TECH: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges

Subject: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: GUEST,Gene
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 01:06 AM

I was happy for years with the old style 9 pin printers and
ribbon cartridges.

the ink cartridges 1n the newer model printers do not seem to last very long and are KINDA EXPENSIVE.

i bought a refill kit and tried it but it didn't work well for long.

any mudcatters had successful experiences re-filling the ink
cartridges?

is there some TRICK TO IT I overlooked.

this is a LEXMARK 515 series, but the Z73 was about the same deal.

COMMENTS! HELP!

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 01:17 AM

Ya... the trick is, don't do it... Refill kits are an even bigger scam than The Nigerian emails...   Spend the extra few pennies and get a GOOD quality printer catridge...

" 9 pin printers and ribbon cartridges"
*shudder* Bear skins and stone axes...

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 01:32 AM

I had good luck refilling the cartridge on a printer that I'd had for a long time (an Epson). I found the refill kits for $1 for each color at a local discount grocery store, so I wasn't out a lot of cash. It was a little messy the first time I tried refilling, but I got the hang of it. Be sure to put a piece of tape over the top when you finish.

My printer worked fine but was so old that I was going to have to special order the cartridges, that's why I started refilling.

SRS

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: GUEST,Gene
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 01:39 AM

Hi CH & SRS, thx fer da comments..

i still have my old EPSON MX-810 that i might un/mothball and
put back in operation. have several ink cartridges, that
are NEW but probably DRY by now...had good inking success
with them for several years.

I know the newer ICs can be re/inked but also know it isn't
easy to get the HANG OF IT.

and i KNOW the local stores advertise that they buy back or trade for the old ICs - so they can CERTAINLY be refurbished, as they put it.

the kit i bought had several types of plugs for the enlarged re-fill
holes

Gene

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Kaleea
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 02:09 AM

My 'puter guy hooked me up with a printer which is terrific! It's a Cannon Multipass, & the black ink cartridge is about $6 or $7.00 now--it just went up. My 'puter guy has 'em for $5, but he's farther out than the office joints & the difference in gasoline would be more to make a special trip. It's even one of those all-in-one thingies. It's so terrific in fact, that they don't make them anymore. But all the office places & even wallyworld keep the cartridges in stock including their house generic brands that fit my printer. Everytime I go to the office place to get new ink cartridges the clerks want to know what kind of printer I have!

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 02:57 AM

Ink cartridges can mostly be refilled, but everyone I know who's done it says that the mess and the time required is "barely worth it at best."

It should be noted that some cartridges for newer inkjets have a microchip built in that has to be "reprogrammed" in order to reuse the cartridge. Full or empty, the printer won't print unless the cartridge "says it's new" when you put it in.

Rather than doing it yourself, you might look around for a place like one up the street from us that refills them for you. You take the cartridge in, they refill it, you pay roughly (from the few reports I've heard) a little less than half the price of a new mfr's cartridge.

You might also check to see if one of your office supply stores has a "recycle" program. Office Max in my area will trade you a ream of paper (about $3 US worth) for a used/empty cartridge. They apparently send them to a "refiller" who re-brands them with a "discount brand name" and they resell them as "same as the real thing." Unfortunately their policy is "one per trip" so you have to be sure to make the swap every time you go in. Three bucks back on a $35 cartridge isn't much, but it helps.

If you want best quality color matching, especially for photos, it does make a difference if you use the printer maker's ink and paper. For routine office printing, especially with an older printer, the refills (or house brand cartridges) probably are okay if you want to mess with it - according to a limited number of test lab reports.

John

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: GUEST,Fullerton
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 03:06 AM

I have been using the same ink Cartridge for two and a half years. I have to refil it about twice a week. I buy the kits for refilling from a local supermarket. I've refilled my cartridges this way for 5 years. this saves me over £200 per year.

You have to bore a little hole in the top of the cartridge to get your syringe needle into it.

Some cartridges have a layer of jelly stuff on top of the ink sponge inside the cartridge. This is to prevent refilling. SImply poke a hole through and away you go.

Don't wait until the cartridge dries up before you refill it.

