Toner Refill?

Toner Refill? a reader asks…

Hi, I have an HP color laser printer, model M252dw. The toner cartridge replacements from HP.com are $70-80 apiece (I need 4) and that’s a lot of money. Do you think I can use the cheap refill kits I’ve seen online for eight dollars or so each?

Ok, there’s a probability that you’ll void your warranty if you don’t use HP-certified products, and the refill kits I’ve seen online show the ink as coming from a 3rd party. In addition, you may need another part (e.g., “reset chip(s)”) in order for your printer to accept the refilled toner cartridge(s). Not to mention the potential mess and the work you’ll have to go through to refill those cartridges – hint, it’s messy.

One thing you should know about printers is that manufacturers cut the initial purchase price of the device itself, and charge a premium for the replacement ink or toner cartridges. So even though you’re spending as much on a set of refill cartridges as you originally paid for the printer itself, that’s the way the products are marketed. You’ll find similar pricing structures across the various brands of printers. Manufacturers realized that consumers won’t pay a high price for printers, so they figured out a way to reduce the price and get you to buy. The catch is that they’ve engineered their products to lock you into their own supplies for replacement cartridges. That way they still make enough money to stay in business.

My advice is to accept the HP-certified replacement cartridge price as a cost of doing business, and stick with the manufacturer’s supplies. Otherwise you could find yourself going shopping for a new laser printer after you’ve rendered the one you have unusable.

I’m all for saving money, but I look at the long-term cost. Your laser printer could last you a dozen years or more, and for your model that dozen years of use could cost you possibly $1,090 ($250 for the up-front cost of the printer, and $280 times 3 for replacement toner cartridge sets). If you used refills that ruined your printer and had to replace it each time, you’d end up spending more like $1,250 (5 times the $250 purchase price) plus a nominal amount for those refill kits. Even if the cost came out to be the same or slightly less, you still have to factor in the time you waste doing all the refilling and buying replacement printers, setting them up, etc.

Those refill kit companies will tell you how easy it is to use, and assure you it will work with your printer. That’s just marketing, and they really don’t care if you never buy again, there’s always another rube for them to fleece. Just my .02…