and get ink delivered only when you need it. After 3 months, monthly fee applies unless cancelled, and you'll save up to 50% on ink.
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This printer is intended to work only with cartridges with original HP chips or circuitry and will block cartridges using non-HP chips or circuitry. Periodic firmware updates will maintain the effectiveness of these measures. More at hp.com/learn/ds.
6
Rating is 4.5 out of 5
HP OfficeJet Pro 8025e Wireless Color All-in-One Printer with bonus 6 free months Instant Ink with HP+ (1K7K3A), Gray
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Sold as 1 Each.
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KEY FEATURES: Fast color print, copy, scan, fax, two-sided printing, mobile and wireless printing, and an automatic document feeder.
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NEVER RUN OUT OF INK : Enroll in Print Plans built on Instant Ink to get ink
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GET UP TO $150 OF ADDED VALUE WITH HP+: With 6 months of ink delivered by Print Plans built on Instant Ink, an extended 2-year HP warranty, and advanced HP Smart app features . Choose HP+ at printer setup to activate benefits. HP+ requires an HP account, connection to the internet, and exclusive use of Original HP ink cartridges to operate.
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Print up to 700 pages a month free when you activate your trial of Print Plans built on Instant Ink. After 6 months, continue with Print Plans or purchase Original HP 910 ink cartridges. Cancel or change any time.
7
Rating is 4.4 out of 5
Canon MegaTank G3270 All-in-One Wireless Inkjet Printer. for Home Use, Print, Scan and Copy, Black
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Wireless 3-in-1: Print | Copy | Scan
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Integrated Ink Tanks - Up to 6,000 pages BW / 7,700 pages Color included!
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Black 11 ipm / Color 6 ipm
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100-Sheet Rear Tray
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Single-sided Printing
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Print from your favorite mobile devices using the free Canon PRINT app, Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service
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Intuitive, Easy to Use 1.35” Square LCD Screen
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“Keyed Nozzle” Design Only Fits and Fills the Correct Color Ink Tank
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ENERGY STAR, EPEAT Silver
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Peace of Mind With 1-Year Limited Warranty
8
Rating is 4.3 out of 5
Canon PIXMA TR8620a - All-in-One Printer Home Office|Copier|Scanner|Fax|Auto Document Feeder | Photo, Document | Airprint (R), Android, Black, Works with Alexa
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Never run out of ink. Connect your printer to Alexa and receive notifications when you’re running low. Alexa can even place a smart reorder from Amazon on your behalf, if you enroll in smart reorders
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Enrolling in Smart Reorders with Alexa ensures that you never have too much or too little ink supplies. No subscription needed.
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Wireless 4-in-1 (Print | Copy | Scan | Fax)
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15 / 10 ipm Print Speed
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200 Sheet Capacity (100 Cassette, 100 Rear Feed)
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Auto 2-Sided Printing
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1,000 Page Duty Cycle
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Micro SD Slot,ENERGY STAR, EPEAT Silver
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1 Year Warranty
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Print with your voice. Just say “Alexa, discover my printer"
How often should printers be serviced?
Printers should be serviced at least once a year. However, depending on their usage and environmental conditions, they may require more frequent servicing. It is advisable to follow the manufacturer's recommendations and guidelines for printer maintenance and servicing.
How frequently should the printer's print head be cleaned?
The frequency of cleaning the printer's print head depends on various factors such as the printer model, usage frequency, and print quality. As a general recommendation, it is advised to clean the print head whenever print quality issues occur, such as streaks, smudges, or missing lines in the printed document. Additionally, it is recommended to clean the print head periodically, between every 1-3 months, to ensure optimal performance and prevent clogging.
How often should printer drivers be updated?
Printer drivers should be updated whenever there is a need for it. This can include situations such as experiencing compatibility issues, new feature updates, bug fixes, or improving performance. Some manufacturers release regular updates, while others may release updates less frequently. It is a good practice to periodically check for updates, either manually or by enabling automatic updates, to ensure your printer is running efficiently and effectively.
How often should you replace the printer's maintenance kit?
The frequency of replacing a printer's maintenance kit will depend on several factors such as the printer's make and model, usage patterns, and the manufacturer's recommendations. However, as a general guideline, it is often advisable to replace the maintenance kit every 150,000 to 300,000 pages printed. Some printers may have maintenance intervals specified by the manufacturer, which could range from 100,000 to 500,000 pages. It is essential to refer to the printer's manual or contact the manufacturer for specific recommendations regarding maintenance kit replacement.
