Your printer automatically lets you know when it’s time to order a laser printer maintenance kit.  It’s programmed to let you know when you have reached a certain number of prints as determined by your laser printer manufacturer that it’s time to make the regular scheduled maintenance.   If you have a Kyocera Mita laser printer, then it’s a great idea to order your Kyocera Mita laser printer maintenance kit from RedStartPrinters.com.

What should you expect when you receive your laser printer maintenance kit?

It’s recommended that you have the maintenance performed by an authorized manufacturer technician.  If you have a Kyocera Mita laser printer, then you would want to have an authorized Kyocera Mita laser printer technician perform the maintenance for you. 

However, if you’ve ordered a kit, chances are your looking to replace the parts yourself or have IT personnel to do it for you.  You’re going to receive a kit full of parts and instructions on how to perform the replacements. 

You’ll also receive paperwork to register the kit which will in turn extend your warranty for an additional number of prints.  If you choose to do the maintenance yourself and you find that you need assistance (and you have purchased your laser printer maintenance kit from RedStartPrinters.com) RedStart Printers offers free technical support to walk you through the process.

What Parts are included with a laser printer maintenance kit?

While you can replace the parts individually, if you start replacing the parts inside your laser printer with your laser printer maintenance kit, then you will want to replace all of the parts that are included.  These parts include the Drum, Developer, Fuser, Transfer Unit, and the Rollers.   The following is a rundown of each of the included parts:

• Drum:  The drum is charged with a magnetic charge while the laser unit shines on it which in turn attracts the toner to the proper spots creating letter, words, and more.   Over time and printer use, the effectiveness of the drum wears out and need to be replaced.
• Developer:  The developer unit uses a magnetic charge to pull toner from the toner cartridge and brushes it onto the drum which carries a higher magnetic charge. 
• Fuser: Once the loose toner is in place on the piece of paper, the paper is fed through a pair of rollers that heat the toner and fuse it to the paper.  Problems with the fuser can be common as dust and toner build up on these rollers and scratch the surface.  This creates unwanted streaks and marks on the prints.  Heat issues also require this part to be replaced.
• Feed Transfer Unit:   This is the feed assembly that feeds paper through the printer.  It includes the transfer roller, feed rollers, and register roller assembly.
  
• Rollers: The rollers help feed your paper through the laser printer.  You commonly come in contact with the rollers during paper jams.  Gunked up rollers and paper dust create obstacles in getting your paper through the printer smoothly.

We have talked about the benefits of the laser printer maintenance kit, determining when to order one, and what to expect when you receive it.  You want to also take into consideration your service options and how using a laser printer maintenance kit can affect your laser printer’s warranty.  In part 3 of this series we’ll go over that and talk about what to expect when it comes to Kyocera Mita Laser Printer warranty and services offered by RedStartPrinters.com.

How often do I need to invest in a laser printer maintenance kit?

Modern laser printers are fairly resilient when it comes to replacing the important parts.  Maintenance kits are only required between the ranges of 150,000 to 500,000 prints depending on your make and model.  Most Kyocera Mita Laser printers available from RedStartprinters.com need genuine laser printer maintenance kits about every 300,000 prints. 

We already found that investing in laser printers can save a bundle when it comes to toner and ink.  Like most devices that require maintenance, your laser printer is programmed to let you know when it’s time to order a maintenance kit.  Ordering a Kyocera Mita maintenance kit for Kyocera Mita laser printers usually cost an average of around 20% of the original cost of the printer itself. 

So, while you may invest just over a thousand dollars for a laser printer, getting a maintenance kit will run you around $200 – $300 for that same printer.  Keep in mind, higher priced laser printers and those that have been discontinued may require more money to getting a maintenance kit.

What kind of regular maintenance can I perform on my laser printer?

If you decided to invest in a laser printer, chances are you have a high volume of printing that needs to be done.  Furthermore, you want to be able to keep that printer running those print jobs and prevent any downtime.  Because of this, it’s always a good idea to perform some regular preventative maintenance to prolong the life of the parts inside of your laser printer. 

