Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is in this five-cartridge set?

Five cartridges spanning all four codes of the family — TK5242K black, TK5242C cyan, TK5242M magenta and TK5242Y yellow. Five cartridges across four codes means one code is represented twice; the exact split is printed on the carton labels, so check them when the box arrives and plan your shelf around what is actually inside.

Why choose five cartridges instead of a plain four-color set?

Because printers do not empty evenly. A five-cartridge box is a small working stock rather than a one-round refresh: the four slots can be covered and the hardest-used color has a repeat behind it, so the next toner-out is already answered.

How do I plan around the ratings?

Work from the per-cartridge figures: in this family the black is rated at 4,000 pages and each color at 3,000 pages, all at standard coverage. Plan per slot, not per box — whichever cartridge goes in, its own rating is what it will deliver.

Must everything be fitted when the box arrives?

No. Fit only the slot that has run dry and keep the rest sealed. A partly used set stores perfectly well — the remaining cartridges simply wait in the carton until their slots call for them.

How should a partly used set be stored?

Keep the unopened cartridges in the carton, flat and dry, seals intact. When you take one out, a quick note on the box of which code remains makes the next toner-out a ten-second shelf check instead of a rummage.

How does the cover work on a multi-cartridge set?

Unit by unit. Every cartridge is covered individually by a 1-year warranty with 1-year free returns — see our shipping & returns page. If one cartridge faults, that one alone is returned free; the rest of the set is unaffected.

What should I check first when the five-cartridge box arrives?

Read the five carton labels and count them against the four codes — TK5242K, TK5242C, TK5242M and TK5242Y. The set carries one code twice, and knowing which one it is shapes your shelf plan from day one: the doubled code is the one you can afford to fit without an immediate reorder behind it. A two-minute label check at delivery replaces a surprised rummage at the next toner-out.

What is the per-cartridge cost inside this set?

The set is $89.96 for five cartridges, which averages about $17.99 a cartridge — against $34.65 for a color bought singly. The black in the box is rated at 4,000 pages and each color at 3,000, so the average is a planning figure rather than a per-slot one, but it shows what the working-stock approach does to unit cost: holding the buffer is cheaper per cartridge than reacting one slot at a time.

How do I keep track of which slots have been served from the box?

Keep a simple install log: each time a cartridge goes in, note the date and the code on the carton or a sheet kept with it. Four slots drawing from one box blur together quickly, and the log turns the next low warning into a known quantity — you can see at a glance which code was fitted when, and which sealed cartridges remain, without opening the printer or the box.

How do the empties from a working stock get handled?

Run a one-in, one-out habit: when a fresh cartridge leaves the box, the spent one goes back into that cartridge's packaging and stays with the set's carton. Empties then accumulate in one known place instead of scattering across desks, and when the box holds a few, they leave together through a local recycling collection. A unit that failed suspiciously early is the exception — keep it apart until support has had its say.

About This TK5242 Five-Color Set

A five-cartridge working stock for the Kyocera ECOSYS M5526cdw at $89.96, built around the TK5242K, TK5242C, TK5242M and TK5242Y codes — black rated at 4,000 pages, colors at 3,000 pages each. It is for the office that would rather hold a small buffer of every color than place a fresh order at each low warning, fitting cartridges one slot at a time as they empty. From our compatible Kyocera-Mita range, dispatched from our IL, PA, GA and CA warehouses, with support Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM CST.