Once you have filled your cartridge, remove a little bit of the ink. and put it back in the bottle. This seems to prevent over filling.

Never tried the colour cartridges though.

I only use black. But I have used fountain pen ink in the thing. And it works.

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 03:44 AM

I agree with John on not worth the time and effort. If cost is an issue, look for pattern ink cartridges. I'm in the UK and use cartex. I've never had any trouble with them.

I wouldn't worry too much anyway if using pattern cartridges did (not that I think they do) shorten the life of a printer a bit. The whole business is a bit of a racket. Do your sums and you may find that it it takes few cartridge changes on pattern vs refill prices to have saved enough to buy a new printer!

As for the colour matching, depending on your usage it might not matter, or you might not notice a difference (as I don't). I'm guessing but far as I understand it most printer software allows for colour profiles in which case, consistancy in colour between cartridges could be more important than exact matches to the original manufacturers. The only printer I had a colour problem on was an Epson stylus 880 and that was as bad (dark in some way) with a genuine Epson as it was with any pattern one I tried.

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 03:49 AM

I really don't understand why (other than the 'captive audience/single supply market) ink cartridges should cost so much.... we worked out once that we could buy a new printer every other year and it would still work out cheaper than a new ink cartridge (at £15-20) every 8 weeks - which is about how long they lasted, especially the black. If anything, it's become easier to write letters longhand and send Emails. We did refil with our previous printer and it worked quite well.... initially messy but it saved us a lot. This printer - it's not so easy to refil.

One thing I did start doing was to print out letters in blue rather than black. That spread the useage and the black cartridge lasted a few weeks more.

LTS

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 03:54 AM

Liz, it is the buisness model that works best for them. They almost give the printer away and then make the money on people buying thier cartridges.

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 04:40 AM

I understand that, but having created this monster, why do they bitch so much when people try and take down the castle?

LTS

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 05:01 AM

Why Liz? Because it is thier profits getting eaten into an. Not only that, I think they would be in big trouble if everyone bought pattern cartridges. I guess the end result of that happening would be large jumps in the cost of printers but I suspect they would make less money that way than by the overcharging on ink.

That said, they don't so much bitch and moan but operate largely on fear as to what will happen to your precious new printer if you don't use their ink. I don't think many people bother doing the sums you and I have done - sums that can almost make the printer itself a consumable.

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: GUEST,Ghettoblaster
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 09:38 AM

Lexmarks are the biggest scam going - retail new black cartridge for Z600, GBP27(ish). Refilled by "Cartridge World" - about GBP12, and perfectly OK.

The printer is shit too.

Brother have nice big ink cartridges with reasonably priced ink - the LC600 series for their semipro printers.

If you print a lot of black only, get a cheap laser. Do not get a Panasonic, mine (FLB751E) is really really shit. I eventually had to hang it off a different computer and network them to stop it conflicting with other printer drivers and refusing to work. Even Panasonic could not fix it.

If you have stock of cartridges you would like to keep, put them in an airtight bag (eg small oven bag) and put them in the fridge. It isn't everlasting, but it is helpful.

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: JennyO
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 09:59 AM

Yes, I was going to mention Lexmark. A Lexmark Z25 printer came with the computer I was given in 2002. The first time I went to buy a replacement cartridge, I got an awful shock. They were pretty much the most expensive cartridges. It was obvious why the printers are so cheap.

I found out recently there is a place not far from here that refills cartridges - looking at the prices, it's not as cheap as doing it myself, but a lot cheaper than buying new ones - I haven't tried it yet, but I'm thinking about it.

Anyway, now I'm looking around for a multifunction printer, and it won't be a Lexmark. I'll be checking out the price of cartridges before I decide which one to get. It appears that Canon cartridges are cheap.

Jenny

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: catspaw49
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 10:01 AM

Anyone claiming great success with refilling cartridges is a lying sack of shit.

Spaw

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 10:13 AM

Spaw - I don't think anyone DID claim great success, but getting even another 2 weeks out of a cartridge can be a great help when £15 is your disposable income for a week.

