Alternative printer toner cartidge makers

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pschroeter
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Alternative printer toner cartidge makers

Post by pschroeter »

I have a Brother HL 2280 DW laser printer and the toner cartridges (TN-450) cost a fortune ($50+). When I search for them online I find other compatible toner cartridges that are much, much cheaper. If they were only a little cheaper I would stick with Brother, but they are sometimes half as much. Anyone got any opinions about the alternatives?

I also wouldn't mind replacing the drum since it's been printing a single dot down the side of the page for years too, but they are expensive too.
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johngalt
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Re: Alternative printer toner cartidge makers

Post by johngalt »

1) Don't buy from auction sites, and *particularly* if they are coming from China (not a racist comment, just extolling my experiences with cheap toner that I've tried in a variety of Brother printers - I own a 5250DN, and a new MFC-l3770cdw, and have owned others in the past).

2) Do your research - there are a few replacement toner companies out there that are the real deal, and their stuff works perfectly fine.

3) If you really want o get down and dirty with it, look up topics on refilling your existing cartridge with high quality toner that you can buy in bulk. Most bang for your buck, but you also have to put in some work on your own. (Caveat - I've read all about these but never actually tried any of them as I never had a space that I was willing to allow toner to spill onto in case of a mishap - but I do now, my unfinished basement, so I might finally give this option a try).

4) Generally speaking, I always go for the high capacity cartridges, as they simply last longer than the standard yield cartridges.

5) Look for sales, coupons, and even things like tax free days / promo codes to reduce the price of the OEM toners from Brother.

Now that that is out of the way, let me say that my 5250DN (a workhorse beast I've been using for ~10 years or so) has had 0 issues - ever - and has taken to the 3rd party toner cartridges I bought as if they were the OEM. The newer MFC, though, is still on the original cartridges, and I cannot comment on it.

The previous MFC I had, had a major issue with a certain platen burning out and crinkling the pages, which led to the purchase of the 3770, but it is a known problem with that particular model, and replacing it was not nearly as feasible, economically, as simply buying a new one.

HTH
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