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Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Discussions => Topic started by: Realmccoy on February 10, 2020, 09:36:44 pm

Title: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Realmccoy on February 10, 2020, 09:36:44 pm
I want to carry a printer/scanner with me while full-timing. Saw that Roger and Susan put their printer in the old bedroom TV location. That is currently vacant in my coach and I dodn't intend to put a TV in the bedroom. My wife doesn't want to give up the real estate for a printer. I could use an app on my iphone to scan documents. I've used JotNotPro with good results for many years. But sometimes I want to print stuff. Do you find a printer useful and where does it live?
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: folivier on February 10, 2020, 10:03:56 pm
We have an HP M15w for printing occasionally and use our phones for scanning. Printer is small enough to fit in an overhead cabinet. Used to use an inkjet but the heads were always clogged from not using it frequently enough.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: "Irish" on February 10, 2020, 10:40:03 pm
This is a great unit,  it's really small, use it for work at job sites, ink is not as cheap as it is for the big HP printers.
Use it with my phone all the time
HP Officejet 250 All in One Wireless Portable Printer with Mobile Printing... (https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/386558/HP-Officejet-250-All-in-One/?cm_mmc=PLA-_-Google-Mobile-_-Printers-_-386558&ds_rl=1256068&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_fXs58jI5wIVBdbACh2nNAcOEAQYASABEgKzb_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)

If using an Iphone you do need to download the HP smart print app which is used for set up and then works in the background (do not have your hot spot activated when connecting)
The printer fools your phone into thinking it's the internet and your phone connects to its WIFI when you go to print.
Excellent quality, fast, I print about 60 pages a day with it, order the XL cartridges.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart on February 10, 2020, 10:59:20 pm
Laser printers normally require a sine wave inverter and the inverter should be able to supply three times the lasers power requirement while ink jets just need rated wattage.

Pierce
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on February 10, 2020, 11:08:36 pm
We carry a Epson XP-810 Small-in-One with us.  Use it in the house and in the coach.  It's not exactly small, and kinda heavy to tote back and forth, but not enough hassle to motivate me to buy another printer just for the coach.  We sometimes find it handy having a scanner and printer.

On the road, I keep it in the aft closet sitting on the raised carpeted floor section over the rear heater.  It rides there just fine.  We have a 110V outlet in the closet so it has power.  I can print to it wirelessly from our venerable 17" MacBook Pro that we use on the road.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Bob & Sue on February 11, 2020, 12:33:05 am
Here is the one we use.  Small, wireless and has a battery backup so we don't need to fire up the geny to use it. 
  It lives in the drawer under the captains seat.  Sorry,, Grand Villa only.  The bus coaches don't get to have those 3 drawers.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Old Toolmaker on February 11, 2020, 08:33:52 am
But sometimes I want to print stuff. Do you find a printer useful and where does it live?

I have a clunky Lexmark laser printer left over from our last business.  Right now it lives on the floor next to the dinette.  When we have a car we'll go shopping for a night stand.  A printer is one of those things we don't use until I make up my mind to throw it out.  Then and only then I need a hard copy.

If we lived near civilization, I'd stick my document on a thumb drive and print it out at the copy store.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: jor on February 11, 2020, 09:51:03 am
We keep one in the bathroom closet.
jor
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Journey, Roam, Explore on February 11, 2020, 10:03:07 am
I currently have a Canon TS9100 inkjet printer scanner. Really like it. But all printers have their issues.
Never would own a Epson again. Unless one of the high end models, had many, all had problems.
I plan to put it in the drawer next to my jackknife sofa. PO had a computer tower in there and put in a outlet for it, but it could also go in my overheads in the front. Since I replaced to insulation I have more room there than factory.
Used to own a battery powered printer/scanner when we traveled a lot with work. Expensive and limited but did the job. I wouldn't want to not have a printer. I don't use it often, but when I need it, I need it now.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: juicesqueezer on February 11, 2020, 10:15:04 am
Having gone through it seems like hundreds of printers over the years, we now have a HP Deskjet 2652 which works for us.  Cheap ink as well.  We have it in the front overhead on the passenger side, but actually have room behind the bedroom TV and after someone else mentioned that, I'm going to see if it will fit there.  The bedroom TV is on a pull out arm and easy to get behind.  Being full time, at some point in time, we always need a printer!
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Roger & Susan in Home2 on February 11, 2020, 10:19:48 am
Realmccoy,

Here is a data sheet on the printer we have.  They are not commonly found any more but are available. Expensive but if $/pound means anything they are less than almost anything out there now.  It is a heavy printer, real metal in the frame and structure, Print, scan, copy, fax. It has an email address so you can print to it from anywhere.  It was an early air print capable printers (other than an Apple printer).  It is about 8 years old now.  No problems ever. And it is only 4-3/8" tall.

