Discussion of Alternative to Expensive Toner Cartridge for MFC Printer

jowu15 on 24/07/2018 - 10:14
Last edited 24/07/2018 - 11:41

I have a Brother MFC printer, it pretty good but recently I got a message that the toner is lower. Officeworks replacement toner cost over hundred dollars, so I looked at compatible toner cartridge which is much cheaper about $30. I just wonder how you handle the expensive toner cartridge and do you have any experience with compatible toner cartridge and how you feel about compatible toner cartridge, I am currently look at Inkstation, seems a quite big company.

Year ago I bought sometime ink online to inject into my Inkject cartridge, I did that but still not working. I am not sure if I did anything wrong, has anyone else had experience of just buy ink to inject to cartridge?

Computing Multi-Function Printer Toner Cartridge

Comments

  • EightImmortals on 24/07/2018 - 10:58

    It should be fine, I have used compatibles in my Brother printer. Another trick is to reset the toner low counter. Just google the model of your printer with 'reset toner counter' then keep running the printer until your image quality get's too light.

    • jowu15 on 24/07/2018 - 11:37

      Thanks for the tips on "reset toner counter" but I was told when the toner is lower if I do not replacement it it will damage the printer. Is that true?

      • EightImmortals on 24/07/2018 - 11:54

        Nope.

        FTR I was a copier/printer tech for 20 years and while the toner does add a lubrication component to the drum cleaning blade, as long as you are still getting half decent quality prints and not running it until it's barely ledgable you shouldn't have any dramas. These days it's not really economical to replace the drum in most home printers anyway, cheaper to buy a new printer. :)

        • jowu15 on 24/07/2018 - 12:08

          I agree with you printer is not worth to repairs. Some of my friend even get a new printer everytime the ink/toner run out, I think that is a big waste, but I also understand why they are doing it give printer's price is not much than ink/toner, but I also heard the ink/toner that comes with new printer can not print as many pages as a new one purchased from shop. Do you know anything about this?
          What the best way to look after the drum? Sometimes I do not use printer for half an year. Would drum dry up?

        • EightImmortals on 24/07/2018 - 12:11

          @jowu15: Most (probably all) printers come with a run up ink/toner cartridge that is only about 50% full, this is standard practice these days. You wont hurt your drum by not using the printer, this is one of the benefits of a laser printer over an inkjet printer. Back in the good 'ol days that was a problem with wet ink copiers, businesses would close up over Christmas and the ink would dry up and stick the cleaning blade to the drum. :) Those days are fortunately long gone now though. :)

        • jowu15 on 24/07/2018 - 12:15

          @EightImmortals: you information about 50% full in ink/toner is making sense and thanks for the information on not using the drum for a while

        • jowu15 on 28/07/2018 - 10:49

          @EightImmortals: Hi @EightImmortals I have a question to ask you. When I send the print job to printer, it does not printer but give me a message that paper size is wrong and I have to press a few buttons to get it printer. Its happens everytime for a while not. What can I do to fix it? I have a Brother MFC2703. Thanks

  • Ocker on 24/07/2018 - 11:00

    I use clones in my Brother printers with no major issues. However, you may find the colours do not reproduce exactly the same as original cartridges. Not an issue for run of the mill printing but you may wish to consider this point if you want to print photo's.

    • jowu15 on 24/07/2018 - 11:38

      My printer is Mono Laser printer, only has black and white, so this problem is not as serious as colour one i assume.

      • Ocker on 24/07/2018 - 12:24

        I did buy a black ink clone for my Brother laser printer and seem to recall that when installing I needed to remove a tab from the cartridge so that it would fit - this was not shown on the instructions. Only obvious when comparing the old and new.

  • HighAndDry on 24/07/2018 - 12:03

    I just wonder how you handle the expensive toner cartridge and do you have any experience with compatible toner cartridge and how you feel about compatible toner cartridge

    You handle them basically the exact same way. The instructions are usually on the box or on the plastic packaging the toner comes in. They work fine - they might not last as long as the authentic ones, but $/pg, they come out way ahead.

    • jowu15 on 24/07/2018 - 12:13

      I am not sure if I did not express myself properly. In "handle" I am how to manage the expensive toner/ink not how to use it, how not to pay the expensive ink/toner price.

      • HighAndDry on 24/07/2018 - 12:15

        Ah right, sorry. Honestly, my one at home sees very little use, and I've found it always easier to just buy a new one (on sale, 50% off usually) from Officeworks when one runs out of toner. I only need black and white, and I've seen $29 mono Laser Printers at office works. That works out to be even cheaper than cheap toner.

        • jowu15 on 24/07/2018 - 12:20

          I have friends also just buy a new printer everytime the toner/ink run out but did you read post from @Eightimmortals who has been working in copies/printer tech in 20 year that ink/toner in new printer is only about 50% full, so in this way maybe not so economic.

        • HighAndDry on 24/07/2018 - 12:25

          @jowu15: Thanks! But yeah already knew that. I generally buy a new one only if they're heavily discounted - and since I don't use my printer very often, it's almost always years between when I need to buy so a new one also gets me better quality and newer features.

          And price-wise, even the cheapest toner I can usually find (from third party sellers) are around $50 and from experience (we used to use those in the office) they seem to last about 70-80% as long as the authentic ones. Still great value for money, but compared to that, if I can buy a new printer for $29 - even with 50% toner it's around the same.

        • SaberX on 28/07/2018 - 03:25

          @HighAndDry:

          just curious what laser printer you get from officeworks - that is discounted typically, as I've had the issue with an inkjet not printing and I think Im ready to ditch the whole problem and just goto a laser. Never owned one but given the work printers are laser (which you use to print personal stuff 90% of the time, and they're great) i figured it'd be smart to make the switch at home too….

          do you have a specific goto brand i.e. 'brother' or canon? As opposed to more lesser known printer brands like the samsungs and all?

        • jowu15 on 28/07/2018 - 10:44

          @SaberX: yes I think Laser one is much better, I had a brother ink one and some other ink printers and none of them last long and I bought a Brother laser printer more than a year ago and seems better.

        • HighAndDry on 30/07/2018 - 09:24

          @SaberX: My current one is a Canon… I'll have a look at the model when I get home. But generally Canon, Brother, Fujitsu(?) - for occasional black and white printing I'm not sure there's a difference in bottom-tier consumer grade laser printers.

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