VanguardLH wrote:
"John C." wrote:

HL-3270CDW

https://www.brother-usa.com/products/hll3270cdw

Says it is a color laser printer. I clicked on the link for supplies.
I could search at stationery stores (e.g., Office Depot) or eBay which
might have cheaper prices, but I'll just compare manufacturer prices for
now. With this printer, you need to buy a black toner and 3 color
toners (yellow, cyan, magenta) versus 2 inkjet cartridges (black,
color). Each of the standard-yield toner cartridges costs $73 for a
total of $292 for all 4 toners (which exceeds the price of the printer).
Yield is 1400 pages for black, and 1300 for each color toner. So, the
consumable cost is 5 cents/sheet for black and 5.6 cents/sheet for
color. The cost for the printer alone is $250.

The one above is an MFP printer. I had one of those but an inkjet, but
disliked the amount of desk space it consumed. When I replaced it, I
still got a printer+scanner combo but much smaller: HP Envy 5660. Costs
for its inkjet cartridges, according to HP's site, is $40 for black with
600-page yield (6.7 cents/page) and $44 for tri-color with 415-page
yield (10.6 cents/page). The cost for the printer alone was $50 (when I
bought it).

The upfront cost is 5 times higher for the color laser printer but the
consumables are cheaper -- if you print a lot. The inkjet cartridges
last me about 2 years because I don't print very often. Although my
average is 1.7 pages/day, I don't print everyday. Once in a while I
print something with lots of pages that I need separate of the computer
(i.e., a doc file or online copy is not sufficient). I haven't had a
problem with the HP-original cartridges drying out, but did have that
problem when I went with cheaper knock-off cartridges. I probably waste
more ink printing a monthly test page to make sure the cartridges
haven't dried out (clogged jets, not ink loss).

Another feature you need to check with laser printers is if the fuser is
part of the toner cartridge or separate. If separate, you'll have to
know how to clean it (and the ionizer wire). When I had a black-only
laser printer many years ago, I made sure to get a model where the fuser
was in the cartridge. Every time the toner cartridge got replaced, so
did the fuser, so I never had to clean the fuser. From what I see from
the pics of the Brother's toner, it is too small to include the fuser.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV7N7gmUJnk
(didn't find a video on the model in which you are interested)

Because I got a laser printer where the fuser was in the black toner
cartridge, I never had to clean the fuser (in the drum unit). So, I
never had to learn what to use to clean the fuser. According to the
above video, you can use isopropyl alcohol (93% is available at any
pharmacy store).

If you start getting streaks in the printouts, the fuser is at fault.
With a fuser inside the cartridge, the repair is easy (but pricey).
With the fuser separate inside the printer, you have to know how to
dismantle the printer to remove, clean, and replace the fuser. If an
inkjet cartridge starts streaking, you can first try wiping a lintless
towel using isopropyl alcohol over its head to unplug a jet port; else,
replace the cartridge.

From the reference guide for the HL-3270CDW, a "waste toner box" is
listed. Approximate yield is 18,000 to 50,000 pages (depends on how
many pages are printed per print job), so eventually its another
consumable to replace.

I just looked a that "Reference Guide" file myself. I don't know where
you got that lower figure, because all the guide says is 50K with a
superscript reference to item number 2, which says "Letter or A4 size
single-sided pages".

And the belt unit is also rated at approx. 50K pages, with variances
possible due to media type and size.

In the pitiful few years of life I have left to me, there's no way I'll
ever print that amount of pages. There isn't any way that I will ever
print even the lower figure in my lifetime.

That part (WT-223CL) costs $30; see
https://www.brother-usa.com/products/wt223cl. Since this item is listed
with a page-yield lifespan, you cannot simply empty it to reuse it but
have to replace it. Page 266 describes how to extract the unit; see
https://download.brother.com/welcome..._use_oug_a.pdf.

Another problem with lasers is with their heat (fuser) if you print
self-stick labels. Because of the heat, the sticker can come off the
paper and get stuck inside the printer. Could in in the feed path,
could be on the fuser, and invariably leave glue after removing the
sticker that remains on the inside that affects feeding or printing. If
you expect to print labels (that have glue), make sure a laser printer
that has a rear eject port, so the paper takes a straight path through
the printer (no bending). Another reason for wanting a straight feed
(no bending) is when printing a hardcopy of many pages and not wanting a
curl in all the pages. I didn't see the HL-3270CDW has a rear tray.

I'm used to my HP 855C mangling paper and getting jammed. I've been
living with that for so long that this Brother printer is going to be a
dream. Besides, my first laser printer was a Brother HL-4V, and I loved
it. I lost it when a repair guy broke it right in front of me and then
denied doing so ("Don't believe your lying eyes, believe what I tell
you.") He's no longer in business, was an incompetent ass.

I hear what you're saying about self-sticking labels though, since I use
them around Christmas time. On that topic, the same reference guide says
the following on page 10:
__________________________________________________ ______________________
Load Paper in the Manual Feed Slot
Use the Manual Feed Slot when printing on the following media:
Plain paper
Thin paper
Recycled paper
Bond paper
Thick paper
Labels 1 -----NOTE
Envelopes 1
Glossy paper

• Adjust the guides
• Use both hands to insert one sheet of paper
• Continue pressing the paper against the rollers for about two seconds,
or until the machine grabs the paper and pulls it in further

(NOTE THE FOLLOWING LINE)
1 Open the back cover (face up output tray) before printing to let the
printed paper exit onto the face up output tray.

--
John Corliss