Laser printer and a drum?

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Anthona

I was browsing Staples yesterday and a woman approached
me and warned me not to consider any Brother laser printers, cause not
only one has to replace a color toner when it runs out, but something
about a drum. She said once the drum goes, it gets pretty expensive to
replace...Does anyone know the truth about drums in printers? Do they
all have them? Are they that sensitive and expensive to replace? Who
can recommend such a printer without a drum? This was the first time I
ever heard of a drum in a printer.
 
I was browsing Staples yesterday and a woman approached me and warned me
not to consider any Brother laser printers, cause not only one has to
replace a color toner when it runs out, but something about a drum. She
said once the drum goes, it gets pretty expensive to replace...Does
anyone know the truth about drums in printers? Do they all have them?
Are they that sensitive and expensive to replace? Who can recommend such
a printer without a drum? This was the first time I ever heard of a drum
in a printer.
Click to expand...

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/laser-printer.htm

As you'll see, all normal laser printers have a drum. It is indeed
sensitive - light sensitive.

Some laser printers incorporate the drum in the toner cartridge, which
makes the cartridge more expensive but ensures the drum is replaced
regularly.

The wider issue, therefore, is to find out (for any printer you are
considering) a few points:

a) Typical toner life/cost
b) Drum (if separate) life/cost
c) Other consumables (e.g. pickup/feed rollers, fuser) life/cost

This won't always be easy, but a) and b) are the most important. If the
toner is really cheap and the drum has a long life, then it may actually
be cheaper that way.
 
Anthona said:
I was browsing Staples yesterday and a woman approached
me and warned me not to consider any Brother laser printers, cause not
only one has to replace a color toner when it runs out, but something
about a drum. She said once the drum goes, it gets pretty expensive to
replace...Does anyone know the truth about drums in printers? Do they
all have them? Are they that sensitive and expensive to replace? Who
can recommend such a printer without a drum? This was the first time I
ever heard of a drum in a printer.
Click to expand...

Printer without drum calls MATRIX or INKJET printer.

If you are looking for LASER then all laser printers require TONER and
DRUM for laser printer to work. The toner and drum can be much cheaper than
Inkjet depending on how you look at it, and it isn't that expensive if you
compare the total cost, and especially you GOOGLE for the remanufactured.
 
Some toner cartridges have plenty of toner but the wiper/doctor/scraper
blade that returns surplus toner to the hopper fails early in life, so
you soon get dark smudges and repeated images spreading
down the printout.
Click to expand...

I realize I'm slightly off topic with this comment, but laser printers
seem to be a pain to operate with all the potential failures and
expensive parts. The inkjet is so cheap and reliable if you have a
cheap source of ink to refill. The only real advantage I see for the
laser is where people let the printer sit unused for months.
 
I realize I'm slightly off topic with this comment, but laser printers
seem to be a pain to operate with all the potential failures and
expensive parts. The inkjet is so cheap and reliable if you have a
cheap source of ink to refill. The only real advantage I see for the
laser is where people let the printer sit unused for months.
Click to expand...

Depends on the printer. I have some old HP LaserJet 4M+ machines, some of
which have printed half a million pages. The one beside me here has done
well over 100,000 pages and has only ever had a roller and the fuser lamp
replaced. And it is very cheap to run.
 
I realize I'm slightly off topic with this comment, but laser printers
seem to be a pain to operate with all the potential failures and
expensive parts. The inkjet is so cheap and reliable if you have a
cheap source of ink to refill. The only real advantage I see for the
laser is where people let the printer sit unused for months.
Click to expand...

Depends on the laser printer. Inkjets aren't made with a cheap source
of ink, they're notorious cash cows. I bought my laser for the cost
of a inkjet cartridge ($40 shipping included). I have three of them,
same model, two still the boxes. Drum is part of the toner
cartridge. Also refill them myself with toner I buy in bulk. Not
your average laser, but if all I'm doing is printing books, not much
point in showing off how clean the letter copy I don't get. Reads
just fine for me.
 
Most laser printers use drums. Some of the earlier color laser printers
used a transfer belt instead to save space and speed up the fairly slow
technology of the time. The transfer belt was both very delicate
(easily damaged) and very costly to replace.

Today, with reduction in cartridge size, and drum size, and the
increased speed of processors and memory, most have a different drum for
each color.

How long the drums last is very much dependent on how will they are
manufactured. Some, especially older ones, were very durable and could
survive dozens of toner refills. Some were designed as separate
consumables relative to the toner cartridge. Some can be refinished to
make them light sensitive and to evenly distribute the surface again.

However, toner/drum cartridges today often get only one refill from them
before the surface fails, so yes, it is yet another bit of planned
obsolescence. Since the consumables are now the major revenue source for
the manufacturers and retailers, remember to consider the cost of
replacement consumables in your purchasing decisions. I wouldn't say
that one brand is exceedingly worse that another in this situation.

Art


If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste,
I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog:

http://e-trashtalk.spaces.live.com/
 
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha>>>>bull crap.
Click to expand...

Hey, I admit I have NO experience with a laser printer. I'm interested
in testing one if I can get one cheap enough. For me that would have
to be at a garage sale or something. Meanwhile, I have a fleet of HP
and Canon printers and quarts of dye based ink purchased at $1/ oz.
while is was available. So for me the inkjet is very cheap indeed.
When I need to move on, I'll have the combined knowledge base of the
laser users that have posted here.
 
