Which ink/toner does the HP LaserJet Pro MFP M29w use?

The LaserJet Pro MFP M29w is the print, scan and copy version of the same compact machine, and it takes the same single CF248A toner: 1000 rated pages, $60.00, 6.00c a page. There is no high yield tier in this family, so genuine toner has one price and one running cost.

HP prints its dynamic security notice on the M29w's own store listing. The printer is intended to work only with cartridges carrying a new or reused HP chip, and periodic firmware updates keep blocking cartridges that previously worked, so a compatible CF248A can be accepted today and refused after the next update.

An MFP raises the stakes. When the toner is refused, scanning to a computer or a USB stick usually still works, but anything that puts marks on paper stops, so a blocked cartridge takes the copier down along with the printer. If the machine does real work in the mornings, keep a genuine cartridge in a drawer even when you buy compatibles for everyday printing.

Turn automatic firmware updates off before you install anything third party. That is the whole defence on this model, and the order matters, because once an update has landed there is nothing left to decline. Our guide to disabling HP Dynamic Security covers where the setting lives, and which HP models the courts have obliged HP to let owners roll back.