Can I just be a small bag of poo who fibs occasionally and only when it would be hurtful to others not to?

LTS

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: wysiwyg
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 10:15 AM

Our older printer's cartridges were easily refillable, with a little removable plug covering the hole used to fill them. We could refill them three or four times before we lost significant print quality, for basic text stuff not requiring printshop-crsip resolution. When the printing got fuzzy I'd get a new cartridge and start over. Refilling was a little messy, and the refilled cartridge would leak a tad on the first few copies printed, but then it would be fine. I just adjusted my own process and worked with it to make it workable. It was sure a lot cheaper, and easier on the church budget.

I dunno what the new printer's refillability will be, but I will try it.

The older printer's rollers are pretty fried from running card stock, photo paper, and labels through it. I still use it for heavy paper or color printing, and I have to hand-feed the pages. I save the new really FAST one for B/W regular-weight printing.

The cartridge cost is part of what we all inherited when we consumers allowed "desktop publishing" to replace professional typesetting and printing for most small runs. I like having the puder, too, but I worked in the printing/typesetting industry at the time the change occurred, and I was one of many who lost a good job. I was lucky-- had been planning a career move. A lot of folks weren't so lucky. Think of them when you buy a cartridge, huh?

~Susan

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: wysiwyg
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 10:26 AM

Oh yeah-- that LSOS thing. Thanks, Spaw! I'm gonna introduce myself that way from now on, to new folks around church! :~)

~Susan

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Gene
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 10:28 AM

RE: WYSIWYG -
The older printer's rollers are pretty fried from running card stock, photo paper, and labels through it. I still use it for heavy paper or color printing, and I have to hand-feed the pages. I save the new really FAST one for B/W regular-weight printing.

my newest printer came with a notice of SPECIAL PAPER that you
run thru the machine to remove the gunk accumulated on the
rollers from various print paper.. Ha ha aaagh - gasp - gag!

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: wysiwyg
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 11:17 AM

Hm, I don't think they're gummy, just worn down. I ain't runnin' used toilet paper in there! Bet you aren't either, Gene!

Anyone? Running used poopie paper in your printer? OK it would save $$, but....

~S~

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 11:23 AM

If they don't make your cartridge easy to replace, then refilling is a viable option. The local discount grocery store (Save A Lot is here in North Texas, and I don't know where else) carrys them cheap, so refill is a no-brainer.

A professor friend told me years ago, when I was contemplating buying my first laser printer to print my thesis, to look at the printer cartridge and do the math on the number of pages and the cost per page. In doing that it was easy to choose the HP and go with their larger print cartridge. I don't refill the laser cartridge, though they are refillable. I do recycle them (I can take these to the Mail Box/UPS store locations in the area and they will ship them free of any charge to me).

SRS

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 11:24 AM

The ink cartridge that is issued with a new printer is VERY small in the the ink department.

You should find that the replacement (baring extream low humidity and no use i.e. 3 months of summer storage)will last MUCH longer.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: ard mhacha
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 12:33 PM

Ghettoblaster, is right about Lexmark,a total disaster, and their cartridges are over the top dear.   I print lots of stuff and I have used mostly Epson printers until a friend advised me to try the Canon i550, I would recommend this printer to anyone, far faster than my Epson r300, a great printer.

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: GUEST,folkiefrank
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 12:45 PM

Strangely enough, I've just refilled my Lexmark colour IC this afternoon for the second time, successfully, for a quarter of the cost of a new one. I've had them in the past that wouldn't register a third refill, and always assumed that there was something in-built to prevent it. I agree though, Lexmark's ICs are way over the top in price. And ain't it so annoying when one colour goes before the rest?!

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 01:15 PM

UK side of the pond!

I tried refill, and I reckon my hands, desk, and other items involved will be back to their normal colour any year now.

I use a company called Inkcycle, who sell pattern cartridges.

For my Epson Stylus Photo 750, a six pack of black, and a six pack of five colour cartridges comes to GBP23 approx.

These are unchipped ICs as the print head is in the printer. I have been using this printer for more than three years with no sign of decreasing quality.