We have it in the BR TV space on a shelf. A snug fit to get it in and out.  When we are at home it is in the house.  Most of our "office" stuff is in there too.

Lots of capable printers out there now. Some very cheap, almost disposable.  Find a space and then a printer to fit.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart on February 11, 2020, 10:34:11 am
We keep one in the bathroom closet.
jor
That's the same Brother we have. Excellent! It's printed thousands of sheets of music for my band. We have a Brother HL-8260CDW color laser next to the Macs that is outstanding. Nice color, fast, wireless and it even came with full tanks instead of the "trial" tanks most printers come with. No, never a Epson again. HP prints well and easy to set up but hard to work on if something goes down. Just have never had a problem with a Brother.

Pierce
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: nitehawk on February 11, 2020, 10:37:49 am
I took out our OEM oval table and put in a "harvest" style table, then a shelf up under the table up against the wall. Just enough vertical clearance for our HP 3050 J611 printer to store on when the printer is closed up. We do not slide up tight to the table so , because of that, our knees do not hit the printer or anything else on the shelf. I tipped the shelf so anything on it in will slip back against the wall.
Incidentally a good place to store things out of sight/out of mind.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: craneman on February 11, 2020, 10:42:37 am
I am on the fence after reading about members with printers, what do you print? When we leave for our 6 week trips, I take the household vaccuseal, now am thinking printer too. If I can think of something I would need to print. 
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Roger & Susan in Home2 on February 11, 2020, 10:59:42 am
Less and less.  About what we print at home.  But I print invoices, quotes, shipping labels, recipes, articles we want to save.  Documents you have to print, fill out and mail in when electronic copies don't work.  Not all that much but when you need it, it is nice to have.  Especially if you are on the road for months at a time.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart on February 11, 2020, 11:05:04 am
Since I'm tighter than a tick, a printer is useful for printing restaurant coupons as not all take smart phone images. Printing out an image of a part is handy when you go into the parts counter. User manuals are also good where the print is too small to read. Sometimes you only need on page in a long manual, printing it is handy so it's nice to have a printed copy of the right page next to you when working on something. Foretravel schematics are also handy if you don't already have them printed. Blowing up the electrical schematic as large as possible at a print shop is great. Then roll them up and stick in a mailing tube. Bill...thanks for that one.

Pierce
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: folivier on February 11, 2020, 11:36:52 am
If you hike or ride offroad you can print a map of the area and put in your pocket. 
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on February 11, 2020, 11:53:48 am
I am on the fence after reading about members with printers, what do you print?
Not much...on most trips we never turn it on.  I might leave ours at home next time...probably won't miss it at all.

I think we took to carrying one because to us (Old Folks) a computer seems "naked" without a printer.  From our earliest days of using computers, we always needed a printer because it seemed like we were always printing something.  My DW was a medical transcriptionist and worked at home, so for her a good quality laser printer was essential.  I needed a printer everyday, either at home or at my job.  Now we are both retired.  8)  Flash memory devices are dirt cheap, Cloud storage is free, and it no longer seems so critical to make paper copies of everything.

As Bob said, "The Times They Are a-Changin".
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Jan & Richard on February 11, 2020, 01:02:41 pm
Like Toolmaker we have our printer mounted on a modified end table on the floor aft of the recliner. 
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: P. Wyatt Sabourin on February 11, 2020, 01:03:55 pm
I have a Brother Laser printer and store it on the floor of the closet which is accessed from the bathroom. I move it to the dash when needing to print because I print very little. I used inkjet printers for several years but found they were plugged when I needed to print, while the Laser printer always works.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Bob & Sue on February 11, 2020, 01:21:15 pm
We mostly use ours for rental documents. Oregon state requires somethings in print ( closing statements and such ) and sometimes tenants also.    In a perfect world where there's no churn, there's less need..... but as long as they make them as small and light as our HP,  we will have one. I like being able to print in my underware.   
  Kinda like Netflix vs blockbuster.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: craneman on February 11, 2020, 01:27:45 pm
Probably will pass after reading lack of use will plug inkjets and I only use the printer at home for taxes and printing manuals which I keep in the coach.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: jor on February 11, 2020, 01:30:40 pm
Quote
We have it in the front overhead on the passenger side

Man, I never thought of putting it there. This is a great idea. I extended that front shelf to fill the compartment and should have plenty of room. One beer and a couple of tacos if I ever run into you!

