Posted by JanetK_CA on 9/1/10 1:46am
Msg #351150
Toner usage vs. estimated page capacity
Just curious... Have any of you calculated a ratio for the number of pages you get per toner cartridge vs. what the cartridge is projected to produce? I imagine our usage level is much higher than the average user. However, I'm only getting roughly 60% of the claimed capacity and I'm wondering if that's just the way it is with loan docs or if some of it has to do with buying OEM cartridges. (I've been buying from LD Products most recently for my main printer. I suspect it's still well worth it.)
I didn't pay any attention to this before because I didn't think to check how many pages I was getting per cartridge - or maybe I should just admit I didn't know how to pull up that info... 
Thanks, all.
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Reply by James Dawson on 9/1/10 2:18am
Msg #351151
I usually get more then the estimate because I print in the econo mode but use "brite" paper. I have an HP2015dn and it has a toolbox which lets you know how many pages are left (est.) and what % of the toner is left. I purchased LD products once but the cartridge did not have the same capacity as the one I get at office depot so to me the savings weren't that much. I do get a discount 10% so that helps.
I probably don't have the volume you have, I replace my cartridge about every five weeks. I'm getting around 7,000 pages but remember there's a difference between letter and legal size and I don't account for that difference.
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Reply by JanetK_CA on 9/1/10 3:27am
Msg #351156
I'm beginning to think the LD Products cartridge doesn't have the capacity it should either. The cartridge is supposed to do 12,000 pages of average printing and I'm getting a little over 7000, printing on a dual tray, at 300. I expect to get less than the full rated amount, as loan docs are likely a good bit more toner-intense, but that seems like a much too big difference.
It's time for me to reorder again and I'm debating whether the savings are really worth it. Guess I'll do a bit more research - but I do very much appreciate all the feedback!
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Reply by jfs/IL on 9/1/10 2:19am
Msg #351152
Janet, it would depend on how you are using the printer 300...600...1200.... Draft , normal , Best.
That makes a difference too!
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Reply by JanetK_CA on 9/1/10 3:22am
Msg #351155
I nearly always print at 300. n/m
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Reply by Marian_in_CA on 9/1/10 2:27am
Msg #351153
I don't really calculate the pages anymore... I just know that default all of my printers to Toner Save mode and it helps a LOT.
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Reply by CopperheadVA on 9/1/10 5:28am
Msg #351157
I always have my printers set to print at the lowest dpi they will go (600). I save economode for printing appraisals. I recently discovered that, inexplicably, all my printers were set back to 1200 fast res! I have no idea how long that has been the case! I was so mad when I discovered it the other day!
I get about the same amount of pages printed per cartridge when I use genuine HP cartridges as opposed to the LD products cartridges (just slightly less with LD). For a high yield cartridge that's rated for 12,000 pages I get about 8500-9000 pages with my LD cartridge. Considering that one high-yield LD cartridge is about $50 for my printer, and a high yield HP cartridge is $215, it's a no-brainer for me which one I choose.
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Reply by Stamper_WI on 9/1/10 7:58am
Msg #351161
The lenses on most cartidges are not near enough to the bottom. Once the toner gets below the lense, it reads as empty. There is still a lot of toner in there. If you cover the lense with a pices of black tape or masking tape colored black with a marker or pen, you can get a lot more mileage out of the cartidge. I imagine that you then get the number of pages advertised.
When I do this, I get another 800-1000 pages before I have to refill or replace.
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Reply by BNotary on 9/1/10 8:50am
Msg #351165
Rated page capacity on my Konica-Minolta printer is 18,000 copies. LD actual is 7100. Konica OEM actual is 16,900. LD price is $120, Konica is $195. Ill take the NEW Konica toner.
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Reply by JanetK_CA on 9/1/10 2:55pm
Msg #351224
Thanks, Stamper! I'll try that.
In the meantime, I reordered from LD Products. They're local, so I often get the cartridge the next day with their standard shipping fee. And for a fraction of the price, it consider it worth it. The quality has been great.
I *might* even consider refilling again. I used to do that with my old primary printer, since the cartridges are much smaller, but it got to be a pain. The problem with that is that these cartridges have a chip that handles the paper count. Probably wouldn't work great - or at all - with refilled cartridges. (And I sure don't miss the mess!)
