10 May
2011
10 May
'11
7:40 a.m.
On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 9:40 PM, Charles Dickman <chd at chdickman.com> wrote:
I have 1 LaserJet IIp and 3 LaserJet IIIp printers.
None of them are really
usable because the toner cartridges are either out of toner or the images
have streaks and blotches. I think all of them are functional electrically
and the paper feeding is still OK. It has been 3 years since I last tried
one.
I could always use an extra printer, so I have to decide if I should get
them working or just dump them and get something new when I really need it.
Personally, I use printers until something big breaks, then I toss them.
Unless you can cannibalize another unit for spare parts and the fix is easy,
it just isn't worth the time or expense to get them running again. I've
found that once something breaks on a printer, it's the start of everything
else breaking as well.
Especially for the *very* old laser printers - usually the fuser and toner
are seperate so that's one more consumable to buy, the rollers loose their
grip, the path gets clogged up with paper particles and toner, the power
supply starts to go, etc...
I'd rather pick up a newer-but-used "business class" printer, like an
imageRunner or LaserJet 5 series for a couple of hundred and fix that up
than dump the money into a twenty year old machine.