HP LaserJet 4

[Allan Adler]

I just found a discarded HP LaserJet 4 in the trash. I wasn't looking
for it: it was just there, part of a discarded computer system, of which
I only took the laser printer. It has no cables or any kind, neither for
power nor for data transfer. Assuming that I need to buy cables and possibly
other stuff, such as toner or whatever (I never owned a laser printer before
and I don't know anything about them), how much do you think it will cost me
just to find out of the thing works? On the positive side, printtool on
my PC running RedHat 7.1 Linux knows about the LaserJet 4 and has drivers
for it.

 

[Bob Headrick]

I just found a discarded HP LaserJet 4 in the trash. I wasn't looking
for it: it was just there, part of a discarded computer system, of
which
I only took the laser printer. It has no cables or any kind, neither
for
power nor for data transfer. Assuming that I need to buy cables and
possibly
other stuff, such as toner or whatever (I never owned a laser printer
before
and I don't know anything about them), how much do you think it will
cost me
just to find out of the thing works?

The only cable you need for the initial test is a standard power cable,
should be $5 or less. Later you will need a standard parallel cable
probably another $5. A new toner cartridge is $80 or so, less for a
reman. If there is a cartridge you can print a self test page with the
front panel buttons. You could probably borrow a power cord from your
computer for the test.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, MS MVP Printing/Imaging

 

[Paul Rubin]

I just found a discarded HP LaserJet 4 in the trash. I wasn't looking
for it: it was just there, part of a discarded computer system, of which
I only took the laser printer. It has no cables or any kind, neither for
power nor for data transfer. Assuming that I need to buy cables and possibly
other stuff, such as toner or whatever (I never owned a laser printer before
and I don't know anything about them), how much do you think it will cost me
just to find out of the thing works? On the positive side, printtool on
my PC running RedHat 7.1 Linux knows about the LaserJet 4 and has drivers for it.

Chances are it has toner. Take the cartidge out and rotate it end
over end a few times to distribute the last dregs of toner inside, so
even if the cartridge is "empty", you should get a few more prints out
of it to see if it works. You probably need a parallel printer cable
which you can scrounge for a few bucks. Stores like CompUSA will
charge $20 or so for them but don't pay that.

Actually here's a USB to parallel converter:
http://www.surpluscomputers.com/store/main.aspx?p=ItemDetail&item=CBL10189

I can't predict if it will work on Linux though.

 

[Michael]

I've had a 4L for 17 years....what a great workhorse.....never a single
problem, so chances are it still may be working.

Do a self test by tapping the blue bar.

And heres some good news I got form email yesterday.

Supermediastore.com has a special on new 4L cartridges for only 22 bucks
thru Oct 16.

The 4L is a tank.

 

[Bob Eager]

I've had a 4L for 17 years....what a great workhorse.....never a single
problem, so chances are it still may be working.

Do a self test by tapping the blue bar.

And heres some good news I got form email yesterday.

Supermediastore.com has a special on new 4L cartridges for only 22 bucks
thru Oct 16.

The 4L is a tank.

More like an armoured car. The LaserJet 4 (or 4+) are REAL tanks! And
radically different (and much, much bigger).

 

[Guest]

More like an armoured car. The LaserJet 4 (or 4+) are REAL tanks! And
radically different (and much, much bigger).

I have one ( Laserjet 4+) I scavenged from a hospital. It works
beautifully. Made in November 1995, 97680 page count. Parts and such are
easy to find on ebay, or just check around for a computer recycler in
your area.

 

[Bob Eager]

I have one ( Laserjet 4+) I scavenged from a hospital. It works
beautifully. Made in November 1995, 97680 page count. Parts and such are
easy to find on ebay, or just check around for a computer recycler in
your area.

I've just acquired another. Smooth and quiet, no problems. Page count
488,000! They go on for ever..

 

[Allan Adler]

You could probably borrow a power cord from your computer for the test.

