Samsung ML-2525 on sale at Fry’s

Posted in: blog, laser by Jack on 2 April 2010 | View Comments

There are often really good bargains to be found at the week-end sales at Fry’s Electronics. I don’t usually recommend shopping at Fry’s as it can be a frustrating experience to find what you need. But for those brave enough to wander the aisles of the cavernous store some good deals can be found.

Samsung ML-2525

This weekend Fry’s is selling the Samsung ML-2525 monochrome (black only) laser printer for only $59.99 after an instant savings of $48.00.

If you only ever print out forms, receipts and documents with no color, you can reduce your costs by a substantial amount over the life of your printer by switching from an inkjet printer to a laser printer. The cost-per-page with a laser printer can be as much as a tenth of the per page cost of an inkjet. In addition there’s no worrying about ink cartridges drying out or leaking with a laser printer.

The Samsung ML-2525 is one of the new breed of laser printers aimed at the home user. They take up no more room than an inkjet printer, they’re quiet and easy to operate. These printers offer no copy function, so if you need a printer with a scanner and copier, this would not be a model for you. These printers are generally easily recognized by Windows, Macintosh and Linux, so no matter which operating system you use connecting this printer to your system should be plug-and-play simple.

If you still want to have the option of printing in color, you can have more than one printer connected to your computer, especially if both connect via USB. The only consideration would be that you should remove the color cartridges (if they are the type with an integrated print head) if you aren’t going to be using the inkjet printer for a while. Keep them store in a cool, dark place with the clip on the color cartridge until you need them.

The cartridge required for the ML-2525 is the MLT-D105S which is available at office supply stores for around $70. Currently we do not have parts available to remanufacture these cartridges but we are looking into the possibility of reusing these in the near future.

The Fry’s site describes the ML-2525:

The ML-2525 mono printer is designed to fit into any workspace. Built for durability boasting print speed of 24 ppm and a monthly duty cycle of 12,000 pages.

Geared to give more print flexibility, the ML-2525 series printers offer a range of features to make you more productive. These include a print screen function so you can print what you see on your screen at the touch of a button.

• Designed to fit into any workspace, this mono laser printer is built for durability
• Print speeds up to 24 ppm to keep you on track
• A monthly duty cycle of 12,000 pages for durability
• Built-in 8MB memory
• 250-sheet paper tray

• Output Type Black and White
• Printer Type Laser Printer

• Automatic Two-Sided Printing No
• Printer Type Laser Printer
• Output Type Black and White
• Networking No
• Paper Capacity Up to 250 pages
• Print Speed Black Up to 24 ppm
• Weight 16.09 lbs
• Maximum Paper Size 8.5″ x 14″
• Dimensions (W x D x H) 14.2″ x 15.3″ x 7.8″
• Maximum Resolution Up to 1200 x 600 dpi
• Monthly Duty Cycle 12,000 pages
• Connectivity High Speed USB 2.0
• Memory 8 MB

I use a Samsung ML-2010 at home and have nothing but good to say about the brand and printer. It’s a solid performer that is always ready to print when I need it to.

If you’re in the market for a basic laser printer for your home or office, the ML-2525 may meet your needs. If you’d prefer to get one that uses cartridges we can remanufacture, check out the following Samsung models:

• ML-1610 CW cartridge price $49.99
• ML-1710 CW cartridge price  $54.99
• ML-2010 CW cartridge price $54.99
• ML-2250 CW cartridge price $69.99

These models may be hard to find at retail outlets; you may have to check Craigslist or eBay.

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Keep it clean

Posted in: Tips & Tricks, blog, laser by Jack on 20 November 2009 | View Comments

The number one cause of premature death in electronic devices is heat. The primary cause of heat is poor ventilation, a lack of airflow over the electronic circuitry. Lack of proper airflow is usually caused by improper maintenance and cleaning.

