Brother Original Toners

Brother HL-720 / HL-730 / HL-760

A series of A4 laser printers launched in 1996. These printers have the paper feed at the top rear and are not disimilar to the HP 5L / 6L in look, and about the same in performance terms. They are old and not very fast but there are probably some still in use.

HL-720 - True 600 dots per inch (dpi) with microfine toner and 6 pages per minute (ppm) printing speed on A4 or Letter paper.

HL-730 / 730 Plus - True 600 dots per inch (dpi)with microfine toner and 6 pages per minute (ppm) printing speed on A4 or Letter paper. The HL-730 has a more powerful processor and automatic selection between emulations of the HP LaserJet IIP, Epson FX-850, and IBM Proprinter XL. The HL-730 Plus has extra memory. Memory is expandable to 2MB.

The HL-760 is very similar to the HL-730 but has a 1200x600dpi mode to provide better support for graphics.

There is also apparently a 780 but very little information on it.

The HL-820 series was a successor to the HL-720 series.

Predecessors were the HL-630, HL-631 and HL-660.

Control:

1 switch and 4 lamps. The four lamps are "Data/Toner, Ready/Paper, Alarm and Drum".

The expecatation was that these printers will be used with Microsoft Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 and the print drivers would then show the printer status detecting it via a bidirectional parallel cable. Animations and dialog boxes prompt the user for actions needed.

As usual where a printer just has lights to communicate with the user the patterns sometimes need to be interpreted.

When the Data light is lit the printer has a part-page of data and is waiting to print it. When the Data light is regularly flashing the toner is running out and the printer has about 100 pages to go before it stops.

If the drum light is lit the drum life is comming to an end, the printer will go on working until page quality declines. However if all lights flash followed by the drum light the fuser has failed.

The user and sevice manuals have lists of light patterns and their interpretation.

Printing test pages:

With the top cover open, turn on the power whilst pressing the control panel button.

LEDs go On in the order DRUM, ALARM, READY, DATA, DRUM. when the button is released a mode is selected :

For the HL-720:

  • DRUM - Factory Inspection Mode
  • Alarm Continuous Test Print
  • Ready - Not Defined
  • Data - Not Defined

For the HL730 and 730 Plus:

  • DRUM - Factory Inspection Mode
  • Alarm Continuous Test Print
  • Ready - 3 Patterns Print Mode : black, grid and horizontal lines
  • Data - NV RAM value Dump mode.

Details are given in the Service Manual

Duty Cycle:

We don't have any duty cycle figures or MTBF for these printers. They were lightly built.

The HL-720 has a maximum print speed of 6 pages per minute. The HL730 was no faster, just better specified.

First Print in 20 seconds.

True resolution of 600 x 600 dpi (good for the time but since surpassed)

HL-720 Resolution 600 dots/inch (under Brother Printing Solution for Windows)

HL-730 Resolution 600 dots/inch (under Brother Printing Solution for Windows 300 dots/inch (under DOS, Apple Macintosh and other operating system)

Paper Handling:

Paper type: Normal paper weights 60 to 157gsm, specified types of high-quality paper

  • A4 size
  • Letter size
  • Legal size
  • B5 (JIS ISO) size
  • A5 size
  • Executive size
  • 9" envelope size

The recommended types of plain paper are as follows:

Letter : Xerox 4200 (75 gsm2)

A4 : Xerox 80 Premier Paper (80gsm2)

Paper travels a "U" shaped path if the front catcher tray is closed and a nearly straight path when it is open.

The HL-820 has the following specification for paper and since the HL720 engine is very similar it will apply.

Tray 1:Multi-purpose sheet feeder that also allows maunual paper loading for labels and transparencies.

Tray 2:Not available

Face Down:

With the output tray opened

Tray capacity: Maximum 100 sheets (80g/m2), face-down only

With the output tray closed

Tray capacity: 1 sheet (80g/m2), face-down only

Duplex:

Manual duplexing only. Be sure to straighten the paper as much as possible before feeding it through the machine a second time.

Processor:

These members of the Brother HL series use very old processors

  • HL-720 CPU - Z80 12.5 MHZ (Not many laser printers were ever based on a Z80!)
  • HL-730 CPU - MC68EC000 16 MHz (But a lot of early printers used the MC68000)
  • HL-760 CPU - IDT79R3041-20J 20Mhz

Memory:

HL-720 - 0.5Mbytes expandable to 2.0 Mbytes

HL-730 - 0.5Mbytes expandable to 2.0 Mbytes

HL-730+ - 1Mbyte expandable to 2.0 Mbytes

Interface:

Bi-directional Centronics parallel

Bi-directional Centronics parallel interface. RS-422A/RS-232C serial interface is optionally available.(The serial interface is a standard in some countries.)

