LaserJet 4100

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Guy Macon

I am thinking of buying a low-page-count used LaserJet 4100TN
or 4100DTN on eBbay. Any known reliability problems with the
LJ4100? The current prices including shipping are in the $150
to $350 range. This is to replace a worn-out LaserJet 4.
 
Guy Macon said:
I am thinking of buying a low-page-count used LaserJet 4100TN
or 4100DTN on eBbay. Any known reliability problems with the
LJ4100? The current prices including shipping are in the $150
to $350 range. This is to replace a worn-out LaserJet 4.
Click to expand...

No problems that I am aware of, I know these printers intimately and many of
them are owned by my customers and they just keep working.
OEM original cartridges and remanufactured ones are readily available.
The printer will prompt you for a maintenance kit every 200,000 pages. There is
nothing in the kit that is difficult to fit. I recommend not fitting the kit
anyway unless you are having problems like paper jams, improper feeding from
the trays or poor quality print and even then you can just replace the parts
that are causing the problems. Easier to work on than the LJ4.
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging
 
No problems that I am aware of, I know these printers intimately and many of
them are owned by my customers and they just keep working.
OEM original cartridges and remanufactured ones are readily available.
The printer will prompt you for a maintenance kit every 200,000 pages. There is

nothing in the kit that is difficult to fit. I recommend not fitting the kit
anyway unless you are having problems like paper jams, improper feeding from
the trays or poor quality print and even then you can just replace the parts
that are causing the problems. Easier to work on than the LJ4.
Click to expand...

I don't know about prices in the USA, but the maintenance kit here in
Oz is pretty bloody expensive. Fortunately, my 2nd hand 4100 still
has 75,000 pages to go before one is "needed". And, I assume from
what you say, Tony, that the damn machine doesn't *insist* on the kit
being fitted in order to continue working?

Cheers, Phred.
 
I don't know about prices in the USA, but the maintenance kit here in
Oz is pretty bloody expensive. Fortunately, my 2nd hand 4100 still
has 75,000 pages to go before one is "needed". And, I assume from
what you say, Tony, that the damn machine doesn't *insist* on the kit
being fitted in order to continue working?

Cheers, Phred.
Click to expand...

You are absolutely right. It doesn't insist on the kit being fitted. A message
will appear "Perform Printer Maintenance" but the printer will continue to
print, you can even remove the message. If you would like to know how just
respond here and I will provide that information although it is different for
different models.
This is, by the way, fairly standard for many models not just HP lasers; there
are parts that wear out and the manufacturer is warning you that they need to
be replaced.
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging
 
You are absolutely right. It doesn't insist on the kit being fitted. A message
will appear "Perform Printer Maintenance" but the printer will continue to
print, you can even remove the message. If you would like to know how just
respond here and I will provide that information although it is different for
different models.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your response. If that message doesn't get in the way
of "normal" messages, then there's probably not much to be gained by
removing it?

However, I do have a question about operation of this model:
I haven't had it very long and although it was said to be a "4100" it
has the optional duplexer attached. :-) The problem is, I can't seem
to get it to print in duplex from Windows programs (Word, etc.); that
option just doesn't show in the "Print" menus. On the other hand, it
prints duplex by default from at least some old DOS programs running
in a DOS box under Win XP Pro! (In fact, I have no idea how to turn
this feature OFF from DOS!)

Of course, I don't have a manual or installation CD for the beast, and
the present drivers I'm using are whatever "default" Windows knew
about when I installed the printer. There was one option offered
at the time: Postscript or PCL. I chose Postscript because I had
a few docs I hadn't previously been able to print. It would be
easy enough to reinstall as a PCL printer if that would help.

Maybe the specific drivers for this model would solve the problem? I
had a squiz around the HP site but couldn't locate a link to download
drivers for this model. So any advice you can offer would be much
appreciated.
This is, by the way, fairly standard for many models not just HP lasers; there
are parts that wear out and the manufacturer is warning you that they need to
be replaced.
Click to expand...

Cheers, Phred.
 
Phred said:
However, I do have a question about operation of this model:
I haven't had it very long and although it was said to be a "4100" it
has the optional duplexer attached. :-) The problem is, I can't seem
to get it to print in duplex from Windows programs (Word, etc.); that
option just doesn't show in the "Print" menus.
Click to expand...

