Compatible Toner Cartridges in the UK: What You Need to Know
If you own a printer that needs toner cartridges, you’re likely aware of the lofty price of OEM replacement cartridges. OEM is the acronym for “original equipment manufacturer.” This means that if you have an HP or Epson printer, for example, you’re using HP or Epson ink toner cartridges. To help solve drawbacks with expensive OEM toner ink cartridges, many after market compatible toner cartridges exist in the UK. These carry brands that aren’t 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.
Differences Between OEM and Compatible Cartridges
There’s been a great deal of controversy surrounding the use of compatible ink cartridges. When these products came on the market, OEMs tried to dissuade their use by asserting that if used, compatible ink toner cartridges would void the printer’s warranty. However, legislation has since been enforced in the UK that keeps printer OEMs from putting into effect this restrictive policy. Printer owners are free to purchase any type of printer toner cartridges, whether OEM or compatible. However, you need to be aware that the performance of compatible cartridges can be highly unpredictable. In 2008, a quality assurance firm 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 tactic used by OEMs to thwart the use of third-party laser toner cartridges in their products is the installation of chips and fuses. The chip connects to the printer to authenticate that the cartridge is an OEM. It’s thought that the chip monitors toner usage and identifies the cartridge as empty. So no matter whether the cartridge is refilled, the printer will decide it’s empty. Plus, a built-in fuse “blows” (interrupts the electrical circuit) whenever the toner cartridge is empty. It isn’t easy to replace a blown fuse in a cartridge. Both the chip and the fuse have to be replaced for a compatible toner cartridge to work efficiently. Does this appear as if it’s getting a bit intricate? Well, that notion is what the OEMs want you to assume. The truth is that both chips and fuses are accessible and replaceable, so a lot of compatible cartridges are as capable of linking to the printer as OEM cartridges.
The option between OEM and compatible toner cartridges is completely up to the printer’s owner or user. In the UK, compatibles allow for huge cost savings.
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