Today the market offers a huge variety of cartridges which might make you feel a little confused. Apart from finding a suitable cartridge for your specific printer model, you need to make a proper selection between many different types of cartridges. It often becomes difficult to differentiate between OEM and compatible toner cartridges. To clear the air, I have come up with a detailed discussion on the differences between OEM and New compatible toner cartridges. This will help you choose the best option for your requirement.

Differences in terms of definition

OEM cartridge

An OEM cartridge is produced by the Original Equipment Manufacturer brands like Brother, Canon, HP, Lexmark etc. In simples words your printer and the cartridge both belong to the same company. For instance, if you have a Brother printer then Brother will be the producer of the OEM cartridges for your printing device. These cartridges usually come with your printer and can be a bit costly because of its research and development expenses that are added in the production.

New compatible toner cartridges

A compatible toner cartridge is a new printer cartridge that is produced by a different manufacturer other than your printer. It carries similar features like the OEM cartridge but they are capable of being used in different printers. Apart from the structural differences it is manufactured in such a way that it can perfectly fit into your machine with an equal productivity like the OEM cartridges. Compatible cartridge manufacturers have the scope to keep the prices low as they do not have to be concerned about the research and development cost that OEM manufacturers face.

Different types of compatible toner cartridges available in the market:

• Brother TN760 Compatible Black Toner Cartridge High Yield. (No Chip)
• HP 17A CF217A Compatible Black Toner Cartridge
• 128 CANON #128 BLACK TONER FOR IMAGECLASS MF4450,4570 New Compatible

How do they work?

OEM cartridges are made targeting specific printers that provide high quality performance. The biggest advantage of these cartridges is that they offer lower failure rates with high productivity.

Many printer manufacturers would suggest you to strictly use their toner cartridges as according to them the printing performance can be affected by other toner cartridges. They further add that the life span of the laser printer also gets shortened by using non branded toner cartridges.

In simple words an OEM toner cartridge is costlier than a compatible cartridge and its production and disposal is not that environment friendly.

On the other hand, compatible toner cartridges provider good quality printing at a much lower price compared to the price of the OEM cartridges. According to some sources, compatible cartridges provide better quality than the OEM cartridges and their production and disposal do not cause much harm to the environment.

New compatible cartridges need to be bought from a reputable source. Purchasing from an auction site or from a not so reliable source can be risky as you do not know what you are getting; it could be a refilled used cartridge or may not be compatible with your device at all.

Which is the best option for you?

It is evident that new compatible cartridges are a better option for you as they are cheap, eco friendly and the level of performance is equal to the OEM cartridges. A renowned dealer of a compatible cartridge examines their toners to know which brands of new compatible toner are manufactured to a high standard of quality and will be suitable for your various devices.

Toner4Less is your prime source to buy affordable toner cartridges in Canada. Shop from OEM or new compatible toner cartridges from our online store at the best price.