Laser 1720

The Dell 1720 is a compact monochrome laser for personal and small-office desktops, printing up to 28 pages per minute at a true 1200 x 1200 dpi. A 250-sheet covered drawer, a manual feed slot and a 25,000-page monthly duty cycle give it more stamina than its size suggests. Its toner is the high-capacity 310-8707 black, rated at roughly 6,000 pages, while imaging is handled separately by the long-life 310-8710 drum unit, good for about 30,000 pages. The wider family also circulates under the 310-8700, 310-8706, 310-8708 and 310-8709 numbers and the alternate codes GR332, MW558, MW559, PY449, RP380 and RP441.

The two-part supply system is what makes the 1720 cheap to run. Toner is the consumable you replace on a rhythm; the drum is a foundation part that quietly outlasts several cartridges, so its cost is spread across tens of thousands of pages. Owners who grasp that split stop blaming the toner when a drum eventually wears, and stop replacing drums that still have life in them. For a desktop printer that punches above its weight, that is a fair trade: a little more knowledge, in exchange for genuinely low running costs.

Toner Cartridges for Dell 1720

Cartridge	Color	Page Yield
310-8707 High Yield	Black	About 6,000 pages
Dell 1720 High Yield	Black	About 6,000 pages
Dell 1720 High Yield (5 Pack)	Black	See product page
310-8707 Premium (5 Pack)	Black	See product page

Toner is only half of the 1720's imaging system. The drum unit below transfers the image to the page and is replaced on its own, much longer cycle:

310-8710 Drum Unit — Black — about 30,000 pages
Dell 1720 (310-8710) 2 Pack — Black — See product page
Dell 1720 (310-8710) 4 Pack — Black — See product page

Which cartridge should you buy?

Two decisions live on this page, and they should not be confused. For toner, the family's standard cartridge is rated near 3,000 pages and the high-capacity 310-8707 near 6,000; a busy 1720 belongs on the high-capacity cartridge, which effectively halves the cost per page and the number of swaps. The 5-pack listings suit anyone who has settled on the high-yield and wants a shelf stock. The drum is a separate calculation entirely: at roughly 30,000 pages it is replaced perhaps once for every five toner cartridges, so buy it when print quality points to the drum — repeating defects at the same spot on every page — not on the toner's schedule. Keeping the two cycles separate is where the savings on this printer actually come from.

Chip, toner and everyday use

Speckled or scattered output on a 1720 often traces back to the charge system rather than the toner itself. If a fresh cartridge still speckles, the corona wire area inside the printer needs a gentle cleaning, since a dirty charge wire spreads toner unevenly. Storage matters just as much: a cartridge that has sat in a humid room can clump and print poorly long before its pages run out, so keep spares sealed, flat and in a dry cupboard. Handle every cartridge by its ends, keep it out of strong light while it is out of the machine, and rock it side to side before installing to distribute the toner evenly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which toner cartridge does the Dell 1720 use?

The 1720 uses the 310-8700-series black cartridges, from standard to extra-high-yield capacities (310-8700 through 310-8709). GR332, MW558, MW559, PY449, RP380 and RP441 are alternate Dell numbers for the same family. Every version fits the same slot; the listings above are the high-capacity 310-8707.

Which capacity is right for a busy 1720?

The high-capacity cartridges in the 310-870x range are the economical pick: the cost per page drops significantly at the top capacity and swaps become rare. Just plan to empty it within about a year of opening so the toner stays fresh.

The 1720's output looks speckled — what should I check?

Speckling often comes from a cartridge past its prime or toner affected by humidity, so start with the cartridge's age and storage history. If a fresh 310-870x cartridge still speckles, clean the corona wire area inside the printer; a dirty charge wire scatters toner unevenly across the page.