laser printer

scaesic · August 23, 2006, 02:23:44 PM

what sort of things should i be looking for in a second hand laser printer?

how old and how many copies makes it too far over the hill to make it worth it?

what models print the best for pnp /photopaper for transfering masks?

Mark Hammer · August 23, 2006, 02:35:12 PM

You don't really need anything with resolution higher than 300dpi. 600dpi looks great for the paper-printed layout, but that degree of resolution doesn't really translate once you get to glossy photo paper or even PnP.

Make sure what you get has a manual sheet feeding system/tray.

I picked up an ancient Laserjet Series II for $100 two years ago. Given what much speedier brand new machines (with a much smaller footprint) go for these day, that wasn't the brightest expenditure I've ever had in my life, but it came with what amounted to a lifetime supply of toner cartridges, so it ended up being worth it. It may be slow as molasses, but the PnP and photo paper quality is more than adequate.

Given hjow old it is and how cheap more recent 2nd hand machines are likely to go for, I think you have lots of room for choice there. Higher resolution for paper work is fine and always helpful, but for PCBs there is no real need for more than 300dpi.

scaesic · August 23, 2006, 02:39:22 PM

awesome, thanks.

i should be able to find a 600dpi usb one cheap enough via ebay, i just wanted to check there wasnt something really obvious i should be looking for before i went ahead.

thanks.

Aharon · August 23, 2006, 03:15:42 PM

Make sure it has enough memory to hold a complete PCB.
Aharon

Pushtone · August 23, 2006, 03:21:19 PM

Used just isn't worth it any more.

I got a new HP laser printer for $119.00 at staples
and have had great success with PnP making PCBs with it.

freak scene · August 23, 2006, 03:44:52 PM

i have heard HP is the way to go because other makers let the toner cartridges leak thus decreasing the life of the cartridge. and they arent cheap.

Seljer · August 23, 2006, 03:56:42 PM

Quote from: freak scene on August 23, 2006, 03:44:52 PM
i have heard HP is the way to go because other makers let the toner cartridges leak thus decreasing the life of the cartridge. and they arent cheap.

I know hp REALLY get you on the ink cartridges if you buy one their inkjet printers, I really have acquired a distaste for hp products (I have a printer and a scanner of theirs) $:-\$
I've had much better experiences with Canon and other brands.

though then again, this is for thier consumer targeted stuff, laser printers are usually a bit better in that aspect (when the thing can't print color photos they don't even bother giving you the CD of slow photo album creation programs that you HAVE to isntall when installing the drivers for the thing...)

Paul Perry (Frostwave) · August 24, 2006, 09:19:00 AM

There should be a lot of cheap HP Laserjet 6L around, because the paper feed wheels become 'glazed' (get a shiny coat on them from crud off the paper) and then, they try to grab all the paper in the feeder at once & jam. BUT!! they work fine if fed by hand (lie the one on my desk, which fortunately had the cartridges thrown out as well).
Yeah, I've done PnP with it.

Big Red · August 24, 2006, 10:25:12 AM

how long does toner last in laser printers? I know terrible question, it co-relates to how much you print but...

I found a sweet deal on a laser printer, but the toner refill costs $100. do these tend to last for a long time? because I find the inkjet cartridges expensive to replace, and they are less then half of the toner refill

idlechatterbox · August 24, 2006, 11:20:35 AM

QUOTE:
"It may be slow as molasses, but the PnP and photo paper quality is more than adequate."

I know what you mean, but isn't it funny that we now complain about "slow" laser printers? Much as I hate to admit it, i'm old enough to remember carbon paper. Now THAT was a slow way to "print" something.....

In terms of getting around the high price of laser cartridges, one approach is just to refill the cartridge. I can't say how to do it with all cartridges, but I do it with my Brother cartridge. You can buy the toner in large plastic bottles, and if you're not afraid to get toner all over, it's reasonably easy to refill the cartridge once you figure out how to open it up (not always obvious). I'm sure that there are other mfgrs, but I've had good results with the loose toner that Panasonic used to sell for its lasers. The mfgrs say that toner for one brand won't work with another, but I've never had a problem. I just bought up a bunch of the stuff years ago and have been using it since. Most of the cost of the toner cartridges is for the mechanism and the plastic.

Pushtone · August 24, 2006, 11:35:56 AM

Quote from: Big Red on August 24, 2006, 10:25:12 AM
how long does toner last in laser printers?

Most cartridges are rated in number of pages. 2500 pages is common for a cartridge.

And there are lots of places that refill laser cartridges for about half of what a new one costs.

Laser is always cheaper per page than inkjet.
Laser about 0.04 cents page
Inkjet about 0.24 cents page.

Dan N · September 25, 2006, 04:20:03 AM

Just learned an important lesson about laser print cartridges- don't hold them next to your ear and shake to see if you can tell how much toner is left by the sound.

That stuff is nasty.

KaptenSpark · September 25, 2006, 04:26:16 AM

Quote from: Paul Perry (Frostwave) on August 24, 2006, 09:19:00 AM
There should be a lot of cheap HP Laserjet 6L around, because the paper feed wheels become 'glazed' (get a shiny coat on them from crud off the paper) and then, they try to grab all the paper in the feeder at once & jam. BUT!! they work fine if fed by hand (lie the one on my desk, which fortunately had the cartridges thrown out as well).
Yeah, I've done PnP with it.

Ha! I just threw mine in the dumpster like a week ago! Had just that problem.

darron · September 25, 2006, 07:37:32 AM

don't bother. you can get brand new lexmark or zerox ones cheap as! b/w ones are like $100 australian at their cheapest, which is much less in us. colour ones are about $250 at their cheapest.

you'll know it will work, you'll have a warranty, you'll get a sample toner cartridge.

about 600dpi is good enough. i've never seen a laser printer that didn't meet those specs though.

Paul Perry (Frostwave) · September 25, 2006, 09:07:59 AM

It's been said before, but..... some printers print thicker than others. Plus, some have an 'economy' or 'miser' mode. You don't want that mode, for doing PCBs.
And that business about the printer memory not holding the whole image, I have struck that as well. It is sometimes possible to expand the memory of a printer (welcome to the world of obscure custom memory at stratospheric prices).

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