Samsung ML-1740 Laser Printer

This is kind of an older review since I've had this printer for about a year and it still works great. I'm not sure if this exact model is still being sold but I see similar models all the time for around the same price range.

These run for around $40 - $70 all the time after rebates.
Currently Best Buy and Fry's has it for this price.

- true 600x600 dpi
- text quality is great
- graphics quality isn't too bad (a bit of banding and some grain when printing photos)
- toner saver mode. Blacks are just slightly less black. It's suppose to save up to 40% in toner. I leave it on toner saver mode all the time.
- fast. warm up from sleep < 15sec. It's suppose to be around 17ppm (closer to 15 in real life). Still plenty fast for me especially coming off of ink jet.
- sleep mode 10w, operation 250w (lights did NOT dim while printing)
- print drivers are pretty rich. Lots of options to print multiple pages on one sheet of paper. It also has odd/even pages so you can do manual duplexing.
- a reall full size paper tray that holds 250 pages.
- tiny and light printer. foot print around 15X15 inches.
- comes only with a starter toner (1000 pages at 5% coverage vs 3000)
- there is a manual single sheet feeder on the front, and you can pop the back down so the paper ejects out the back. This gives you a straight paper path so you can print on a larger variety of items.
- some issues with manual duplexing. I was printing a large document with a LOT of black coverage (we are talking black background, white text). It seemed like when I put the paper back in the tray to print on the other side, while printing some static charge built up and some of the pages were sticking together which basically messes up duplexing. I tried it again the next day with a 150 page manual doing manual duplexing and didn't have a single issue. This manual was a more typical document with mostly text and a few diagrams. Either way I never had an issue when just printing like normal. It was only with these very black saturated pages that I was feeding in a second time that caused some issues.
- the drum and toner are all in one piece (ML-1710D3). Replacement is around $65
the other option (which I'm trying) is to refill it yourself. Search on ebay "samsung 1740 toner" and you should find refills for under $6 each shipped. The drum should last between 2-3 refills. So now you are talking 9000-12000 pages before you have to buy another actual samsung toner cartridge. Refilling is suppose to be very easy with no tools required. No chips on the samsung toner either. I estimate around < .9 cents per page
- I just refilled the toner (I've been printing a lot of guild wars maps with probably around 80%+ coverage). 5 quick screws and the cartridge opens up easily. Just pour the toner in, close it up, clean it up a bit, and you are good to go. I printed the exact same thing with original toner and then with the refilled toner. I can't tell any difference in quality.