At the front counter we have:
-Networked Star TSP 700 series high speed thermal printer (small continuous roll) TSP743U. We have had it for about 5 months. This printer handles debit and credit card slips, quicksale slips, framing order slips, and payment receipts for pick-ups. Previously, all that went to the Brother (below) It has no warm-up time and we love it.
-Networked Brother MFC-8500 (Laser printer, scanner, fax, copier). This brother model has been discontinued but replaced by the MFC-8220 - virtually identical. We have had it for 4 1/2 years. This unit handles daily reports, monthly reports, corporate billing for multi piece orders, workorders (back room framing instructions), and all of our incoming faxes.
-Networked Dymo Turbo label printer, which LifeSaver uses to print barcode labels for mats, mouldings, art items, and gift items.
In the back room: (Wizard CMC PC)
-Networked HP LaserJet 6L (old) which serves as a "backup plan" in case the brother ever decides to fail. (it never has) We used to print postcards on that printer, until we got the color laser. This machine was beat up in a corporate office environment until the rollers wore out. A client was tossing it out, so I took it home and cleaned it up (new rollers) and it works like new.
At the office in our home, the shop has a:
-Dell 3100CN color laser which we got from one of the Dell Deals for $299 or so. (cheaper than what the 4 toner carts cost). This one is huge and we use it to print full color postcards. It pays for itself with every mailing and is still on the original toner carts. We got this about a year ago. The only negative thing I can say is that its large and needs its own table.
All of the above have been INCREDIBLY reliable.
Mike