Pros: Relative low cost for a LaserJet printer, small desktop footprint.
Cons: Toner cartridge prints lightly with life still in it, shake it to get maximum usage.
The Bottom Line: I recommend the HP P1505 because of reliabilty, quality, fairly easy to use, small desktop footprint, and relative low cost for a LaserJet printer.
jmb3450's Full Review: Hewlett Packard LJP1505 (CB412A) Laser Printer
I work IT support for the local school system. This year we replaced our existing HP LJ1200 and 1300 printers in the school cafeterias with HP LJ1505 printers. We purchased 403 printers in total. Our need was for compact desktop monochrome laserjet printer capable of medium duty printing, and the P1505 appeared to fit that need at a reasonable cost.
The 1505 has a smaller "footprint" on the desk than the older 1200 and 1300 models, which is a plus considering most of our kitchens have smaller desks with limited working area. The contrasting light and dark grey plastic casing gives the printer a nice look - not that looks mattered that much for our purposes, but the point is it's not an eysore sitting on the desk.
This model of the 1505 is a single user printer. It connects via USB cable and is intended for use as a local printer. It could be shared with other users by enabling printer sharing on the local computer, but if you're looking for a multi-user printer over a network go with the 1505N which has networking capability built in.
Print speed is an improvement from what we had - it's spec'd at 23 pages per minute, and that's about what you get. It is a bit noiser than the printers we replaced in both paper pick-up noise and the internal motor, but the noise is certainly tolerable. Print quality is good - clear and crisp - what you'd expect from an HP LaserJet printer.
The toner cartridge (#36A) is rated at 2000 pages. That's about what we've been getting from them with an average 5% printed coverage on the paper. One nice feature of this printer is that the toner cartridge has a chip on it that conveys some useful information to the user. A file is stored on the hard drive (C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\UT\HP Laser Jet P1505.ini) that contains settings and information on the printer. Number of pages printed on the cartidge, estimated pages remaining, % print coverage, and number of pages printed in total on the printer are some of the most useful informational items. We are supporting individual users in over 200 remote locations, so having this information available is useful to us in responding to requests for replacement toner cartridges. One thing to note: the cartridge that is supplied with the printer is only partially filled with toner. You'll need to replace it after 500 to 1000 pages.
The paper supply tray holds around 250 sheets, which is adequate for the printer's intended usage. There is a manual feed tray with adjustable guides above the paper supply tray that's easy to get to and adjust. Printed pages eject into the output tray on the top of the printer. The output tray has sufficient capacity to hold all the paper from the input tray without needing to empty it part-way into a print job.
The top of the printer lifts up, via a raised lift tab, to gain access to the toner cartridge. The toner cartridge can be removed easly, and snaps back into place with a definitive click. Accesible space inside the cover is limited, but internal paper jams can be reached and removed without too much trouble. We have not experienced any paper jams at the top rollers where the paper ejects into the output tray so far, which is good since they can be difficult to clear on previous printer models we've used.
Informational windows that convey information to the user appear on-screen when there is a problem, or when some type of user interaction is required. For example when the printer runs out of paper, a window apprears instructing the user to add more paper and then press the "GO" button to continue printing. The instructional messages are a nice feature - however, I would prefer that in the case of running out of paper the printer automatically continue printing once paper is added, as the 1200 and 1300's we replaced did. A number of our users are technologically challenged and end up pressing the "Cancel" button or the power button instead, which either cancels the print job or locks up the printer by interrupting communication between the printer and computer.
As far as controls, there is a green "GO" button that is used to continue operation if the printer runs out of paper or manual feed is required, and a red "Cancel" button which cancels the current print job. I especially like the "Cancel" button, as users can quickly and conveniently cancel a job that was printed in error without having to remove the paper, clear the print que, and clear the printer's memory. Also useful is a low toner indicater light that comes on when the toner is getting low.
The power button is on the front left of the printer which is convenient, but at the same time maybe a little too convenient for the less-than-profient user. Some of our lessor competent users press the power button instead of the "GO" button when paper runs out, and we have to walk them through getting the printer working again over the phone. Admittedly this is a user issue, and some of our cafeteria personnel are not very computer literate. Still I would prefer the power button be on the back of the printer next to the power cable, as in previous printer models we've used, so that it's less likely to be pressed when it shouldn't be.
Speaking of low toner, one issue I've found is that the printer will begin to print light on the most heavily printed areas of the paper when there is still 10 to 15% toner left in the cartridge. I believe this is because the toner powder isn't getting re-distributed evenly along roller during operation, so that when it starts to get low it prints light on the areas where it's used most heavily. It's easy enough to re-distribute the toner by taking out the cartridge and shaking, but this might need to be done a few times to get maximum use of all the toner in the cartridge.
As far as reliability, we've had about 400 printers in use since August 2008, and have had no breakdowns or repairs needed. While it's only 4 months, I would say that's pretty reialble given the number of printers we have operating.
In summary, I would say the HP LaserJet P1505 is good quality, fairly easy to use for the average computer user, and economical as a single user monochrome LaserJet printer. Other than needing to shake the toner cartridge a few times when it's getting low to get maximum use out of it, I'm pleased with the perfomance we've gotten from it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 179.00 Operating System: Windows
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