Chipped cartridges will not give as good savings, HP are the worst, I believe (about 15% lower than other suppliers).

Inkcycle make three promises.

1. If you find the same product cheaper they will refund twice the difference.

2. All their cartridges are recycled in their own plant.

3. All cartridges are filled, not to the standard mark, but to the maximum the cartridge will hold.

They will also refund or replace without quibble if ICs are not up to standard, and their prices (in the UK) include delivery, VAT, etc.

I don't know if they operate in the USA, but I would recommend them to anyone.

Don T.

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: radriano
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 01:21 PM

Why is this not a BS thread?

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 01:25 PM

Yep, can't argue with that...... Hey Jooooeeeee!

Don T.

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 01:26 PM

radriano, I think with the Mudcat rules/guidelines, this thread actually should be a "tech" thread (and above the line as it is).

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 05:30 PM

Staples Business Depot, a chain in Canada, sells inkjet cartridges compatible with Epson for about 60% of the Epson price. I am trying them out in one printer now.

The school where my daughter taught tried refilling (they had Epson printers) but found that plugging was a problem with the replacement inks.

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 05:39 PM

It's not BS cause as said above it's more or less a Tech thread...

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 05:58 PM

Anyone who uses their printer for mostly black text should seriously consider a laser printer. The toner cartridge for our current HP1200 is about the price of two inkjet cartridges ($70 US) but will print about 5,000 pages. A pair of inkjet cartridges in our HP9650 or HP1315xi multipurpose will get less than 200-300 pages. We set the laser as default, and select the inkjets only when we actually want color.

(The 1315xi was selected largely because it can use the same inkjet cartridges as the 9650 large format (13" x 19") that's our main color printer.)

Even the cheaper laser printers can be expected to last at least 5 or 10 years in moderately heavy home office use, while nearly all inkjet printers have a "design life" of 2 years of less. You may get an inkjet to run for a lot longer - but they are not intended to stand up nearly as long as most laser printers.

Even the most basic laser printers usually are somewhat faster than an inkjet for b/w text printing.

An additional advantage, for some, is that nearly all recent laser printers allow you to install a PostScript driver (zero cost) so you can print "in !PS" directly. (If you don't see this as an advantage, it probably isn't.) It should be noted that printing any graphics in !PS can take a very long time for the rasterizing, so the ability to switch to PCL mode is handy. Just install the printer twice, once as !PS and once as a PCL, and switch printers when you need to.

If you only occasionally use/need color, if your b/w print volume is moderately large, and if you can fit two separate printers into your office, it does make good $$$$ sense to have a laser for routine stuff and an inkjet for color - (or for when you need a "waterproof" print and can justify the "paper").

John

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: beardedbruce
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 02:26 PM

Present cost on the used market for HP LJ4 or 5 department level printers (B&W laser) are $50 to $100. Lots of cartridges available, from $10 (excessed) to $75(new) Big and heavy, but 5K pages + per cartridge, so they are cost effective.

No, I won't ship any- but if you want to come pick it up...

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 02:39 PM

I gave the kids the option of laser or color inkjet when I replaced their stolen computer stuff, and ended up buying an Epson inkjet printer. I made sure it had separate cartridges for each color. Epson and Canon both have standard sized cartridges for color and black, or in both you can replace the black with a super-sized one, which is what I'll buy any day now because they're getting the low ink message. One of these days I'll set it up so we can share our printers, since I have the laser jet in my office.

Part of the reason the Epson is so much less expensive than the Canon is that Epson still has the paper upright at the back, and after a while the roller starts grabbing too much. I had that problem with my old HP laser printer. But to pay $100 more to get the horizontal paper tray, I don't think so. The whole printer only cost $99. We'll save that extra $100 and use it for the next printer (and be sure to find a horizontal tray then).

