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General discussion

Lexmark e260d Printer Issue Resolution

Jan 28, 2010 6:40PM PST

I bought a Lexmark e260d, or, to be specific, bought it with some help from family. The product descriptions on new toners say a new one (full regular ones) last 3000 pages or something, and after a few hundred pages with the starter toner I suddenly have print quality problems and has the last two lights on the right solidly on whenever I turn it on. I don't believe the clerk even handed me my receipt when it was bought, there was no manual in the box (it evidently has the manual "conveniently" only online with pdf version, possibly to print out, if the printer worked) and whenever I call the store they don't even respond to my question about the lights, as to whether it's just a super-short ink span for the starter cartridge or whether it's the printer has problems. On inkjets I wouldn't blink twice at buying a new cartridge and seeing if that was the problem, but in this case the new cartridge is more than a new printer (at least the kind of printers I can afford) and I'm not willing to take that risk without knowing for certain that it's not some flawed printer part that's the problem and only waste well over a hundred on a cartridge I wasn't expecting to do for many months. All the store computer guy would tell me on the phone at the Office Depot was to look on their website and ship it back to the manufacturer (shipping in this case would be over half the price of a new printer)... so at this point I'm wanting to leave their printer in front of their store and get out a soapbox and preach the good book to anyone that might be in need of saving, and simply wait until I can afford a new printer and buy it at some store other than an Office Depot, and a printer brand other than a Lexmark. Perhaps even never get another laser, just stick to what works. But something told me that I should look for a place to leave feedback first. And then I thought, hey, this website looks like I might also find someone willing and able to help solve this some way. So here's to hoping that checking track this thread will function correctly and I can see what ideas are out there as to what I should do and what the issue with those lights is. The last light on the right is the green one, and the one next to it is yellow/orange, and they're both on solidly (not blinking) as soon as it starts up all the way.

Discussion is locked

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Re: printer issue
Jan 28, 2010 6:45PM PST

You found the pdf version of the user manual. And I assume you can read it on the screen, even while not able to print it.
Now go and find the section about lights and tell us what they mean.

It's not uncommon for a starter kit to contain less ink than a full regular one. But a few hundred pages isn't much.

Kees

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Laser printer
Jan 28, 2010 11:36PM PST

Pretty much all Laser printers have starter cartridges furnished. As to how many prints the will produce can be a very ambiguous issue,there are a lot of variables. Mono (black and white) Laser printers, on average, full cartridge, generally 2 to 3,000 prints, this can vary by MFG. etc. Color is another ball game and can vary all over the place depending upon printing variables. Exactitude, well my colleagues and myself tried a few years ago to figure out an accurate equation for color Laser toner usage (overall) and wound up in a bar discussing the difference(s) between Irish and Scotch whiskey, a much easier subject for study.

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RE: Lexmark issue
Jan 29, 2010 12:28AM PST

I indeed had looked through the lights in the pdf, and it hadn't mentioned that combination, though it had mentioned many combinations, unless I somehow missed it in the many read-throughs, and finally gave up on that.

It indeed is a black and white laser.

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RE: Lexmark issue
Feb 20, 2010 2:04PM PST

I'll recycle the printer and go with a traditional inkjet, seeing as the print quality may very well be bad even if I get a new cartridge, and have no way of telling if it would make a difference. And no, that particular light combination was not in the manual.