TASKalfa 3551ci

The TASKalfa 3551ci is the refreshed edition of the 3550ci color multifunction, carrying forward the same toner platform that made the earlier machine a department staple: the TK8309 cartridge family. Its black cartridge, TK8309K, is rated at about 25,000 pages, and the TK8309C cyan, TK8309M magenta and TK8309Y yellow cartridges are each rated at about 15,000 pages.

With the full print, copy, scan and fax suite in one cabinet, the 3551ci is built for demanding color offices that cannot afford downtime — the kind of machine a whole department routes its day through. That all-in-one role shapes its toner habits: copying and incoming faxes draw on the same four cartridges as network printing, so consumption is steadier and more predictable than a printer-only device. The refresh changed the machine, not the supplies; anyone who stocked the 3550ci already knows exactly what this one eats.

Toner Cartridges for TASKalfa 3551ci

Which cartridge should you buy?

Because this machine does everything, its cartridges empty in a fairly even pattern — but black still leads, pulled by copies and fax output on top of ordinary printing. A sensible standing order is one black multipack plus colors bought individually as the panel calls for them. Choose the four-color set when the machine is new to you, when several cartridges report low together, or when you want the supply cabinet reset to full in a single delivery. Avoid stocking deep on colors you rarely print; the rated lives are long, and a cartridge sitting sealed for a year helps nobody.

Chip, toner and everyday use

Hold a new cartridge level and rock it gently end to end a few times before installation — this loosens the toner for even distribution from the first page. Avoid touching the chip or the cartridge's contact surfaces with bare fingers, and slide the unit straight in until it seats; forcing it at an angle can damage the contacts the printer reads. A low-toner warning is a planning signal, not a stop order: the machine will keep working for a stretch afterward, which is your window to reorder. Yield figures assume around 5 percent coverage per page, so scan-and-copy heavy days with dense originals will run through toner faster than the rating suggests.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which toner does the TASKalfa 3551ci use?

The TK8309 family: TK8309K black at roughly 25,000 pages and TK8309C, TK8309M and TK8309Y at roughly 15,000 pages each. Printing, copying and fax reception all draw from these same four cartridges.

Is the toner the same as the TASKalfa 3550ci takes?

Yes. The 3551ci is the refreshed version of the 3550ci and the cartridge family carried over unchanged, so a supply stock built for one machine serves the other without conversion or waste.

The panel shows a low-toner warning. How urgent is it?

Not immediately urgent — the warning appears with usable toner still in reserve. Treat it as the reorder trigger: order the named color, keep working, and swap when the machine reports the cartridge empty rather than at the first warning.

What coverage backs these compatible cartridges?

A 1-year warranty and 1-year returns on every compatible cartridge for this model. If one fails early, it is replaced or refunded.

More printers that use the same cartridges

These Kyocera models run on the same TK8309 toner family: TASKalfa 3050ci, TASKalfa 3051ci, TASKalfa 3550ci, TASKalfa 4550ci, TASKalfa 4551ci, TASKalfa 5550ci, TASKalfa 5551ci.