SRS

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Malc R
Date: 13 Jul 05 - 01:31 PM

Hi all - I brought a Lexmark X74 printer/fax/scanner all in one thingy - big mistake, I only use it for scanning now - occasionally, the fax quality is crap and as noted above the IC's are expensive and according to local refill shop the colour IC cannot be refilled. I use an aging HP 710C for printing duties and buy refills or pattern IC's - much cheaper

BM :o)

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Gurney
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 02:19 AM

Totally agree about the price of Lexmark cartridges, but they do contain the printhead, I believe.
My old 5000 has been utterly reliable, as long as I use it fairly often. The print quality impresses me.
If you intend to refill cartridges, replace the tape so that they don't dry out, or refill immediately. Professional refills work for me.

I did buy a Canon S400SP, but it labouriously gurgled itself awake for printing, and gurgled itself to sleep too soon after printing, and irritated me, so my boy has it now.

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: semi-submersible
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 04:03 AM

I've had success refilling cartridges for an Epson Stylus Color (read "Ink Hog") 740, which has 3 colours in one cartridge, and black in another. Refilling is one way of getting around the "one colour runs out before the others" problem, all right. As mentioned above, the first refills are the messiest.

I can't claim great success, either, but that's largely due to leaving the cartridges to dry out in the printer for a year or so between uses - can't blame the new ink for clogged nozzles after that!

The colours of Island Inkjet ink seem quite stable in photos I printed several years ago. They also have great service: a tollfree number, and responsive email people, who will troubleshoot or talk you through your first refill experiences. The price is low enough so I can print without wondering about the cost. They operate throughout North America (head office on Vancouver Island).

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: maeve
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 08:31 AM

Interesting discussion... I just bought a Stratitec ink jet refill kit

www.easyinkjetrefill.com

at the local grange hall yard sale for $1, so I'm going to give it a go today with my HP Deskjet 648C printer.

The booklet of instructions suggests that, "If the cartridge has been empty for more than 8 hours, soak the cartridge print head in a solution of 50% disrilled water and 50% rubbing alcohol for best results." The booklet has what appear to be clear instructions for refilling inkjet cartridges for a number of different models and brands.

Wish me luck!

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Alice
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 08:53 AM

We use a Canon Multipass at work and refill the cartridges from kits purchased at COSTCO. Use rubber gloves to keep from staining your skin. Use a drill and right sized bit to make the hole for the plug. A pair of pliers will help to get the little plug out each time. Put tape over the plug after you refill.

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: HiHo_Silver
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 09:13 AM

I have been refilling both color and black cartridges for my Lexmark
1150 series with good success for some time. However, I would not recommend it to just anyone as it takes a bit of skill to remve and reattach the top of the color cartridge etc. and you must be very careful not to overfill, damage the circurity, etc. Also have found that about 5 to 6 refills is the limit and then the cartridge begins to give problems. A technician advises me that the ink ports etc. tends to wear after this much use. Hope this helps a little.

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: GUEST,Jan
Date: 30 Aug 05 - 06:21 PM

Can any one help me in the process of refilling the Brother LC41 (M/Y/C) cartridge? I have a Stratitec refill kit; apparently its older than the LC41 cartridges OR you can't refill them??

Thanks

Subject: RE: HELP: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 30 Aug 05 - 06:28 PM

Which country are you in Jan?

Subject: RE: TECH: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Tootler
Date: 31 Aug 05 - 05:15 AM

I tried refilling an inkjet cartridge once. 24 hours later the contents were in the bottom of my printer. Fortunately no damage was done but I learnt my lesson - more or less.

I later tried commercially refilled cartridges. They worked OK for a while, but then started oozing ink leaving the printout splodgy. After a row with the shop over replacement/refund. Fit for purpose - forget it - you pays your money, you takes your chance was the attitude.

After that I have stuck to manufacturers' cartridges. At least they're reliable.

Subject: RE: TECH: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: GUEST,Fullerton
Date: 31 Aug 05 - 05:19 AM

Subject: RE: TECH: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: GUEST,fullerton
Date: 31 Aug 05 - 05:33 AM

If you inject ink into the cartridge and then remove about 2-3 ml of ink (about a quarter of a syringe full) - that makes certain that it aint overfilled - no leaks.

Also ... the ink reservoir is sometimes covered with a gel to prevent refills - ive managed to poke a little hole the mine and I've been filling it up twice a week for nearly 3 years. I print lots about 600 pages a week, only black and white.

