Best Type of printer paper for LaserJet pro mfp m127fw for certain use

[Ilssimx]

Hello fellow HP’ers! I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe and healthy!  This is my first post, and it’s a long one. I apologize in advance for that.  Basically I need advice on how to not break or wear out my printer by using paper that is not optimal for a heavily used ancient printer. 

HOW I USE MY LASERJET PROMFP M127FW

I use my printer quite frequently. I think the last time I checked it said I printed 8000 pages in a month. I also use Manual Duplex almost all the time.  The goal is to keep this very old printer going at this high volume and heavy usage of manual duplex, (which requires me to put partially curled paper into the tray to print on the other side) until afford to buy a new printer without breaking the bank. I’m not sure if paper is what makes the difference, but if it does, these are my questions:

CONSIDERING HOW I USE THE PRINTER - WHAT ARE THE LEAST EXPENSIVE PAPER TYPES, THICKNESS, & BRANDS THAT I CAN GET AWAY WITH BUYING WITHOUT IR CAUSING LOTS OF PAPER JAMS & CURLING? 

1.  Brand and Type: The cheapest option is Staples or Tru Red copy paper or their copy/multipurpose paper(20#). Given the way I use my printer, would you recommend  using only multipurpose paper or laser-specific paper? Do you think it’s necessary to use HP brand paper? If not, what’s the cheapest brands/types I can get away with using? 
2. Thickness

I recently bought a real of 28#, and the printer only jammed once I and I think that was my fault because I didn’t place the paper into the tray properly. Maybe it’s coincidence, but I’m wondering if I should stay away from 20# paper at this point. If so, can I get away with 24#?  And can I get away with getting multipurpose instead of laser printer paper if I’m using 24# or above?

3. IF I USE NON-PREMIUM PAPER FOR ONE-PAGE, ONE-SIDED JOBS, WHAT ARE MY LEAST EXPENSIVE OPTIONS, AND IS THERE A  MINIMUM STANDARD?
To save money, I could buy the premium paper for my big manual duplex jobs and use lower grade, less expensive brands of paper for small 1-page jobs.  In that case - is there a floor as to the quality and type of paper that I shouldn’t go below?  Is it too risky to use cheap paper at all  just to save a little money because the printer is so old at this point and I can’t afford to replace it yet?

Any recommendations, thoughts and ideas are welcome. 

many thanks for suffering through this excrutiatingly long post. 

[Repairatrooper]

At 8000 pages per month, the lifespan of this printer will not be that great. They are designed for about 1000 pages per month and the life span of critical components like the fuser is likely 100K pages or lower. Usually curling problems are due to high humidity in the paper from improper storage or paper with a high recycled content where the grain of the paper is quite short. We typically recommend 24lb for heavy duplexing as it tends to stay uncurled better and less likely to jam. 

I cannot make specific brand recommendations because paper varies between Canada and US and in the US might come from different sources or paper mills.