HP LJ5 vs 4000?

[mikeford]

I bought two old printers at a yard sale today, HP Laserjet 5 and a LaserJet 4000, both are base 4 MB memory, and seem to work fine. Use would be at home with 3 moderate (100 to 200 page a month total) users via network connection, so I would be adding memory and a network card.

Which is best?

I'm thinking of keeping both, one to use, and one stored away as a spare.

My old HPLJ4 would be replaced, so I will have a 10/100 JetDirect card, 16MB simm, and PS simm from it if they can be used.

 

[shortylickens]

I never needed to add RAM and never wanted a network card, but I must say I envy your purchases.

Those things are so old I wouldnt even know what to use for them. It seems easier to find upgrades for newer printers than older ones.

 

[mikeford]

I went back on the last day of the yardsale and bought a 4000 TN with the 3 trays, and it has a 4 MB simm and a 600N J3111A network card.

Upgrade including the latest firmware was seamless and automatic using the tools on the HP web site. The 4000 series is in the archive section, but the 600N appears to still be a current product. All the manuals, FAQ, etc. are still available for download, only glitch I ran into was in one stage of updating you have the option of using internal or web database, and the web option timed out. Later in the process it did seem to be able to get the latest firmware automatically from HP.

4000 TN is now on my home network, and seems the best option. Powers down apparently almost completely, no fans etc., but cranks out the first page within 12 seconds. I'm going to use it just as it sits for week or so, then take it out to the garage and thoroughly clean it, and treat the rollers with platen stuff.

 

[corkyg]

I think you made a good choice. I have had a LJ4000 for several years. I added 512 MB of RAM to it for full page, high res graphics. Last year I added a network card and it runs great on my home LAN. I just used it today to do all my holiday greeting cards and envelopes. My other printer is a DJ6890. Office Depot has good carts for the LJ4000. It's a work horse.

 

[Modelworks]

Those old laserjets are built like tanks.
I have one here, laserjet 6p with 30,000 pages printed that still works like new.
I pick them up for about 10-20.00 each whenever our local school board auctions off old equipment each year.
So far got 4, one to use 3 for backup

I used an external jetdirect on one for network, now use a pc running clark connect to act as print server. I think a lot of people look at them and think they are too old to be any use.

 

[mikeford]

The worst old LJ I have ever bought was still good for thousands of crisp artifact free pages, not like inkjets that almost always leave bit of ink poop someplace on the paper.

There are heavy and take up a bit more space, more vertical than footprint unless you tried to put one on your desk, then it is kind of a gorilla, but if you ever need 25 pages printed NOW, its done in less than 2 minutes compared to more like 10 on an inkjet.

Its fun to laugh at people in Office Depot paying $27 for an ink cart that prints maybe 400 sheets.

 

[Modelworks]

Another thing I like about laser printers is that the print is waterproof, won't smudge with a damp finger.
Some inkjets are, most aren't.