HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum is now in stock at Mascom International for KSh 18,500, brand new and sealed in its original HP carton. The HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum, part number W1120A, is the photoconductor unit inside the HP Color Laser 150a, 150nw, MFP 178nw and MFP 179fnw. HP rates it at about 16,000 black pages or 4,000 colour pages, and it works with the printer's existing toner cartridges. Collect yours at Old Mutual Building, First Floor Room 4, Kimathi Street, Nairobi CBD, or order for pay-on-arrival delivery anywhere in Kenya.
Small offices, schools and cyber cafés run these compact colour printers hard. Receipts, KRA iTax forms, school timetables and marketing flyers all pass through the same drum. When it wears, pages show faint streaks, grey backgrounds or repeating dots, and fresh toner does not fix them. The HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum solves that exact problem. Built for office administrators in Nairobi CBD and head teachers printing exam papers upcountry, the HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum brings print quality back to new-printer standard in about five minutes. No technician visit or service fee is needed.
Unlike other electronics retailers in Kenya, which often mix refilled drums with originals on the same shelf, Mascom International sells only sealed HP stock with a traceable part number. At KSh 18,500 across 16,000 mono pages, the HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum adds about KSh 1.16 per page in drum wear. Office managers across Nairobi, Nakuru and Eldoret report clean output from the first sheet after replacement, with streaks and grey haze gone. Walk in to compare the HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum carton against your old unit, or order by WhatsApp for same-day delivery within Nairobi.
Common Questions About the HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum
What does the HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum do, and is it the same as toner?
No, it is a separate part. Toner is the coloured powder, while the drum is the light-sensitive cylinder that transfers that powder onto paper. The HP Color Laser 150 and MFP 178 and 179 printers use one shared drum for all four toners. That design keeps toner cartridges small and affordable, but the drum wears out on its own schedule. Replace toner when one colour runs out, and replace the drum when quality drops across every colour at once.
Which printers accept the HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum?
HP lists four printers: the Color Laser 150a, Color Laser 150nw, Color Laser MFP 178nw and Color Laser MFP 179fnw. The 178nwg and 179fwg regional variants take the same drum. Check the model label on the front panel or back cover before ordering. The LaserJet Pro M180 and M181 look similar but use cartridges with a built-in drum, so they do not take this unit. Send a photo of your printer label on WhatsApp and our team confirms the match within minutes.
Why is the drum rated for 16,000 mono pages but only 4,000 colour pages?
These printers build a colour page in four passes, one each for black, cyan, magenta and yellow. Every pass turns the drum again, so one colour page wears it roughly four times faster than a black page. That explains the two figures HP publishes. Most offices print a mix of both. An office printing 70% black text and 30% colour graphics can expect roughly 8,400 pages from one drum before replacement becomes necessary.
How do I know my printer needs a new drum and not new toner?
Three signs point to the drum. First, the printer control panel or HP software on your computer shows an imaging unit warning. Second, faint marks repeat at the same spacing down every page. Third, a grey haze covers all colours even with fresh toner installed. If only one colour fades, that toner is simply low. If every colour looks dirty or streaked, the drum is worn. Our Kimathi Street desk can inspect a sample printout before you spend KSh 18,500.
Is the HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum worth KSh 18,500 in Kenya's market?
For offices printing more than 300 pages a month, yes. Spread across 16,000 mono pages, the drum adds about KSh 1.16 per page, far below the KSh 10 or more that cyber cafés along Moi Avenue charge per printed page. A replacement colour laser printer costs well above KSh 18,500, so a new drum keeps a working machine in service for years. Homes printing 20 pages a month rarely need one, since a single drum outlasts most home printing habits.
Why choose the original HP drum over a cheaper compatible unit?
Compatible drums sell for less in Nairobi, but quality varies widely between batches. Some coat pages with a grey background within weeks, and others trigger error messages after a firmware update. The original HP drum matches the rated 16,000-page yield and the printer's own firmware. HP's printer warranty also excludes damage traced to third-party supplies. For a business printing invoices daily, one failed compatible unit costs more in lost working hours than the price difference ever saves.
How do I install the HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum?
Installation takes about five minutes and needs no tools. Switch the printer off, open the front door and slide out the toner tray. Lift out the old drum by its handle and set it aside for recycling. Unpack the new drum, remove every piece of packing tape and protective material, then slide it in until it clicks. Refit the toner tray, close the door and switch on. Keep the drum away from direct sunlight throughout the swap, since strong light damages its surface.
How should I store a spare drum in dusty or humid parts of Kenya?
Keep the drum sealed in its original bag and carton until the day you install it. HP rates storage between minus 20 and 40 degrees Celsius at 10% to 90% humidity. Offices along Mombasa Road should store spares away from open windows, since fine dust scratches the drum surface. In Mombasa and Diani, keep the carton off bare concrete floors and away from air conditioner drip. Once installed, the drum works best in rooms between 10 and 30 degrees Celsius.