Allowing dust to build-up on fans and in ventilation ports prevents air from circulating properly, leading to excessive heat and an early death for electronic circuits. This is true for nearly every electronic device we use on a daily basis. Television sets, monitors, modems, routers, computers and even printers are all subject to overheating and early death if their ability to cool their electronic components is thwarted by dust-clogged ventilation ports and dirty fans.

It’s a good idea to wipe the dust and dirt off the exterior of a device’s ventilation ports at least once a month, more often if the device is in an especially dusty environment. Use canned air to blow dust off of fan blades and electronic circuits. Use a toothpick to hold the fan blades still while cleaning them. It’s not always good to allow the fan to spin up to a speed faster than usual when blowing it of with canned air. This can damage the motor and gears. Also, try to always blow toward the outside of the device. You may be creating further problems if you blow the dust and dirt into the case and onto the other components.

By keeping your electronic devices clean, you allow them to keep themselves cool and extend their lives as long as possible.

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Color laser printers reviewed

Posted in: blog, laser by Jack on 21 May 2009 | View Comments

In January, PC World Magazine reviewed some of the newer color laser printers on the market and gave their top marks to the Dell 3130CN.

B&W Pages per Min.: B&W PPM:31, Color Pages per Min.: Color PPM:26, Max. B&W dpi: 600-by-600, Max. Color dpi: 600-by-600, Tray Capacity, pages: 400
Bottom Line: Spoil your small workgroup with this printer’s speed, great output quality, and cheap toner.

The printers they have reviewed are intended for use in small to medium businesses. They are still a bit too expensive for the average home user. For example, the Dell 3130CN retails for around $520 0nline while at Staples the cartridges are priced at $142 for black, $253 each for the colors. That’s $901 for a full round of cartridges. Unfortunately at present we are unable to remanufacture these cartridges.

PC World’s second favorite color laser printer is the Brother HL-4040CN. These printers cost around $350, though refurbished models are available for $100 less. 

B&W Pages per Min.: B&W PPM:21, Color Pages per Min.: Color PPM:21, Max. B&W dpi: 2400-by-600, Max. Color dpi: 2400-by-600, Tray Capacity, pages: 300
Bottom Line: This competent printer balances good pricing, speed, and print quality with a sometimes-awkward design.

Consumables for this printer at retail will run you $91 for the black cartridge and $128 for each color cartridge (price reflects the high yield TN-115), a total of $475 for each full cartridge change. We charge $49 for the black and $69 for each color cartridge, bring the cost of a full set down to $256. 

The third highest overall score was earned by another Dell, the 2130cn.

B&W Pages per Min.: B&W PPM:20, Color Pages per Min.: Color PPM:16, Max. B&W dpi: 600-by-600, Max. Color dpi: 600-by-600, Tray Capacity, pages: 250,
Bottom Line: Your small workgroup will enjoy this capable color laser until it’s time to buy more toner (especially since we cannot yet remanufacture these cartridges).

If your needs are best met with a monochrome laser, here are PC World’s top picks in that category:

Dell 1720dn - Bottom Line:This fast, well-equipped laser can handle both SOHO and workgroup needs, and it has room to grow.

HP Laserjet P1505 - Bottom Line: Cheaply priced but also cheaply designed, this printer’s saving grace is its speed.

Samsung ML-1630 - Sleek and shiny-black, the ML-1630 has miles of style and adequate performance for personal use.

Oki Printing Solutions B4400n - Bottom Line: This sturdily built, solid performer is overshadowed by lower-cost competitors with similar specs.

Lexmark E352dn - Bottom Line: The price may be high, but this printer offers speed and features galore, plus expandability.

These reviews and more information on printers and cartridges can be found on the PC World website.
 

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“Return Program” cartridges

Posted in: blog, inkjet, laser by Jack on 5 February 2009 | View Comments

Both Dell and Lexmark offer laser and inkjet printers that take cartridges marked “Return Program”. Other manufacturers may soon follow in their footsteps.

What does this mean to you? What is this “Return Program” anyway?

