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Re: [OM] OT: Home laser printer

Subject: Re: [OM] OT: Home laser printer
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2013 11:41:55 -0500
I've just recently purchased my third Brother laser printer but haven't 
put it into service yet.  I don't recall the model number of the printer 
I just bought but not installed yet.   It's very low cost... cheap 
enough that it doesn't support direct printing from the LAN.  It must be 
installed on one computer or the other.  Cheap as it was it does do 
double sided printing which is a feature I use heavily.

Although I've replaced the first printer and am on the verge of 
replacing the second (an HL-2040) I have never had a failure other than 
running out of toner.  My rule for laser printers is to replace the low 
capacity starter cartridge when it runs out and the next regular 
cartridge as well... and *maybe* even consider a third cartridge.  After 
that I consider it more economical to replace the entire printer.  The 
reason is that, with laser printers, when it appears that the cartridge 
is running out, it's possible that the real problem is that the drum 
needs to be replaced.  Cartridges are always expensive but drums are 
*really* expensive.  If I buy a cartridge and install it but it turns 
out that the real problem is the drum I either have to buy the expensive 
drum or eat the cost of the (now) unusable cartridge. (which will 
undoubtedly be incompatible with a new printer)

I bought the new printer from Staples at a very good sale price thinking 
that the cartridge was running out.  However, after I bought it I tried 
rocking the old cartridge gently from side-to-side which rejuvenated it. 
  That gave it some more life but I'm sure it will die before much 
longer and the new printer is just setting there in reserve.

I've been quite satisfied with my Brother laser printers as they're very 
low cost and, in my (10+ years???) of ownership they're very reliable. 
It's a wild guess but I think the HL-1240 has probably printed some 
2-3,000 sheets with many of them being double sided. The only thing I 
don't like about the HL-1240 (and I don't know if other laser printers 
are different) is that it imparts a strong curl to the paper after 
printing.  It eventually relaxes but fresh out of the printer there's a 
strong curl.

In my Florida house I have a low cost HP color all-in-one that can print 
from the LAN.  It's the only printer and the print over the LAN feature 
is a requirement here based on printer location and wiring problems. 
Problems I don't have in the other house where the Brother laser is located.

Chuck Norcutt



On 12/30/2013 7:01 AM, Chris Barker wrote:
> I have a Brother HL-2030 which I bought secondhand in 2005 for my MBA
> assignments.  It is still going strong, with good quality prints,
> speedy delivery and a very small footprint.  I think that I’ve
> changed the cartridge once for a very reasonable cost.
>
> Chris
>
> On 30 Dec 2013, at 08:50, Andrew Fildes <afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>
>> First check the price of replacement cartridges for a cheap laser
>> printer. Sometimes they are much more than the printer itself
>> (which has been supplied with a starter cart that's only 25% full!)
>> There in the business of selling plastic boxes of extremely
>> expensive black powder. I have a little Brother which is quite
>> reasonable and I found fresh carts for it online at only 60% of the
>> cost of a whole new printer! Andrew Fildes
>
-- 
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