Printer that runs off a generator

[Classic Race Services]

Does anyone know of a printer that has decent ppm output and will run off of a generator?  I am frequently forced to rely on generator power.  My HP LaserJet P1102 which has great output speed will not work off of the generator.  To get around the problem I have purchased a battery operated HP Officejet 100 Mobile printer.  It is a great printer but it is SLOW!  I often have race directors breathing down my neck wanting final race results to start awards and we are waiting on the printer to print.  It is especially bad if the race is 300+ participants.....

Thanks for any suggestions.

Carole

[Ohio Race Day]

What's fast?  Our inkjet is a Brother MFC-J470DW and it prints 33ppm.  It's not a power hog like a laser printer.  I just print early and print often.  :)

[Classic Race Services]

Thanks Ohio.  The mobile printer says it prints up to 22 ppm, but it sure does not seem to give that type of output.  So 33 ppm would be an improvement.  

[Ohio Race Day]

33ppm is probably an exaggeration also.  But I bought it because ink is relatively inexpensive, the unit itself is cheap, it got good reviews and it is not a laser printer.  We don't always have electricity nearby and run things off a power inverter in my vehicle.

[Jon Williams]

We use a HP1505 laser printer and run everything except our arch off a marine battery and an invertor and all works great

[Peak Performance Timing]

I use an HP laserjet 1102 and it along with everything else runs fine off my Honda 2000 inverter generator.

[Run Roanoke]

I use a powerhorse 2000 power inverter, I got it at northern tool. I run laser printer and fx9500 off of it.

http://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200623983_200623983?hotline=false

[Edward Schrank]

What gen are you using? If it is not producing clean ac like the Honda (and many others) you can have all kinds of issues with your electronic gear.

[Kevin L]

I agree that it sounds like you have a generator issue not a printer issue. I have the Northern Tool Powerhouse as well and I also have the Yamaha 2000. Both run printers without issue.

[Classic Race Services]

I have a Honda EU2000i generator producing pure sine wave output.  I was formerly a Jaguar user and this is the generator I used with their equipment.  My HP Laser printer has never worked off the generator from day one.   I currently have my eye on a Samsung Monochrome Laser Printer (SL-M2020W).  It is $79.00 from Amazon  and tomorrow (July 12) is Amazon Prime day!  Hoping for some good deals!  The Samsung printer uses 310 Watts while printing compared to the HP which uses 370 Watts while printing.  At $79.00 it is worth giving it a try.... stay tuned, you may just see an almost new printer for sale in the Marketplace Buy/Sell posings!

[Edward Schrank]

That generator should easily handle that printer. If the gen is working right, something is wrong with the printer. If the printer works ok on shore power have the gen checked. I use hp1102. Nice little laser, fast, wireless.

[Spryoshi]

Classic, That genset should run your printer just fine. I have the same genset and the trick is make sure you don't have the eco switch on when using the printer. Its that first powerup tug that can stall or over load it if the eco is turned on. With it off and the genset ramped up it should work just fine. When done printing you can turn it back on to save fuel. I also have a 1000 watt pure sign xantrex inverter in my car and it handles the laser printer just fine. The load gauge on it just touches over half when the laser kicks on and doesn't even register a load when everything else is running. Also make sure you are using heavy gauge extension cords for the printer or just plug directly into the genset. To long of a small cord can cause it not to work because of lack of current.

[Classic Race Services]

Thanks everybody for the posts. I agree the generator should handle the HP Laser printer just fine, but I have been caught at races before with no printer because I could not get the HP to work and no other power option.  I purchased from Amazon a Samsung laser M2020/W for $79.00.  I tested it at my race this morning running off the generator (in Eco mode!) and everything worked great!  So, I re-gifted the HP Laser printer to my daughter!

[John Tanton]

Laser printers take an enormous amount of power which only our largest gennies could handle.We have replaced all our laser printers with inkjet printers which can run off any portable genny or car inverter.

