If you are looking for the best home printer the stores have to offer, let my frustration be your guide. I have spent the last week doing the deep dive research so you do not have to. If you live in an Apple centric home and mainly print black and white documents, here is how to end the printer drama forever and save a lot of time and money. Below for you, is my home printer story.
I reached my limit this week. I was just trying to print a simple three pages for a presentation on my Epson XP 3105 when the familiar printer error dance began. First, it told me I was out of Cyan. Why do I need Cyan to print a black and white presentation snippet? I do not. But the printer does not care; it uses what the industry calls composite black, mixing my expensive colours just to make a mediocre grey. Then, it printed exactly one page, shuddered, and shut down for a software update that fixed absolutely nothing.
Then we were onto, print one page then wrong paper alignment error, that moves into the printing absolutely nothing on the paper error. Don’t even get me started on the inability to print after not printing for a certain amount of time, then running the clean which uses up three quarters of the ink cartridges. I think you get the idea, and this lead me to finding the best home printer suitable to our needs.
The problem: Avoiding the ink trap
Most of us have at one stage bought a printer because they were cheap at a big box retailer. We did not realise we were buying a loss leader. These companies sell the hardware at a loss and make their billions back on those tiny liquid filled sponges they call ink cartridges.
If you do not print every week, the ink dries up and clogs the heads. If you do print, the low ink light comes on after a hundred pages. It is a losing game. Inkjet printers were, in the beggining, generally designed for people who want to print high quality colour photos every single day. For the rest of us, they have ended up being a total nightmare. All of these above means it is not the best home printer.
The solution: Why laser is the best home printer choice
The smart move for a home office is a monochrome laser printer, once you read the below, you’ll understand why it’s the best home printer.
Laser printers do not use liquid ink, they use toner, which is essentially a dry powder.
- It never dries out: You could leave this printer in a cupboard for six months, turn it on, and it will print perfectly on the first try.
- It only uses black: No more Cyan low errors when you are just trying to print a boarding pass or something the kids need for school.
- It is incredibly cheap to run: While an ink cartridge might give you 150 pages, a single toner cartridge can easily do 3000.
The Math: Laser vs Inkjet costs
The cheap inkjet is actually a luxury item when you look at the cost per page.
| What Printer? | Epson XP 3105 Inkjet | Brother HL L2445DW Laser |
| Cartridge Type | Epson 603XL Black Ink | Brother TN 2530XL Toner |
| Cartridge Price | approx $47-$55 | approx $150 |
| Page Yield | approx 500 pages | approx 3000 pages |
| Cost Per Page | approx 9.4 cents | approx 5 cents |
| Dry out Risk | High | Zero (powder is shelf stable) |
Where to buy the Best Home Printer in Brisbane
When searching for the best home printer, more so in Brisbane where we live, you will notice that retailers like JB Hi Fi, The Good Guys, Harvey Norman and Officeworks often stock slightly different model numbers. This, as you’ll see is most of the time a deliberate retail strategy.
JB Hi Fi Group (who own The Good Guys) will often range a specific model that Officeworks, Harvey Norman and The Good Guys does not carry. You see this everywhere from Robovacs to printers. For example, certain Robovac ranges are ranged in The Good Guys, and their cheaper models are only at JB Hi Fi five minutes drive away so they do not have to compete directly with themselves on price. So this sort of negates any “I can buy it cheaper down the road” shenanegans.
This makes it much harder for you to use Price Beat guarantees across these chains, because the model numbers do not match exactly, even if the internal technology is identical. So this leaves quality, price and more often than not, location.
| Retailer | Model Available | Price Approx / May Change | Why it is ranged there |
| Harvey Norman | HL L2445DW | $148 | Winning Deal. Higher spec model with Ethernet. |
| Officeworks | HL L2400DW | $159 | Base model. No Ethernet. Standard “home” range. |
| The Good Guys | HL L2445DW | $199 | Premium range model, often full price. |
| JB Hi Fi | HL L2464DW | $249 | Multi function version to differentiate from the base model. |
The Harvey Norman Loophole: More features for less
The HL L2445DW at Harvey Norman for $148 is the ultimate Brisbane retail find. It is actually a higher tier machine than the standard model sold at Officeworks:
- Dual Connectivity: You get both dual band Wi Fi and a dedicated Ethernet port for a stable wired intranet connection.
- Speed: It prints 32 pages per minute (the Officeworks version does 30).
- Value: It includes a larger 1200 page starter toner in the box.
The Apple Advantage: AirPrint and iPhone scanning
Since we use iPhones and Macs, the Brother HL L2445DW is a dream because of native Apple AirPrint. Your devices see the printer automatically on your Wi Fi with zero drivers to install.
And do not worry about losing the scanner. You already have a world class scanner in your pocket. Just use the Files or Notes app on your iPhone to Scan Documents. It automatically turns your page into a perfectly lit PDF that syncs to your Mac via iCloud instantly. This keeps your desk clutter free and saves you the extra $100 you would spend on a bulky multi function printer.
Final Verdict: Save your sanity and your cash
I have done the research so you can benefit from my mistakes and save precious time. Moving to a mono laser is about reclaiming your peace of mind. No more late night trips to the shops because your printer decided it was “low on Magenta” while you were printing a black and white document.
The Brother HL L2445DW is the clear winner for the best home printer. It is fast, reliable, and remarkably cheap to run. It does one thing and it does it perfectly: it prints your documents without the drama.
My top tips for Brisbane Best Home Printer buyers:
- Skip the Inkjet aisle: Those $50-$100 printers are just expensive plastic shells waiting to be recycled (Sad but True).
- Head to Harvey Norman: The $148 deal for the HL L2445DW is currently the best value in the city. Check your local stores for immediate stock.
- Go Wired: Since this model has an Ethernet port, plug it directly into your router. It makes the connection for your iPhones and Macs absolutely bulletproof.
- Watch the model numbers: Now you know the retail game, always check the exact specs. Do not let a different model number trick you into paying more for less features.
Stop feeding the ink monster. Grab a Brother laser, enjoy the speed, and use all that money you saved on ink for a decent weekend or experiance out in Brisbane, Vietnam, USA, Canada or where ever you want to travel next. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading through the above and find your best home printer too, while you’re here why not read a few more posts above where we have travelled
