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Samsung ML-1710 Laser Printer

Started by Neon, February 15, 2004, 23:52 hrs

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Allie-Baba

A few weeks ago I purchased a Samsung ML-1710 Laser Printer (more on a whim really - I had been shopping for one but really only 'looking'). I'd grown tired of replacing toner cartridges in my color inkjets at WAY too much a piece and this one was on sale and had a rebate. I think in the end I paid 79.00 at Office Max/Depot.

The factory specs are:

Samsung ML-1710 B/W USB Laser Printer
600 & 300dpi
~9-11ppm @ 600dpi
250 sheet input tray
2 multi color multi function LEDs and a single 'Cancel' button
5% coverage printing yields approximately 3000 pages (1000 for cartridge shipped with printer)

I've been able to spend some reasonable time with the printer, printing probably 200 pages of odd text, graphics and web pages. In general I am very happy with this printer. I'm no aficionado but even in it's available toner save mode printing quality is clear, clean, precise and quite dark. I have no negative comments with regards to it's print quality. Certainly this is a bottom end - entry level laser printer, and it reminds you of that just by looking at it. It's simple exterior design, white top and sides with grey front, certainly isn't anything to be excited about - but frankly I don't lust after printers either. The printer supports both a 250 page tray as well as manual front feed for special jobs, such single one/off printing. The printer also has a rear output tray which I suspect is best utilized for envelopes and hard card stock. I haven't tried it yet but it does appear as though longer items would fall off of the output tray as the tray is quite short.

In addition, you are also remended that this is an innexpensive printer every time that your PC prints to this printer because the print driver and/or printer supports minimal if any status reporting. For example there is no feedback of toner status, nor does there appear to be any feedback of potential printer jams to the printing PC (I base this simply on the fact that there are no comments regarding such in the install manual - though that is an assumption). However, there is a response for 'Out of paper' condition.

I have printed from both local and networked PCs in my home with absolutely no problems. When I installed this printer I selected both XP and win 98 drivers. The XP drivers installed successfully on the remote PC when first printing remotely. I have not tried printing from a '98 PC. Nor have I seen any conditions of feed back of print status being sent back to remote PCs but that support is often minimal at best when utilizing Windows Printer Sharing. An OS issue as much as a driver or printer issue.  I bring this up as it is fairly important when printing jobs remotely in a hurry, to know that the job is printing and not just jammed or waiting for paper. On the other hand this printer has never yet jammed.

The only down side to this printer is an extremely minor one that I almost hesitate to mention. It is a problem of the top output extension for longer outputs (i.e. legal paper which is not by the way supported by the paper tray - only the manual feed on the front). When this extension is folded in and not in use it always lightly catches on the first output of the print job. This then causes the first page to bow up but then it does release. This has never caused a paper jam. Nor any other major problem, but on occasion I have found the first page pushed off of the printer or slightly askew on the output area. Like I said - vary minor. This issue can be resolved probably with a little light sanding, opening up the extension, leaving a page on the output, or just ignoring the problem.

It's nice to know that occasionally, you can get what you paid for - which is exactly what I wanted. A good inexpensive laser printer with enouigh features to be useful for simple home use replacement of inkjet printing for B/W jobs. Kudos to Samsung on this one.

Long term quality and longevity? Well we'll just have to see. I see nothing really that would make this printer any more or less robust then any inkjet printer that I have. Sure there's a lot of plastic on it but what isn't mad of long chain carbon molecules from crude oil these days. And with the ability to both refill toner cartridges more than once and the ability to replace most of the business end of the printer when it has worn out I should see this printer in use for some time around my home and home office.

THNX
BRAD

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