Canon Pixma iP2850 - recommended cheap and reliable inkjet printers.

[Linda Powell]

I use a Brother that I bought at Walmart.  It works great!

Brother HL-L2315DW Monochrome Laser Printer

-Linda Powell

Bizz Running Company

[BWRTiming]

John, Does the Pixma iP2850 have the same problem that the Pixma MG2922 have with the bottom of the page not printing correctly? If so, how did you overcome it?

[Oscar's Race Results]

Should have read this first.  Got a small Samsung due tired of HP 1100 ink clogging if left sitting 2 weeks.  Getting 5 or 6 $12 cartridges a year seemed ridiculous.   Have found neither a way to keep jets unclogged when not it use nor a sure fire way to restore them to being fully functional.  

Anyway: Samsung 2024 trips fault button on UPS if not plugged into 110 VAC.  If plugged in you still you get a fault red light while printing.  And that is not even with a reader running off the UPS.

Suggestions?

Thanks,

Oscar

[rtspt.usa]

it is best not to run a laser through a ups (battery or non battery side).

[Patrick W]

You often will get the surge warning on a ups when plugged into a generator, with the laser plugged either into the non battery side, or upstream of the UPS.  Most generators these days throttle up and down based on usage so the UPS will see the brownout that happens when the heater cycles. 

[Run Roanoke]

Plug the printer in the surge and not into the battery back up.  been down that road before.

[Classic Race Services]

I use a  Samsung laser M2020/W plugged into my CyberPower 600LCD UPS.  I plug it into the Surge side.  The UPS is plugged into my Honda EU200i Generator and/or direct power when available.  Also plugged into my UPS is my finish line clock, FX 9500 reader, and NetGear Wireless Router.  Everything works great ....  no issues.  I never had any luck with my HP Laserjet printing off of my generator.  

Carole

[rtspt.usa]

a bit of advice:

if the breaker button on the ups blows because of over load..i.e. a laser printer plugged into ANY port on it it will render the UPS completely usesless.. battery backup and all--which is presumably what your readers are connected to.

you are better off running a laser or any other high draw device NOT off of the ups.

[5Kevents.org]

I would only use ink jet printers - Laser printers utilize too much power.

[Patrick W]

Inkjets work and are light on power, but the printing has a tendency to melt in the rain and my XC season especially is fairly often mostly that.  I also usually carry a stock of write in rain paper for field sheets during track season for the same risk factor.  I'm in Carole's camp as I have a Samsung 1650 lol

[Oscar's Race Results]

I ordered another Inkjet cartridge and plan to TRY to remember to use it at least every two weeks.

Oscar 

[John Kirby]

I have 2 generators, a Yamaha 2000 that I use to power the batterybackup which the laptops and readers are connected to.

I have a Brother laser printer solely plugged into the 2nd generator, Wen super quiet 2000 from Home Depot, 1/2 the cost of the Yahmaha. And, yes, when it kicks on you can hear the engine rev.

On a side note, the Predator generators sold by Harbor Freight were just rated as quite comparable by Consumer Reports to the Yahama for 1/2 the cost! approx $500.00

[Patrick W]

What's the repair likeliness for the predator though?  I tried the cheap stuff early on but having one fail the morning of a race, and then finding there was no possibility of repairing it so it was basically a throwaway generator taught me not to skimp on the most critical part of the setup.  I've got yamaha currently because I found a sale when shopping (and got another discount as a repeat customer because I used to have a SX4 I got from the same dealer lol) but would only buy honda or yamaha for the critical stuff.

[Run Roanoke]

Here is what I have and for the current price its a great deal. It runs a reader, 2 Laptop computers, laser printer and a inflatable arch.   I use only pure gas in it and it has served me well for over 3 years.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200623983_200623983

[John Kirby]

I don't know what the durability is for the Predator brand, I have the Yahmaha for 4 years and no issues at all.

[5Kevents.org]

We've used the Predator for several years - Never any issues. Starts up first pull every time.