If your worried about a leak put some tissue under the printer - the ink cleans out of the machine quite easy with a bit of meths and water 10/90.

With practise cartridge filling can and does work.

The cartridge market is a scam. They've devised a system whereby to acquire pennies worth of ink you have to spend lots of £££ or $$$ on a complicated gadget to go around it.

Stuff that for a game of soldiers!

Subject: RE: TECH: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Cluin
Date: 31 Aug 05 - 07:06 AM

Need to weigh in here with another vote against Lexmark printers. Not only are the cartridges expensive, the printers go through them about 5 times as fast as other printers. There's a reason the Lexmark printers are so cheap and are often thrown into computer packages free... as has been said, they scam you on the refill cartridges.

Take that Lexmark and throw it in the garbage. Get another printer; almost any other make will be better. I hear the high-end printers by Lexmark are good, but I don't know anybody who has one and EVERYbody who has one of the lower end models is VERY dissatisfied with it. They only got it because it was cheap or because it came with their package. They all regret wasting so much time and money with it.

I have had good luck with HP and Canon, but it can vary from model to model. You will also need to decide what you need it for. As JiK above says, if you are printing text mainly, go with a laser printer; the quality is better, it's faster and cheaper per page. Colour graphics or photos as better with an inkjet, especially one of the higher-end photo printers in the case of photos. The quality of the paper matters too. Hopefully you can find a decent salesman that knows his products well and will take the time to find out what YOU want to do with it.

Subject: RE: TECH: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 11:04 PM

i need help refilling my cartridged

Subject: RE: TECH: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: EBarnacle
Date: 11 Nov 06 - 02:05 PM

My father, who is just this side of a trog, has been refilling his HP for the past several months after nearly going into sticker shock at the cost of new carts. If he can do it, anyone can.
Lady Hillary and I have been going with the two printer system for each of our machines. Hillary has a an HP deskjet 693 and an HP 4050 which someone else discarded despite the fact that it works great. I am still stumbling along with with my Lexmark Z52 and my choice of which of 3 HP4's I wish to choose. When I left the hospital, I was given one and 3 cartridges. 5 years later, I still have 2 unused. I loaned one of the HP4's to my local election campaign and it didn't miss a beat.

Subject: RE: TECH: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 11 Nov 06 - 06:21 PM

Nothing wrong with refils as long as they work well. I won't even bother to do it myself. Our B/W is a 12 yr old HP Laser 4. The original cartridge lasted nearly 6 years. The replacement cost me $100 and last month that went out. This time I got a refilled model for $40 and it is working fine.

Our AIO, HP, gobbles ink but we never use it unless we need double sided or color or copying or faxing. We can also use the old HP scanner for copies through the old laser printer.

I think you gets what you pays for. 12 years on and I don't think even HP expected their stuff to last so long. Hope the AIO is as good value.

BTW We paid $700 for the Laser printer

Subject: RE: TECH: Re-Filling Printer Ink Cartridges
From: Bernard
Date: 11 Nov 06 - 06:55 PM

There is a device which works with the Epson R200 and R300 series printers (the ones with six separate ink tanks) - it replaces all six tanks with one unit with six chambers, which has six tubes fed by high capacity, easily refillable reservoirs which sit on top of the printer.

It looks ungainly, but the people I know who use them reckon they recoup the initial outlay very quickly - but they do a lot of photo printing, which is heavy on ink.

If anyone is interested, I'll get more detail from our supplier, and find out if they do them for any other printers.

If you have an HP printer, you're generally stuffed - Cartridge World can't consistently refill my cartridges - I'm lucky if I get a colour cartridge which works on all three colours, and have spent ages doing 'purge cycles' to try to persuade them to work.

Cartidges with the print head built in (like the HP) tend to be the least successful for refilling - except for the really old ones.

I used a mono laser for letters, etc., and a colour laser for most photographs and so on. I still use an inkjet occasionally, but lasers are so cheap and easy to maintain - Cartridge World can re-fill most laser toner cartridges these days.