Do any of you know what I am talking about? I am looking for a printer to take on the road with me that is compact and portable preferably able to print a full sheet. Ive seen them mounted on a dash in cars before but Ill that I seem to be able to find is scanners. Would a household printer work or would the cartridges fall apart or blow up? Im guessing it would shake the printer to pieces. Any Ideas?
I have travelled a bit with a cheap ($30-50) HP printer/copier. I don't use it in the vehicle but but basically just transport it around and set it up where I need it. Never had an issue with ink cartridges. Just plug it in and good to go. Occasionally I will run a clean/align cycle.
Years ago we had a special compact collapsible printer we transported in a foam filled protective Pelican case. Come to think about it, it may still be on a shelf at the shop. I am sure they still make something like this but I just buy the cheap ones and replace as needed every few years now.
WOW prices have went down!! I bought one for WWW in 2011, I can't recall how much but easily over $200. $280 might have been it.
Cold climate ink jets not the best ( ink will freeze in cartridge) that aside they are cheap $60 on up depending on what you need - the catch is them little cartridges cost as much as the machine. Laser printers- ( not lazer jet= ink jet) are a dry toner units but are sensitive to high heat ( do not leave in parked car in summer) a lot more pages per cartridge which depending on model are not that much more than the others ( either way there are off brand cartridges available from third party suppliers) Start at apx $100. if this is destined to sit for quite a spell between uses- definitely look at the lazer/ dry toner units - the ink jet cartridges dry up and clog the tiny orifices rendering the cartridge useless, sometimes in little more than a week of inactivity. A few decades back I made my living repairing various types of printers/ reprographic equipment. The most bullet proof printer is still the impact units which now days are few and far between ( yep, they made mobile small ones back in the day) Companies do not make much profit on the hardware- profit is in the cartridges.
I’d like to print all my trip invoices and pay sheets off because it allows me to keep a clear readable copy on my laptop and makes it easy for the office to read too. We turn paper in so I can’t send email files over or I’d be all over that.. The debate now is so I get an air printer for home. The risk is that I won’t get home to grab them every time when I head back from whatever destination I’m at.... Having one in the truck would be very helpful.
I think This fits the need maybe... A little more research tomorrow for sure! Epson WF100 there all over eBay too but that could be a bad thing...
Paper ??? need to get into the 21st century. I am computer illiterate and even I don't print much. think of the trees man...............the trees we need to burn
Pete, I had a normal home version of a Dell copier, scanner, printer in my race rig for years with no problems. Sat on top of my microwave too.
Hmm that’s good to know..... I found a scanner copier printer for $39 it might find a home. Ink is more than the printer though.
Sounds like the latest HP printer/scanner/copier I just picked up for $39 from Costco for my daughter to go to University in the fall. Bought my son a similar version for college a few years ago. I borrowed his to take on the road with me a little last fall. It had sat since April and i had no ttrouble getting the cartidges to print again even after a 6+ month sit. Hundreds of pages between the two of us and just replaced the cartidges for the first time. This is where I think the brand name ink cartidges shine. Might cost a little more but they last and work better after weeks of sitting. I have had issues in the past with third party cartidges drying up or plugging up quickly. Some were 3/4 full and useless. Another could not be recognised by printer/software. Having said this, maybe they have improved the aftermarket cartidges but I haven't bought these no name cartidges in several years. Once bitten twice shy
IMO, another thought for keeping it cheap is that it is likely only a matter of time before you go paperless and you won't need it as much or at all.
Our home unit is 2010 and still works good but the hp60 Ink keeps going up in price and do not last long. The printers haven’t changed much from this design either. Basically the same look and function. I’m debating putting that in the truck and keeping the new one at home. I don’t need color in the truck soo....
Not sure what exactly you need to print in the field but if expense tracking is the goal Visa intellelink mobile is the way to go- snap shot of receipts with phone link and code.
I'd suggest just making your writing really illegible, then the idea of changing to emailed paperwork would look MUCH better to them! Our field service techs do everything electronically. The only thing written down are their personal notes when on jobs
I do most all my mobile paperwork with my phone. Mobile Doc Scanner to scan papers and XODO as my .PDF editor. After being filled out and signed by the customer I just email it to the office. Yes, there are times I wish I could print from the road, but I do not miss all the paper that I had to keep track of.
