Toner Question

[boffo]

I bought a new Lexmark Optra T612 heavy duty laser printer two years ago and it has a toner cartridge that is supposed to be good for 10,000 pages.

Well, I figure I've only got about 1,200 pages printed out on the 10,000 page cartridge based on my average monthly print out of about 50 pages per month.

But already the toner cartridge is empty. One of the reasons I bought this is because I figured for the whole time I owned the printer I would never have to buy toner.

Based on 600 pages per year it should have gone about 15 years before I needed to buy toner, not 2 years.
I'm just wondering if this is the way these high yield cartridges are. They claim 10,000 pages and give you only 1,200 pages.
Anyone have experience with heavy duty lasers and high yield cartridges. Are they all rip offs?
Thanks for any input.

 

[samcan]

You should definately get more than that.
What are your dpi and toner darkness settings? Is it a network printer? if so pop in the ip address and it should give you a page count. You can also get this from the menu.
Is it a genuine lexmark cartridge?

 

[thirdtime]

I've never heard of a toner giving a yield that high in real usage.
My Konica Minolta standard toners are rated at 1500 pages and the high yield at 3000, which seems about right.

 

[boffo]

Yes, it was bought brand new so it has a genuine Lexmark cartridge.
I'm going to try to figure out how to get a page count. Optra T612.

By the way small home lasers are rated at 2000 pages or so, the big heavy duty laser cartridges are rated at 10,000 15,000 or 25,000 pages worth of toner. That's why I bought the printer, so much toner.

 

[Anynym]

Two questions come to mind, although your post suggests that they aren't the answer to your question.

First, are you sure the toner cartridge is empty? Under moderate use, it is possible for toner to "settle" and seem empty. Gently rocking the cartridge from side to side, and forward and back, then replacing the cartridge into the printer should help redistribute toner.

Second, are you sure the original cartridge was a "full" cartridge? Many printers come with a "short" cartridge, only good for a few thousand pages, then replacement cartridges are rated for the full 10k+.

My experience (HP laserjets) has been good as far as toner goes: I've tended to print about a case or two of paper per cartridge.

 

[kooley]

Second, are you sure the original cartridge was a "full" cartridge? Many printers come with a "short" cartridge, only good for a few thousand pages, then replacement cartridges are rated for the full 10k+.

.

bingo

 

[samcan]

Yes as Anynym says lexmark is famous for this. I work with lexmarks all day at the school board. worst contract they could have ever signed, imho. They ship with, most times 10K print cartridges, the we buy 25k to replace at over 400 a pop. I have since found a supplier for less. Boffo you didnt mention if this is networked yet.
I will send you info to get print count tommorrow, if it isnt a snowday. Should be able to access through control panel on printer, just cant remember where, sorry.

 

[boffo]

I don't really know if my computer is on a network.
I have one PC in my den and another in the living room area and they are sort of linked up through my internet router. I don't really think that counts as a "Network" though. I'm not all that bright on computer tech matters.
I think of the computers as stand alone computers.

Anyway, I know the print count is low. I think I only used it for about 20 months before it went dry and I only do maybe 60 pages a month. A 500 pack of paper lasts me about 6 months.
My feeling is that Lexmark gave me "starter" toner so that I'd be forced to buy toner from them soon.

I shook the thing and turned it around a bit; but, that did nothing.

I've found a discount internet source for toner though up in Concord;, so, I don't need to get gouged for $300.00 for a Lexmark toner cartridge.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Toner-cartridge-...ryZ32801QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem