What Toner Does the HP LaserJet 4200 Use?
Last Updated:Quick answer: The HP LaserJet 4200 series uses HP 38A black toner, part number Q1338A, rated for 12,000 pages. There is no high-yield version, and there is no separate drum to buy — the Q1338A is an all-in-one "Smart Print Cartridge" containing the toner, developer, imaging drum and waste bin.
This covers the LaserJet 4200, 4200n, 4200tn, 4200dtn, 4200dtns and 4200dtnsl. It does not cover the LaserJet 4300, which uses the HP 39A (Q1339A).
CastleScore · October 2026
69/100 — Situational
HP LaserJet 4200
| Pillar (weight) | Score | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Owner ratings (28%) | — | No retailer rating with enough reviews to use. |
| Expert reviews (20%) | — | No published numeric expert score we could verify. |
| Cost per page (18%) | 98 | About 0.5¢ per page all-in with our compatible 38A toner (12,000 pages; drum built in). |
| Reliability (18%) | 83 | Most-reported problems: grinding/loud noise from the fuser drive: worn swing plate assembly or its black drive gear, shown by plastic shavings at the left end; wear items at high page counts need the Q2429A maintenance kit, which Adorama lists as no longer available; vibration/noise blamed on some remanufactured cartridges, plus dirty exit rollers and cracked fuser clips |
| Features (11%) | 45 | Fast (20+ ppm). No document feeder, no auto two-sided printing, no fax, no touchscreen. |
| Value (5%) | — | Running cost and owner satisfaction |
Limited data: We could not find enough owner ratings or published expert scores for this printer, so those weights are spread across the other pillars. With neither owner ratings nor a published expert score, we cap this printer at 69 (Situational) until better data is available.
Discontinued. HP ended the LaserJet 4200 range in 2005. Refurbished units and HP 38A toner are still sold.
CastleScore is Castle Ink’s own editorial rating, built from retailer star ratings, expert reviews, real cost per page and owner complaint patterns, checked October 11, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.
The toner, pictured
HP 38A BlackOur own compatible toner, photographed in-house.
HP 38A toner at a glance
| Cartridge | Part Number | Page Yield (ISO) | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP 38A | Q1338A | 12,000 pages | LaserJet 4200 series |
| HP 39A | Q1339A | 18,000 pages | LaserJet 4300 series — not the 4200 |
| HP 42A / 42X | Q5942A / Q5942X | 10,000 / 20,000 pages | LaserJet 4250 / 4350 — not the 4200 |
Twelve thousand pages from a single cartridge is what keeps a 4200 worth running more than twenty years on. We sell a compatible HP 38A (Q1338A). U.S. orders over $50 ship free, and orders placed by 4 PM ET ship the same day.
Watch out for "universal" 38A/39A cartridges
Search for 4200 toner and you will find remanufactured cartridges advertised as covering Q1338A, Q1339A, Q5945A and Q5942X in one SKU. Those are third-party universal cartridges built to fit several chassis — they are not an HP part, and their existence is the main reason search results and marketplace listings wrongly cross-list the 38A and the 39A as interchangeable.
The OEM cartridges are not interchangeable. If you have a 4200, the HP part is Q1338A. Buy a clearly labeled 38A compatible rather than a universal cartridge whose fit depends on which revision you happen to receive.
How to replace the toner in a LaserJet 4200
- Open the top cover of the printer.
- Grip the handle on the used cartridge and pull it straight out. These are large, heavy cartridges — use both hands and keep it level.
- Unpack the new Q1338A and rock it gently front to back five or six times to distribute the toner.
- Bend and snap the tab on the end of the cartridge, then pull the entire sealing tape out in one steady motion.
- Line the cartridge up with the guides and slide it into the printer until it seats.
- Close the top cover and print a configuration page from the control panel to confirm.
Troubleshooting a LaserJet 4200
- Loud grinding noise from inside the printer. This is the signature 4200 fault: the swing-plate assembly (RM1-0043) that drives the fuser wears out, or its black drive gear does. To check, pull the fuser out (squeeze the blue levers) and look for plastic shavings at the left end. It is a well-documented, inexpensive repair and it is not a reason to scrap the machine — but it will not fix itself, and it gets worse.
- Smearing or poor fusing on early units. Some early-production 4200 fusers suffered foil delamination; later revisions corrected it. If you are buying used, ask what fuser revision is fitted.
