OEM refillable carts for the MG8220

[jnug]

Thanks for the answers. I think I did a rather poor job of asking the second question.

I do have two sets of OEM refillable 220/221 window tanks with 225/226 chips that I got from Precision Colors. So I do have two sets of tanks for refilling. I was wondering if it makes any sense to actually buy a set of genuine Canon OEM 225/226 replacement tanks filled with genuine Canon ink just in case one runs into a real snag refilling. If one has a set of brand new Canon replacement tanks brought from Canon is that a worthwhile investment or is there no such thing as a problem that a new, Canon OEM tank filled with OEM ink can resolve. Frankly, I have no problem with the idea that such a set of back up filled tanks can do nothing and I really don't want the expense of buying a full set of Canon genuine OEM tanks filled with Canon genuine ink. Just wondering if it would be a total waste of something like $80.00.

 

[stratman]

I was wondering if it makes any sense to actually buy a set of genuine Canon OEM 225/226 replacement tanks filled with genuine Canon ink just in case one runs into a real snag refilling.

Unless you will be living on a mountain top or sea valley, unable to obtain a new OEM Canon cartridge easily, then no, there is no troubleshooting reason for storing a set of new OEM Canon cartridges. If a problem occurs that we would suggest trying a new OEM Canon cartridge, then you would consider purchasing whichever cartridge was displaying a problem and not the whole set of cartridges.

My choice is to not buy and store any new OEM cartridge. If I have a problem then I'll buy whatever is needed to help diagnose/fix the problem. That said, I discovered a couple "new" cartridges that i bought 4 or more years ago. I just used a Pigment Black ink cartridge and it works flawlessly. Note that Canon recommends using a cartridge within 2 years of purchase. What isn't accounted for is how long that cartridge may have sat on the shelf in the store.

Buying or not buying a reserve set of cartridges is entirely up to you. Given that you can use that new ink anytime you choose, the right answer is entirely up to you.

 

[jnug]

Do you guys all prime the sponge side of these 221/220/225/226 carts as the first part of the fill operation by dropping some ink through the ink exit hole on the sponge side?

I have only found one youtube vid for top filling these low profile Canon carts and the fellow refilling first drops about 1 ml. of ink through the sponge side ink exit hole (where the ink would draw from the cart to the print head). He then lets the cart sit upside down for 2 minutes I guess allowing that 1 ml. of ink to distribute through the sponge (that is the sponge that is not actually sponge material). He then turns the cart right side up and fills the ink through the top hole into the reservoir side. Surely one could and likely should test the cart at the end of whatever process one uses. The vid I refer to does not discuss testing.

My interest here is in understanding if:
a) first dropping 1 ml. of ink directly on the sponge through the ink exit hole is in fact the correct initial step
b) is this in fact a means of priming the sponge side to accept more ink as the user fills the reservoir (priming likely being a poor layman's term for what is actually happening)

I have seen instructions that have the user doing all of the filling through the top hole on the reservoir side but first filling a small amount of ink and then setting the cart aside again for about 2 minutes only right side up instead of upside down.

So I am guessing that again is allowing some ink to saturate the sponge, priming it before refilling of the reservoir and the cart in total.

I guess if there is anything interesting about the vid that has the user first dropping 1 ml. of ink through the exit hole (cart upside down) is that the user must clearly believe that it helps the process to allow gravity to aid in the priming process.

I guess then that users using the top fill hole for everything, are relying entirely on capillary action from beginning to end. That sort of makes some sense as well. Gravity is not going to help get ink across from the reservoir while the printer is in use which makes me question the logic of allowing gravity to help as an initial part of the process.

I fortunately have window 220/221 carts with 225/226 chips. The windows must be invaluable to the process since one could drop a measured amount of ink in through the top fill hole on the reservoir side putting the cart aside for 2 minutes and could then see if some volume of the ink had moved across from reservoir to sponge side. Only a guess but I guess you want to put enough ink in there at the start so that the process of priming the sponge does not exhaust the small amount of ink you have used to start this whole process as there would no longer be ink in the channels between the sponge side and the reservoir.

On the one hand finding only one youtube video on filling these low profile carts using the top fill method almost leads me to accept the first step presented in the video (ink through the exit hole on the sponge side) as valid. But to me, it at least a bit flies in the face of logic which would say the cart has to rely on capillary action totally in operation. So, make sure it is working properly right from the start.

That said, I will accept whatever you guys do as gospel. If you guys that top fill first dropping 1 ml. of ink through the exit hole on the sponge side, upside down, I will do that. If you guys do all your top filling through the top hole on the reservoir side, right side up, I will do that.

 

[The Hat]

What I can gather from your long thread is that you are totally confused on how you should refill your own cartridges, and then to top it all off, you’re over thinking the whole process..