Newbie questions

[Ink stained Fingers]

yes, there are a range of companies selling you this or that type of non-original cartridges, but I'm just talking about my experience in this respect - there are many problems and issues with it which we didn't all discuss and which are unit specific - you directly can see it when the toner is not sticking to the paper and brittling off , you are most likely not going into the service menu and try to change the fusing parameters like temperature to counteract that effect, but you wouldn't see effects directly like pemature wear on the OPC belt or alike , and when you claim warranty for it you won't get it, and there are some more of such effects. There are some combinations of units and toners which actually work but you have to find that out yourself if you are willing to take a risk and pay for it otherwise. Just to give another example - I was controlling a range of laser printers under service contract by a dealer, and that company actually was willing to supply non-OEM toner without violating their service contract. So, yes, it can work - or not. You may ssay - I give it a try, I wouldn't loose much anyway, the printer is old, and I don't really depend on it if it's not working well. The situation could be different if you use the laser just privately, or you need a working printer to get your invoices out.

 

[Lumi]

It seems like I'm loosing my Black toner as well so it's time to seriously consider what to buy.

I take it you don't recommend ANYTHING other than new, original OEM cartridges? Or are you saying "try 3rd party stuff at your own risk"??

The cheapest originals I can find come in at £298 whereas a compatible set is priced at £187, a £111 difference (£27.75 per cartridge)!

If I buy a compatible pack and the toner shows issues you mention (not sticking to paper), can I not return the cartridges to the seller for a replacement/refund? The store linked above looks like they have a pretty good returns and guarantee policy.

I use this printer privately and the most use it has seen has been for my children's school projects --- being able to print out a picture and glue it to whatever project they're making WITHOUT having the ink run/react to the glue results in them having very cool looking projects! Secondary to that will be me printing out some ebooks or PDF products for my D&D/roleplaying/tabletop wargames. So a good quality printout is a must. My thinking right now is that if I can buy and use the compatible set above (£187), that alone saves me almost half of the printer's cost. If I run through the first set of compatible toners and then buy and run through a second set, if the printer then "retires" after that second set or midway into a third set, that will not be a problem as I've saved enough for a brand new printer again. My current printer (HP MFP M277dw) goes for £220-240.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

if the toner comes off the paper it may be a problem with the fusing process, you may try another paper setting - heavy/thick paper. And if that doesn't fix your problem you should contact the supplier for a return and refund, you won't become happier with a replacement cartridge of the same type.