SKU:

CS-KyoceraMita-TK-5197-BK

Printer Brand:

Kyocera-Mita

OEM Number:

TK5197K

Ink Color:

Black

Page Yield:

Black: 15000

Printer Type:

Laser Cartridge

Condition:

New Compatible

Frequently Asked Questions

My text pages are coming out gray and washed out. Is this the cartridge I need?

Very likely. Fading, gray-looking text on a TASKalfa 306ci usually means the black cartridge is at the end of its life, and TK5197K is the black code for this machine. Print a test page first: if the black band is pale while the color bands look strong, the black station is the one to change.

How do I confirm TK5197K is the right code before ordering?

Open the machine's front cover and read the label on the cartridge already fitted — it will show the TK-5197 family and the K suffix that marks black. Matching that code to this listing is the whole check; there is no second black variant for this model to confuse it with.

Is this a full-size cartridge or a small starter?

Full size. The TK5197K is rated at 15,000 pages on the standard test basis — the complete capacity for this black station, not a reduced starter unit. Dense, coverage-heavy pages will land under that figure; ordinary office text generally runs close to it.

Anything to try before I swap it out?

If the fading arrived suddenly, remove the old cartridge and rock it gently from side to side a few times, then reseat it. That redistributes the remaining toner and sometimes buys a few more clean pages. When the fade returns, the cartridge is genuinely done and this replacement goes in.

How involved is the changeover?

A couple of minutes, tool-free. Front cover open, old cartridge out, protective packaging off the new one, slide it in until it seats, close the cover. Run one test page to confirm the text is deep black again before sending a real job.

What if the new cartridge prints badly from day one?

It is backed by a 1-year warranty and 1-year free returns, so a cartridge that arrives faulty or fails early is covered. Support is available Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM CST.

How long will 15,000 pages last us in calendar terms?

Divide the rating by your monthly text volume. At roughly 500 pages a month, the TK5197K is around two and a half years of black printing; at 1,500 a month, about ten months; a rhythm of 3,000 pages a month brings it to near five. Copies draw on the same cartridge as prints. Use your recent counter readings to place yourself on that scale and set the reorder date well ahead of the end.

Is it worth ordering this cartridge before the old one fully dies?

Yes — black is the station this machine lives on, and text work stops being clean the moment it fades. Ordering while the old TK5197K still has some life left means the replacement waits sealed on the shelf instead of the office waiting on a delivery. A sealed spare loses nothing by arriving early, and the swap can then happen on the day the test page turns pale.

Should I keep the old black cartridge after fitting this one?

For a few days, yes. Box the old TK5197K and set it aside until the new cartridge has handled ordinary work and a test page at full, deep black. If anything looks wrong, having the old unit on hand helps show whether the change itself caused it. Once the new cartridge has proved itself over several real jobs, send the old one for recycling.

How should the spent black cartridge be disposed of?

Put it back into the packaging the new TK5197K arrived in — that keeps any loose toner dust contained and the code visible. From there it goes out with toner recycling rather than general office waste. Because this is the machine's hardest-working station, black empties come around regularly; keeping a standing habit of boxing each one as it comes out keeps the cupboard tidy.

About This Kyocera TK-5197 Black Cartridge

The TK5197K on this page, at $64.64, is the single black cartridge for the TASKalfa 306ci — the one that carries the machine's daily text workload at a 15,000-page rating. We ship from warehouses in IL, PA, GA and CA; delivery and returns details are on our shipping & returns page, and the wider Kyocera-Mita range is on the site for the color stations too.