get more mileage out of your laser printer cartridge

  • Thread starter Thread starter Norm X
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Norm X

get more mileage out of your laser printer cartridge

With high ink jet print costs, it makes sense to use it only when needed.
After seven years I'm still using my original laser printer cartridge
refilled once. I may have got as many as 75,000 pages on the first charge of
toner. I have learned that the selenium roller can get worn out in well used
areas. The temptation is to mess with it and I carelessly make horizontal
scratches visible on print. Not to be deterred, I discovered that I could
set to print at 180 degree rotated and get nearly perfect quality.

I think this means you can refill a laser printer cartridge with a new
charge of toner, once. Then because of normal wear on the selenium roller,
pages will be faint on the left hand side. Don't mess with the mechanics and
don't think about replacement or refill until you try 180 degree rotated
print.

I think this means you should get a total of about 150,000 pages and one
refill for each laser cartridge. That means about a decade of printing at
light home use.
 
get more mileage out of your laser printer cartridge

With high ink jet print costs, it makes sense to use it only when needed.
After seven years I'm still using my original laser printer cartridge
refilled once. I may have got as many as 75,000 pages on the first charge of
toner. I have learned that the selenium roller can get worn out in well used
areas. The temptation is to mess with it and I carelessly make horizontal
scratches visible on print. Not to be deterred, I discovered that I could
set to print at 180 degree rotated and get nearly perfect quality.

I think this means you can refill a laser printer cartridge with a new
charge of toner, once. Then because of normal wear on the selenium roller,
pages will be faint on the left hand side. Don't mess with the mechanics and
don't think about replacement or refill until you try 180 degree rotated
print.

I think this means you should get a total of about 150,000 pages and one
refill for each laser cartridge. That means about a decade of printing at
light home use.
Click to expand...



Interesting, I'll have to try that
 
philo said:
Interesting, I'll have to try that
Click to expand...

One other problem I encountered after seven years was a deposit of grease,
maybe carbon toner, on the rubber paper rollers. Over time this made paper
traction impossible and paper jams 100%. I used isopropyl alcohol to clean
the rubber and now paper traction works like new. I have no money to waste
and it is a joy to get more use out of a laser printer. In maybe three years
time I'll buy a new laser printer cartridge.
 
One other problem I encountered after seven years was a deposit of grease,
maybe carbon toner, on the rubber paper rollers. Over time this made paper
traction impossible and paper jams 100%. I used isopropyl alcohol to clean
the rubber and now paper traction works like new. I have no money to waste
and it is a joy to get more use out of a laser printer. In maybe three years
time I'll buy a new laser printer cartridge.
Click to expand...


I don't seem to have the option to print rotated at 180

but it's not really a major big deal.

My printer cost $100 and the OEM replacement toner goes for $100

so I bought two refilled toners @ $30 each.


I replaced the first one after two years as it was getting just a little
bit light...but for the most part I'm just printing out crossword
puzzles that soon get discarded...so I don't need high quality.

I have saved a fortune in ink-jet cartridges
 
Interesting, I'll have to try that
I don't seem to have the option to print rotated at 180

but it's not really a major big deal.

My printer cost $100 and the OEM replacement toner goes for $100

so I bought two refilled toners @ $30 each.


I replaced the first one after two years as it was getting just a little
bit light...but for the most part I'm just printing out crossword puzzles
that soon get discarded...so I don't need high quality.

I have saved a fortune in ink-jet cartridges
Click to expand...

The option for 180 rotate print is in Windows printer driver, just under the
option for portrait or landscape mode. I checked out both WinXP and Win7.
Once selected it stays so until deselected. I don't know about crossword
puzzles but mostly I print left justified correspondence. The left
justification accelerates selenium wear in a band on the left. Rotate 180
degrees and no problem. Rotate paper 180 to read normally, of course. Now I
rotate before I photocopy for same reason. However, I think the photocopy
optics need cleaning, which I have not done yet.

I am told that laser printer cartridges present a tremendous environmental
load because of the carbon black toner and the selenium photo roller. Not
only do I save money and keep a printer and cartridge out of the land fill
but I do my part to save the planet.
 
The option for 180 rotate print is in Windows printer driver, just under the
option for portrait or landscape mode. I checked out both WinXP and Win7.
Once selected it stays so until deselected. I don't know about crossword
puzzles but mostly I print left justified correspondence. The left
justification accelerates selenium wear in a band on the left. Rotate 180
degrees and no problem. Rotate paper 180 to read normally, of course. Now I
rotate before I photocopy for same reason. However, I think the photocopy
optics need cleaning, which I have not done yet.

I am told that laser printer cartridges present a tremendous environmental
load because of the carbon black toner and the selenium photo roller. Not
only do I save money and keep a printer and cartridge out of the land fill
but I do my part to save the planet.
Click to expand...



I don't use Windows , I use Linux but do have a Windows machine I can
try it on.

I did find that if the printing gets light (somewhere near the end of
the 2nd year) all I have to do is take it out and shake it.
 
I replaced the first one after two years as it was getting just a little
I don't use Windows , I use Linux but do have a Windows machine I can try
it on.

I did find that if the printing gets light (somewhere near the end of the
2nd year) all I have to do is take it out and shake it.
Click to expand...

Very true. I have not seen any discussion of wear on the selenium roller,
anywhere. The meds I am now on made it possible to make a reasonable
hypothesis.

Planned obsolescence engineering by the manufacturer would dictate the
lifetime of the selenium roller would be longer than the carbon black toner
charge. They also profit by sale of carbon black toner.
 
I don't use Windows , I use Linux but do have a Windows machine I can try
it on.

I did find that if the printing gets light (somewhere near the end of the
2nd year) all I have to do is take it out and shake it.
Click to expand...

Maybe Linux knows best. My Laser cartridge finally expired while it still
contained several years of toner. It started shooting out toner like a
volcano, I imagine for electrostatic reasons I do not understand. So I had
to finish my guvm't correspondence using an inkjet.

My final conclusion is that while a once refilled laser printer cartridge
may give a couple more years of service, it becomes ugly at the end.
 
Maybe Linux knows best. My Laser cartridge finally expired while it still
contained several years of toner. It started shooting out toner like a
volcano, I imagine for electrostatic reasons I do not understand. So I had
to finish my guvm't correspondence using an inkjet.

My final conclusion is that while a once refilled laser printer cartridge
may give a couple more years of service, it becomes ugly at the end.
Click to expand...



Never had a problem with a refilled laser cartridge
 
"philo " wrote
Never had a problem with a refilled laser cartridge
Click to expand...

I ended up buying a compatible cartridge for $50. It said it was
manufactured from recycled materials in China. It is for a Samsung SCX-4521F
which is very old. I took a look at a Youtube video for recycle of this
cartridge. They went way beyond simple recharge of the toner. I guess if the
selenium roller, gears, etc., do not pass inspection, it needs to be
replaced . I never got to the stage of ordering toner on eBay. I should
refill it myself five years down the road when it is dry and presume the
selenium roller will last a couple more years.
 
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