The cartridge return program allows you to buy standard fill cartridges at a reduced price with the provision you return the cartridges to the printer manufacturer when they’re empty. You are usually supplied a postage-free envelope to return the cartridges in.

When you purchase these cartridges, similar to buying software with its Terms of Agreement, you are entering into a legally binding agreement with the developer/manufacturer. Because of this, our lawyers have advised us not to refill “Return Program” cartridges.

There are, however, alternatives. The manufacturers offer identical non-return program cartridges, usually designated with an “A” after the cartridge number (e.g. Lexmark 15 return program & 15a non-return program), that we can legally refill. Since Lexmark is selling their new printers without ink cartridges included, be sure you’re buying the “A” version of the cartridge and not the Return Program version. Then, when the ink in those is exhausted, we’ll be able to refill them for you at a savings of up to 50%.

Choosing a new printer

Posted in: Printers, blog, inkjet, laser by Jack on 3 February 2009 | View Comments

We are frequently asked to recommend a printer by our customers. Here’s what we tell the majority who ask:

It all depends on what sort of printing you do the most. Let’s break it down this way:

Inkjet printer

Epson Stylus Pro 4800

Pro…

• Best for printing photographs
• Best for printing CD/DVD labels on disks
• Most affordable way to print color for the average home office/small office (SOHO) and home user
• Less expensive printers on the market, often free with a new computer
• Affordable multi-function printers (all-in-one printers)

Con…

• Most expensive cost-per-page printing solution
• Must be used at least every 2 weeks to prevent printhead drying
• Inkjet printers are not designed to be repaired
• Leaking ink can permanently stain many materials

Laserjet printer

Pro…

• Lower cost-per-page than inkjets
• Doesn’t have to be used frequently to avoid printhead drying (no printhead!)
• Average 2000 pages per cartridge as opposed to less than 200 for an inkjet cartridge
• Generally faster printing speed, less setup time
• Usually has drivers for Windows, Mac and Linux

Con…

Samsung ML-1710

• Higher initial cost for printer and supplies
• Color laser printers are generally still too expensive for the average SOHO user
• Personal laser printers rarely offer duplexing or other advanced features
• All-in-one laser printers are still quite expensive

Just as when you consider buying a new computer or even a new car, how you intend to use it should be your primary consideration. If you think you might someday want to print photos or holiday cards, you need an inkjet printer. If all you plan to do is print out forms or receipts, consider a laserjet. If you need an all-in-one machine (printer, copier, fax and scanner) you should buy an inkjet printer.

Printer dots raise privacy concerns

Posted in: News, blog, laser by Jack on 23 January 2009 | View Comments

More manufacturers are outfitting greater numbers of laser printers with technology that leaves microscopic yellow dots on each printed page to identify the printer’s serial number — and ultimately, you, says the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation, one of the leading watchdogs of electronic privacy.

The technology has been around for years, but the declining price of laser printers and the increasing number of models with this feature is causing renewed concerns.

The dots, invisible to the naked eye, can be seen using a blue LED light and are used by authorities such as the Secret Service to investigate counterfeit bills made with laser printers, says Lorelei Pagano, director of the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group.

Privacy advocates worry that the little-known technology could ensnare political dissidents, whistle-blowers or anyone who prints materials that authorities want to track.

“There’s nothing about this technology that limits its application to counterfeit investigations,” says Seth Schoen, a computer programmer with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “Some people who aren’t doing anything wrong may have their privacy threatened.” Schoen’s tests have found the dots produced by 111 color laser printers made by 13 companies including Xerox, Canon, Hewlett-Packard, Epson and Brother.

The dots are produced only on laser devices and not ink-jet printers, which are most commonly used at home. But laser printers, which produce more durable images, are becoming increasingly popular as their price has dropped to as low as $300, says Angele Boyd, a vice president of IDC Research.

