Many of us have a good experience with an old printer that served us well and faithfully. After it has lived its life, we think as we were so pleased with it, we should just get one the same. Then to our dismay, we find we can’t get it no more its discontinued and although often they are still available elsewhere for some reason they often become more expensive than current editions.
Used Options
The HP DeskJet 3550 Color Printer is a classic case. At least 8 years old and most likely discontinued and replaced long ago. This will cut down your options if you want the exact same printer and your only chance would be a used option. With the HP DeskJet 3550, it’s quite likely you won’t even find a used model.
How It Fared
The HP DeskJet 3550 had an average customer rating of 3 out of 5 which tells its own story. If you find a used model, you can probably find it for between $30 and $50. This isn’t such a bad price considering its abilities but you have to ask yourself, how much life you will get out of a used printer that was well used perhaps before you purchased it.
The HP DeskJet 3550 was a good option once upon a time but realistically, it would be foolhardy to go out of your way to get one.
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The DeskJet 3550 had a very good resolution resolution up to 2400 color dpi and 1200 black dpi. Not world beating compared to many but proficient. This might not be up to today’s top standards, but for a printer that was built in 2003, it’s very good.
It can even hang with today’s average printer. As far as speed goes, the 3550 can print 14 pages per minute black and 10 pages per minute draft mode. Once again, while not reaching today’s top performing printers, this is below average in the modern printer market.
These two stats alone – quality and speed – made it a worthy purchase. You would be saving hundreds of dollars and getting only slightly lower quality and speed. But I will eat my laptop if you can find one in good condition.
At least if you do ever find a quality used model, then inks won’t be a problem as it uses HP 27/28 Ink Cartridge in Retail Packagings, Combo Pack and perfectly available.
The DeskJet 3550 has the standard DeskJet features. There is an onscreen print-cancel button, which will immediately terminate any print. There is also an onscreen ink level indicator. This will give you a warning so you can buy more ink.
That said, having ink ready at all times is always a good idea. There is a space-saving paper tray, which fits well with this model since it’s so compact. It’s definitely a good option for someone without a lot of space. You should also receive photo and imaging software. This software will help lead you in creating various types of documents, including cards, labels, calendars, etc.
While this is often for work, it can also be a lot of fun. All these are great features, but there is one thing about the 3550 that stands out above almost all other DeskJet printers. Ink consumption is actually low. This is a rarity and an enormous benefit. You won’t only be saving by buying a used printer, but you will also be saving on ink.
It is a little noisy and paper jams are reported by some, but this is the case with many printers. They’re annoying, but easy fixes. A third negative is that if you’re buying used then you’re obviously not getting a warranty.
Click Here To Find The Best Price On This Printer
Although I’ve sold you the printer, I will steer you away from a possibly insane choice and guide you sensibly into something more recent and even current.
Later DeskJets
There are so many decent printers at affordable prices with more than decent resolutions and speed. HP DeskJet D2660 Printer with a print speed of 28 ppm Black and Up to 21 ppm Color is an example of the kind of low budget DeskJet printer there is on the market. Low budget does not mean poor quality, they simply cut down on features and functions but print quality is usually decent enough for most home users which a printer like this is made for.
It even has a generous 80 Sheet Input Tray and 20 Sheet Output Tray. Best of all is this model is in the low budget mould at $60 I’m sure you will soon be forgetting any pretentions of buying a used model.
It’s simple to use having 3 one touch buttons and an extremely compact size of 19.2 x 8.8 x 9.8 inches and a lightweight 6 pounds.
For a staggeringly low price you can even have WiFi 802.11n connectivity for wireless printing with the HP DeskJet 3000 Printer for well under $50.
This article started off as a piece about a hard to find outdated printer. I suspect that by the time you have looked through the DeskJet series and seen the vast range and choices and prices, you will realize that hunting down a used model will seem foolish.
How about 36 ppm and high resolution photo capabilities up to 4800 optimized dpi, automatic Duplexing and a expandable 150-sheet paper tray all for under $100. Well the HP DeskJet 6940 Color Printer gives you just that.
The HP DeskJet 3500 may have been loved in its day, but there are so many better DeskJet printers from HP for you to love equally with just as good a performance if not better. Still want to buy a used printer?
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About James Wikkee