"John C." wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

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".

Oops, I must've combined #4 for the drum (with fusers) with the 50,000
mentioned in the pic table for the waste box. For high-yield black
toner cartridges at 3000 pages (for black), after 16 to 17 cartridges
you also replace the waste bin. That could be awhile before you buy
another at $30 (if, by then, you can still find one). However, that
same pic table (page 347) says the drum unit lasts 18,000 pages. That's
a replacement ($126) after the 6th black toner. How long that takes
depends on your print volume.

Because inkets are more costly per page and slower than laser printers,
I remember pondering more before hitting the print button and using
preview (where I printed to a file and viewed the file, not the preview
the printer's software might show before it actually prints) when I
moved to an inkjet. With laser printers, I fell to the same fault as
many other laser printer users and just printed away, and then made
corrections to the print job. I wasted more paper and toner with the
laser printers than with inkjets. Nowadays, regardless of printer type,
I rarely print anything and instead save it into a file either
internally, removable media, or online. I still print out legal docs,
but keep a file copy when I or someone wants a copy.

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.

You mentioned cleaning the rollers. Whether laser or inkjet (but more
often with laser due to heat), feeding would begin to fail because the
rollers had shrunk. They're rubber/vinyl and their solvent dries out.
I remember getting a spray can of a special cleaner that didn't just
clean the roller but also rehydrated it with solvent. That would make
the roller expand just enough along with give it more friction to solve
the feeding problems. You can clean using isopropyl alcohol, but that
dries out the roller which, in turn, shrinks it.

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:

Except the paper still has to curl around the rollers to take a path for
ionization and fusing, and it's that curling around the rollers that
imparts a curl the paper printout and increases the hazard for
self-stick labels to come off the backing paper. Back for my prior
laser, it did have a rear exit to eliminate curling and peeling.

For example, the Brother HLL2300D has a rear paper exit. I still
suspect there is still one curl, perhaps not a full wrap around, to pass
the paper along the fuser(s). I'm not suggesting that product, just
giving an example with a rear exit for a [nearly] straight paper path.

Rather than use a laser printer for self-stick label printing, I'd hang
onto my inkjet printer for that job (which has a rear exit). Alas,
inkjet ink is water based and prone to smearing when it gets wet, like
for self-stick labels you print from an inkjet use for shipping labels
on the outside of a box. There are water-resistant inks to help prevent
smearing, but usually those are listed for specific brands and models.
You could just put some clear packing tape over the inkjet'ed shipping
label. If you want a more professional look, there are polyester labels
that include a clear label to put over the printed one.

One trick I've seen postal workers do at the desk when they see what's
look like gel pens or inkjets to print on a self-stick label is to swipe
a wet tissue across to see if the label smears. There are more
permanent gel pens (e.g., Uniball 207) and some water-resistant inkjet
inks, but those can smear, too, like the label got water logged instead
of just misted.

Of course, lasers aren't without problems, either. If the fuser doesn't
get hot enough, the toners doesn't adhere as well to the paper. Ever
get a package with it looks like some of the lettering fell off? The
fuser heats the toner so the adhesive in it will make the granules stick
to the paper. If not hot enough, the toner doesn't stick as well.