A bidirectional cable is required or the animations and dialogue boxes in the print-driver will not work and users may be mistified as to why the printer will not work at times.

Network:

Some external print servers support printers in this series.

Network Protocols:

The printer doesn't support networking itself.

HL-720 - Windows 3.1 GDI

HL-730 - Automatic emulation selection among HP LaserJet IIP, EPSON FX-850, and IBM Proprinter XL

The HL-730 has some limited support for systems beyond Windows 3.1 and Windows 95

HL-760 - Automatic emulation selection among HP LaserJet 5P (PCL Level 5e), EPSON FX-850, and IBM Proprinter XL

System-Compatabilty:

Windows 3.1/3.11, Windows 95

Optional Macintosh driver available for System 6.0.7 or higher (for HL-1040/1050 only)

Power:

Power source U.S.A. and Canada:AC 110 to 120V, 50Hz/60Hz

Europe and Australia: AC 220 to 240V, 50Hz/60Hz

Power Consumption:

These printers have a conventional fuser based on a halogen lamp heater which is a major part of the power consumption. The lamp goes on and off at intervals which depend on how much printing is being done - and so how much paper needs to be heated. Average power is worked out when the heater lamp is changing, there will be a peak power but in this case Brother doesn't give it.

Printing (average): 150W or less

Standing by: 35W or less

Sleep:7W or less

Environment:

Economy Printing Mode

Cuts printing costs by saving toner. particularly useful for draft copies and proof-reading where print density isn't critically important. Two economy modes can be selected: 25% toner saving and 50% toner saving, through the Windows printer driver.

Sleep Mode (Power Save Mode)

Sleep mode automatically reduces power consumption when the printer is not in use. The printer consumes less than 13W when in sleep mode.

Low Running Cost

The toner cartridge is separate from the drum unit. Toner cartridges typically need replacing after around 2,400 pages. The argument for separate units is that it is cost effective and eco- friendly.

Brothers claims of a low running cost are spoiled a bit by the high price of replacement drums however there are refurbished parts available.

Dimensions:

Dimensions 366 (W) x 353 (D) x 250 (H)

(W x D x H) (when the output tray is closed.)

HL-760 Dimensions (W x D x H) 366 (W) x 383 (D) x 250 (H) (when the output tray is closed and the Multi-purpose sheet feeder is removed.)

Weight:

Weight Approx. 6.5kg (14.3 lb) including the drum unit and toner cartridge

HL-760 Approx. 7.0 kg (15.45 lb.) including the drum unit.

Acoustic Noise:

Printing: 48dB A or less

Standing by: 35dB A or less

Consumables:

When toner is low the Alarm and Data/Toner lights blink every 5 seconds. The printer then has about 100 pages of toner remaining so it is suggested users keep a toner in stock. When Alarm and Data/ Toner blink continuously the toner is empty and the the printer will stop.

Remove the drum to install a new cartridge. The cartridge slides into the drum unit and is locked in place by a lever.

Installing the cartridges can release some lose toner so work on a cleanable surface or use disposable tissue to cover the surface.

Use the corona wire cleaner on the underside of the drum after installing a new toner and Brother recommend cleaning the inside of the printer as well.

These toner cartridges are basically just a cylinder of toner wih a shutter on the side and some keying to prevent the older TN-100 or newer TN-300 fitting into the drum.

TN-200 - page yield about 2,200 pages at 5% cover.

Life Expectancy: 2,200 pages/cartridge (when printing A4 or letter-size paper at 5% print coverage)

The TN-200 is compatible with the HL-720, HL-730, HL-760 and also Fax 8000P, Fax 8060P, Fax 8200P, Fax 8250P, Fax 8650P, Fax MFC 9000, Fax MFC 9050, Fax MFC 9060, Fax MFC 9550

The Brother 720 engine is also used with the TN-5000

Drum and Developer

The printer indicates that a new drum is needed by lighting the "drum" lamp.

The drum in a laser printer uses an organic photoconductor to form the image. The drum material is charged to a high voltage with static electricity but then painted with an image by the laser which discahrges the static. The drum then travels round to a "developer" where fine toner powder is attracted by the static charge. Further round another static charge pulls the image off the drum and onto the paper. The drum travels on round past a cleaner blade. The drum can have a long life but exposure to light and oxygen in the air gradually de-natures it as does contact with the developer and the action of the scraper blade.

