25 Jan
2008
25 Jan
'08
6:27 p.m.
On Friday 25 January 2008 20:53, Chuck Guzis wrote:
I've been using a couple of Panasonic laser
printers for years; a KX-
P4455 (PS/PCL) and a KX-P4451 (PCL). They're real beasts of
machines; I'd guess that they weight somewhere around 60 lbs. each--
heavy enough to cause me to grunt when lifting them.
These are the kind of units that requires one to add toner to a
compartment periodically. Drum and developer are separate cartridges.
The time came to replace the OPC drum in one of these--after pricing
the remanufactured ones and checking the deals on eBay, it turned out
not to be practical. I found that I can get a factory refurb Brother
5240 from Staples.com for $40 shipped. When it runs out of toner, I
can just buy another one at that price (1200 DPI, 23 PPM and most
important--a parallel interface).
I've got a Panasonic KX-P6500 that needs a new "process unit" (drum
problems)
and have not been able to find them for less than roughly four times that,
which is a darn shame as it's a compact little unit...
So what to do with the old monsters? They use 68000
CPUs, with
differing SIP and DIP memories. Scrappers, I guess. It's sad
because both of these have pretty much been the only printer I've
used since a Diablo Hitype II. It wouldn't surprise me if each has
more than 250,000 copies on it.
It's just a shame that such a nicely engineered piece of gear is now
worth only its weight in scrap metal.
I know of folks that go after a lot more than that in there, motors and
mechanicals and such, too. I've yet to scrap a laser printer.
But nobody collects printers, not even vintage ones.
Tell me about it. I have a bunch of them available (have a look here:
http://mysite.verizon.net/rtellason/w4s.html ) -- Okidata, mostly. And I've
managed to get interest in _one_ of them so far, sold it to a guy down
south...
--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, ?a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. ?--Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James
M Dakin