Compatible Toner Cartridges in the UK: What You Need to Know
If you have a printer that necessitates toner cartridges, you’re probably aware of the lofty price of OEM replacement cartridges. OEM means “original equipment manufacturer.” This in turn 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 resolve issues with expensive OEM toner ink cartridges, many after market compatible toner cartridges are obtainable in the UK. These offer brands other 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.
Things That Separate OEM From Compatible
There’s been a great deal of controversy regarding 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. But, legislation has since been passed in the UK that prevents printer OEMs from enforcing this restrictive policy. Printer owners are free to select any type of printer toner cartridges, despite whether they’re OEM or compatible. However, you should know that the performance of compatible cartridges can be highly inconsistent. In 2008, a quality assurance outfit named QualityLogic released a study that compared HP branded LaserJet toner cartridges to five types of compatibles. The results stated 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.”
Chips and Fuses Present in Toner Cartridges
Another strategy used by OEMs to stop the use of third-party laser toner cartridges in their products is the use of chips and fuses. The chip communicates with the printer to prove that the cartridge is an OEM. It’s assumed that the chip observes toner usage and flags the cartridge as empty. So even if the cartridge is refilled, the printer will decide it’s empty. And, a built-in fuse “blows” (breaks off the electrical circuit) anytime the toner cartridge is empty. Cartridges with blown fuses cannot easily be refilled. Both the chip and the fuse need to be changed for a compatible toner cartridge to work properly. 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 obtainable and replaceable, so a majority of compatible cartridges are as competent in linking to the printer as OEM cartridges.
The choice between OEM and compatible toner cartridges is entirely up to the printer’s operator. In the UK, compatibles allow for considerable cost savings.
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