Technical Specifications
Core Function and Print Engine
- Part number W1120A identifies the original HP 120A imaging drum, so the carton label confirms authenticity in seconds.
- Rated black yield is about 16,000 pages, covering roughly four years for an office printing 330 pages monthly.
- Rated colour yield is about 4,000 pages, because each colour page needs four separate drum passes to lay toner.
- The drum is a photoconductor, a light-sensitive cylinder that attracts toner wherever the laser marks text and images.
- One shared drum serves all four toner colours, which keeps each toner cartridge smaller and cheaper to replace.
- Output stays at the printer's native 600 x 600 dpi resolution, giving clean invoice text and readable small fonts.
Printer Compatibility
- Fits the HP Color Laser 150a, the USB desk model common in home offices, M-Pesa agent shops and small stores.
- Fits the HP Color Laser 150nw, which adds Wi-Fi and Ethernet for sharing one printer across a small office.
- Fits the HP Color Laser MFP 178nw, the print, scan and copy model popular with schools and SACCO branches.
- Fits the HP Color Laser MFP 179fnw, which adds fax and a document feeder for scanning multi-page contracts.
- Works alongside the printer's HP 117A toner cartridges, sold as 116A in some markets, with no setting changes needed.
- Does not fit LaserJet Pro M180 or M181 printers, which use cartridges that combine toner and drum in one unit.
Build and Handling
- The package measures about 358 x 290 x 175 mm and weighs about 1.56 kg, light enough for boda boda delivery.
- The drum surface reacts to light, so install it within a few minutes of opening to avoid exposure damage.
- A moulded handle lets you slide the unit in and out without touching the drum surface with bare fingers.
- Rigid protective packing holds the drum steady, so it survives a bumpy matatu ride from Nairobi CBD to Eastlands.
- Tool-free installation lets office staff replace it themselves without calling a technician or paying a service fee.
- The sealed bag keeps moisture away from the drum, which matters for offices in humid Kisumu, Mombasa and Lamu.
Operating and Storage Conditions
- HP rates operating temperature from 10 to 30 degrees Celsius, which suits most Nairobi offices without extra cooling.
- Operating humidity runs from 20% to 80% relative humidity, covering Nairobi's dry season and most coastal days.
- Storage temperature ranges from minus 20 to 40 degrees Celsius, so a spare survives a hot delivery van unharmed.
- Storage humidity ranges from 10% to 90%, though a sealed carton kept indoors gives the longest possible shelf life.
- Direct sunlight fades the drum surface, so keep the printer away from west-facing windows in afternoon offices.
- Dust from unpaved roads scratches the drum, so cover the printer overnight in workshops and roadside shops.
Consumables and Running Cost
- At KSh 18,500 over 16,000 mono pages, drum wear costs about KSh 1.16 for every black page printed.
- At 4,000 colour pages, drum wear rises to about KSh 4.63 per colour page, still below typical cyber café rates.
- Toner and drum wear out separately, so you pay to replace each part only when it actually runs out.
- The printer tracks drum life and warns you before print quality drops, giving time to order a replacement ahead.
- Keeping one spare drum on the shelf prevents a week of downtime during end-of-term school exam printing.
- The included HP recycling guide explains how used drums are returned where HP's collection programme operates locally.
Package Contents
Each carton supplied by Mascom International holds the following items:
- One HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum, part number W1120A, inside a sealed light-proof bag
- Protective packing material and tape covering the drum surface
- HP recycling guide for returning the used unit
- Printed safety and regulatory information
Note:Toner cartridges are sold separately. Our team checks the part number and carton seal with you at handover, whether you collect in person or receive the drum by courier.
Warranty
The HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum carries a 6-month Mascom International warranty on manufacturing defects. If the drum prints faulty pages from the first sheet, bring the unit and a sample printout to our Nairobi CBD service desk for assessment. Damage from sunlight exposure, drops, or use in printers outside the listed models falls outside this cover.
Where to Buy the HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum in Kenya
The HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum is available now at Mascom International, located at Old Mutual Building, First Floor Room 4, Kimathi Street, Nairobi CBD. Visit our store Monday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and bring your old drum to compare part numbers before you pay.
Order through any of the following:
- Phone/WhatsApp: +254 708 852 521
- Email: info@mascomintl.com
- Website: www.mascomintl.com
Mascom International ships the HP 120A Laser Imaging Drum across all 47 Kenyan counties with pay-on-arrival delivery, so you only pay when it reaches your office. Nairobi and its environs receive same-day delivery. All other major cities and towns, including Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Eldoret, receive next-business-day delivery. Mandera, Wajir, Marsabit, Lamu, Tana River, and Turkana receive delivery within 2-3 business days.
Every unit is covered by the 6-month warranty above, with claims handled at our Nairobi CBD service desk.
Offices, schools and print shops across Kenya rely on Mascom International for genuine printer supplies, honest part numbers and after-sales help from a store you can visit in person.