I borrowed one from an old PC and plugged it in. Nothing happened.
I didn't see an on-off switch anywhere and pushing the buttons on the top
didn't do anything. I didn't see one that is called "self-test" and
none looked exactly blue. I did shake the cartridge and it does have
some paper in it already. I just have to know how to turn it on.

 

[Bob Headrick]

I borrowed one from an old PC and plugged it in. Nothing happened.
I didn't see an on-off switch anywhere and pushing the buttons on the
top
didn't do anything. I didn't see one that is called "self-test" and
none looked exactly blue. I did shake the cartridge and it does have
some paper in it already. I just have to know how to turn it on.

The power switch is well hidden . It is on the front of the printer,
at the bottom right, directly below the cartridge slot and all the way
at the bottom.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, MS MVP Printing/Imaging

 

[Tony]

I borrowed one from an old PC and plugged it in. Nothing happened.
I didn't see an on-off switch anywhere and pushing the buttons on the top
didn't do anything. I didn't see one that is called "self-test" and
none looked exactly blue. I did shake the cartridge and it does have
some paper in it already. I just have to know how to turn it on.
--
Ignorantly,
Allan Adler <[email protected]>
* Disclaimer: I am a guest and *not* a member of the MIT CSAIL. My actions and
* comments do not reflect in any way on MIT. Also, I am nowhere near Boston.

Allan
The Laserjet 4 has a power switch on the front lower right, it is a rocker
switch and is slightly hidden.
Go to the following three links and download the three files. Uncompress the
files and the manual you will get should provide you with all the information
you need to run the test print.
http://www.eserviceinfo.com/downloadsm/4211/HP_LaserJet 4,4+,5.html
http://www.eserviceinfo.com/downloadsm/4212/HP_LaserJet 4,4+,5.html
http://www.eserviceinfo.com/downloadsm/4213/HP_LaserJet 4,4+,5.html
Tony

 

[Allan Adler]

I've had a 4L for 17 years....what a great workhorse.....never a single
problem, so chances are it still may be working.

Apparently it is. I found the on-off switch and turned it on.

Do a self test by tapping the blue bar.

I just turned it on and it did a self-test by itself before reporting
that it was ready. It didn't print anything in the process, even though it
has paper and I shook the toner cartridge, but maybe it isn't supposed to.

And heres some good news I got form email yesterday.

Supermediastore.com has a special on new 4L cartridges for only 22 bucks
thru Oct 16.

I'm running Netscape 4.76 on an old laptop with RedHat 7.1 Linux and I
can't navigate http://www.supermediastore.com for some reason. I'll see
if I can get a friend with a better browsing environment to do it. I gather
from other replies that such a cartridge normally costs $80, so $22 seems
like a bargain, but the Oct.16 deadline seems to put me under time pressure.
What I don't know is whether deals like this are unusual or infrequent.
Are they?

 

[Allan Adler]

The power switch is well hidden . It is on the front of the printer,
at the bottom right, directly below the cartridge slot and all the way
at the bottom.

Thanks, I found it and it powered up fine and ran its own self-test, but
didn't print anything (there was paper and I did shake the cartridge).
I noticed a breeze carrying a smell reminiscent of auto-exhaust coming
from what looked like a plastic grating on the top surface, in the
back right corner. It didn't persist long, or maybe I got used to it.
Anyway, when I learn something about this machine (assuming it really
is working), maybe I'll learn how to clean things like that up.

Tomorrow I'll see if I can get a standard parallel cable cheaply at Radio
Shack.

 

[Bob Eager]

I just turned it on and it did a self-test by itself before reporting
that it was ready. It didn't print anything in the process, even though it
has paper and I shook the toner cartridge, but maybe it isn't supposed to.

No, it's not. Press On Line to extinguish the Online light. Press Menu
until you get Tests menu. Press Item once to get Self Test. Press Enter.

No good. Completely different printer.

