Printers suck in part because they're mechanical devices that move paper. They are subject to fatigue and their feed stock is inconsistent, and they are built to a cost so they're as cheaply made as possible.

But they also suck because manufacturers aren't content to just sell machines that either put ink on paper or fuse toner to same. They also have to screw people as hard as possible on ink/toner. Which means artificial limitations rather than physical ones. And that's where they really start to suck.