If you want the prints to keep on coming out of that printer then it’s a good idea to conduct some regular cleaning of the inside and outside of your printer.  Plus, taking good care of your laser printer will keep you from having to order that laser printer maintenance kit prematurely.

Using a lint free cloth and hot water, you want to be sure to wipe away any collected dust on your laser printer.  Gathered dust can wreak havoc on the all of the components needed to provide you with good quality laser prints.  There are so many intricate moving parts that dust will create a residue and eventually gunk up your rollers which will result in more paper jams.  You can also have problems with the drum developers and the fuser over a period of time.

Never use ammonia based cleaners on your laser printer.  Hot water should work fine, but if needed you can use Isopropyl alcohol to help clean any dirty parts.

So, what all comes with laser printer maintenance kit?  Check out part 2 for details on the parts included in the maintenance kit.  And, if you need to purchase a Kyocera Mita Laser Printer Maintenance kit, be sure to check out RedStartPrinters.com for your Kyocera Mita laser printer needs.

What does equipment leasing mean? 

Entrepreneur.com, defines equipment leasing as obtaining the use of machinery, vehicles or other equipment on a rental basis. This avoids the need to invest capital in equipment. Ownership rests in the hands of the financial institution or leasing company, while the business has the actual use of it. 

According to the Equipment Leasing Association of America, approximately 80 percent of U.S. companies lease some or all of their equipment, and there are some thousands of equipment-leasing firms nationwide catering to that demand. 

Equipment leasing can help business owners with needed startup equipment without the extra out of pocket expense.  It also provides the extra advantages of equipment which offer better value, convenience, and control.  The value of the lease doesn’t just cover the equipment but can also include the shipping and maintenance costs of the equipment.

What are the benefits of leasing your equipment? 

Leasing your equipment with 100% financing can ease the strain of initial financial obligations. By using leasing options you can free up more money for marketing initiatives and generating revenue.   Instead of using large amount of money to invest in necessary equipment, you can have a smaller monthly, tax deductible payment.  You can also free up your lines of credit to help other areas of your business.

Leasing your equipment is tax deductible.  Leasing companies will also offer their customers periodic upgrades to keep them happy.    Depending on the equipment, you can find lease terms anywhere from 12 to 60 months.  Equipment leasing helps business owner  by providing tax advantages, optimized cash flow, and flexible options.

What leasing programs are available through RedStart?

The RedStart Company offers leasing programs that include Equipment only, Equipment Plus, and Equipment premiere through a partnership with Fidelity National Financial, a leader in many areas of the financial market.  In order to qualify for leasing, we require that you have a total leasing package including equipment, software, installation and maintenance be valued at least at $30,000.

Through our Equipment only program you can find many Kyocera Mita Printers in different formats including monochrome laser, color laser, MICR, and multi-functions.    We have chosen the best equipment that we feel has the most effective cost of ownership.  All of the equipment offered through this program comes with the standard 1 year Return to Depot warranty through Kyocera which can be upgraded to the Express Warranty and On-Site Maintenance packages.

With the Equipment Plus option, you not only get the peace of mind of equipment leasing but also that of a 3-5 years worth of tiered consumables.  When you consider your equipment purchase, you may not consider the overall cost of consumables over time including toner, maintenance kits, and more.  With the tiered consumables added into your package, you will have these costs covered.

Lastly, the Equipment Premiere takes care of the equipment, consumables, and the added support over the phone.  If you have questions regarding the maintenance of your leased equipment, our customer support will be available to help.  By investing in this extra service you will have the total peace of mind that your investment is safe. 

If you are in the market for genuine laser printers and supplies check out www.redstartprinters.com to the latest deals on a wide variety of available options.  And if you interested in financing, our friendly staff can help you decide on which plan is best for you.

Is this something new?  We’ve seen a lot of multi-function laser printers hitting the market lately but this isn’t a new idea.   Manufacturers have been trying to find a cost effective way to combine the laser printer with the multi-function platform for about 10 years now.   About 4 years ago they started hitting the market and have been slowly making their way through the market.  These days, multi-function laser printers are becoming the choice among business owners who are looking to upgrade or replace their current laser printers. What’s more, color laser printers in the multi-function format are become increasingly popular.

