Very low reliability
Written: Oct 26 '04 (Updated Oct 26 '04)
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Pros: duplex paper handling, all-in-one functionality
Cons: bad reliability
The Bottom Line: Hard to recommend based on poor reliability
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| mcgoon76's Full Review: Hewlett Packard OfficeJet d145 InkJet Printer |
Let me start by saying that I am usually a big fan of HP products and that up until my experience with this printer 100% of my printers at work and at home have been HP.
My woes with this product began about a year ago when I purchased a new model at Compusa. I researched the model extensively and found few people with bad reviews on this product. At the time (and even now) it is one of very few all-in-one fax/copier/scanner/printer products. The feature that drew me to the d145 in particular was it's ability to perform full duplex paper handling. Basically that means you can scan, print, copy, fax on both sides of the paper without having to reload the paper. GREAT feature!
My first d145 exhibited a tendancy to tear paper as it was fed through the paper handling path. This tearing/snagging occured when the paper was fed through the lower paper tray and it did not appear to be related to the add-on duplex unit. I had a large quantity of work-related copying to do and the tearing in the paper got worse. Eventually the printer would become jammed on a regular basis. This was DAYS after opening my first d145.
No problem I thought, just a bad one off the manufacturing line. I took the printer back to CompUSA and exchanged it for a new one off the shelf.
This second model out of the box had problems with ink pump system. At this point I was quite frustrated and returned the product to a DIFFERENT CompUSA store. Maybe, I reasoned, there was a FEW bad models off the manufacturing line and they ended up right next to each other in the store. CompUSA happily exchanged my printer for a third model.
The third d145 quickly began to exhibit the same behavior as the first printer and eventually began to tear paper as well.
This was all within 3 weeks time and I had a large project at work to get finished. As bad luck would have it this was happening right around Christmas and I wasn't able to run to Kinko's to make the copies I needed. AND CompUSA was closed for the holidays. My only option was to go to Best Buy and purchase a FOURTH printer!
Yes, that's right folks, I ended up getting a fourth printer. Why I didn't just cut my losses and go with a different model I don't know. I guess I was attached to the full duplex capabilities of this printer as I frequently need to make double-sided copies of things.
This fourth printer worked well for months. No paper handling issues, no inkjet issues. I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
I actually contacted HP's corporate division after my experience and described my problems in great length. Surprisingly enough someone from their corporate service center called me several weeks later and was very polite. She apologized for my experiences and offered me a gift certificate for free ink. That was somewhat insulting; by this point I had literally spent HOURS dealing with defective product that was pretty much defective out of the box and they are offering me $20 worth of ink? I calmly told the representative that the certificate was not necessary but I just wanted to alert them of the poor quality of that product line.
BUT WAIT, the story is not over! As I write this review my 4th D145 printer is now starting to exhibit it's own set of bad behaviours. The ink system appears to be clogged even after regularly cleaning the heads and I frequently get a carriage jam error even though there is nothing jammed! ARRRGHHHH!!!
Now before you chalk this up to operator error let me make a few things perfectly clear. I have over 20 years of experience with computers and networking gear. I am a senior engineer for a $10million/year company and I make purchasing recommendations for the entire company. I have personally owned and recommended HP printers for well over 10 years and still own one of their first color inkjet models (which still works well by the way).
My experience with the D145 was so bad I have actually switched to using Epson printers and scanners.
I can't recommend this product whatsoever and would highly recommend that you read my review twice before thinking about purchasing this printer.
It is possible that later models of this style of printer have fixed the problems I have experienced. In HP's defense this was one of their first all-in-one products and I am sure there are problems to be expected with such a release. What I can't excuse is quality control SO bad (or non-existant) that it let printers like this get out the door to the general public.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 499
Operating System: Windows
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Epinions.com ID:
mcgoon76
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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