Solo Contendere

By Michael Kemp

Anyone want a printer? I have nine….

The first three were Craigslist “free” printers. I put “free” in quotes because “free” referred only to the price, not the time and headache trying to get them to work. One did not work at all, one barely worked for two weeks and then quit. The third, a Brother Laser MFC-9600, works fine. True it never scanned, it makes a sound like putting a marble in a coffee grinder every time I print, and the pages always come out a little wrong, but it’s fine for printing internal documents (I still prefer editing on paper).

My fourth was a donation from a friend, a nice HP printer which didn’t work from day one. After hours of trying to set it up, it finally managed to print blank pages, and held my briefs for ransom until I paid $80 for refill cartridges. Then it continued to print blank pages and claim that it needed $160 worth of printer heads. I threw it away. I refuse to negotiate with terrorists.

The list went on. The point is, trying to be cheap can actually be more expensive. So after my $35 Lexmark x5650 stopped scanning, I finally decided to buy a real printer. That’s when I discovered the Epson WorkForce 840¹.

At $160 on sale at Staples, the printer was a steal. It has an auto document feeder that allows you to scan about 30 pages at a time, double-sided. While not the fastest scanner ever, it comes with an easy-to-use scanning interface and straightforward software for easy pdf scanning. Two paper trays allow me to choose between regular printer paper and more impressive cardstock (read: demand letters). It has good color fidelity, so you can save more money by printing your letterhead rather than having it made at extra expense at a printing shop.

The setup was a breeze – even the wireless settings, which are often a problem with other printers. A simple USB connection sets it up, and links the printer’s direct scanning function to the computer (so you can scan directly from the printer or remotely from the computer). The printer comes with the standard memory interfaces, and a handy touch-screen that is extremely user-friendly. There is nothing special about its copying ability, except that it is fast and good quality. The WorkForce has a fax feature as well, although since we use an online fax service, I never use it.

All in all, the Workforce 840 is a great budget printer, and though it will never set any land speed records, it does everything you are likely to need in a small firm office. Given the cost of cheap printers, it is definitely worth the price.
¹ DISCLOSURE: I am not being paid or given any other consideration by Epson for reviewing this printer. I am just really happy to have found one that works. Although if anyone from Epson is reading this: call me. I might be persuaded…