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-   -   Brother maintenance apps? (https://www.diybanter.com/electronics-repair/632042-brother-maintenance-apps.html)

Spare Change March 3rd 19 07:41 AM

Brother maintenance apps?
 
The service manual for Brother HL-22xx (2240, 2250, 2270, etc.) printers says
there is a €œmaintenance device driver€ (which, from documentation Ive
seen, seems to be an app) for windows.

Ive searched the €˜net but cant find this--or other--service apps for
Brother.

Any pointers to any Brother service apps would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.


Mike S[_4_] March 4th 19 09:42 AM

Brother maintenance apps?
 
On 3/2/2019 11:41 PM, Spare Change wrote:
The service manual for Brother HL-22xx (2240, 2250, 2270, etc.) printers says
there is a €œmaintenance device driver€ (which, from documentation Ive
seen, seems to be an app) for windows.
Ive searched the €˜net but cant find this--or other--service apps for
Brother. Any pointers to any Brother service apps would be greatly appreciated.


I'm on my 2nd Brother laser printer and have never seen a service app to
my knowledge. Just out of curiosity, what is the intended use of the app?



Clifford Heath March 4th 19 10:50 AM

Brother maintenance apps?
 
On 3/3/19 6:41 pm, Spare Change wrote:
The service manual for Brother HL-22xx (2240, 2250, 2270, etc.) printers says
there is a €œmaintenance device driver€ (which, from documentation Ive
seen, seems to be an app) for windows.

Ive searched the €˜net but cant find this--or other--service apps for
Brother.


Sooo, you're looking for your Brother's keeper?

:)

Personally, I wouldn't keep a Brother. HP all the way.


three_jeeps March 4th 19 05:22 PM

Brother maintenance apps?
 
On Monday, March 4, 2019 at 5:50:17 AM UTC-5, Clifford Heath wrote:
On 3/3/19 6:41 pm, Spare Change wrote:
The service manual for Brother HL-22xx (2240, 2250, 2270, etc.) printers says
there is a €œmaintenance device driver€ (which, from documentation Ive
seen, seems to be an app) for windows.

Ive searched the €˜net but cant find this--or other--service apps for
Brother.


Sooo, you're looking for your Brother's keeper?

:)

Personally, I wouldn't keep a Brother. HP all the way.


Yea, I used to think that way until the last two HP printers (one laser, one inkjet) had continuous annoying failures (laser printer had phantom paper jams with less than 10,000 copies) and the inkjet AIO ate ink (200 pages with the XL cartridges, was incredibly slow, and eventually lost its mind after 2 years.)
The Brother replacement was a little more expensive than a comparable HP, but I get 400+ pages on ink cartridges that in total, are $30 less than the HPs.
Yes, color images (e.g. photos) are not quite as good, but since color photos are less than 1% of my printing, the brother is a much better tradeoff. Also, firmware and sw updates on the HP were an exercise in patience and futility. One click on the brother and the updates download and install flawlessly.
HP printers are not your fathers HP, no way, no how.

Ralph Phillips March 4th 19 05:55 PM

Brother maintenance apps?
 
On 3/3/2019 1:41 AM, Spare Change wrote:
The service manual for Brother HL-22xx (2240, 2250, 2270, etc.) printers says
there is a €œmaintenance device driver€ (which, from documentation Ive
seen, seems to be an app) for windows.

Ive searched the €˜net but cant find this--or other--service apps for
Brother.

Any pointers to any Brother service apps would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.


USUALLY - that's the Maintenance tab in the printer driver.

It's not immediately accessible in Windows 10, but if you go Win-R --
Control -- Devices and Printers -- Pick "printer Properties" from the
right-click menu, and check the "Maintenance" tab. (If there isn't one,
check all the tabs for a Maintenance button. I don't have a Brother, so
I can't verify here.)

RwP


Ron D. March 4th 19 06:45 PM

Brother maintenance apps?
 


HP is getting like everyone else. price is more important than quality. I own a HP P2015dn B&W laser printer and i like it a lot. It was only about $250.00 on sale.

I wanted networking and the "possibility" of a straight paper path which is has.
Once they discontinue the rollers and the toner your out of luck or you have to rely on aftermarket stuff. Forget answering questions about older stuff.

The firmware updates are no longer available. Most parts aren't either.

I have about 32,000 pages on the printer with a self done clean and replace rollers.

I also had to do the easy-bake oven repair on the printer where you bake the formatter in the oven for a while.

One change I would like and can probably do myself is to make the manual paper tray less fragile by incorporating a magnetic catch. If I used it more often, I would fix it.

Jeff Liebermann March 5th 19 05:22 PM

Brother maintenance apps?
 
On Mon, 4 Mar 2019 11:55:25 -0600, Ralph Phillips
wrote:

USUALLY - that's the Maintenance tab in the printer driver.

It's not immediately accessible in Windows 10, but if you go Win-R --
Control -- Devices and Printers -- Pick "printer Properties" from the
right-click menu, and check the "Maintenance" tab. (If there isn't one,
check all the tabs for a Maintenance button. I don't have a Brother, so
I can't verify here.)

RwP


The maintenance tab looks something like this:
http://support.brother.ca/euf/assets/images/answers/images/Windows/8600Printpre012.jpg
Doesn't seem to do much. I just checked the driver for my Brother
MFC-7860DW laser printer and the maintenance tab was missing. The tab
seems to be only for inkjet printers, not lasers, but I'm not sure.