Now that business owners can get color laser printers with the multi-function capability, they are able to invest smarter and more efficiently.  Not only can they upgrade their existing laser printer, but they can also get color printing, a new fax machine, an accessible copier, and a document scanner.  All of these functions are still important in our digital age and can be an added bonus to your laser printer investment.

If you are a business owner and are replacing your existing laser printer, chances are that it’s time to look at a new fax machine, copier, or scanner.  Why not combine them all into one space saving solution?  Industry standards can almost ensure a quieter office environment after making the switch.

Plus, if you need to place the machine in a central location, you can rest assured that most multi-function laser printers are network ready.  Kyocera Mita’s latest multi-function laser printer, FS-1128MFP, is network ready and processes about 30 pages per minute.  Its toner cartridge yields 7,200 makings its price per print less than a cent each.  This printer is also Energy Star compliant so you’re saving money on utility bills while helping the environment.

Another great benefit of choosing the laser printer is it warranty and maintainability.  The FS-1128MFP comes with a standard one year return to depot warranty.  The RedStart Company, which offers the FS-1128MFP also offers extended warranty service with unlimited onsite service calls including parts and labor for a reasonable price.  Parts and maintenance kits are also available for purchase.

If you’re looking to replace your existing laser printer, or want to get into the laser printer market, then laser multi-function printers provide you with the benefits of multiple office devices while being a savvy investment your money.

Laser printer cartridges yield more prints at a quicker speed and with a better resolution.  Laser printers use powdered toner and heat to fuse the powder to paper.  Lasers apply electric charges to the areas where toner is required.  Inkjet printers require water soluble inks; these are sprayed onto the paper by jets.  This type of ink can sometimes get smeared when it becomes wet.  The laser printers toner cartridge holds a large amount of toner and can usually print around 3,000 to 5,000 pages depending on brand and type. While it is slightly more expensive than an ink jet cartridge, it has a much longer printing life and provides quality images.

Most laser printers now offer the same type of features that inkjet printers have.  They can print on different types and sizes of papers and the toner is slightly cheaper than the ink used in inkjet printers and they tend to last a lot longer.  Laser printers are generally quieter than inkjet printers.  This could be of great significance in a quiet office where the printer is in a central location.  Another excellent feature of laser printers is that most arrive network ready right out of the box, meaning they include all of the necessary connections and software to walk you through the complete set-up process.

Did you know that laser printers also come in a multi function variety? Yes, you can save both space and money by combining printing, scanning, fax, and copy functions all into one machine.  The Redstart Company offers these multifunction printers with all or most of these functions at an affordable price for businesses both large and small and, of course, with that great laser print and quality.  We’ll talk about these more next week.
Some business owners may wonder if laser printers are maintainable.  Laser printers indeed are very durable and easy to maintain whereas inkjet printers are nearly impossible to repair once they have broken.  The Redstart Company offers printer maintenance kits that help eliminate repeat service calls and maximize print quality and performance of your laser printer. 

Their maintenance kits are priced substantially lower than if each part were purchased individually.  Also for added peace of mind, The Redstart Company specializes in genuine Kyocera Mita printers and supplies.  All of these are shipped with either a 1-year return to depot or a 1-year on-site manufacturer warranty.

If you are looking to get into the laser printer market, or you need to replace a laser printer unit, statistics still show that laser printers are far more valuable in the long run than inkjet printers.  Be sure to check out http://www.redstartprinters.com/ for all of your Kyocera Mita laser printer needs.

Let’s consider a few things about inkjet printers and ink.  First, inkjet printers are widely available at any store.  It’s not unheard of to see an inkjet printer for sale in local grocery stores.  And the ink for these printers is even more widely available even showing up on the shelves of convenience stores.  If anyone has tried to purchase a personal computer, they know that they are often offered inkjet printers as part of a bundle at insanely low prices or in a lot of cases free.