The technology began as laser printers were first produced in the mid-1980s and governments and banks feared an explosion of counterfeiting, Xerox spokesman Bill McKee says. “In many cases, it is a requirement to do business internationally that the printers are equipped with this technology,” McKee says.

The dots tell authorities the serial number of a printer that made a document. In some cases, it also tells the time and date it was printed, Pagano says. “The Secret Service is the only U.S. body that has the ability to decode the information,” she says.

Printer makers “cooperate with law enforcement” and will tell authorities where a printer was made and sold, McKee says.

The Secret Service uses the dots only to investigate counterfeiting, agency spokesman Ed Donovan says. (Source-USA Today)

An extensive list of the printers that use this technology can be found on the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s website.

How Laser Printers Work

Posted in: Printers, blog, laser by Jack on 21 January 2009 | View Comments

The Basics: Static Electricity

The primary principle at work in a laser printer is static electricity, the same energy that makes clothes in the dryer stick together or a lightning bolt travel from a thundercloud to the ground. Static electricity is simply an electrical charge built up on an insulated object, such as a balloon or your body. Since oppositely charged atoms are attracted to each other, objects with opposite static electricity fields cling together.

A laser printer uses this phenomenon as a sort of “temporary glue.” The core component of this system is the photoreceptor, typically a revolving drum or cylinder. This drum assembly is made out of highly photoconductive material that is discharged by light photons.

The Basics: Drum

Initially, the drum is given a total positive charge by the charge corona wire, a wire with an electrical current running through it. (Some printers use a charged roller instead of a corona wire, but the principle is the same.) As the drum revolves, the printer shines a tiny laser beam across the surface to discharge certain points. In this way, the laser “draws” the letters and images to be printed as a pattern of electrical charges — an electrostatic image. The system can also work with the charges reversed — that is, a positive electrostatic image on a negative background.

After the pattern is set, the printer coats the drum with positively charged toner — a fine, black powder. Since it has a positive charge, the toner clings to the negative discharged areas of the drum, but not to the positively charged “background.” This is something like writing on a soda can with glue and then rolling it over some flour: The flour only sticks to the glue-coated part of the can, so you end up with a message written in powder.

With the powder pattern affixed, the drum rolls over a sheet of paper, which is moving along a belt below. Before the paper rolls under the drum, it is given a negative charge by the transfer corona wire (charged roller). This charge is stronger than the negative charge of the electrostatic image, so the paper can pull the toner powder away. Since it is moving at the same speed as the drum, the paper picks up the image pattern exactly. To keep the paper from clinging to the drum, it is discharged by the detac corona wire immediately after picking up the toner.

The Basics: Fuser

Finally, the printer passes the paper through the fuser, a pair of heated rollers. As the paper passes through these rollers, the loose toner powder melts, fusing with the fibers in the paper. The fuser rolls the paper to the output tray, and you have your finished page. The fuser also heats up the paper itself, of course, which is why pages are always hot when they come out of a laser printer or photocopier.

So what keeps the paper from burning up? Mainly, speed — the paper passes through the rollers so quickly that it doesn’t get very hot.

After depositing toner on the paper, the drum surface passes the discharge lamp. This bright light exposes the entire photoreceptor surface, erasing the electrical image. The drum surface then passes the charge corona wire, which reapplies the positive charge.

(images and content courtesy of HowStuffWorks)

HP CC364A/X

Posted in: Conservation, blog, laser by Jack on 29 December 2008 | View Comments

We are now able to remanufacture the HP CC364A (low yield, est. 10,000 pgs.) and the CC364X (high yield, est. 24,000 pgs.). We now have a supplier for the toner and replacement parts we need to fully remanufacture these cartridges.

What we do not yet have are empty cores. If you need a remanufactured 64A or 64X we will need your empty cartridge. Please note that we cannot convert a 64A into a 64X and the cores are physically different.

Our pricing will be $99.99 for the 64A and $179.99 for the 64X.

Please contact us if you have any questions at all about our work or our products.