B Size Laser Printer

[don 3]

My trusty HP Lasetjet 4M has started jamming when printing. I was going to repair it, but then I saw that HP is going to stop making toner cartridges for it in November. I bought it in 1995, so maybe it's time for a new one. I was wondering if anybody has recommendations for newer model with USB or Ethernet capablity.

[streaker69 0]

Sucks that they're not going to make cartridges for it anymore, have you checked into places that will refill them? You could buy a couple and store them and then get them filled as needed. I'm not a big fan of refills, but in this case, it might be a good idea. Now for your printer. If it's jamming once it gets past the fuser, then it's the feed rollers in the back. Chances are they just have gunk on them that can be easily cleaned off with some Alcohol. If it's jamming before the fuser, then it's the pickup separation roller. Those can be purchased from HP directly and there are some places on the web that sell them as well. Chances are, HP is going to continue to make them because they're interchangeable throughout several different models and they're user replaceable part. The Laserjet 4 series of printers are very good, and just because it's jamming is no reason to throw it away, I have a 4+ and an old III that both still work great. I believe that you could also find a cheap Jetdirect card for your 4M on ebay and make it ethernet. Hope this helps.

[gravitar 3]

Thanks, it definitely helps ME! I have a 4M+ that I haven't used much in the last couple years because it jams right at the very end, before the page is to drop into the hopper. The pages usually get crumpled accordion-style. My workaround has been to print one page at a time and pull the back door open right before the paper gets jammed. Obviously, that isn't a very robust solution. It would probably work a little better if I could find and bypass the limit switch for the back door so that I could just leave it open, but I haven't researched it that far yet. I wouldn't worry about the toner cartridge situation, the aftermarket will ensure that these are still available for many years to come.

[streaker69 0]

Glad I could help. I'm still learning PLC stuff, which is why I joined up, but I can probably offer help on alot of this stuff as Network Administration and hardware is my primary background. I've been in and out of most models of HP laser printers so I can probably tell you most times what parts need replaced or just cleaned. In your case, and probably the OP's, if you open the door and look at the pair of rollers at the top of the printer, you'll see gunk on them. If the gunk is really hard, you might need to scrape it lightly with a exacto knife, but becareful not to dig into the rollers. Check out all the rollers back there for gunk. These roller kits are sometimes on Ebay for a few bucks, I think I saw them at one point for about $14.00 and they're not hard to replace.

[ianbuckley 0]

In case you ARE looking for something new, we have a Savin 4018 all-in-one (fax,scan,copy,print) that connects via ethernet and handles letter or tabloid (B size) that works very well for us. Don't know if you need or want all of that, but it might be worth a look.

[don 3]

Mine's doing the accordian thing, but only on B size. Letter size is OK. I think I'll try the repair kit route.

[Chris Elston 78]

I bought a used HP 5SI shipped to my door for $300.00. Link to Ebay Dunno if that is too big for you, but that printer is AWESOME. Fast workhorse machine. The newer model is the 8000 model. But the 8000 and 5SI toner work the same. My toner last for ONE YEAR...swear....and I lost track of how many reams of paper. I believe 25,000 sheets before the toner went...

[streaker69 0]

The 5Si's are nice, but you want to order some extra Pickup/Separation rollers as they fail. You can tell they need replaced when they're smooth. There should be three per drawer. Also, don't run Tyvek through them, as it's melting point is less than the fusing temp. (yep, saw that happen once)

[TimWilborne 108]

Ok I give up. Why did someone run Tyvek through the printer?

[streaker69 0]

They thought it would improve their process because instead of printing labels and then applying them to the Tyvek they wrapped their product in, they'd just print directly to it. They learned the lesson after they called me and asked how much does a new fuser cost.

[TimWilborne 108]

LOL, I can't say much. I probably would have tried the same thing in the right situation

[streaker69 0]

Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. ;)

[don 3]

A quick update - I ordered a new delivery roller from a guy on E-bay for $31, including shipping. He advertised it as fixing the accordian jam problem. It came in less than a week and included a video on exactly how to replace it. I just printed out about 30 sheets with nary a jam. His ebay name is ricks66gs and he also has an online store at www.laserprinterkits.com. He gets my recommendation.

[streaker69 0]

Glad you got it working!