Prniter newbie, toner change (Brother 5250DN)

[Please keep soc.culture.indian in the groups line. I'll have to access
the replies there.]

Severe newbie here, all help appreciated. I have a Brother HL-5250DN
laser printer and the original toner cartridge seems to have run out
(can tell form the print quality). Questions:

1. On the printer all 3 lights are on: paper, drum, toner. I know
there's paper in there. A friend says not to worry, just change toner.
Is that true?

2. As I have never done this, what does mean to change the toner?
Should I fill the cartridge myself? Are there places I can take to who
will fill it? Or do I just have to buy a new one? If new, then are
compatible ones good enough or should it be Brother?

3. If you are in/near Chicago, what's the best store to go here?

Any guidance appreciated. If it was your printer what would you do?
Thanks.

On Sun, 12 Apr 2009 11:35:11 -0500, Newbie wrote:

> [Please keep soc.culture.indian in the groups line. I'll have to access
> the replies there.]
>
> Severe newbie here, all help appreciated. I have a Brother HL-5250DN
> laser printer and the original toner cartridge seems to have run out
> (can tell form the print quality). Questions:
>
> 1. On the printer all 3 lights are on: paper, drum, toner. I know
> there's paper in there. A friend says not to worry, just change toner.
> Is that true?

There must be an index in the manual. Look it up
>
> 2. As I have never done this, what does mean to change the toner?
> Should I fill the cartridge myself? Are there places I can take to who
> will fill it? Or do I just have to buy a new one? If new, then are
> compatible ones good enough or should it be Brother?

You always want to purchase a new one as specified in your owners manual.
I believe Staples is one place they are sold. You just do not want to
endure any mess so do it the way the manual says.

>
> 3. If you are in/near Chicago, what's the best store to go here?

Staples, Office Depot and maybe Costco.
>
> Any guidance appreciated. If it was your printer what would you do?

All the guidance you need is in the manual or at www.brother.com
> Thanks.

In article <120420091135112395%>, Newbie <>
wrote:

> Severe newbie here, all help appreciated. I have a Brother HL-5250DN
> laser printer and the original toner cartridge seems to have run out
> (can tell form the print quality). Questions:
>
> 1. On the printer all 3 lights are on: paper, drum, toner. I know
> there's paper in there. A friend says not to worry, just change toner.
> Is that true?

What does the owner's manual say?

My God, is the entire world this stupid?



> 2. As I have never done this,

What--read the owner's manual?



> what does mean to change the toner?

What does the owner's manual say?



> Should I fill the cartridge myself?

That's a secondary question, because the owner's manual does NOT say
that.

I've done it on my 7820N; it's not hard, it works well, and it's a cheap
way to do things.

"Newbie" <> wrote in message
news:120420091135112395%...
> [Please keep soc.culture.indian in the groups line. I'll have to access
> the replies there.]
>
> Severe newbie here, all help appreciated. I have a Brother HL-5250DN
> laser printer and the original toner cartridge seems to have run out
> (can tell form the print quality). Questions:
>
> 1. On the printer all 3 lights are on: paper, drum, toner. I know
> there's paper in there. A friend says not to worry, just change toner.
> Is that true?
>
> 2. As I have never done this, what does mean to change the toner?
> Should I fill the cartridge myself? Are there places I can take to who
> will fill it? Or do I just have to buy a new one? If new, then are
> compatible ones good enough or should it be Brother?

1. Go to www.brother.com and download the manual for this
printer. This will tell you the meaning of three out of the four panel
lights steadily on. (My Brother HL-2040 printer has no indication
for three lights on steady -- only for four lights blinking, or else one
only, blinking or steady.

2. You should ensure the paper path is clear. (See manual: the
paper path is visible inside the back panel, and you may need to
remove the drum & toner from the front.)

