Re: Brother HL-1050 drum unit..?

Ivor Jones wrote:

The top paper loading is a "feature" that
: : I do not like; it's a great way for lots of dirt and
: : dust to enter the paper path -- which will lead to
: : early drum failure.

Strange, that was its selling point to me. The straight through paper path virtually eliminates jams as the paper leaves the tray. The only downsides to me were no network port (had to add a separate print server) and no auto-duplex, but as a straightforward mono laser it was hard to beat. Only changed it due to an increasing need for colour and duplex, hence the HP2605dn I now use.

Last time I saw drum units on sale here they were over £100 so with the current exchange rate maybe I'll see if I can find one when I'm over in California in October ;-)

Well, it's a dilemma. I've found that retail chains like Staples, who advertise that they can supply any printer consumable, really don't when it comes to the non-mainstream brands. For example, I can't get a drum from them for my Oki LED printer.

I don't recommend buying a drum elsewhere because you need the warranty to be honored -- sometimes drums are bad. I've gotten the best price on original toner on-line, although the game now is for low-balling sellers to ship things like this in a paper bag -- they have to be firmly told that I expect a box.

I'm over in California myself; I think it's the most expensive place in the entire US to buy almost anything. Getting a bit better, though; San Francisco finally discovered competition.

As a person who used to do various forms of stereo repair, especially turntables, I frown deeply on products that are designed to ruin themselves with dirt. I've got a nice Epson all-in-one inkjet; got it for a whopping $10, and it's in nice condition. But it's got that dreaded paper slot on top. Maybe someone could design and sell a decorative bag to go over the paper. I think that this design speeds up the paper feeding, so it became a competitive "feature." I've seen more than my share of stupid product design -- worthless ge-gaws that grab the imagination of the unthinking and lead to the demise of the product. I'd rather give up that .2 seconds per printed *** and have a slower, more durable machine.

Richard
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