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Is your printer dying?

When buying or when trying to know how long your printer will survive the daily grind there are three key numbers to consider:
 

• The maximum monthly duty cycle (to show whether the printer can survive your busiest month). 
• The recommended maximum to print per month (to show whether the printer can survive for the long term, given the number of pages you print).  
• And the design lifetime in pages (to show how long can you expect the printer to last, given the pages you print).

A widely accepted rule of thumb when deciding is to pick a printer with a maximum duty cycle that's at least three times the number of pages you print in an average month.  that will obviously lengthen the lifetime of the printer, but possibly not as much as you'd like.

The good news for you is that a few manufacturers make all three figures available.  Of course the bad news is the rest consider some or all three numbers their proprietary - particularly for inkjets.  Even worse, the answer for inkjets often is not rated.

The numbers are not always available in the spec page or the manufacturer's web page.  If you can't find the info, call them and ask.  You may not get an answer, but the more people call the company eventually it will change its policy and assist us when considering the best printer for the job or to determine when it's going to die.

Don't underestimate the work load of your printer.  Make sure you treat it kindly and always have all printing accessories available such as the correct ink cartridge or toner cartridge, drum units, paper, etc.

If you've considered all the steps mentioned and it still dies on you prematurely, all I have to say is....Thank Goodness for GUARANTEES!!

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