Al said:
I realize I'm slightly off topic with this comment, but laser printers
seem to be a pain to operate with all the potential failures and
expensive parts. The inkjet is so cheap and reliable if you have a
cheap source of ink to refill. The only real advantage I see for the
laser is where people let the printer sit unused for months.
Click to expand...

It seems to have lot of knowledge about laser printer.
 
I agree. There is really no argument to be made, both technologies have
their high and low points, and anyone who is really looking for economy
is best off having at least one of each. It is just a matter of
figuring out which technology offers the best value for the specific use.

In general, laser printers (the machines) actually outlast inkjet
printers in durability and number of prints one can output before
failure. It is a very mature technology, and the designs are well
proven. While inkjet printers have less "mechanics, they are designed
to be very cheaply made in general, and they tend to wear out more
quickly. And anyone who thinks inkjet printers aren't mechanical, needs
to look at the service manuals. I'll take a laser repair over an inkjet
any day if the mechanics are involved. The majority of the guts of a
laser printer is in the toner cartridge, the same cannot be said for the
ink cartridge in an inkjet printer. Yes, laser printers use paper
transport and heading fusing sections, but that stuff is old technology,
and the precision required is less with B&W lasers.

Absolutely, current laser printers are not as well made as they once
were, and that has lowered cost of manufacture, but I'm still amazed at
how well they stand up. And for speed, and low cost per print, laser is
still the way to go, especially if multiple copies are required.
And finally, as you stated, back and white laser works on almost the
cheapest paper under the sun and provides clean crisp and waterproof
results (and you can print second side without bleed through).

Cost per print for black and white, laser has inkjet beat all other
things being equal.

Color is a much less simple equation, however.

Art



If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste,
I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog:

http://e-trashtalk.spaces.live.com/
 
No problems here with an elderly Canon SX engine flatbed Apple
Laserwriter II for the odd letter, nice sharp, print.
Click to expand...

We had one at work for year. OK as long as you didn't alter the
configuration more than about 4000 times - the 'memory' element wore out.
But a nice printer - PostScript too, with a price (in those days) to
match.
 
Richard Steinfeld said:
After some thought, I've realized that inkjet printing is
incredibly complicated and sophisticated. Laser printers don't
have to fine-tune for such things as ink drying time and paper type.
Click to expand...

Well, I do know of one $10K or $20K corporate laser printer/copier that if you tell
the printer that the current paper is heavy cardstock it moves through the printer at
about one third speed.

Tony
 
I was browsing Staples yesterday and a woman approached
me and warned me not to consider any Brother laser printers, cause not
only one has to replace a color toner when it runs out, but something
about a drum. She said once the drum goes, it gets pretty expensive to
replace...Does anyone know the truth about drums in printers? Do they
all have them? Are they that sensitive and expensive to replace? Who
can recommend such a printer without a drum? This was the first time I
ever heard of a drum in a printer.
Click to expand...

Samsung - tho guess Brother might be the same. I checked it out first
- to disassemble the drum for refilling, paper count fuses, and
whatever curves might be thrown in. Costs $6 for a bottle of toner
from Singapore, shipped USPS. Color I don't need, though. For a $40
laser, shipped, marked up aftermarket or factory toner/drum assemblies
become less a concern.
 
Flasherly said:
Samsung - tho guess Brother might be the same. I checked it out first
- to disassemble the drum for refilling, paper count fuses, and
whatever curves might be thrown in. Costs $6 for a bottle of toner
from Singapore, shipped USPS. Color I don't need, though. For a $40
laser, shipped, marked up aftermarket or factory toner/drum assemblies
become less a concern.
Click to expand...

There should be no toner in the Drum to refill, or it seems like you are
talking about the Toner Cartridge *not* the DRUM
 
There should be no toner in the Drum to refill, or it seems like you
are
talking about the Toner Cartridge *not* the DRUM
Click to expand...

Unless you're specifically talking about this particular model, remember
that in some cases the toner cartridge *includes* the drum.
 
Bob Eager said:
Unless you're specifically talking about this particular model, remember
that in some cases the toner cartridge *includes* the drum.
Click to expand...

Yes, ALL laser printers have Toner Cartridge *inside* the Drum as this is
where the Drum get the toner print on paper.
 
Guy said:
I bought a Brother HL-5040 laser printer for high-volume black and white
printing, not realizing the difference between a laser and laserjet.
Once I realized the difference, I thought the separate toner and drum
replacement would be a problem, but it is easy to do.

So far, in six years I have replaced the toner cartridge once (Yes I
use it all the time!), and the drum is supposed to last for three toner
cartridges. I priced the drum at around $90 back then -- almost as much
as the cost of the new printer, and more than the cost of the toner
cartridge (around $65). It is a good, cheap solution to high-volume b/w
printing requirements at less than 1 cent per page.

I bought a second laser (HL-2080) for my son to take to college. If he
needs color he can use the inkjet.

I do not know if laserjets get the same print volume per cartridge as a
laser, but I suspect they probably come close.
Click to expand...

To make thing simpler to understand, depending on the model the Drum may
have some where around 20,000 to 40,000 print.

Lets say you have a 20,000 print DRUM, and you use 2,000 print toner
catridge then you should be able to use up to around 9-10 toner cartridges
before the roller wears out, and some model will STOP working until you
RESET the counter.

To remanufacture the drum, all you need to do is replacing the ROLLER and
that's about it. I haven't done it myself, but that is what I read for
ages.
 
Then you must be almost right then <BG>
Click to expand...

No, I'm completely right! You said ALL, and it's not all.

In fact, in my HP LJ4M+ right here, the drum is inside the toner
(cartridge)!
 
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