On 14 Feb 2016 13:13:28 GMT, David wrote:

snip

[See another laser printer thread in uk.comp.homebuilt.]

I have just taken an old HP inkjet out of service because the intermittent
usage meant that the ink kept drying up between uses. This in effect added
£50-£100 per year to the running costs.

Ouch, that is quite a lot eh.

Still a perfectly fine auto-duplexing A4 printer but not cost effective
for my pattern of use.

And had you just done a test print every week it may well have come
out the same.

I also stopped using a more recent Lexmark MFP because of ink costs (even
when not drying out).

I had no such cost issues with my Canon ip4000 as the ink cartridges
were just that, simple plastic containers of ink and so were only
£1.95 each (aftermarket). [1]

I am assured that a laser printer won't worry if it isn't used for a few
months.

That is correct. Because toner is a powder it doesn't dry up like a
water based ink.

Cheers, T i m

[1] The disadvantage of a fixed print head and basic cartridges over
complete all-in-one head and cartridge is that when the fixed head
dries up it's more difficult to clean / clear or expensive to replace.