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Area F.Hrdsft.Tech: Computer technical conference
From:    Roy J. Tellason
To:      Phil Marlowe
 Feb 06, 03 04:05:56
Subject: Refilling Laser Toner
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 PM> Yep, some of those old dot matrix printers
 PM> produced pretty good copy, especially the 24 PIN.
 PM> Being a minimalist, I consider mine "good enough,"
 
> Heck, I can still see use for older 9-pin printers,
 
 === Yep. Still use them here. Sloppier print but
 the advantage is that the heads dont clog up as
 often as the the 24-pin. The 9-pin require
 soaking in alcohol about once a year, the 24-pin
 more often.
 
 PM> considering that the print-outs probably just
 PM> end up getting tossed after awhile. And then,
 PM> these machines hold up fairly well, with very
 PM> little upkeep, a major concern here.
 
> Biggest problem I have is that the ribbons tend
> to dry out if you don't do that much printing.
 
 === How often do you print? If only every few
 months say, take the ribbon out of the machine
 and store it in a plastic bag in the interim.
 
 As for the head, dot matrix ink is oil based and
 usually doesnt dry out and clog the head as often
 as inkjet ink.
 
 PM> Trouble is the tractor type paper is getting
 PM> more and more expensive as less and less people
 PM> use it.
 
> Is it? I have a big old box, and another box
> that's 2-part (ncr), so considering how seldom I
> use it any more I haven't looked at prices of
> that stuff for a long time.
 
 === It's been inching up for years, and has made
 some foot-long leaps recently. Plain paper seems
 to be dropping in price, it seems.
 
 PM> Which is why I'm now becoming interested in
 PM> the lasers, which I understand uses standard
 PM> xerox type paper.
 
> Yeah, the copier paper will work well in a laser.
 
 PM> I hesitate making the switch because now that
 PM> I'm set up with dot matrix repair manuals, and
 PM> have more or less have become familiar with the
 PM> dot matrix mechanisms, I just wonder what hassles
 PM> the lasers have in store.
 PM> Or maybe I'm just avoiding a new learning curve?
 
> How much printing do you do, though?
 
 === Not a massive amount. But I'm a volunteer at
 a low vison center and they do quite a bit of
 printing, and I help out on maintainance of their
 many dot matrix printers and on various other
 projects. 
 
> I have a laser here, but that's only because I
> was given one, and it has its problems.
 
 === Like what? Friends who use lasers mention
 jamming, the rollers 'losing their grip' etc.
 Unfortunately, they don't do their own repairs so
 don't know do-it-yourself solutions.
 
> If you won't find resistance to moisture to be an
> issue, then inkjet printers seem to be lots
> cheaper.
 
 === The group has no budget for the price of the
 machines [nor for the cartridges which are close to
 the cost of the machines!]. It's a low budget,
 low tech operation. From what I understand,
 inkjet printing is easily the most expensive per
 page, running to 7 cents per page last time I
 looked. That's Ok I suppose for the occaisional
 letter but not for printing reams of stuff.
 
> And if you are a business that deals with
> multi-part forms, then the dot-matrix is still
> the only way to go, as laser and inkjet are only
> good for one copy at a time.
 
 === Yep. I think that's the only reason dot
 matrix machine are still being produced. Except
 for us holdouts who still use the old ones we
 originally bought years ago.
 
> Me, I have a number of dot-matrix printers in
> storage, one on hand here that I haven't used in
> three or four years at least, and the laser, and
> don't print more than half a dozen pages a month,
> if that, though my grandkids tend to get a bit
> more use out of it.
 
 

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