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I've been wanting a printer that "Does it All". I found this HP 6500a that prints 2-sided, can take up to 110 paper, has an automatic document feeder (35 pages) for coping, scanning and faxing. It does photo printing too. The cost for printing isn't too bad either. Depending on the ink coverage used it cost around $15.00 for 700 color copies.
OK now for the dilemma. The reviews I've been seeing seem to be that this is either an excellent printer or a horrible printer. There doesn't seem to be very much in between. So does any one have this printer and what do you think of it?
Just wanted to clarify something. 110 paper is the weight of the paper. 110 pound paper is quite heavy. It's also referred to as cover weight or index stock. The average weight of copy paper is 20 pound.
Do you have a Staples or Office Depot (or Max) that you can go and try their demo unit out? I know for a fact that all the features work great. I have the 8500 and love it. I had to play with the photos and my photo software to get my photos to print exactly like I wanted them to. It was just in adjusting the output and the paper type but once I did, it was a great investment! (If you can, take your camera card in with you and try out printing the photos there. Don't be surprised if you aren't completely "wow"d by the in-store demo machine - they get a lot of "love" from people who don't know what they are doing!! Good luck!
__________________ KC
What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?!
Kalakitty...do you need all those functions? I found that it is better to decide exactly what you need and then go for a printer with just those functions. For example, I will never send a fax, nor do I want to do 2-sided paper (although I could just run the same sheet through upside down if I did). I have a HP Deskjet D4260 and it works fine for what I want. I do not want to print photos. Too expensive, cheaper to put them on a thumb drive and print them at Walmart. But I can print pictures if I want. I can also plug a camera directly into the printer and print from it or from a cell phone. (Haven't used those functions though). I would say the biggest problem I have is running out of ink too quickly. But then I could by the XL inks and they would last longer, they're just a bit pricier. Decide what you really want to do with it, and reseach the ink put out, and go from there.
muscrat, I do a lot of printing so I want to be able to print 2-sided without having to turn the paper over constantly. I also scan lots of documents that is why I want an automatic document feeder. I have scanned about 50 pages today and have several hundred more pages to scan before I finish the project I am working on. I want to be able to print heavy card stock and I know that a lot of printers can't do that. I won't be faxing anything because I don't have a land-line but it seems almost impossible to get a multifunction printer these days without a fax. I don't print very many photo's because of the cost of the ink but occasionally I do want to print pictures and when I do I want good quality.
lovethebeach, Thanks for the input. Do you know what the difference is between the 6500 A+ and the 8500? Someone told me it had to do with the volume of printing you do each month but I don't understand what that means.
I think Staples and Office Max or Office Depot should have some idea and be able to help you. You sound like me, research, research before you buy! I guess you use your printer much more than I, or at least for more projects than I do. My other printer is a Canon. I can scan, copy and print and it does awesome picture printing, but again, I don't use it a lot. Canon ink is harder to find too. Make sure whatever you get, that the ink is going to be easy to find when you need it. I guess Staples carries about all inks though. I was just thinking of Walmart. They don't have a big selection of inks and only carry the most popular ones. Good luck with finding the one you need. Those reviews are hard to weed through because as you said, you get those who love it and those who hate it. I guess maybe you need to see why they hate it. It may not be the printer itself...
Well I ended up getting the 6500 plus and I can't get it to print cardstock. The manual said it would print up to 110# and I am trying to print 60#. I emailed HP and they said it won't print on cardstock.
The store sales person said it had straight through feeding which it doesn't. The girl that cleans my house threw out the box so now I can't return it. I am feeling very bummed right now.
So sorry to hear that kalakitty...It's strange that it doesn't print cardstock. I put GP #110 into mine and it prints fine and mine was not an expensive HP. My experience with sales people is that they try to act like they know what they're talking about, but most times they aren't sure. I wish they'd just say "I'm not sure" rather than "sure it does." When you emailed, did you tell HP that you specifically asked about cardstock? Box or not, I would think they should be willing to swap it out for what you asked for. Do you have your receipt yet? Might even help if you went back to the store where you got it and find the girl who said it would work with cardstock and see if she could exchange it for you. Good luck. I know this meant a lot to you.
Thanks, Muscrat, I'm going to a meetup tomorrow night that is going to be held in the shopping center where I bought the printer. I will stop in there and talk to them and see if they will do anything for me.
Thanks, Muscrat, I'm going to a meetup tomorrow night that is going to be held in the shopping center where I bought the printer. I will stop in there and talk to them and see if they will do anything for me.
Just wondered how you made out with that printer kalakitty?
Very odd. I have an HP6500 (two in fact) and I use the 110 paper from Walmart in it all the time. I just used it to print some greetings. I just add a sheet to the top of the stack of regular paper and have never had any trouble with it. I did not adjust any settings for it.
I'm not sure if this is the answer or not. But I know there is a difference between 110# paper and 110# cardstock (text weight paper is different than cardstock or cover weight). Maybe that is the problem?
Have you tried putting in one sheet of cardstock at a time? Mine does fine with one sheet but not with more than one. Mine is an HPD7560 - a real ink hog though!
What about an HP 6500a Printer?
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