****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Working on a large network with expensive 4 foot-tall printers all over the building, I have had a great deal of experience installing and connecting printers. That said, most laser printers seem to do well when they cost 10K or better. But for home printers, it's another story. The thing that turned me off to inkjet printers was when I found out that the printer companies, some of them anyway, set their printers to fail if you use aftermarket ink. Lets face it, we all know they sell you the printer for almost nothing and the make it all up on the ink. Ink that dries out and does not last long. The worst part is when you get a new operating system on your computer or update and now the printer will not work with it. And yes, even us IT guys can't get the little gargoyles to work. I say gargoyles because they sit there on the ledge smiling at you as they fail to print or connect. It just seems to me that they are designed to fail - just to keep us buying new printers and their overpriced ink. And that is why I bought the Canon MF624Cw - it works with aftermarket toner and because there are so many ways to connect to it and print. That is rarely the case with inkjets - its wired or wireless. But this Canon printer lets you connect directly to the printer: wired, or wireless, wireless direct, or even use a cloud print app.The setup was a breeze. I connected with the WPS button on my router and that was that. It only took a few seconds to be done. Then I installed the drivers and the computer connected right to it. Even my wife said it was the fastest and easiest printer install she had ever done. Normally she tries but has to come to me to get it installed. But not this time, and she loves the printer now too. Not just because of the easy install, but the quality of the print.I bought some HaloFox Compatible Toner Cartridge Replacements for Canon 131 imageClass MF624Cw printers from Amazon for $60 and they work perfectly. Not a glitch and so finally, I am happy with a printer. Yes, I realize that people have different expectations and different experiences, but if you are looking for a solid laser printer for home, or a small business, this is a good choice. Be aware that it has a small paper tray, only 150 sheets and does not do duplex printing, and you have to fax from your PC, but everything else is rock-solid. And if you do what I did, you might find a Canon refurbished model for a lot less. If you told me the one I purchased was new, I would have believed you other than the manual being a bit beat up from shipping (it was not secured). Other than that, not a mark on the printer and the performance couldn't be better.All of that said, if you really want duplex printing, fax, and a larger paper tray, there are several very similar Canon printers around the same price that have all of that. Just make sure you check out the aftermarket toner before you buy - find one with at least 4 out of 5 star reviews. Because the real trick is not finding a refurbished model, but one where you can afford the toner! Heck, I found one laser printer where the toner cost so much, that it was actually cheaper to throw away the printer and buy a new one than to buy the regular priced toner.
