How many of us are still refilling ink cartridges?

[wilko]

Just wondered how many of us are still refilling. Personally I am still using refillable ink cartridges on my Canon TS700 printers but I must admit that my G500 ink tank printer produces some fantastic photo prints using Canon ink. However, for everyday DS prints I still rely on my TS 700 printers for print outs. Is refilling still alive? Just wondering. I have so much respect for the advice I have received on this site, back to the days when the likes of my Canon IP 4000 print head failed and it was like a major loss. Amazing now we are in a throw out society but it was tortuos then. Ridiculous when you think about it now. Wireless connectivity is essential now and rightly so but like everything nostalgic itmakes us think of the days when we were battling against the large corporations who were doing everything to prevent us from accessing ink that was not provided by them. Perhaps the introduction of ink tank printers shows that our protest against refusing to accept that the restrictive corporate ink cartridge supply has led us to this conclusion.
However, I will continue with my refillable ink carts for my TS 700 printers for as long as I can. Good luck to anyone who is managing to find ways to circumvent these restrictions by the likes of Canon, Epson etc.

 

[PeterBJ]

My default printer is the Canon MP990 that uses the PGI-520/CLI-521 cartridges which I refill. I also occasionally refill other Canon and HP ink cartridges. I also have an HP Laser MFP 135w, but I have never refilled a laser toner cartridge.

 

[The Hat]

Just wondered how many of us are still refilling. Personally I am still using refillable ink cartridges on my Canon TS700 printers

Refilling carts are still the only way to go, because the inks aren’t getting any cheaper..

My default printer is the Canon MP990 that uses the PGI-520/CLI-521 cartridges

I’m still using my old iP9950, on CLi-8's (15 year old inks) it’s my last dye printer, and the Maxify seems to go on forever.

@PeterBJ have you ever tried to convert your MP990 print head carriage to fit CLi-8 carts, I did that successfully on my iP4700 and its still working, (I gave it to a good friend), Happy printing..

 

[jimbo123]

yup, another refilling dinosaur here, refilling 4 printers, oldest one is 18 years old

- MX700(2007)
- MP980(2008)
- MX870(2010)
- PRO-100(2013)

latest refill count is 2,182 ink carts over 18 years

several of my MP980 CLI221 carts have been refilled over 100 times, never flushed.

have passed on the refill technique to my daughter, she's currently refilling an MX870 with one MX870 as a spare.

J

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Active Printers: MX700(2007), MP980(2008), MX870(2010), PRO-100(2013)
• Stored Printers: IP4500, MX700, MX860, MX870, MP980
• Past Printers: MP830
• Method: German Durchstich Method
• Ink: Hobbicolors, then OCP, now ASPEN
• Misc: Squeeze bottles - so much easier than syringes

 

[avolanche]

Yep, Canon Pro 100 for 9 years....still all original and works like new. Precision Color inks and Hobbicolors before that. Started with CLI-8 printers.

 

[PeterBJ]

@The Hat I remember that cartridge conversion and found the thread here. I have considered doing it as the PGi-5/CLI-8 cartridges have a higher useful capacity than the PGI-520/cli-521 cartridges. But I'm worried that cutting away that much material could weaken the case too much. Just like you cannot make a cabriolet by cutting away the roof of an ordinary car/automobile. Some additional reinforcing will be needed. I think the same applies to the printer.

Here is the image from @Tudor post, click to enlarge



My MP990 was first installed May 25 2010 so "only" 15 years.

 

[jimbo123]

Qs to those still refilling

1. what ink and supplier are you using ?
2. what's your opinion of the shelf life of bulk ink ?

i'll go first:
- alternativesupplier.com
- 5 years, then time to get fresh ink

J

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Active Printers: MX700(2007), MP980(2008), MX870(2010), PRO-100(2013)
• Stored Printers: IP4500, MX700, MX860, MX870, MP980
• Past Printers: MP830
• Method: German Durchstich Method
• Ink: Hobbicolors, then OCP, ASPEN, now alternativesupplier.com
• Misc: Squeeze bottles - so much easier than syringes

 

[The Hat]

1. what ink and supplier are you using ?

Some of my dye inks are up to 15 years old, and there’s nothing wrong with them, as good as new… (Image Specialists) 2010

 

[jimbo123]

The Hat gets my award for the oldest bulk ink being used. i thought i was pushing at at 5 years.

my rationale was i can order bulk ink much easier than buying working print heads for my 15+ year old printers

15 years, beats my record, so my Hat goes off to you

J
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Active Printers: MX700(2007), MP980(2008), MX870(2010), PRO-100(2013)
• Stored Printers: IP4500, MX700, MX860, MX870, MP980
• Past Printers: MP830
• Method: German Durchstich Method
• Ink: Hobbicolors, then OCP, ASPEN, now alternativesupplier.com
• Misc: Squeeze bottles - so much easier than syringes

 

[Nifty]

Great question and discussion!!

Honestly, I don't refill inkjets anymore... and actually don't even have an active inkjet printer
(I still have two "new" refurbed Canon i560's in my garage and a box of refill equipment I just can't talk myself into parting with).

My only 2d printer is my canon color laser... and with the kids away to school, I barely ever print anything... and even more rarely print anything in color.

I was printing so infrequently in color that my cannon inkjet's nozzles were just completely gumming-up

In some ways I feel bad. Inkjet refilling (and this forum) was the beginning of so much of my life... with both business and hobbies. There's a part of me that's definitely sad that I don't actively have an inkjet printer and tons of prints to refill.

Thank goodness I've got 3D printing... which I'm still VERY active with / addicted to!