Laser Toner Cartridges: Destined to die on use by date?

[Deactivated] on 02/02/2016 - 09:40

Hi,
I'm a little pissed off with a Brother Laser toner cartridge that the printer is reporting as devoid of toner after having printed fewer than 200 pages. The printer manager reports it has printed 428 pages since installation, which includes exhausting the original crippled cartridge.

The printer was dirt cheap (HL-2132), but I bought a new standard cartridge at the same time in July 2014. The new cartridge was supposedly good for 1000 pages. It went in in March 2015. The ream of paper I was using back then is less than half depleted.

I'm annoyed enough about this to start making a fuss, but had read somewhere that printer companies now cripple their consumables by killing them off electronically after a certain date.

If true, it seems to me that it makes a bit of a mockery of modern consumer standards and protections.

Does anyone here have knowledge about that?

Thanks

Computing

Comments

  • supnigs super skids on 02/02/2016 - 10:37

    Nope new to me with toner. They say it prints 1000 pages to 5percent coverage or something. Printing photos and it's a lot less.

    My brother ink jet is worse, rarely used and wastes most of it he ink when turning on.

  • retiredfeline on 02/02/2016 - 10:47

    Sceptical that there is anything that times out in the cartridge. More likely you've been printing lots of graphics. Those yields are based on printing text.

  • StewBalls on 02/02/2016 - 11:09

    Can't speak to your model, but google something like "Brother toner tape trick" to see how others get around these sketchy practices…my old HL-2040 has had an inch of electrical tape covering it's toner sensor for years, essentially doubling the usable life of carts! ;)

  • Pigey on 02/02/2016 - 11:18
    +1

    Try resetting the toner cartridge.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdTwJxOwcbo

    The newer Brother printers you perform the reset on the actual printer itself. Much easier! It might work for you as well.
    http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1988671

  • Lozza92 on 02/02/2016 - 11:18
    +1

    You can also reset the printer, just Google Brother HL-2130 printer reset.
    I have used it on my printer after refilling the toner. it involves something like opening the front cover and turning the printer on then pressing the go button a number of times.

  • [Deactivated] on 02/02/2016 - 12:01

    Thanks for the feed back guys. I did the @Lozza92's reset trick; the low toner warning light has gone out and it's printing again.

    Good one! Cheers…

  • [Deactivated] on 02/02/2016 - 12:57

    Quick update; after carrying out the reset it stopped again after a couple of pages. I then followed through on @Pigey's reference at http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1988671

    The printer name changed from HL_2130_Series to BHL2_Maintenance

    Clearly there is some sort of short-changing skulduggery going on, but it seems to be working; I printed some 30 pages and so far so good.

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