ms-dos printer capability, pcl5e, & HP LJ 1150

[ronaries]

I am in need of a inexpensive b/w laserjet as my HP LJ1150 has a fuser issue & the estimates for repair almost reach the price of new!

I am looking for a TRUE ms-dos print capability ... the 1150 works fine for me (when it worked!); it has pcl5e language. Is that what contains the ms-dos? I am interested in a Dell 1700N laserjet (due to price & being disappointed with HP after only 17 months of use) and it has pcl6 which is downward compatible with pcl5 ... but Dell print tech support could not say for sure that it would print ms-dos (it does have a parallel port).

Needing a capable printer, I'm also trying not to reward HP with another sale after disappointing me badly with the LJ 1150. I'd appreciate any help offered as to whether ms-dos printing capability is defined by the pcl version, or something else..., and whether the Dell 1700N laser can print true ms-dos.

FYI, I am using an arcane software program called PM2 (practice manager 2) which does not have windows capability ...except in upgraded versions which do not meet my performance needs.
Thanks in advance.

[glc]

What's the page count on your HP? The fuser should last at least 80,000 pages or so. If you have that many pages on the counter, you don't really have a beef.

Your best alternatives to HP would be Okidata and Lexmark. Take a look at this Oki:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16828107125

That thing emulates just about anything. Looks like you have to get into the more expensive Lexmarks now to have true DOS compatibility.

[ronaries]

The use of our 1150 HP is under 2000 pp per month, for 16 months. If you can tell me how to access the page count page, I'd be most interested in knowing the exact number myself ... and would gladly share it with you.

I gather that you don't think the Dell 1700N would likely support ms-dos ... and that Okidata is more responsive to my need?

[glc]

Not sure without a manual, but on some HP's, you hold the feed button in when powering it up and it prints a test page with the page count, among other things.

The Dell is probably made by Lexmark, and it will only use Dell cartridges, which can only be bought direct from Dell. The Okis I've used before all emulate a Laserjet 4 no problem and have been very reliable. You might want to confirm that model's capability with Okidata.

[ronaries]

You are right - the self test is a configuration page ... turns out that our HP 1150 has a page count of 12,710 pages. It was put in service in late April, 2004, and failed early this August.

Two sources identify the failure problem of this 1150 as a fuser fixer or fuser assembly issue. Repair costs appear to be in excess of $220 if done by a shop, and perhaps more if I wreck the unit while trying to repair it! A new 1160 laserjet costs about $299 from Newegg shipped.

[ronaries]

Oh - I forgot to mention that Okidata techs confirmed that the B4250 will do MsDos - they skirted around assurances saying that they didn't know about particular programs & any modifications which they may have made to ms-dos features. But it sounded pretty solid that a laserjet 4 driver will work ... and since it emulates pcl5e, I'm guessing that it will print a laserjet II driver fine (like the HP 1150 does).
I am ordering the Oki since it is only $200 shipped (newegg). Apparently its a good time to buy it as the newer model Oki has been released.

[glc]

That's way too few pages for a fuser to fail unless your people have been trying to feed questionable stock through it - sticky label sheets, nasty cheap recycled paper with high moisture content, paper that's already been used and printed on the other side, maybe with whiteout on it, or staples in it, stiff cardboard.........you get the picture.

[ronaries]

I can't tell you how annoying it is to have people suggest (as several have) that the lasers' failure is an issue of user malfeasance rather than a part failure. Our office is quite small, everyone is experienced using pc's and printers, and there is no elaborate printing done. Of course, someone could have sabotaged it unbeknown to me.
Could it also be that HP is putting out a poorer quality?

[glc]

Sorry if I annoyed you. I was only suggesting possibilities, not trying to disparage your office - I have no way of knowing your office's competence when I'm sitting here and you are sitting there. From a professional standpoint, I have to bring up all possibilities that I'm aware of. I've seen fusers destroyed this way before.

The only consistent poor quality I've ever seen in a HP laser is in the little toploader models (no longer made) such as the 6L and 1100. They had paper feed issues, the separator pad design was bad. Of course, ANY manufactured device can fail prematurely, NOBODY has a 100% quality control record. However, other than the exception I just mentioned, I will defend HP's overall quality record. I've installed and serviced a ton of them over the years and there's no other laser I'd rather work with.

So you got a bad one - it happens. Don't take it out on me, I didn't build it.

[ronaries]

Interesting. We have a HP 5L Laserjet that is a gazillion years old and still works excellent on light duty. So my experience, tho limited, is quite different.

In a spasm of impulse, I bought a "like new" used 1150 on ebay for $130 - hopefully I'll get a chance to use up the toner we have in stock (1.5 cartridges) and have a parts backup - if I don't have the same part fail! That mortar shell won't land twice in the same place, will it?

[glc]

Let's hope not!

If you do have problems with the 5L, www.fixyourownprinter.com has repair kits for common issues:

HP LaserJet 5L/6L Multiple-Sheet/No Feed Paper Jam Kit ($29.95)
Repair for: Printer picks up all of the pages in the paper feed and jams. Alternatively, printer won't pick up any paper.

HP LaserJet 5L/6L Blurry/Faded Print Kit ($19.95)
Repair for: On printouts bold fonts appear blurry, small fine print is either faded or missing

HP LaserJet 5L/6L Fixing Film Kit ($39.95)
Repair for: Toner doesn't fuse to paper, rubs off and smudges

[Science_guy]

I can personally vouch for the 5L/6L Multi-sheet-feed fix kit from fixyourownprinter. My wife's 5L had the problem, and after installing the new parts, it works perfectly. The video guide that he supplies is a big help. The self-repair is not difficult, but there are numerous latches, clips, pins, springs, and screws that you need to contend with, and the guide explains all of this.

[ronaries]

Thanks for the info on the printer fix ... I'll give it a try ... tho the numerous latches, screws etc sounds a bit intimidating!

I'm pleased to report that the Oki B4250 arrived, got setup, and is successfully printing our ms-dos program ... we've done charts, reports, tables etc without it coughing/hiccuping over our programs' Laserjet II print driver!

I do have a question about its setup however ... In the emulation question of setup, it asks if you desire "laserjet III and above" or "laserjet IV pcl" -- and I really didn't know which to select. I chose the LJIII option, thinking it reflected the newest info, and it works fine at first glance. I don't know if I made the correct choice, however. Any thoughts?

[glc]

The Laserjet II is PCL4. The Laserjet III is PCL5. The Laserjet 4 is PCL5e. There is backwards compatibility all the way back to PCL1 with very few exceptions.

http://www.csgnetwork.com/hppclhist.html

With that in mind, I think I'd choose LJ4 emulation, it may perform a bit better in Windows.