Brother give the life expectancy as 20,000 pages per drum unit at 20 pages per job or 8,000 pages at 1 page per job.

Drum units are sold separately from the toner cartridge

DR-200 - page yield up to 20,000 pages depending on use pattern

Part-used cartridges should be removed from a drum and used in it's replacement. Use the wiper to clean the corona wire before installing the drum. When the drum is placed in the printer and the lid closed the printer will eject a starter sheet and reset it's life alarm.

In this case Brother don't seem to have used different part names for European and US markets, the names TN-200 and DR-200 are used in both. These are old printers and drums are quite expensive. Some web sites such as fixya and fixyourownprinter carry information on cleaning and re-using drums. Cleaning drums is a messy and unreliable process but may suit home users with a technical interest. People using printers in the workplace might opt for professionally refurbished drums.

The drums are used in the HL-720, HL-730, HL-730+ HL-760, HL-760+ and also

Brother Fax 8000P, Fax 8050P, Fax 8060P, Fax 8200P, Fax 8250P, Fax 8650P. Brother MFC 4300, MFC 4350, MFC 4450, MFC 4550, MFC 4600, MFC 4650, MFC 6550, MFC 7550, MFC 7650, MFC 7750, MFC 9000, MFC 9050, MFC 9060, MFC 9500, MFC 9550

The drums were also used in the Brother Intellifax 3550, 3650, 3750 and Danka Omnifax L620.

We are normally wary of recommending remanufactured toners and drums. Remanufactured drums are available for around £45 or these printers would be priced out of the market.

Fuser:

Fuser errors are indicated by the lights giving a "Service Call message". All the lamps flash then the drum light alternately to indicate fuser failure. It is usually worth turning the printer off, waiting a few seconds, then turning on again to see if the error clears. but if it does not the fuser has probably failed.

Laser printer fusers bond the toner to the page using a combination of heat and pressure. The Brother 720 fuser has a top roller coated in non-stick material and heated by a halogen lamp. The non-stick qualities of the roller ultimately fail and smudges of print appear where they aren't wanted. The roller can lose parts of its coating entirely creating streaks or prints down the page. The heater can fail as well, the printer will then give an error as above.

UL6877001 110 Volt Fuser / Fixing unit normally used in the US 110/120 V

UL6878001 220 /240 Volt Fuser / Fixing Unit normally used in the UK and Europe

Ordinarily technicians replace whole fusers rather than rebuilding them from parts. However these are old printers and the fuser may be regarded as unafordable. An alternative is to replace the hot hot roller or the lamp, the service manual gives some instructions and diagrams.

UL6879001 Fixing Unit Lamp, 120V (SP)

UL6880001 Fixing Unit Lamp, 240V (SP)

UL6616001 Cleaner Assembly

UL0984001 Heat Roller assembly

UL8495001 Heat Roller assembly PFA (SP)

UL6673001 H/R Bearing

UL6667001 Thermistor Assembly.

Whats-In-The-Box:

These printers originally came with a setup ROM, a setup guide and a user manual on the CD. These printers are now only available from brokers and refurbishers and the most they are likely to provide is a power-cord and a refilled cartridge.

Warranty:

These printers are far too old to have manufacturers warranty cover.

Spares:

Only a few spares are readily available in March 2010 and given the age of the printer availability will decline.

UK3703001 Logic Pcb HL-720 B48K224-410

UK3594001 Logic Pcb HL-730/730DX B48K233-410A

UK3703001 Logic Pcb HL-730+/730DX+ B48K233-420

UL6887001 BRO, Erase Lamp Assembly

UL6936001 BRO, Paper Output Lever

UK3191001 Low Voltage Power Supply PCB ASSY, 230V

UK3192001 1 High Voltage Power Supply PCB ASSY (SP)

UL6934001 1 Fan Motor Assembly

Fault Finding:

The service manual doesn't give a defects ruller for this printer however the rollers are similar to those in the HL-820 so this excerpt from that manual may be a help.

  • Paper Feed Roller 11.97 mm 37.6 mm
  • Transfer Roller 16.90 mm 53.1 mm
  • OPC Drum 29.97 mm 94.1 mm
  • Heat Roller 19.86 mm 62.4 mm
  • Pressure Roller 16.50 mm 51.8mm

Copyright G & J Huskinson & MindMachine Associates Ltd 2013, 2015. Some pictures derived from Brother User and Service guides. These technical pages do not constitute an offer for sale; just our knowledge at the time of writing. See the catalog. Sales pages on this Web site use cookies to store user information. We also use Google Analytics to track site usage patterns.