I'll be dealing with a office full of various Brother printers (all
lasers) today, so I might be able to check if any of them have
maintenance tabs.

Useful link:
https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Brother_Printer


--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D
http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Jeff Liebermann March 5th 19 05:34 PM

Brother maintenance apps?
 
On Mon, 4 Mar 2019 21:50:14 +1100, Clifford Heath
wrote:

Personally, I wouldn't keep a Brother. HP all the way.


I fix both Brother and HP laser printers. (The ink jets go to someone
else or to the recycler). HP printer quality, serviceability, and
parts availability vary depending on printer line and model. I've
seen some that still function normally after 250,000 pages. However,
on the latest models, I've seen them survive only 10,000 pages or
less. Brother printers won't last as long but can be convinced to go
100,000 page with regular cleaning and maintenance. HP has better
print quality. However, I can usually deliver 2-3 Brother printers
for the price of one equivalent HP printer. Most (not all) Brother
printers do NOT contain a refill prevention chip on the toner
cartridge and can be found for about $15 on eBay. HP is somewhat more
expensive, mostly because of the carts require a refill prevention
chip. HP repair parts can easily be found online. Brother parts are
more difficult to obtain.

I would give it an "HP most of the way" instead of "all the way". If
you have a limited budget and you don't mind replacing the printer
when it craps out, Brother is a good option. If you want it to last,
HP is better. I have a small collection of cost of ownership
spreadsheets for various models (that is in need of updating). For
less than 5-10 years, Brother costs less to own. Beyond that, HP is
cheaper. Between 5-10 years, they're about equal (if I buy eBay toner
carts).


--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D
http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Spare Change March 6th 19 07:37 AM

Brother maintenance apps?
 
On Mar 4, 2019, Mike S wrote
(in article ):

I'm on my 2nd Brother laser printer and have never seen a service app to
my knowledge. Just out of curiosity, what is the intended use of the app?


Its called brmainte.exe and it is used to calibrate the laser when
replacing it. Also serial number entry when replacing main PCB. A few other
things.

From the maintenance manual:

https://imgur.com/uoyRqNt

Anybody know where brmainte.exe can be found?

Thanks.


Spare Change March 6th 19 08:12 AM

Brother maintenance apps?
 
Its called brmainte.exe

Theres also the maintenance.exe app:

https://imgur.com/VRKYnCM

Still looking for these apps...


Mike Coon[_2_] March 6th 19 08:15 AM

Brother maintenance apps?
 
In article ,
says...

I fix both Brother and HP laser printers. ...


In that case, can I ask your opinion about a problem with an HP color
laserjet 3500. I fixed the problem it was handed to me with. (Sticky
solenoid #4, determined by error message and explanation found on the
web.)

But then find that it prints smeary. You can see smears that arise from
the alignment patterns placed (but not meant to be printed) down each
side of the transfer belt. And also from previoius printing. So maybe it
is just inadequate gleaning of toner from the belt. But I cannot see how
to fix that, short of a new belt unit. Since this is just a freebie
being upcycled it does not warrant much, if any, expenditure...

A really dense colour picture looks great because the smears are hidden!

Cheers, Mike.

Jeff Liebermann March 6th 19 05:14 PM

Brother maintenance apps?
 
On Wed, 6 Mar 2019 08:15:35 -0000, Mike Coon
wrote:

In article ,
says...

I fix both Brother and HP laser printers. ...


In that case, can I ask your opinion about a problem with an HP color
laserjet 3500.


Yes, but next time start a new thread when you change topic.

I fixed the problem it was handed to me with. (Sticky
solenoid #4, determined by error message and explanation found on the
web.)


Common and well known problem that HP didn't bother fixing for many
years:
http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/hp2200/hp2200.html
http://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/hp4200/hp4200.html

But then find that it prints smeary. You can see smears that arise from
the alignment patterns placed (but not meant to be printed) down each
side of the transfer belt. And also from previoius printing. So maybe it
is just inadequate gleaning of toner from the belt. But I cannot see how
to fix that, short of a new belt unit. Since this is just a freebie
being upcycled it does not warrant much, if any, expenditure...

A really dense colour picture looks great because the smears are hidden!

Cheers, Mike.


I have no idea what might be wrong. If the big transfer belt is
constantly dirty, it's because something is dumping toner on it. It
could be leaky toner carts, dirty belt, waste bin is full, etc. It's
the wiper because that would cause vertical streaks. Clean it out
with an air compressor before you go any further. The belt is
sensitive to light and excessive exposure to direct sunlight can kill
it.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Q3658A-HP-COLOR-LASERJET-3500-3700-TRANSFER-KIT/352521542553

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D
http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Jeff Liebermann March 6th 19 05:33 PM

Brother maintenance apps?
 
On Tue, 05 Mar 2019 23:37:56 -0800, Spare Change
wrote:

Anybody know where brmainte.exe can be found?


It's probably buried in a ZIP file along with some other maintenance
software. Try these:
https://www.helpjet.net/Fg-32797001-25569943.html

and maybe:
https://www.helpjet.net/Fg-33332002-25569943.html
https://www.helpjet.net/Fs-79509891-25569943-81711388.html

It might be in one of the ZIP files but I don't have time to dig
through the pile right now.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D
http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558


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