You have to go into the Windows driver settings and tell it that a
duplexer is attached.
 
Of course, I don't have a manual or installation CD for the beast, and
the present drivers I'm using are whatever "default" Windows knew
about when I installed the printer. There was one option offered
at the time: Postscript or PCL. I chose Postscript because I had
a few docs I hadn't previously been able to print. It would be
easy enough to reinstall as a PCL printer if that would help.

Maybe the specific drivers for this model would solve the problem? I
had a squiz around the HP site but couldn't locate a link to download
drivers for this model. So any advice you can offer would be much
appreciated.
Click to expand...

Definitely pick up the model specific drivers.

You can also install the printer as PCL and Postscript, just set it like
you are adding another printer and select either driver.
 
Thank you for your response. If that message doesn't get in the way
of "normal" messages, then there's probably not much to be gained by
removing it?

However, I do have a question about operation of this model:
I haven't had it very long and although it was said to be a "4100" it
has the optional duplexer attached. :-) The problem is, I can't seem
to get it to print in duplex from Windows programs (Word, etc.); that
option just doesn't show in the "Print" menus. On the other hand, it
prints duplex by default from at least some old DOS programs running
in a DOS box under Win XP Pro! (In fact, I have no idea how to turn
this feature OFF from DOS!)

Of course, I don't have a manual or installation CD for the beast, and
the present drivers I'm using are whatever "default" Windows knew
about when I installed the printer. There was one option offered
at the time: Postscript or PCL. I chose Postscript because I had
a few docs I hadn't previously been able to print. It would be
easy enough to reinstall as a PCL printer if that would help.

Maybe the specific drivers for this model would solve the problem? I
had a squiz around the HP site but couldn't locate a link to download
drivers for this model. So any advice you can offer would be much
appreciated.


Cheers, Phred.
Click to expand...

You can get the drivers from
http://h20180.www2.hp.com/apps/Look...h_query=laserjet+4100&submit.x=12&submit.y=12
Just select your specific model then the OS (WinXP ?).
Uninstall the old driver and unplug the cable to the printer.
Install the new driver, set the Duplexer as installed in the driver properties
(as Warren has explained) in Device Settings and change the Duplex Unit to
"Installed".
Reconnect the cable now and power on the printer.
Also as another poster suggested you can install both the PCL6 and the PS
drivers and select the one you need for each application. Use the PCL6 driver
and if you start to get any weird problems using it uninstall it and use the
PCL5E driver instead.
The "Perform Printer Maintenance" message only appears occasionally and all
other messages have a higher priority so the message won't get in the way.
I cannot help with the DOS duplexing issue except that if it is worth the
hassle you can temporarily disable the duplexer in the Paper Handling menu from
the front panel of the printer, set the Duplexer to OFF and then set it back on
when you have finished your DOS session.
Good luck
Tony
 
[...]
Thanks again Tony and others. I'll see how things go tomorrow.
You can get the drivers from
http://h20180.www2.hp.com/apps/Lookup?h_lang=en&h_cc=us&cc=us&h_page=hpcom&lang
=en&h_client=S-A-R163-1&h_pagetype=s-002&h_query=laserjet+4100&submit.x=12&subm
it.y=12
Just select your specific model then the OS (WinXP ?).
Click to expand...

Yep. WinXP Pro on the connected PC. (But still using WinME here. :)

FWIW, I converted the above URL to :
Uninstall the old driver and unplug the cable to the printer.
Install the new driver, set the Duplexer as installed in the driver properties
(as Warren has explained) in Device Settings and change the Duplex Unit to
"Installed".
Reconnect the cable now and power on the printer.
Also as another poster suggested you can install both the PCL6 and the PS
drivers and select the one you need for each application. Use the PCL6 driver
and if you start to get any weird problems using it uninstall it and use the
PCL5E driver instead.
The "Perform Printer Maintenance" message only appears occasionally and all
other messages have a higher priority so the message won't get in the way.
I cannot help with the DOS duplexing issue except that if it is worth the
hassle you can temporarily disable the duplexer in the Paper Handling menu from
the front panel of the printer, set the Duplexer to OFF and then set it back on
when you have finished your DOS session.
Good luck
Tony
Click to expand...

Cheers, Phred.
 
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