One last thought - would printing both sides of a page count as two pages for printer count? I would think it would. (I try to duplex all confirmations - and any non-loan stuff. Helps keep down paper usage and takes less file space.)
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Reply by MW/VA on 9/1/10 9:03am
Msg #351166
I found out early on that the toner carts are rated for a
lot less print per page than we have in this biz. We are printing text w/a lot of print per page. IMO, if that's what you're calculating from it's why you're not getting what you expect from the carts. I use remanuf. carts from LD Products also. I do get the high-yield carts and anything else would be a waste. I think they perform well & I always keep a couple on hand. I don't have the time to try to calculate how many sheets I can print from one cart. I do know that I'm printing on average 6,000 to 7,500 pages a month, and probably use about one cart per mo.
I hope this helps. 
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Reply by Jose Gutierrez on 9/1/10 9:31am
Msg #351173
Almost 8K pages in a brother printer...
that cost me 8.00 to refill. Can't beat that!
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Reply by jfs/IL on 9/1/10 9:32am
Msg #351174
JMO.... when you rate these toner cartridges they are rated for letter size.
When we start printing double docs and print legal size that makes a big difference.
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Reply by MichiganAl on 9/1/10 10:05am
Msg #351179
Hopefully everyone is reusing their cartridges
I have noticed that the brand cartridges last much longer than the refurbs or no brands. But I don't worry anymore about whether or not I'm getting the yield I'm supposed to. Once the cartridge is empty I use a toner replacement kit. I can refill my cartridge multiple times and get 3 or 4 times the projected usage.
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Reply by OR on 9/1/10 10:07am
Msg #351181
Re: Hopefully everyone is reusing their cartridges
I refill too. It pays to do so.
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Reply by Cody on 9/1/10 10:12am
Msg #351183
I have the brother 5370. The box says 8000 pages, but my most recent run was 5600. I kept track manually, not sure if it has a counter somewhere...
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Reply by CopperheadVA on 9/1/10 11:44am
Msg #351191
I don't have a Brother so I can't speak for that brand, but my HP has an information button that I push and it prints out a one-page report that tells me how many total pages the printer has printed. I do that every time I replace the cartridge, and then just do the math to figure out how many pages I printed since the last time.
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Reply by Shelly_FL on 9/1/10 1:52pm
Msg #351210
Press the GO button 3 times in 2 seconds and
it will print out your settings and preferences. I have a 5250DNT, it is very similar to the 5370, so this might be the same for yours. The last cartridge I got 6100 pages, set at 600dpi. I think I will try the 300 setting and see if the change is noticeable.
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Reply by Carolyn Bodley on 9/1/10 10:28am
Msg #351185
Re: I believe the projections are based on regular-sized
paper and not legal paper
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Reply by RickG/CA on 9/1/10 10:39am
Msg #351187
I have an older hp 4100 and just plan works. I print using 600 dpi with econo mode. I've been getting over the rated use of 10,000 on mixed printing. I order from monoprice.com which has a great price and if you order by 11a you can have it delivered next day - in Calif anyway.
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Reply by Stephanie_CA on 9/1/10 11:28am
Msg #351189
I also have an older Hp
I have an HP 2300L
This printer is a workhorse.
Thank you for the info Rick.
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Reply by Mary Ellen Elmore on 9/1/10 1:46pm
Msg #351207
This can change with the age of the printer and how clean you keep it.
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Reply by SheilaSJCA on 9/1/10 2:10pm
Msg #351214
Re: Toner usage vs. estimated page capacity hard to figure
What really irks me, is once I get the message from my HP 2420d. that toner is low... it really drops off quick. It starts with a message stating that only 1800 pages remaining before toner is gone. I have tracked this as few times, and find for example, I printed about 30 pages, and the message will drop to say 1600 pages remaining, when I only printed less than 50! it will continue to drop by a couple hundred pages, until it is gone, even though I KNOW I did not print the 1800 pages that started the whole countdown, maybe about half that. I do print on legal and letter, but more legal, and I do use economode too.
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