There are plenty on eBay. It's the 92298A cartridge you want.
Occaionally the high capacity ones, 92298X, come up. They are not bad
value, and contain new photo drum etc. so you get new parts too!

What I don't know is whether deals like this are unusual or infrequent.

Not sure; wrong country! But eBay works for me.

 

[Allan Adler]

No, it's not. Press On Line to extinguish the Online light. Press Menu
until you get Tests menu. Press Item once to get Self Test. Press Enter.

Thanks. I just tried it and it did try a print test, but then it stopped
because of a paper jam. I don't know enough yet to know how to deal with that.
I tried to open the thing up, but couldn't figure out how. I'll refer to the
manual to see if I can find what to do. I can't even pull out the paper tray,
even though I somehow managed to do it last time (maybe it was already open
last time).

No good. Completely different printer.
There are plenty on eBay. It's the 92298A cartridge you want.
Occaionally the high capacity ones, 92298X, come up. They are not bad
value, and contain new photo drum etc. so you get new parts too!

According to my friend, who was able to navigate the website, and who
emailed me some cut and paste of it. Here are some highlights:

Toner Cartridge and Printing Supply for HP LaserJet 4
DESCRIPTION: The toner cartridge for HP LaserJet 4 we provide is your best
choice with safety and reliability. The toner cartridge in Supermediastore
must undergo the strictest performance and quality control testing to ensure
superior printing results.[snip]
QUALITY: SuperMediaStore's premium compatible / remanufactured toner
cartridges are made using mostly or all brand new parts. Parts and cartridges
are randomly tested for quality control purposes by SuperMediaStore and
another third party company.[snip]

So far, so good. Next:

(http://www.supermediastore.com/hp-92298a-toner-cartridge-98a-compatible.html)
_HP 92298A (HP 98A) Compatible Toner Cartridge for HP LaserJet 4 / M, 4
Plus / M Plus, 5 / M / N / SE Printers_
(http://www.supermediastore.com/hp-92298a-toner-cartridge-98a-compatible.html)
TON01X0006-001 20% Off on HP Toners! After Coupon: $24.00 Apply 20% off
code: tonfall20p at checkout. _Coupon Help?_ [snip] Expire: 10/16/2006[snip

So, this *is* for HP 92298A and specifically references HP LaserJet 4.
There is also a "jumbo" version (I don't know what implications that has
for fitting in the printer) for $26.40.

I can still have my friend order it tomorrow if it turns out to be ok,
but I wanted to get opinions here first, since neither of us has any idea
what is going on.

There is one other confusing detail: when you try to purchase it, the
price runs up to about $30 or so, but you're told that you present your
"coupon" at or after checkout (I'm not sure of details, which were hastily
transmitted) and that their software will automatically reduce the price
retroactively to the one they initially said they are charging you. They
also say that if that doesn't happen, you have to call them IMMEDIATELY
and they will do something about it. What gives and how reliable is this?

 

[Allan Adler]

The Laserjet 4 has a power switch on the front lower right, it is a rocker
switch and is slightly hidden.

Thanks. I've now gotten to the point where the self-test leads to a
paper jam.

Go to the following three links and download the three files. Uncompress the
files and the manual you will get should provide you with all the information
you need to run the test print.
http://www.eserviceinfo.com/downloadsm/4211/HP_LaserJet 4,4+,5.html
http://www.eserviceinfo.com/downloadsm/4212/HP_LaserJet 4,4+,5.html
http://www.eserviceinfo.com/downloadsm/4213/HP_LaserJet 4,4+,5.html

I went to the site. It seems to want me to log in before it will do
anything.

 

[Bob Eager]

Thanks. I just tried it and it did try a print test, but then it stopped
because of a paper jam. I don't know enough yet to know how to deal with that.
I tried to open the thing up, but couldn't figure out how. I'll refer to the
manual to see if I can find what to do. I can't even pull out the paper tray,
even though I somehow managed to do it last time (maybe it was already open
last time).

