choosing a used laser

[Alan]

I need a new laser printer, and as I'm rather broke and spending my
own money am looking at used ones.

Ebay and such aren't options due to my location. There is a nearby
place with some old lasers, viz:
HP 4P
Optra E+
Xerox Docuprint PSE
Lexmark 4039 10 plus

I can look up the specs for all of these, but what I'm most concerned
about is paper handling and general reliability. If anyone has
experience of these I'd be happy to hear opinions. I run occasional
big (200+ page) printouts, mostly text, dpi isn't an issue (I'm happy
with 300).
Also, doing DTP, I'd really like built in PS, I think the Lexmark,
Docuprint and perhaps the Optra have this, and I think I can get a
fairly cheap SIMM for the HP4.

 

[Malev]

I need a new laser printer, and as I'm rather broke and spending my
own money am looking at used ones.

Ebay and such aren't options due to my location. There is a nearby
place with some old lasers, viz:
HP 4P

<snip>

Go pick it up yourself and make sure you run and examine closely a few test
pages.
This to ascertain that some idiot hasn't ruined it by shoving sheets of stapled
paper in it or melted labels' glue inside.

 

[DB.]

I need a new laser printer, and as I'm rather broke and spending my
own money am looking at used ones.

Ebay and such aren't options due to my location. There is a nearby
place with some old lasers, viz:
HP 4P
Optra E+
Xerox Docuprint PSE
Lexmark 4039 10 plus

This has been asked here before, and in a thread of (IIRC) 17 replies
there was little disagreement that:

Good = L/J 4
Better (but a little dearer) = L/J 4+
Best (but dearer still) = L/J 5.

These are all 'office' (as distinct from 'personal' or 'home' ) printers
and (particularly the earliest, the L/J4) are being thrown out in their
thousands by companies now - not because they are worn out but simply
because there's money in the budget for their replacement. Huge numbers
were made, so that should you need a spare part the chances of getting
it cheaply from someone who's breaking one are good.

The best site to read the specs., etc. of these printers is probably
www.printerworks.com

You mention the 4P (above): it's by no means a bad printer, but the
three I list above are to be preferred.

If you buy an L/J4 (or L/J4+) and are looking to buy a PS SIMM
subsequently - then watch out 'cos although the printers appear very
similar the SIMMs (and many other parts) are different.

--
DB.




..

 

[Alan]

This has been asked here before, and in a thread of (IIRC) 17 replies
there was little disagreement that:

Good = L/J 4
Better (but a little dearer) = L/J 4+
Best (but dearer still) = L/J 5.

Thanks, but those aren't the models I asked about I'd love to get a 4
or 5, but there're just not available.

I live in Hong Kong. Here the second hand market is almost
non-existent. After months of looking I've only found one or two
places that sell used lasers, and the choice is limited to those I
mentioned.

 

[Warren Block]

I live in Hong Kong. Here the second hand market is almost
non-existent. After months of looking I've only found one or two
places that sell used lasers, and the choice is limited to those I
mentioned.

Okay. I'd avoid the Lexmark 4039. It's PostScript (I think), but
pretty old, and some similar models had memory buffer problems. No idea
about the Xerox or the Optra, I'd probably go with either the HP or the
Optra, depending on price. It should be possible to get either for very
little.

 

[MSu1049321]

Used Apple laserwriter IIg. A frickin' tank, just runs and runs and runs.
Beautiful output. Think the guts are made by HP, an HP toner tank will fit,
anyhow. Ours still running strong since 1990. You have a pc, you say? Matters
not, will run off a PC too.

 

[Model Flyer]

Used Apple laserwriter IIg. A frickin' tank, just runs and runs and runs.
Beautiful output. Think the guts are made by HP, an HP toner tank

will fit,

The guts are made by Canon.
--
---
Cheers,
Jonathan Lowe.
/
don't bother me with insignificiant nonsence such as spelling,
I don't care if it spelt properly
/
Sometimes I fly and sometimes I just dream about it.

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

Beautiful output. Think the guts are made by HP, an HP toner tank

will fit,

The guts are made by Canon.[/QUOTE]

Few people realize that Canon was the manufacturer that made HP (the
integrator) what it is today in printing.

 

[Al Dykes]

Okay. I'd avoid the Lexmark 4039. It's PostScript (I think), but
pretty old, and some similar models had memory buffer problems. No idea
about the Xerox or the Optra, I'd probably go with either the HP or the
Optra, depending on price. It should be possible to get either for very
little.

ISTR that Optra was one of the Lexmark models (or maybe the IBM model
name before they spun-off Lexmark) I had a 4039 you couldn't kill. I
hadn't heard there were lemons.

Postscript isn't a problem, in fact it's a good thing.

HP 3/4/5 series printers can be fixed, forever. There is a fat book
called "The Laser technical manual" by Morgan, and a web site called
http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/. You might not want to fix your own
but the web site will tell you what to look out for

The common fault on old HP lasers is the pickup roller failing to pick
up the next sheet. A rubber roller dries out. This is trivial to
replace on HP 5-series (I've done it, no tools required). The web
site, above, will sell you the part for a few bucks. For older HP
printers the short term fix is wiping the roller with automotive brake
shoe cleaner. The web site will sell you the parts and a how-to
video. screwdriver required.

 

[Warren Block]

Postscript isn't a problem, in fact it's a good thing.

That's what I was listing as a good point versus the age and memory
buffer problems.

 

[RWatson767]

Al

Re: choosing a used laser

The Laser technical manual

Have a source?

Bob AZ

 

[Alan]

There is a fat book
called "The Laser technical manual" by Morgan

<http://www.asaypub.com/bookstore/title.cfm?pubid=84>
The Laser Printer Tech Manual, Service & Repair -NEW 2nd Edition
The NEW Comprehensive Guide To Laser Printer Repair
By Mike Morgan
Single copy price: $149.00 plus s/h

Sounds good, but it costs three times as much as the HP4 I just bought...
Makes sense for a professional laser repair guy I suppose.