HP LaserJet Toner Cartridge

[mikejp56]

Hi All,
I have an HP LaserJet Pro P1606dn printer. This is a black only printer. The print cartridges new are about $90. The cartridges from 3rd party vendors are about $25.
Does anyone have any experience using third party cartridges for this or a similar printer? Is there a chip in this cartridge that would prevent a third party vendor cartridge from operating?
Thanks in advance for any responses!
Regards.

[Gregg]

I have a HP 2015dn printer.  My wife prints reams of junk from the internet without regard to how much toner or paper she uses, so we go through a lot of toner.  The quality of the aftermarket stuff is all over the place so I just wait until enough complaints make it necessary to replace and then buy from Amazon because of their great return policy.  I immediately switch in the new one and send it back if it doesn't meet expectations.  None of them are as dark, fine texture or last as long as the real HP, but for the price have worked well after lasting beyond the return window.
The trick to Amazon is to only look at the 3 star and lower reviews; most of the 5 star reviews are bogus.

[mikejp56]

Hi Gregg,
Thanks for the response. Have you ever had an issue with the printer not recognizing, or simply not working, with anything but a genuine HP cartridge?
Thanks again for your prompt response!
Regards,
mike

[GreyWoolfe]

Here is another thing to think about.  The really cheap 3rd party cartridges, especially re-manufactured, can leak toner into your printer.  It is a bear to clean up and to do so, you really need a special vacuum.  You don't want to be breathing that stuff in either as it is classified as a 2B carcinogen.  In the early 2000's, I had plenty of experience with crappy 3rd party cartridges when I was servicing Lexmark laser printers.  There was a family owned pharmacy chain that absolutely refused to use OEM and they bought the cheapest that they could find.  The leaked toner would foul up the printers, generating regular service calls.  They refused to listen to me about the issue and after I reported them to Lexmark, Lexmark threatened to cancel all the warranties on their printers.  My service calls virtually stopped after that.

Personally, I don't print much from my own laser printer so I will buy the OEM so I don't end up with a crappy cartridge and have to clean toner.  Especially that I don't have access to that special vacuum any more.