HP Laserjet 5Si

Wide format printer with an 11x17 inch paper path capable of carrying A3+ paper sizes. Produced from 1996 to 1998.

Models are:

LaserJet 5Si Printer - C3166A
LaserJet 5Si hm Printer - C3124A
LaserJet 5Si mx Printer - C3167A - network and PostScript.
LaserJet 5Si nx Printer - C3950A

The 5Si print mechanism also appeared in a "Mopier" version. Combining a digital scanner mechanism with a printer made sense because the result could then act as a photocopier and the 5Si print mechanism was (just about) wide and fast enough for the job.

Released in November 1995 the 5Si is now an old printer. It's a bit slow for office use due to a relatively weak 40 MHz processor and too large for home use; so use is in decline. The immediate successor was the LaserJet 8000 which is similar in printing specification but has a 133MHz processor and an improved control panel. The 5Si and 8000 parts are no longer supplied by HP. Parts for the later 32ppm per minute 8100 and 8150 are available as at January 2010.

The 5Si was based on the Canon WX engine which was also used as the Canon LBP-WX, LBP2460, Lexmark Optra N Model 240 and 245 and QMS 2425.

Control:

2 line LCD control panel. HP JetAdmin.

Duty Cycle:

HP claim 100,000 pages per month as a maximum. Whilst this is higher than most office printers are asked to produce it is relatively low for a "production" printer used for catalogues and newsletters. The toner cartridge has a life of 15,000 pages at 5% page cover.

Print Speed:

24 pages per minute. (Quite fast by the standards of small printers but this thing isn't small)

Copy Abilities:

The copier version was HP's first serious attempt to make a digital copier

Print Resolution:

600x600dpi native with resolution enhancement.More than 120 levels og gray. Microfine tone

Paper Handling:

A3, 11 inch print engine: Maximum paper size: A3 path, 11.7 x 17.7 inches. Three trays: - multifunction and two 500 sheet trays.

Tray 1:Multipurpose 100 sheet or 10 envelopes or transparencies.

Tray 2 & 3:500 sheets. Trays automatically sense paper size.

Tray 3:Optionally a 2000 sheet feeder tray (C3763A) can be added

Face Down:

Output Tray: 600 sheets output. 500 in the top bin

Face Up:

100 Sheets of output in the left output bin.

Processor:

40MHz AMD. At the time the printer was first produced in 1996 a 40MHz processor with 4MB RAM would have seemed adequate, matching a lot of PCs. It was very quickly overtaken as people demanded more graphics from PCs - and so from printers.

Memory:

4MB fitted as standard; 128MB Maximum. The MX model has 12MB base. Memory Enhancement Technology "MEt" is used to compress data efficiently in RAM.

Although the memory as shipped is enough for text mixed with some graphics more complicated documents require a memory upgrade - so the user manual recommends that A3 double sided will need 10MB with the PCL language and 22MB with PostScript.

Interface:

Bidirectional Parallel port as standard. The "5Si MX" version has a JetDirect Print Server installed in an MIO slot

Network:

Jetdirect card in an MIO slot. The network standard supported can be token-ring or ethernet.

Print Languages:

PCL 5e, PJL, PML. The 5Si MX has Adobe Postscript level 2.

System Compatability:

The user manual lists old systems - Microsoft Windows 3.1, Windows 95, NT3.51 and 4.0, IBM OS/2 and Apple Mac System 7 or greater. The PostScript available on the MX model would allow use with almost any system.

Consumables:

The 5Si uses a single piece cartridge containing the toner, developer, OPC drum and waste toner bottle. The only other part likely to need regular replacement is the fuser.

Toner Cartridge. 15,000 page yield, A4 at 5% cover. - C3909A

Toner Cartridge. 22,000 page yield, A4 at 5% cover. - C3909X.

Fuser:

A laser printer fuser bonds the plastic toner powder to the page using a combination of heat and pressure. The fuser used by the 5Si is essentially a pair of heated rollers. The fuser life is limited by the possibility of the heater failing and the probability that the non-stick surface will fail after some number of pages.

RG5-4448 (New) Genuine HP Laserjet 5si/8000 Fuser Unit (200/240v) RG5-4448.

Maintenance Kit:

A maintenance kit provides a fuser and a set of the rollers that wear out due to use. Rollers are often changed at the same time as fusers because wear rates are similar.

C3971A Maintenance kit 110V. (Fuser and replacement rollers) - C3971A

C3972AMaintenance kit 220V (Fuser and replacement rollers) - C3972A

C3972 New Maintenance Kit for HP 5si/8000 - Plain Brown Boxed C3972-67903

C3972 Refurbished Maintenance Kit for HP 5si/8000 C3972-67903.

Spares:

Regretable the commercial life of these printers seems to be drawing to a close with HP parts no longer available. Other sources may continue for a while.

Paper Feed Repair Kit for HP Laserjet 5Si /8000 (for 3 tray model), Contains: Tray 1 Roller RB1-6730, Tray 1 Separation Pad RF5-1455, 4 x Tray 2/3 Rollers RF5-1834, 2 x Tray 2/3 Rollers RF5-1835 (for 3 tray model)

HP Laserjet 5Si /8000 Paper Feed Repair Kit (for 4 tray model), Contains: Tray 1 Roller RB1-6730, Tray 1 Separation Pad RF5-1455, 6 x Tray 2/3 Rollers RF5-1834, 3 x Tray 2/3 Rollers RF5-1835

RG5-2433 Operator Panel (Refurbished) - RG5-2433

RB1-6730 MP Tray 1 Pickup Roller for HP 5Si/ 8000 - RB1-6730

RF5-1835 Tray 2 and 3 Pickup Roller or HP 5si/8000 - RF5-1835

RF5-1834 Tray 2 and 3 Feed/ Separation Rollers (2 reqd per tray) - RF5-1834

RB1-6622 Upper Fuser Roller for HP5si/8000 Part Number: RB1-6622

RB1-6623 Lower Fuser Roller for HP 5Si /8000 RB1-6623

RG5-1887 Transfer Roller Assy for HP5si/8000 RG5-1887

RF5-1412 Transfer Roller (only )for HP5si/8000 RF5-1412

Options:

The printers are old so the options are no longer available new, however they may be available refurbished.

2000 sheet input tray adjustable for A3, A4 etc - C3765A

2000 sheet paper feed tray. - C3763A

Duplex unit - C3762A

Multi-Bin Mailbox with 8 bins - C3764A

Adobe PostScript Level 2 SIMM - C3169A