3. If there is no more toner, buy and replace a Brother brand toner
cartridge (following instructions in the manual.) Some third-party
refills are OK but I do not know which may be sold in Chicago.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" <> wrote in message
news:elmop-...
> In article <120420091135112395%>, Newbie <>
> wrote:
>
> > Severe newbie here, all help appreciated. I have a Brother HL-5250DN
> > laser printer and the original toner cartridge seems to have run out
> > (can tell form the print quality). Questions:
> >
> > 1. On the printer all 3 lights are on: paper, drum, toner. I know
> > there's paper in there. A friend says not to worry, just change toner.
> > Is that true?
>
> What does the owner's manual say?
>
> My God, is the entire world this stupid?

Not many of us are surprised to encounter a "severe
newbie" who does not know what the manual includes
and (when trouble happens) does not think of the
manual. Perhaps this is what NGs are for.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

In article <grtn7m$ohk$>,
"Don Phillipson" <> wrote:

> > What does the owner's manual say?
> >
> > My God, is the entire world this stupid?
>
> Not many of us are surprised to encounter a "severe
> newbie" who does not know what the manual includes
> and (when trouble happens) does not think of the
> manual. Perhaps this is what NGs are for.

Ummmmm, no. The newsgroups are NOT free resources to read the owner's
manual to someone to lazy to open it himself.

The newsgroups are best used for helping people OUTSIDE the owner's
manual. All too often, the manual doesn't say anything about a
situation, or is completely confusing. It's after you've tried what
you're "supposed" to do and it doesn't work or gives different results
from what the manufacturer said, that you go to a newsgroup and ask to
see if anyone else has worked through this or has any ideas.

Don Phillipson <> wrote:

> ...

Thank you and everyone else for advice.

The owner's manual, accessed at www.brother.com, mentions blinking
lights as error messages, not when all 4 are steadily on as was the
case with my printer.

However, after unplugging the printer and plugging back, the lights
have gone back to normal, but the print quality is still poor (light
and uneven print).

I'll try to disassemble unit and clean at first, then change the toner
cartridge.

On Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:35:58 +0100, Stick Stickus <>
wrote in <news:gXcHl.31188$2>:

> Try looking for your local Cartridge World. They can re-manufacture most
> laser toner cartridges.
>
> "Newbie" <> wrote in message
> news:200420092327224742%...
>> Back to the toner cartridge issue. Of course I have found a lot of
>> places which will gladly sell a new/refurbished cartridge, but are
>> there places where I can carry my cartridge and they will refill it?
>>
>> Simple googling and yellow book etc haven't helped.
>>
>> Thanks.

Of course, it would be helpful to know whereabouts in the world the OP was -
Auckland or Afghanistan, Mogadishu or Mangaweka, Wooloomooloo or Wales,
Delft or Dunedin...

--
- Nicolaas

On Apr 12, 9:18 pm, Newbie <new...@no.spam> wrote:
> Don Phillipson <e...@SPAMBLOCK.ncf.ca> wrote:
> > ...
>
> Thank you and everyone else for advice.
>
> The owner's manual, accessed atwww.brother.com, mentions blinking
> lights as error messages, not when all 4 are steadily on as was the
> case with my printer.
>
> However, after unplugging the printer and plugging back, the lights
> have gone back to normal, but the print quality is still poor (light
> and uneven print).
>
> I'll try to disassemble unit and clean at first, then change the toner
> cartridge.

You can render it broken if you don't clean it right -- depending on
what you're cleaning inside there, there's ways to clean, and then
there's ways to clean. Be careful

> > Try looking for your local Cartridge World. They can re-manufacture most
> > laser toner cartridges.

I found and went to Cartridge World, but they don't refill your
cartridge anymore. I can buy a remanufactured cartridge form them for
about $70, but online prices are around $40. Refilling kits are about
$25 but I don't want to risk botching the job myself (requires burning
a hole in the cartridge plastic and later sealing it).

I would have liked some place to refill my own cartridge because I know
it is new and mechanically sound. About remanufactured ones I don't
know how many times they have been remanufactured.

> Of course, it would be helpful to know whereabouts in the world the OP was -

Chicago.