Samsung CLP 510 > Reviews (2)

I've had my CLP 510 from Samsung for just on 12 months so I feel I have gotten to know it quite well...in this time, I've only printed a total of 13,576 pages - thats the TOTAL from 12 months of use, NOT per month - this is very light use.

I mainly use it for printing text with graphics included on the same page...not photos, just drawings etc.

I'll start by saying that the prints per min quoted by samsung in a joke (most manufactures quoted specs relating to this probably are). The output quality is average for a 1200 x 1200 dpi machine. Text is fine, but the colour graphics output is not good at all. (I've previously used a 1200 x 1200 Kyocera machine which had exelent output for graphics). Trying to colour match / calabrate this machine is also hopless - I even use a moniter spyder etc to get my colours right. I basicly had to moddify all my files with blue in them, as this printer printed my blue colour as almost green...around 1000 files to convert kind of pissed me off, but at the begining of my relationship with this machine, I was happy with the price I payed (as the Kyocera cost around Au$6,500 and this samsung only cost Au$670).

In the 12 months I have replaced the toners twice (three times if you count the 'starter' half set of toner supplied with the machine - remember thats for only 13,576 pages, and its warring me that the magenta is low, so thats a Full 2 sets of toner - as they all tend to go together).

After around 3 or 4 months the toner began to not fuse to the paper - mainly the black & red. It would sort of crackle off from anywhere there was a small (1cm x 1cm) block of colour. Samsung had a tech guy around within a few days and the problem was solved with a new fuser unit that samsung supplied.

Now, after around 12months of use (6 months after the last sevice) a new problem came along - dirty looking streeking of the black & red colours (mainly black) from top to bottom of the page. Samsung send another tec guy out a week later (8 days infact). He said he couldn't fix it, & didn't sound to sure what was wrong so he took a whole lot of prints with him (I guess to show to someone who might know). on his return another 5 days later, he replaced the fuser unit & roller - this didn't seem to do anything (even though he tryed to convince me that the prints looked fine. We ended up arguing over it, untill I asked him to leave.) After 3 phone calls to Samsung, a fellow on the phone asked me to look at the imaging unit & transfer belt, and sure enough, they had the tell tale streaking marks on them. 'Why didn't the tec guy know this?" 'Great' I thought, at last we can get it working properly...how wrong I was...as these two parts are 'consumables' they aren't covered by the 3 year warranty the printer is sold with - they only have a 3 month warranty and I would have to buy them (at a retail outlet). On contacting a few shops, I am faced with the fact that the two 'consumables' will cost me Au$424 - a new machine is only Au$470, and a new machine aslo includes a half set of toners woth around Au$325 or so and another 3 year warranty...I dont think so

Needless to say, this machine is headed for the tip - or ebay, and I wont be buying another samsung machine. They build them so cheaply, they practicly give you the machine for free, all you have to do is pay for the toner...

So, for light use in a home run buissness the Samsung CLP510 is a big no no. Not sure where to go from here - but I'm sure it wont be another samsung

...NOT - HAPPY - JAN!!!