Are there any quality laser printer manufacturers who don't run the ink/toner cartridge scam?

There are some higher end HP LaserJet color printers that can print monochrome pages without even engaging the color cartridges. The printer looks at the job and moves a clutch to disengage the color cartridges on monochrome jobs. This prevents the cartridges from getting any use or wear on those pages.This is on the Enterprise printers. Generally, that is the printers where the first digit of the number starts with a 4 or higher (sometimes 3 or higher). For example, HP Color LaserJet 4730. On newer printers, they will have Enterprise in the name. These are business printers more than home printers, but they are good, solid machines.Some of the smaller LaserJet printers might have this ability also, but I'm less familiar with them. I've always worked on the business printers.

Part of it is probably that the yellow ink is used to create very difficult to see identification codes on the pages you print so that they can be tracked back to your printer. Generally speaking, color printers without yellow ink will not print. Which is less a scam, and more of a deal with law-enforcement to which all of the manufacturers are parties.