# Best in cab printer?



## Advantage (Nov 7, 2007)

For those of you who have one, which mobile printer is the best bang for my buck? I want to use one in my truck for estimates and such. I'm going to fully set up an office in my estimating truck this spring.


----------



## FIREMAN Q (Jan 19, 2005)

why not just email invoice/ estimates?


----------



## PlatinumService (Jan 28, 2010)

Im interested in this answer as well... all my bigger clients want hard copies instead of emails for filing purposes.


----------



## Advantage (Nov 7, 2007)

FIREMAN Q;1236828 said:


> why not just email invoice/ estimates?


That I've done but I'd like to have them in hand to try to close the deal right then and there. Besides a lot of people still don't use email.


----------



## dlowkes7 (Nov 9, 2009)

i looked on amazon for in vehicle printers. they are expensive. cheapest one was 257, and average price was about 500. I would just get a small desktop type printer and hook it up to an inverter, also with a laptop or whatever other computer setup your using. can you post a pic of your setup so far? or anyone have pics who has a mobile office?


----------



## DodgeBlizzard (Nov 7, 2003)

Get yourself an HP (Hewlet Packard) 470 series printer. http://www.staples.com/HP-Officejet-H470WBT-Inkjet-Printer/product_735117 $ 270 with a wireless printing capability. I own one and love it. It's small but prints very well. Get a small power inverter that plugs into the cigarette lighter and will handle plugging in your laptop and that printer.


----------



## Advantage (Nov 7, 2007)

DodgeBlizzard;1237499 said:


> Get yourself an HP (Hewlet Packard) 470 series printer. http://www.staples.com/HP-Officejet-H470WBT-Inkjet-Printer/product_735117 $ 270 with a wireless printing capability. I own one and love it. It's small but prints very well. Get a small power inverter that plugs into the cigarette lighter and will handle plugging in your laptop and that printer.


Thank you. That sounds like a nice machine. I'm not sure about inkjets though. More costly per page, possibility of ink being affected by temperature and humidity change if you don't take it out everyday. Have you noticed anything like that? I am looking at the Direct Thermal printers but they are more money up front.


----------



## DodgeBlizzard (Nov 7, 2003)

As far as extreme temperatures. I looked at it like this. I won't leave my laptop in the truck in those conditions, so I would just take my laptop inside at the same time as I would the printer. As far as more cost for ink....I refill my own cartridges. It doesn't cost much at all that way. We make all of our own flyers/mailings.


----------



## Fourbycb (Feb 12, 2009)

Here in Iowa the DOT and Law Enforcement have Printers in there cars to print tickets maybe they have them in your neck of the woods, ask and see maybe they can answer your question


----------



## Dr Who (Dec 16, 2010)

I would just go buy a small printer at wally world, if you have an inverter you can run any printer in the truckI never thought about keeping either (printer/laptop). in the truck, I have just used hand written estimates if they want it right then, if not i mailed them a copy either Email or regular mail.

the printer that I have is a HP deskjet3500, its an older printer(sure they make something the same or smaller now), but its small as I have packed it from project to project for use in the hotel, its simple, easy to pack around and the ink is about 30 bucks for black. 
But for the cost of the printer you can just buy a new one when its out of ink, I think they under 30bucks at wally world now


----------

