When you buy a printer, you typically focus on getting a high quality brand that you anticipate will last for a long time. However, one thing people often overlook when they purchase printers is the high cost of replacing the toner cartridges. A year’s worth of toner may far exceed the total cost of your printer, so it’s important to understand the options available when it comes to your toner.
The main reason your toner costs so much is because it is manufactured by the same brand as your printer. The brands can keep the cost of the printers down by charging more for the toner. One of the biggest factors besides brand name that people consider when buying a printer is the price. When a good brand printer is offered for cheap, people tend to jump on the deal. This works out to the advantage of the printer company because this means that they will have another customer for their toner. Since most people don’t consider the cost of toner when they buy a machine, they will be forced to spend hundreds more dollars to keep the printer working. Buying a printer is a long term investment in that brand, unless you know that there are other options available.
Rather than spending twice the value of the printer on new toner cartridges, you should check to see if there are compatible toner cartridges available. A compatible toner cartridge is a cartridge produced by a third party rather than by the specific printer brand. Because you are paying for a brand rather than for toner when you purchase from the big names, the compatible toner cartridges are typically much cheaper.
Although some people are worried that their printer won’t work or that the warranty may be affected if they use compatible toner cartridges, it’s important to understand that these cartridges are designed to meet the original equipment manufacturers specifications. When you buy compatible toner, you aren’t buying an inferior product. You are essentially buying the same product but without the fancy brand name on it.
The quality of the toner in a compatible cartridge is equal to the toner in your original cartridges, and it is often half the price of the brand name. In terms of your printer’s warranty, you don’t have to worry about it becoming void if you choose to use the compatible cartridge. There was actually legislation passed by U.S. Congress in 1975 that prohibits a company from voiding a warranty because of the usage of a compatible product.
When it is time to replace your toner cartridge, it’s a good idea to explore the market and find the best deal. Rather than only trusting the name brand, considering buying a compatible cartridge that contains the same quality product for a fraction of the price. You will still be able to print according to your printer’s capabilities, and you’ll have a lot of money left over. This means that you can print more often and get the most out of your printer.
