What Toner Does the HP LaserJet P1006 Use?
Last Updated:Quick answer: The HP LaserJet P1006 uses one cartridge — HP 35A, part number CB435A, rated for about 1,500 pages. HP makes no high-yield version, and there is no separate drum: the imaging drum is built into the cartridge.
The printer ships with an introductory cartridge of roughly 700 pages, which is why the first replacement tends to arrive sooner than owners expect.
CastleScore · October 2026
69/100 — Situational
HP LaserJet P1006
| 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%) | 89 | About 2.7¢ per page all-in with our compatible 35A toner (1,500 pages; drum built in). |
| Reliability (18%) | 90 | No recurring hardware or connection complaints in owner reviews. |
| Features (11%) | 40 | Print only, over USB. 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 stopped making the P1006 years ago and names no successor. HP 35A toner is still easy to find, including our compatible 35A and 35A Jumbo.
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 8, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.
The toner, pictured
HP 35A Toner
HP 35A JumboOur own compatible toner, photographed in-house.
HP 35A toner at a glance
| Cartridge | Part Number | Page Yield (ISO) | Drum | High Yield? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP 35A Black | CB435A | 1,500 pages | Integrated | None from HP |
| In-box starter | CB435A (intro) | ~700 pages | Integrated | — |
| HP 35A Dual Pack | CB435D | 2 x 1,500 pages | Integrated | — |
HP never made a 35X. We sell a compatible HP 35A Jumbo rated at about 3,000 pages, twice the standard 35A, as well as the standard-size HP 35A.
Before you buy: check that your computer can still drive it
This is the single most important thing to know about a LaserJet P1006 in the 2020s, and it has nothing to do with toner.
The P1006 is a host-based (GDI) printer. It has 8 MB of memory and understands no page description language of its own — no PCL, no PostScript. Every page is rendered on your computer and sent to the printer as a bitmap. That makes the hardware cheap, but it also means the printer is completely dependent on a working HP driver for your operating system.
HP support says its certified Mac drivers for this family stop at macOS 12 Monterey. Before you spend money on toner for a P1006 you have inherited or bought used, confirm it actually installs and prints from the computer you intend to use. If it does, the toner is cheap and the printer will run for years. If it does not, no cartridge will fix that.
The same architecture also makes the P1006 a poor candidate for network sharing: there is no Ethernet, no wireless, and USB print-server sharing pushes large bitmap jobs across the network.
How to replace the toner in a LaserJet P1006
- Open the print-cartridge door on the front of the printer.
- Take hold of the handle on the cartridge and pull it straight out.
- Unpack the new CB435A and rock it gently from side to side five or six times to distribute the toner.
- Bend the tab on the left end of the cartridge until it comes loose, then pull the sealing tape completely out.
- Slide the cartridge in until it seats, and close the door.
- Print a test page. There is no calibration cycle on this printer — it is ready immediately.
Troubleshooting a P1006
- Faded or light print. Rock the cartridge to redistribute toner and make sure EconoMode is off in the driver. On a cartridge this small, EconoMode is easy to leave on and forget.
- Nothing prints and no error appears. On a host-based printer this is usually a driver or spooler problem rather than hardware. Reinstall the driver and check that the correct port is selected.
- Repeating defects down the page. The drum is inside the cartridge, so a repeating mark almost always means a scratched or worn drum. A new cartridge resolves it.
- Paper jams on a lightly used machine. Check the pickup roller. These printers often sit unused for long stretches and the rubber hardens.
- Toner-low warnings that never seem to end. The P1006 estimates rather than measures. Keep printing until the page quality actually degrades.
Which printers use HP 35A toner?
- LaserJet P1005
- LaserJet P1006
- LaserJet P1007 and P1008 (regional variants)
- LaserJet P1009
The related HP 36A (CB436A) fits the LaserJet P1505 and M1120/M1522 MFPs and is a different cartridge, despite looking similar on a shelf.
About the HP LaserJet P1006 itself
The P1006 is a compact monochrome laser printer — print only, no scanning, copying or faxing. It prints 17 pages per minute at 600 x 600 dpi. There is no automatic duplexer; two-sided printing is manual through the driver. Connectivity is Hi-Speed USB 2.0 only.
Paper loads from a 150-sheet input tray, and the duty cycle tops out at 5,000 pages a month. It is a personal printer, and it is happiest doing personal-printer volumes.
What LaserJet P1006 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.
Is there a Mac driver for the P1006 on Sonoma or Sequoia?
Not from HP. HP support says its certified drivers for the P1005/P1006 family stop at macOS 12 Monterey. On newer versions HP suggests trying the drivers built into macOS or HP Easy Start.
How do I add it to a Mac without HP's software?
Open Printers & Scanners, click +, and choose the P1006 if macOS lists it. If it doesn't appear, HP's other suggestion is HP Easy Start.
Why did my first cartridge run out so fast?
The printer ships with a starter cartridge of about 700 pages. A full HP 35A is rated at about 1,500.
Can it print on both sides, or connect to Wi-Fi?
No to both. It connects by USB only, with no Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and two-sided printing is manual: you flip the stack when the driver tells you to.
Is it cheap to run?
Not especially. Expert Reviews found its running cost came close to a color laser's, because the 35A cartridge is small. A cheaper cartridge is the main way to bring the cost down.
LaserJet P1006 quirks worth knowing
- HP now calls the P1005/P1006 family a legacy product. The printer itself still works; what decides whether you can use it is a working driver for your computer.
- The output tray is a flap rather than a bin, and Expert Reviews found printed pages could get pushed off it.
- It is rated at 17 pages per minute on letter paper. In PC-Welt's test the first page took about 9 seconds.
FAQ
What toner does the HP LaserJet P1006 use?
HP 35A, part number CB435A, rated for approximately 1,500 pages.
Is there a high-yield 35X cartridge?
No. HP never made a high-yield version for this family. The closest option is our compatible 35A Jumbo, rated at about 3,000 pages.
Does the P1006 need a separate drum unit?
No. The drum is part of the cartridge and is replaced along with the toner.
Can I use HP 36A instead of 35A?
No. HP 36A (CB436A) is for the P1505 and M1120/M1522 series and will not work in a P1006.
Why does my P1006 not work on my new laptop?
It is a host-based printer that needs an HP driver for your exact operating system, and support for this family on current Windows and macOS releases is patchy at best. This is a driver limitation, not a hardware fault.
Will compatible toner damage the printer?
No, and using it does not void your warranty in the US. The P1006 has no firmware mechanism to reject third-party cartridges.
More HP ink guides: HP LaserJet Pro M402n · HP LaserJet Pro MFP M426fdw · HP LaserJet Pro M201dw · find any printer
Replacing it? Our highest-rated alternatives
- Brother HL-L2460DW — CastleScore 90
- Brother MFC-L2820DW — CastleScore 90
- HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw — CastleScore 82
Sources
Ratings and prices were checked on October 8, 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.