Laser printer eating toner

[Mark]

And there's a lot less swearing (at blocked inkjets).

I can also add another vote for the HP laserjet. I've had inkjets from various manufacturers and they have /all/ been a pain. I've just thrown away two new cartridges 'cos they didn't work at all.

[tinnews]

Horses for courses. We have two HP printers in our small home office (small business run from home). One is a Laserjet 1320 which churns out the everyday B&W printing like clockwork and pretty cheaply as well. The other is an HP OfficeJet 7310 which is an All-in-One inkjet. We use it enough to keep the cartridges from drying out (most of the time anyway) and cartridges are not a silly price anyway if you shop around (from about a tenner, both B&W and colour).

The big pain with the 7310 is the arcane and gothic windows software, fortunately we can avoid it most of the time as we're mostly Linux based and the Linux drivers for the 7310 just work. I've wasted hours (days?) installing and then uninstalling and then re-installing the

7310 MS Windows drivers, we have it working on a couple of XP machines and that's all we need. (I've only added this bit really to show I don't love HP all that much!)

[Stephen]

May I ask, I bought a samsung mono laser printer (ML2510) because like everyone else, I was fed-up of my inkjet nozzles blocking. When the toner ran out, I bought a refill from ebay. I think I was told you could only use refills a couple of times and then you had to buy a new whatsit, the big thing you pour the toner into. Is that true? Why is that? Does something wear out?

I must have refilled it twice now but I must admit since the last time I refilled it, the print has been grey rather than black. Have I done something wrong? Or is it that my whatsit needs changing or have I just bought cheap toner which isn't as black as the real stuff?

Thanks, Stephen.

[Dave Liquorice]

Yes the cartridge on these smaller and cheaper laser printers also contains the photosensitive roller that the laser "writes" on. This can get tired.

Too many variables really, not enough toner is being picked up and transfered to the paper. This maybe down to properties of the toner or a "tired" photosensitive drum.

[Another John]

FWIW (coming late in here): I thought I had to refill my Samsung ML-2010 toner cart again recently, but removing it and gently shaking it (as one used to have to do with the photocopiers at work) seems to have given it a new lease of life.

J.

[Stephen]

Thanks. That must be what's happened then. So there is limited mileage in refilling them if the drum needs replacing when the ink runs out.

You mentioned in cheap printers; does this mean that in expensive printers is this roller separate?

I am quite interested in getting a colour HP laser having read the favourable reviews here.

Thanks, Stephen.

[chris French]

In message , Stephen writes

Yep, but I'd expect a few refills before the drum starts to need replacing.

Generally yes I think. Or even in not so expensive printers. I've recently bought one of the Dell 1230CN colour lasers as mentioned elsewhere in the thread. It has separate toners and drums. Though if the drum ever needed replacing it'd be just as cheap to buy a whole new printer. But this is for home use, so not very intensive.

I'm happy with the above Dell. colour network printer, + 2 full sets of Dell toner (though not the half full 'starter' toners it would normally come with) for GBP 134 inc del.

[Stephen]

I must have done two or three refills by now, I wasn't really counting.

I wondered whether they would be expensive. I guess either way, when the drum gets tired you have to spend some money.

Thanks, Stephen.