My favorite vintage laser printer IBM 4019/4029

[nc_mike]

Back when I had my IBM 5160 PC/XT about three decades ago, I had splurged on an IBM 4019 printer. It was a FABULOUS printer. I only had it working in IBM in PPDS mode - I didn't have the additional funds to upgrade the printer to add the required printer memory and postscript adapter and card, but nevertheless, it was a workhorse. Fast forward some 30 years later - I picked up an IBM/Lexmark4029-5E for parts and almost got it working, but it had a variety of issues and some replacement parts to fix them are simply no longer available. The 4029's are mechanically identical to the 4019's. Recently, I did a Craigslist search. Low and behold. someone was selling a 4029-30 10ppm printer with only 6 pages printed. I scored that baby and added the max memory (9MB total), along with the Postscript adapter and card from my other busted 4029, and viola, a brand new 10PPM 600DPI Postscript (Level 1) IBM/Lexmark printer to pair up with my PC/XT that prints like new! It now had a grand total of 9 pages on the life of the printer - Woohoo!

Regards,
Mike

 

[bobba84]

Very cool. They don't make them like they used to!

 

[Unknown_K]

Is toner for it easy to find and cheap?

In my day I have purchased 3 laser printers new. First was an Epson Actionlaser 1500 which is still here and working, a NEC Superscript 870 also still around and working, and finally a Pantum P2502W that I currently use. The older printers got upgraded because of speed and resolution plus finding drivers for newer OS was impossible.

One laser printer I got used is the HP 4si postscript laser and a new toner cartridge for it. Stick in a bunch of RAM and cards for everything like Localtalk, Tokenring, Ethernet and you have a printer that can work with any vintage system.

 

[nc_mike]

Is toner for it easy to find and cheap?

In my day I have purchased 3 laser printers new. First was an Epson Actionlaser 1500 which is still here and working, a NEC Superscript 870 also still around and working, and finally a Pantum P2502W that I currently use. The older printers got upgraded because of speed and resolution plus finding drivers for newer OS was impossible.

One laser printer I got used is the HP 4si postscript laser and a new toner cartridge for it. Stick in a bunch of RAM and cards for everything like Localtalk, Tokenring, Ethernet and you have a printer that can work with any vintage system.

For the IBM/Lexmark 4019/4029 series, yes, toner is pretty easy to come by, both cartridges and bulk toner.

M/

 

[offensive_Jerk]

That's awesome. Only 9 pages printed, too.
Did you get it for a reasonable price, or was the seller trying to get some crazy price due to the low page count?

 

[NeXT]

I used to have one as well before I switched to the LaserJet 4Mplus about ten years ago. It was in deed a great printer and in some ways I really do miss it.

 

[nc_mike]

That's awesome. Only 9 pages printed, too.
Did you get it for a reasonable price, or was the seller trying to get some crazy price due to the low page count?

Actually got it for a very reasonable price...it was the shipping that made it a bit more than I'd have liked, but I cannot complain.


M.

 

[compu_85]

I have an IBM 4039 that has been a real workhorse for me. I even managed to find the duplexer, 2x 500 sheet drawers, and envelope feeder.

Sadly it needs a fuser and toner at this point. I haven't printed anything with it in 2 years.

I always liked how these use the stepper drive motor to make the alert tones, like a ProPrinter.

-J

 

[nc_mike]

I have an IBM 4039 that has been a real workhorse for me. I even managed to find the duplexer, 2x 500 sheet drawers, and envelope feeder.

Sadly it needs a fuser and toner at this point. I haven't printed anything with it in 2 years.

I always liked how these use the stepper drive motor to make the alert tones, like a ProPrinter.

-J

Nice printer! Yah, parts are really getting difficult to come by. I know fusers for the 4019/4029 can still be had around $50 and toner refill is available. Some parts are just nearly impossible to find- and even when listed online, are often not when you call the warehouses - like a corona transfer assembly - really difficult to get. I was able to find the parts I needed, and scavenged parts from an otherwise dead 4029. I'm keeping the dead 4029 around simply as a parts supply as I know it has a new print head, fuser, and other good parts should my good 4029-30 have any issue in the future. These printers were all designed as CSR - customer serviceable replaceable units or something like that - and they aren't too difficult to take apart and replace components if one has the service manual. I worked on the first one so long that I began to feel like an old IBM CE.