By the way, I HATE PRINTERS. I have no idea how many we've owned. I even threw one of them in a dumpster while camping. As a guy I know would say, "This s**t ain't ready"
jor
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart on February 11, 2020, 03:07:41 pm
Probably will pass after reading lack of use will plug inkjets and I only use the printer at home for taxes and printing manuals which I keep in the coach.
Lasers can sit months and print perfectly. They really suck up the juice when they first start for twenty seconds for the heater. After that, they print a sheet every two seconds with lower wattage.. Some inkjets have better self cleaning cycles than other. Here is a page with a couple of lasers. The $79 model can be found for about $60 on sale. Wireless costs about $40 more. Amazon.com: Brother Compact Monochrome Laser Printer, HL-L2350DW, Wireless... (https://www.amazon.com/Brother-Monochrome-HL-L2350DW-Two-Sided-Replenishment/dp/B0763WDSYZ?th=1) Really nice and sharp for documents, etc.

Pierce
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Jack Lewis on February 11, 2020, 06:54:21 pm

As Bob said, "The Times They Are a-Changin".

I read your post and then went back in the thread trying to find "Bob" who had quoted Dylan. lol I got to laugh at myself when I figured out the obvious.  My favorite Dylan quote is "Don't criticize, what you can't understand". His favorite song, the lullaby he wrote for his first son, "Forever Young"

My current and adequate printer used in rv, HP laser printer 15W, not an all in one with fax and scanner, small in size, was picked for this, and it has worked out better than expected. 

Have had an issue once in a while connecting to laptop, as I use it on several devices.  I've always received excellent support by HP over the phone. Now I just use the HP printer connection app., and it fixes connection every time. 

I would recommend this unit and also at the same time you buy this, buy a replacement $50 toner  cartridge as the one that comes with the 15W outputs fewer pages than the 1,000 pages of the replacement.

No scanner, maybe latter if I find a similar sized all in one to this 15W.

HP LaserJet Pro M15w Wireless Laser Printer (W2G51A) Amazon.com: HP LaserJet Pro M15w Wireless Laser Printer (W2G51A): Electronics (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079QRKWLX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_l-ZqEb83TK0YW)


Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: kb0zke on February 11, 2020, 07:23:19 pm
We have an HP laser printer/scanner that lives in the space where the old crt television used to be. We don't print all that often, maybe once or twice a month, but when we do it is good to have it with us.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Jack Lewis on February 11, 2020, 07:26:20 pm
After my previous post, I just found this.

"The HP LaserJet Pro M31w is named as the world's smallest all-in-one laser printer. Its dimensions are 14.2 x 10.4 x 7.8 (WxHxD) inches and weighs about 11.9 pounds."

HP Laserjet Pro M31w All-in-One Wireless Monochrome Laser Printer with Mobile Printing (Y5S55A) Amazon.com: HP Laserjet Pro M31w All-in-One Wireless Monochrome Laser... (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KTJ35C9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Uu0qEbPQHZSYW)
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Woody & Sitka on February 11, 2020, 08:01:14 pm
Cheepo Canon MX490 all-in-one-wifi...lives on the driver side night stand in bedroom and powered by fridge inverter circuit.  Print a page or two a month at the most.  I like the idea of hiding it in a cabinet or behind tv...just need a power source.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Journey, Roam, Explore on February 11, 2020, 08:09:51 pm
Even though I don't use it very often I want my printer to be able to print photos. A laser printer would be nice for documents, but not so good for photos. That's why I like the Canon that I have now. It prints really good photos both in color and black and white. Don't have as much need as I used to, but when I want to print something I don't want to have to go to a printer shop or send it off. Probably as I get older I'll need it less and less. But for now I'm glad I have one.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: Barry & Cindy on February 12, 2020, 02:04:47 am
We may have the same floorplan:  Full size HP printer/scan 8600 model.

Located in center hall closet where washer dryer used to be.  Important to have a good printer & scanner for copy / scan.  Bring you technology with you.  Works for our 20 years full timing in this coach.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: floridarandy on February 12, 2020, 06:50:50 am
Epson xp830. Used infrequently enough so we store it under the sofa. EZ to pull out and plug to 120v by driver seat. Also keep FT books and records and some exercise gear below sofa.
Title: Re: Do you carry a printer/scanner? If so, where?
Post by: TheBrays on February 12, 2020, 08:41:32 am
We carried a Brother HL-2270DW B/W laser printer for years in our U295.
It fit exactly in the far left cabinet of the hutch. behind the dinette.
 Wireless, Duplex.
A new models withe the same dimensions (14.0" x 14.2" x 7.2") include HL-L2370DW