- "Cartridge not detected" on a cheap remanufactured cartridge. The Q1338A was one of the first LaserJet cartridges to carry an HP smart chip. There is no firmware lockout on this printer, but a badly made chip on a bargain cartridge can fail to read. Clean the contacts and reseat; if it still fails, the cartridge is at fault.
- Faded print. Rock the cartridge and confirm EconoMode is off in the driver.
- Repeating marks down the page. The drum is inside the cartridge, so a new cartridge resolves them.
Which 4200 models have what
| Model | Auto duplex | Networking |
|---|---|---|
| LaserJet 4200 | No (optional accessory) | Parallel; EIO slot |
| LaserJet 4200n | No (optional accessory) | Embedded JetDirect 10/100 |
| LaserJet 4200tn | No (optional accessory) | Embedded JetDirect 10/100 |
| LaserJet 4200dtn | Yes | Embedded JetDirect 10/100 |
| LaserJet 4200dtns | Yes | Embedded JetDirect 10/100 |
| LaserJet 4200dtnsl | Yes | Embedded JetDirect 10/100 |
All of them take the same Q1338A cartridge. The differences are duplexing, paper trays and networking, not supplies.
About the HP LaserJet 4200 itself
The 4200 is a monochrome workgroup laser printer — print only, with no scanner or copier. It prints up to 35 pages per minute with a first page out in under 9 seconds at 1200 x 1200 dpi, runs a 300 MHz processor with 48 to 64 MB of memory, and holds 600 sheets in its base configuration expandable to 2,600. Duty cycle is up to 150,000 pages a month.
Connectivity is IEEE 1284 parallel as standard with two EIO slots; the n, tn, dtn, dtns and dtnsl models have embedded JetDirect Ethernet. There is no wireless, and the base configuration shipped without USB. It is long discontinued, but parts and toner are cheap and abundant, and the engine was built for far more work than most offices ever gave it.
What LaserJet 4200 owners ask
These are the questions that come up most for this printer on retailer Q&A pages, HP's support forum and owner reviews, answered in our words.
Besides toner, what wears out?
The fuser and the paper rollers. HP's Q2429A maintenance kit (110 V) contains a fuser, separation roller, transfer roller and four feed rollers. Adorama now lists the kit as no longer available, so you may need to look for it elsewhere.
How much memory does it have, and can I add more?
The base 4200 has 48 MB and the other models 64 MB. All of them take up to 416 MB.
Will it work with my computer?
It speaks PCL, PostScript and HP-GL/2, the printer languages most operating systems still support, so it doesn't depend on a special HP driver the way some small LaserJets do.
Can I still buy a LaserJet 4200?
Only refurbished. When we checked, Argecy listed a refurbished 4200n at $499 and a 4200dtn at $619.
LaserJet 4200 quirks worth knowing
- It is built around a Canon print engine and a 300 MHz 64-bit MIPS processor, which was a lot of power for a printer in 2002.
- If the grinding comes from the swing plate, it is sometimes only the black drive gear that has worn, and that gear can be replaced alone with a gear kit.
- HP ended the 4200 range in 2005: the 4200 and 4200dtn in November, the other models in June.
- The LaserJet 4300 looks like a faster sibling (45 ppm, 350 MHz) but takes a different cartridge, the HP 39A.
FAQ
What toner does the HP LaserJet 4200 use?
HP 38A, part number Q1338A, rated for 12,000 pages.
Is there a high-yield cartridge for the 4200?
No. HP never produced a high-yield version of the 38A. The 12,000-page Q1338A is the only option.
Can I use Q1339A (39A) in a LaserJet 4200?
No. Q1339A is the LaserJet 4300 cartridge. Third-party "universal" cartridges are sold that claim to cover both, but the OEM parts are not interchangeable.
Does the LaserJet 4200 need a separate drum?
No. The Q1338A is an all-in-one cartridge containing the toner, developer, drum and waste bin.
My 4200 is making a grinding noise. Is the toner the problem?
Almost certainly not. That is the swing-plate assembly, a known wear item on this model and a straightforward repair.
Will compatible toner trigger a firmware block?
No. The 4200 predates HP's dynamic security entirely.
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Ratings and prices were checked on October 11, 2026 and will change over time.
Need replacement HP toner cartridges? Shop HP toner cartridges at Castle Ink. Compatible, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.