5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
A True Workhorse
Date of Review: Dec 30, 2003
The Bottom Line: A great printer available at a great price.
One of the best model lines that HP has ever produced. Many are still in use today and are still actively sought after. These printers are more often forcibly retired rather than replaced due to malfunction.
I've read the other review posted here for the LJ4 and I can only assume that the reviewer is mistaking this model for the older LaserJet III line. This, by the way, is the model pictured here on Epinions incorrectly instead of the LaserJet4.
The other review contains many inaccuracies regarding the LJ4 product line. For instance, according to HP's website the printer weighs in at 37 pounds and is 11.7 inches high by 16.6 inches wide. While larger than an average home inkjet printer, the dimensions and weight are virtually identical to HP's current offerings such as the 4000 & 5000 series. It would hardly take two people to move it or a reinforced desk to support it. The older LasrJet III line on the other hand could weigh up to 123 pounds(!), depending on the model and/or accessories.
Also, the printer has 2MB of built in RAM and can accept up to four 8MB SIMM memory modules, for a total of 34MB of memory. (Other models such as the 4 Plus can be expanded up to 64MB.) An upgrade of at least one 4MB SIMM is highly recommended, as this is required for the printer to print a letter sized page at it's full 600 d.p.i. resolution. Upgrades can be found for very reasonable prices. At the time of this writing an 8MB module was being sold on eBay for $5.95 in U.S. dollars.
The other review mentions having to replace the fuser on a regular basis. The mind boggles at the workload that this reviewer's office was generating, as the LJ4 is rated at 20,000 pages per month(!) output. The fuser itself is rated to last at least 200,000 pages before needing replacement. Whoever was supplying them with replacement parts must have long since retired in style.
The printer comes standard with a 250 sheet capacity paper tray, plus a manual feed tray on the front of the printer that can accept letter or legal size paper as well as envelopes. HP also produced an add-on auto-feed envelope tray and an add-on 500 sheet capacity paper tray. Both can be found used/refurbished at very reasonable prices on the net. An add-on duplexer was also produced but this can be more difficult to locate at a reasonable price.
Basically, if you are looking for a workhorse laser printer for home or office, this printer is still a very good option. It outputs text at resume quality and can be found in prices ranging from ~$30-100 around the net.
If you consider buying one, make sure of a few things:
1. Find out the page count. All HP printers track the total number of pages that the printer has produced. It's comparable to the mileage on a car. If the count is less than 100,000 then the printer is most likely a good deal. If it is over 100,000 then the printer should have had an overhaul done. (Kits are available from HP or on the web). I've seen LJ4s with 300,000 page counts that are still in great order, but you may wind up paying for repairs after some usage.
2. Make sure it has a JetDirect card. This will enable you to hook the printer directly into a home or office network without a PC involved. While these were not standard, there are so many of these machines available in working order now that you may as well make sure the printer you buy has one. The extra functionality is well worth it and it shouldn't cost you any more than a printer without one.
