Set your Lasers to Stunning! (HP Laserjet 4100tn)

Member Name: bigdoug

Product:	HP Laserjet 4100tn
Date:	25/02/09 (161 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great quality printing, cheap running costs

Disadvantages: Huge, complicated, and heavy

Hewlett-Packard 4100 Monochrome Laser Jet was manufactured by their printer division located in Boise, Idaho, USA, and was available in four versions;

4100 - standalone laser printer, 600-sheet capacity, parallel/Centronics interface

4100n - networked laser printer, 600-sheet capacity, parallel/Centronics and Ethernet interfaces

4100tn - networked laser printer, 1100-sheet capacity twin drawer, parallel/Centronics and Ethernet interfaces

4100dtn - networked laser printer, 1100-sheet capacity twin drawer, duplexer for double-sided prints, parallel/Centronics and Ethernet interfaces.

Also, a copier that also has all the functions of the 4100dtn is available under the model 4100mfp.

The Hewlett-Packard Laser Jet 4100TN is a monochrome 1200 x 1200 dots per inch Laser Jet printer that boasts a speed of 17 pages per minute, with the following features;

Tray One - fold out paper tray for up to 100 sheets of 80 gsm paper is also suitable for heavyweight paper, card, and envelopes. A fold out output bin is provided on the back of the printer so this thicker media does not have to round the last roller so it can make into the top output bin.

Ethernet interface - available on the "N" models provides connection to your network with the need of an parallel-attached PC acting as a print server. Jet Admin an Internet browser-based printer management tool allows you to configure all the properties of the printer from any networked computer.

Tray Two - a drawer-style paper tray, for up to 500 sheets of 80 gsm paper, that can be configured to hold Letter, A4 (294mm x 210mm) and A5 (210mm x 147mm) paper.

Tray Three - available on "T" models provides an additional drawer-style paper tray, for up to 500 sheets of 80 gsm paper, that can be configured to hold Letter, A4 (294mm x 210mm) and A5 (210mm x 147mm) paper.

Duplexer Unit - available on "D" models provides a device for double-sided printing without operator intervention.

These printers are substantial in both size and weight requiring suitable robust furniture.

Routine maintenance requires both the fuser and transfer roller assemblies to be replaced every 200,000 pages, and you can secure an 11,000 page re-manufactured toner cartridge for around £30 from any number of specialist suppliers easily-located using the internet.

Once your printouts start looking faded - you can get away with removing the toner cartridge and shaking from side to side until your replacement arrives. Otherwise, just keep the surfaces a clean with a lint free cloth once a month.

All in all this is still an impressive printer, originally sold just under the £1000-mark, and still serviceable after 10, 15, 20 years and possibly even longer. I managed to secure a 9-year old HP Laser Jet 4100TN printer for my own use, that was 124,000 pages away from its next maintenance cycle and with about 4000+ pages left in the toner cartridge for the princely sum of £28 plus £15 post and packaging on eBay.co.uk.

I was not originally going to buy a laser printer but I read a review for the Samsung 2010R and saw a new one could be purchased for only £60 and the same £60 secured a replacement toner cartridge good for 3,500 pages. As I had used the HP Laser Jet 4100TN in a commercial environment and appreciated how much better they were built and the considerably lower cost of ownership they had compared to these "cheap" laser printers available nowadays, I thought I would chance £43 on this printer and was generously-rewarded for my purchase.

Summary: Quality, reliable high-volume networked work group printer that is cheap to own

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