fuser replacement

The fuser in my Brother printer decided to fall apart, I don't know if it happened because paper got jammed, or the paper jammed because the fuser fell apart.

The printer is a Brother Hl-3150cdw, my idea was to just replace the rollers, but after removing the unit that was not going to happen, due to damage to the unit where the rollers sit.
So a new unit is needed, but the prices, some is more than a new printer. There are some that are not Brother originals, but not sure what they are like.
Some seem too cheap around £80, but others are in the £100 mark.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Brother+Hl-3150cdw+fuse...

Has anyone on here replaced fuser units and what do they think about compatibles?

It is a shame if i have to get a new printer as the printer itself is fine. I prefer laser over my inkjet. Yes, I know it is not a laser as such, it is LED, but it is close enough.

Just seems a waste to chuck it
Thanks peeps.;

I think an OEM replacement fuser just wouldn’t be cost viable, those will be several hundred quid and as you say the whole printer simply isn’t worth that.

I’d probably take a bet on the copy part from Amazon. You can at least send it back if it’s utterly trash, but it looks OK and despite a single one star review the other reviews seem fine.

Cheers.
It is ridiculous the price of parts, the transfer belt is not a bad price, nor is the toner waste box, but the fusers, wow.
I did have a look at other printers, but decided like you said to get a new fuser.
I ordered this one

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CM94BVB7?psc=1&smid=A1...


As you said, if it don't work then I can send it back and the reviews seems okay.

I watched a video and it was about the fuser rollers and the bloke said that cheaper black rollers are different inside, so the heat escapes and the printer overheats. So I hope that don't happen. I found out how to reset the fuser counter.

It was the printer over heating that led me to the problem at first, then I noticed a load of paper between the roller, took the fuser unit out and it just fell apart, and the rollers were damaged.


Just annoying that the printer have gone wrong and I have no idea why, it is not that it have been used a lot, well not for what it is. I am glad I had a separate account that I put money in for a bit.

Thanks for the reply, will let you know how it goes. Not so easy doing stuff like this these days, with eyes not like they were.

Yeah I fixed an older Lexmark a little while back and had to go to the secondary market to get parts as Lexmark simply wouldn’t help due to the age of the machine. Past 10 years and they just don’t want to know. After a lot of searching and sleuthing I managed to find a brand new / old stock main board from a specialty place in the Netherlands and got it all installed and working. Breathed a massive sigh of relief as it wasn’t cheap and didn’t want to replace it to find that the problem was elsewhere - but it was sorted.

Thankfully there was still service manual docs available (massive like 800+ pages), as there were several re-programming steps which would have otherwise bricked the new board potentially.

Edit: oh yeah I wrote a thread about it here 😅

Edited by Pheasant (Mon 27-Jul-26 16:37:08)

A mate has old Xerox laser, and had the same problem as you, in the end found one on eBay for spares and used that. The printer is over 10 years old, but produces good prints. He got it going and the same as you able to get service manuals.

I did not even know Lexmark was still around until I was looking at prices for printers, I found out it now belongs to Xerox.
I had a Lexmark Z42 ink-jet printer years ago, built like a tank and worked well, but expensive to use.

It is a shame that companies don't seem to want to support older machines.

The Lexmark CS331dw is under £200, which is a good price for a colour laser, and it is a laser, where the Brother is a LED printer.
But, the Lexmmark toners are not cheap, even compatibles and sadly, the company I use for my ink (Stinky Ink) seems to have gone belly up.

At the moment I really don't want to spend a load, don't know if I am going to get back into work, so need to not go crazy spending money.

Came yesterday, replaced today, took a bit of doing, did lose a screw, so had to use another one, and I can't replace a small cover that hides some cables, no matter which way I try to put it.

But the printer works, just hope it lasts.
Getting too old for this sort of thing.

That’s great. Well done with that. I wouldn’t really worry about a single missing screw or the side cover too much. The main thing is it works and gives no errors 👍

Cheers, I am amazed did it, i used to be able to do stuff like that with ease, but my eyes and hands don't work like they did.
I did replace the screw I lost, I expect it is in the bottom of the printer somewhere. I should have used my magnetic telescopic thing to put it in, but there you go.
The cover is inside the back cover, it just hides some cables, so will not be seen. I may have another go at some point.
I still amazed it works, getting the tiny connectors in was a pain.

At the end of the day the printer is fine for what it is used for, sure it is getting on, when I messaged Brother, they said it had been discontinued 7 years ago, I was shocked. I must have got it in the last few months. My only complaint with it is the display, a single line LCD, it is awful.

It’s a good feeling fixing these things isn’t it! Especially it’s (a) something you’ve never worked on before (b) the manufacturer has otherwise abandoned it/you. Certainly makes repairs or mods to a PC/server/laptop seem like utter child’s play in comparison.

I know what you mean about tiny connectors - I know from working on that Lexmark that it was way, way harder than its equivalent Xerox - the Xerox was a delight by comparison, logically easy and more modular in its construction. The whole system board could be taken out and swapped in seconds. In the Lexmark, that was at least half an hour before you even got to the main system board and then dozens of individual connectors. - versus a backplane and snap lock with the Xerox.

It is a great feeling, certainly when I was not sure that I would get it going, I was so excited I went and told my next door neighbour, who did not have a clue what I was on about

It saved me over £200,
I am not sure if i would have gone any further and replace boards, even if it was possible to get them.
Even panel connectors on computer motherboards these days are difficult, it is annoying, I used to enjoy doing stuff like that.
I think that is one of the reasons I went for a Mac, all in one and it works.