Service manual helps here.

So, this *is* for HP 92298A and specifically references HP LaserJet 4.
There is also a "jumbo" version (I don't know what implications that has
for fitting in the printer) for $26.40.

That would be the 92298X, which is the same physical size but does about
8500 pages instead of 6000. I have one of those in one of my LaserJet
4s, right now.

 

[DC]

I've just acquired another. Smooth and quiet, no problems. Page count
488,000! They go on for ever..

<brag mode on>
I have a HP 4100 with 689 000 page count! I'm sure it'll hit the mil mark before
biting dust.
<brag mode off>
Works great. I have had to have the rollers replaced once.

 

[Tony]

Thanks. I've now gotten to the point where the self-test leads to a
paper jam.


I went to the site. It seems to want me to log in before it will do
anything.

No login is required, at least not the last time I used it.
Where is the paper jam?
More precisely where does the leading edge of the paper stop.
Does the jam happen every time?
Tony

 

[Allan Adler]

Here's progress so far:

I ordered the jumbo cartridge; it wound up costing about $35 with shipping.

I got the printer to try the print test. Every time I try it, it jams. I
figured out how to remove the jammed paper: I have to lift out the cartridge
and then lift a tab and the paper is easily lifted out. Whatever is printed
on the jammed page smudges off onto my hand. I don't know if that means the
toner isn't really fusing or whether the paper jam is occurring too early for
the print to stick to the page. So far, it hasn't succeeded in printing even
one page after a dozen attempts. I removed the paper tray and tried adding
more paper, even though there was some already there, but it didn't help.

At first I was doing all this in my bathroom, since I have very little room
to work on this elsewhere in the apartment. I had the printer sitting on top
of a dozen or so issues of the Statesman's Handbook from the 1910's and 1920's.
I thought the problem might be that the books were pushing up the paper tray
and causing the paper jam, so I removed the printer from the bathroom and put
it in my room under a card table and tried again. To my surprise, it made
ghastly sounds when I turned it on. Maybe the Statesman's Handbook was
preventing this. It still tries to do the self test and the print test
when I ask it to and it still jams. I'll try this again during the day.

I do have the (more than 400 page) manual and will start reading it. I prefer
to read hardcopy but at the moment, that presents a chicken-and-egg problem.
Anyway, it doesn't matter. I think I'm going to learn a lot about this printer
by trying to get it to work, even if I never succeed.

 

[Tony]

Here's progress so far:

I ordered the jumbo cartridge; it wound up costing about $35 with shipping.

I got the printer to try the print test. Every time I try it, it jams. I
figured out how to remove the jammed paper: I have to lift out the cartridge
and then lift a tab and the paper is easily lifted out. Whatever is printed
on the jammed page smudges off onto my hand. I don't know if that means the
toner isn't really fusing or whether the paper jam is occurring too early for
the print to stick to the page. So far, it hasn't succeeded in printing even
one page after a dozen attempts. I removed the paper tray and tried adding
more paper, even though there was some already there, but it didn't help.

The toner is not fused because it has not yet been through the fuser which is
at the back of the printer after the toner cartridge.

At first I was doing all this in my bathroom, since I have very little room
to work on this elsewhere in the apartment. I had the printer sitting on top
of a dozen or so issues of the Statesman's Handbook from the 1910's and 1920's.
I thought the problem might be that the books were pushing up the paper tray
and causing the paper jam, so I removed the printer from the bathroom and put
it in my room under a card table and tried again. To my surprise, it made
ghastly sounds when I turned it on. Maybe the Statesman's Handbook was
preventing this. It still tries to do the self test and the print test
when I ask it to and it still jams. I'll try this again during the day.

This and all laser printers that have paper trays at the bottom of the printer
need to sit on a flat firm surface.
Have you tried to print from the Multipurpose tray (the fold down tray at the
front of the printer), try to do a test print from there and advise whether the
jamming still happens?

Tony