Tektronix 740-Time to Bury it?

[anonymous]

Four years ago I bought 2 Tektronix Paherl 740 color laser printers. The
color is escellent. The reliability has been appalling. Xerox replaced one
after they could not get it to stop jamming. Both printers jammed
constantly, no matter how much we cleaned them. Now I have a bunch of
expensive cartridges that I could cannibalize and one on 1 printer, but the
paper keeps jamming like an accordian inside the fuser. That takes an hour
or so to meticulously pull out.
I could buy a new printer (HP) for 800 bucks or a new fuser for 270. What
do you think? Time to give up the ghost? I have a 6 month old HP black and
white laser that cost 1100 dollars and that thing has never jammed once.
Catatonic in Chicago

 

[Timothy Lee]

Four years ago I bought 2 Tektronix Paherl 740 color laser printers. The
color is escellent. The reliability has been appalling. Xerox replaced one
after they could not get it to stop jamming. Both printers jammed
constantly, no matter how much we cleaned them. Now I have a bunch of
expensive cartridges that I could cannibalize and one on 1 printer, but the
paper keeps jamming like an accordian inside the fuser. That takes an hour
or so to meticulously pull out.
I could buy a new printer (HP) for 800 bucks or a new fuser for 270. What
do you think? Time to give up the ghost? I have a 6 month old HP black and
white laser that cost 1100 dollars and that thing has never jammed once.
Catatonic in Chicago

Or you could consider the Phaser 8200/8400, which I bought in October
and that has yet to jam.

Has your office got weird temperatures/humidities?

 

[J. A. Mc.]

Four years ago I bought 2 Tektronix Paherl 740 color laser printers. The
color is escellent. The reliability has been appalling. Xerox replaced one
after they could not get it to stop jamming. Both printers jammed
constantly, no matter how much we cleaned them. Now I have a bunch of
expensive cartridges that I could cannibalize and one on 1 printer, but the
paper keeps jamming like an accordian inside the fuser. That takes an hour
or so to meticulously pull out.
I could buy a new printer (HP) for 800 bucks or a new fuser for 270. What
do you think? Time to give up the ghost? I have a 6 month old HP black and
white laser that cost 1100 dollars and that thing has never jammed once.
Catatonic in Chicago

You've probably done/checked all this, but ...

Do you set the paper thickness lever to match? Tried the next 'thicker'
setting?

Do you match the fuser temperature to the paper selection?

Do you riffle the paper before use and placing in drawer or tray? If sitting
for more than a week, re-riffle.

Are you using a coated paper (so-called inkjunk/laser type) that may not
accept the higher 740 temperatures without getting sticky?

I rarely get a jam on my unit unless I forget temp match or use the maximum
thickness (card stock).

 

[anonymous]

Thanks for the help. I was not aware you could adjust the temperature on
the fuser and don't know how to do it. I can look this up in the manual.
It is dry here and it is hard to adjust that. But the other HP printers
never jam and the Lexmark Optra I had before the Tektronix rarely jammmed.
I think the Tektronix is pretty high tech and touchy. The Xerox guy who
came out (5 times) told me don't keep it in the sun (I changed that) and use
LASER paper even though it is more expensive. He never mentioned fuser
temperature. By the way, I gave up all hope of having either unit feed
paper through the paper tray. Then only thing that would work at all was
the MPT tray. I fan the paper carefully before putting it in.

 

[J. A. Mc.]

Thanks for the help. I was not aware you could adjust the temperature on
the fuser and don't know how to do it.

It 'adjusts' by selecting the paper type in the menu. Plain paper "X" will
require less head for fusing then coated paper "Y". If you heat "X" to "Y"'s
mode, then it can wrinkle, become sticky, or ??? and jam. If you heat coated
'single weight' to card, instant jam! In reverse, with too little heat, the
toner won't fully bond and will coat the parts and can cause a later jam.

I can look this up in the manual.
It is dry here and it is hard to adjust that.

But the other HP printers
never jam and the Lexmark Optra

Both were colour?

I had before the Tektronix rarely jammmed.
I think the Tektronix is pretty high tech and touchy.

True, early models of any raise/redesign in technology are 'touchy'. The 750
supposedly had less problems and the new ones even less!

The Xerox guy who
came out (5 times) told me don't keep it in the sun (I changed that) and use
LASER paper even though it is more expensive.

HUH ??? More expensive than what - math paper, newsprint?
Buy a reputable brand (Hammermill, Burlington, etc.) and you should be
happy. I find 'certified' Laser paper from $5 - 8 per ream.

He never mentioned fuser
temperature. By the way, I gave up all hope of having either unit feed
paper through the paper tray. Then only thing that would work at all was
the MPT tray.

Less than 24# should feed OK, above that the MPT -is- best. Set the
thickness lever !!!

I fan the paper carefully before putting it in.

The biggest problem I face now and then is that the first sheet on first use
of a load, may not 'pick up' from the MPT - especially with > 40# stocks.
Cycle power and re-print - it's OK ! "Mid" or "Thick" doesn't seem to
matter.