Reply
Honored Contributor
Posts: 39,554
Registered: ‎08-23-2010

TONER CARTRIDGES: BRAND NAME OR GENERIC?

[ Edited ]

 

Just wondering .... When you buy a replacement toner cartridge for your printer, do you buy the brand name or a generic cartridge?

 

Either way .....  does it matter to you ....   why or why not?   

 

TIA!

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,109
Registered: ‎04-14-2013

Re: TONER CARTRIDGES: BRAND NAME OR GENERIC?

I always get the brand name (HP).  I think one time I bought an after market one and not only did it not last but the printer started giving out error messages.

 

Not to say that always happens, but I think I'll just stick with the (higher priced) brand.

Cogito ergo sum
Honored Contributor
Posts: 24,104
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: TONER CARTRIDGES: BRAND NAME OR GENERIC?

I went with the EZInk replacement toner for my laser printer (Samsung model M2020) and it's been great and less than half the price of the name-brand toner. Absolutely no issues at all. 

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,074
Registered: ‎10-03-2014

Re: TONER CARTRIDGES: BRAND NAME OR GENERIC?

[ Edited ]

I've had HP Lasers for a long time and found generic toner cartdriges do not print as well as HP's. 

 

Yes, quality of print is very important to me.  HP's cost more, but from my experience they last longer, printing is always consistent, crisp, and professional looking.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 39,554
Registered: ‎08-23-2010

Re: TONER CARTRIDGES: BRAND NAME OR GENERIC?

 

The reason I'm asking is that I had a conversation with a friend who is VERY frugal .... and she says she always buys the more expensive HP cartridges because they are "better".   (Better?)   

 

She couldn't be any more specific than that, so I thought I'd ask here to get feedback before I buy my next cartridge.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 23,835
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: TONER CARTRIDGES: BRAND NAME OR GENERIC?

I have an HP printer and buy generic cartriges. Just the black ink.  They cost me about $9.00 each instead of $80 for the name brand HP cartridges. They work great! What a savings!!!!!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,074
Registered: ‎10-03-2014

Re: TONER CARTRIDGES: BRAND NAME OR GENERIC?


@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

 

The reason I'm asking is that I had a conversation with a friend who is VERY frugal .... and she says she always buys the more expensive HP cartridges because they are "better".   (Better?)   

 

She couldn't be any more specific than that, so I thought I'd ask here to get feedback before I buy my next cartridge.  


@Tinkrbl44 

 

Differing opinions here.  Why don't you try generic cartridges yourself?  Some may be good or satisfactory, others not so good.   

 

I've had some very bad ones, not only with print, but the ink leaked out into my printer.  

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,419
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: TONER CARTRIDGES: BRAND NAME OR GENERIC?

A toner cartridge lasts such a long time. I buy the real thing from HP. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 39,554
Registered: ‎08-23-2010

Re: TONER CARTRIDGES: BRAND NAME OR GENERIC?


@Foxxee wrote:

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

 

The reason I'm asking is that I had a conversation with a friend who is VERY frugal .... and she says she always buys the more expensive HP cartridges because they are "better".   (Better?)   

 

She couldn't be any more specific than that, so I thought I'd ask here to get feedback before I buy my next cartridge.  


@Tinkrbl44 

 

Differing opinions here.  Why don't you try generic cartridges yourself?  Some may be good or satisfactory, others not so good.   

 

I've had some very bad ones, not only with print, but the ink leaked out into my printer.  


 

 

@Foxxee 

 

I have a generic cartridge in my HP printer right now.  I was debating whether to buy another or an HP cartridge after comments from HP Tech Support ... well, you know what they think I should do ....

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 24,104
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: TONER CARTRIDGES: BRAND NAME OR GENERIC?

Pretty much every toner cartridge you buy these days comes with a chip embedded in it that the printer reads. Good generic ones are recognized by the printer as being genuine and function the same as the original. (Toner is toner after all.) Printer manufacturers though will sometimes change up the firmware to root out the generic cartridge users. My printer is old enough that they don't bother updating the firmware, so the generics work great for me.

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!