So how do manufacturers make money on inkjet printers?  In one word: Ink.  When you consider the actual price of ink at retail, it is probably one of the most precious liquids in the world.  Let’s consider one of the most popular ink cartridges, an HP 22 Black ink cartridge.  It contains about 5ml of ink and currently retails at a major retail outlet for about $15.  Remember, this is considered budget ink and this price is lower than it was when the cartridge was first introduced.

First, let’s note that is $3 per ml.  At 30ml to an ounce that comes out to about $90 an ounce.  By comparison, you can purchase an ounce of Chanel Number 5 perfume for about $25 an ounce.  This would be considered a luxury and not a budget item.   If you consider that there are 128 ounces in a gallon, you can see that a gallon of this ink would cost you $11,520.  Compare that to a gallon of gas.  I can only imagine that it costs next to nothing to create a gallon of ink.

This same cartridge yields about 150 pages of plain text printing.  That’s not even a third of a ream of paper (500 sheets).  You would have to purchase 4 of these cartridges to use one ream of paper.   And if you only print out a couple of sheets a day you are still looking at purchasing about 5 of these a year.  In my experience, even the best multi-function printer lasts about 2 years.  So your acceptance of an inkjet printer will cost you about $150 or more in black ink.  That’s not even considering color ink.

Multi-function printers are a small business owner’s dream.  You have multiple components in one, but when one of these components fails, it’s more economical to just purchase a new printer than it is to get it fixed.  As printer technology progresses, print head nozzles get smaller to produce finer drops.  This creates the potential for clogged nozzles which can happen in both OEM and third party ink cartridges and results in having to purchase a new cartridge.

This also means that the new cartridges contains less ink for the same yield in prints which further increases the overall investment margin.  Every time you replace your printer with another “economical” inkjet printer you start the process all over again.

With the price of ink being so high, consumers tend to purchase third party ink cartridges or refill kits which have the potential to cause damage to your printers.  Printer manufacturers have made the printers in such a way that if you are not using OEM cartridges you will not get the full benefits of your printer.  Also, if you use a non-OEM cartridge your warranty is voided giving you no choice but to purchase a new printer.

Inkjet printers are getting a reputation as disposable printers.  The printer is cheap, the quality is decent, the speed is unimportant, and the ink prices are tolerable.  But how does this compare to the investment of laser printers?  Find out in part two coming later this week.

Laser printers are an exceptional investment into productivity and overall operating costs. But when the time comes to replace the toner, you have an important decision to make: save money by purchasing compatible or remanufactured toner, or buy a genuine toner cartridge from your printer manufacturer.

Although there are some immediate perks of compatible toner cartridges (such as cost), you may find yourself losing money, time, or quality of printing with such an investment. In an independent study by QualityLogic in 2007 (for HP), remanufactured black toner cartridges had problems like pre-mature failure or low quality printing 33% of the time while genuine OEM black toner cartridges had zero failures.

In another study, business owners reported that 30% of remanufactured monochrome toner cartridges leaked into their printer causing damage to the printer and created down time that cost their company in hours of productivity. Those same business owners also reported that 50% of their prints were unusable due to such low quality in the printing. Again, genuine toner cartridges outperformed the remanufactured cartridges.

It’s true that failure in genuine toner cartridges can happen. However, you can rest assured that these cartridges are guaranteed and warranted by the manufacturer. Also, if you use these cartridges in your printer and it becomes damaged, your printer will be covered by the warranty or maintenance service plan. Damage to your printer by compatible, remanufactured, or even counterfeit toner cartridges are not covered.

So what are the seven benefits of using genuine toner cartridges?

Experts agree that genuine toner cartridges provide you with the best value when it comes to investing in replacement toner. That is why The RedStart Company only sells genuine printers, supplies, and toner. If you are looking to replace the toner in your Kyocera Mita laser printer, visit The RedStart Company for the best value in Kyocera Mita printers, genuine Kyocera Mita toner cartridges, and genuine Kyocera Mita replacement parts.