If you use a printer that calls for toner cartridges, you’re doubtless aware of the huge price tag of OEM replacement cartridges. OEM means “original equipment manufacturer.” This of course means that if you have an HP or Epson printer, as an example, you’ll be using HP or Epson ink toner cartridges. To help solve issues with expensive OEM toner ink cartridges, many after market compatible toner cartridges are obtainable in the UK. These carry brands different than the OEM.
Not all laser printers are created equal. The same applies to toner cartridges. In order to require customers to buy their cartridges, each manufacturer uses a different design so that only their replacement cartridge will fit inside their printer. While this is good news for them in terms of profits, it can potentially create a complex problem for customers to solve. Because there are so many companies who make them, finding compatible toner cartridges means knowing exactly who made it. What’s more, most companies have several models, so you must also know the exact make and model of the printer. The good news is that there are three reliable methods for determining the right cartridge.
A Comparison of Compatible Cartridges and OEM Cartridges
There’s been a great deal of controversy surrounding the use of compatible ink cartridges. When these products initially were conceived, OEMs tried to discourage their use by alleging that if used, compatible ink toner cartridges would invalidate the printer’s warranty. But, legislation has since been passed in the UK that stops printer OEMs from implementing this restrictive policy. Printer owners are free to select any type of printer toner cartridges, no matter if they’re OEM or compatible. However, you should be aware that the reliability of compatible cartridges can be highly uneven. In 2008, a quality assurance company named QualityLogic commissioned a study that compared HP branded LaserJet toner cartridges to five brands of compatibles. The results said that “the quality and usability of pages printed with Original HP LaserJet colour toner cartridges was consistently more reliable than output from the re-manufactured colour toner cartridges.”
Cartridge Fuses and Chips
Another strategy used by OEMs to stop the use of third-party laser toner cartridges in their products is the installation of chips and fuses. The chip communicates with the printer to confirm that the cartridge is an OEM. It’s said that the chip monitors toner usage and categorizes the cartridge as empty. So even should the cartridge is refilled, the printer will decide it’s empty. In addition, a built-in fuse “blows” (interrupts the electrical circuit) when the toner cartridge is empty. If a cartridge ends up with a blown fuse, it’s hard to replace that fuse. Both the chip and the fuse need to be substituted for a compatible toner cartridge to work correctly. Does this appear as if it’s getting a bit complex? Well, that’s just what the OEMs want you to assume. In reality both chips and fuses are accessible and replaceable, so a lot of compatible cartridges are as skilled in connecting to the printer as OEM cartridges.
The option between OEM and compatible toner cartridges is solely up to the printer’s owner or user. In the UK, compatibles allow for considerable cost savings.