Ink Jets So Sweet!

[evildave]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-zay03.html

I knew they were horrid. The figures are fascinating. Though hardly news. Ink jets have been a bad deal for years. Not the printers themselves. They give them away for practically nothing. It's selling the ink. Most of you know this. Most of us also know people who buy cartridge after cartridge like lemmings.

Alas.

[Luke T.]

"The first thing to remember is that your printer lies to you," said an assistant at an office supply chain. "A lot of people see the printer telling them the ink is running out, and they pop in another cartridge. But your printer is lying."

The trick is to squeeze every last drop of ink out of the cartridge.

Ignore the warnings. Keep a replacement handy and keep printing.

The personal best for the writer of this piece is two weeks of printing after the warning.

I'm going on nearly six months since my computer told me my black ink cartridge was running low! But it is still printing.

The color catridge did indeed run out within a week of my purchase of the printer. My personal rules prevent me from saying how I really feel about that.

I've seen ads for hypodermic needle type refillers for cartridges. Anyone have experience with those?

[Theodore Kurita]

Originally posted by Luke T.


I'm going on nearly six months since my computer told me my black ink cartridge was running low! But it is still printing.

The color catridge did indeed run out within a week of my purchase of the printer. My personal rules prevent me from saying how I really feel about that.

I've seen ads for hypodermic needle type refillers for cartridges. Anyone have experience with those?


I have tried refill kits before...

They are nice... If you can keep your hands still...


Which reminds me of why I hate Hewlett Packard!

God Da****! Removing those stupid little green tabs at the top of the cartridge is extremely annoying.

Anywho...

Don't go for those "Universal Refill Kits"!

They are cheap... Yet...

Different printers use different pigments....

Except for black. All black cartridges are the same pigment wise...

There used to be a company that I use to order these refill kits from..

www.filljet.com

They had it so the pigments were correct for each type of printer..

Oh well...

I would go for a refill kit for your black ink...

And...

For your color ink... If you can find refill kits designed towards your brand of cartridge.

Just be carefull...

Oh, and buy a couplle of rolls of paper towels...

Or just buy a cheap rag to use...

If you are not clumsy... Less of a mess for you to clean up...

[shanek]

Originally posted by Luke T.
The color catridge did indeed run out within a week of my purchase of the printer. My personal rules prevent me from saying how I really feel about that.

Keep in mind that the cartridges that come with the printer are just starter cartridges. They aren't full of ink.

I've seen ads for hypodermic needle type refillers for cartridges. Anyone have experience with those?

Yes, several years ago. We found you could get one, maybe two refills out of a cartridge before it started having problems. But the ink build-up got to it before too long. We concluded it wasn't worth it.

That may be a different case now that the printer companies are selling the printers below cost figuring to make their money back on ink cartridges. The markup may be high enough now to make it worth the trouble. But I still doubt you'll get more than 1 or 2 refills out of each cartridge.

Also be warned that the ink you're refilling them with may not be up to quality specs. Same if you buy a refurbished cartridge. Some of them are good, but ask around before you buy them.

[arcticpenguin]

Originally posted by shanek

Keep in mind that the cartridges that come with the printer are just starter cartridges. They aren't full of ink.

Is this noted prominently (or at all) anywhere on the printer packaging? I suspect most people would assume a cartridge is a cartridge.

[KillerX]

Originally posted by shanek
Yes, several years ago. We found you could get one, maybe two refills out of a cartridge before it started having problems. But the ink build-up got to it before too long. We concluded it wasn't worth it.Maybe the print head got full of air bubbles during filling. Put the cartridge into a ziplock bag, and, while making sure the cartridge stays verticle, raise the bag up slowly, and lower it quickly, do this a few times, and it may get the air out.

[Charlie Monoxide]

This has to be the best scam since some marketing genius figured out to add "repeat" to shampoo instructions.

Charlie (wash, rinse, and damnit you're done) Monoxide

[The Fool]

Originally posted by Charlie Monoxide
This has to be the best scam since some marketing genius figured out to add "repeat" to shampoo instructions.

Charlie (wash, rinse, and damnit you're done) Monoxide
Not as dangerous as the "pierce can and stand in boiling water" instructions.

[Unas]

The link originally given for the article seems to have expired, but the article is still available (http://www.suntimes.com/output/quicktakes/cst-nws-zay03.html) on the Sun-Times website.