My first inkjet was a Canon BJ10ex. An amazing portable printer that used a spiral shaft to both support and move the printhead. Printing a single page cost a large amount of money though, so I would only print what was absolutely necessary. One day I read a magazine article which suggested that I could refill this printer with pen ink and alcohol. It worked, and I started printing a lot, both important and silly stuff, until the printer broke.
Some years later, I bought an HP2000C for my job. It was a breakthrough in inkjet technology, very fast and with separate tanks, but it also brought the innovation of IC chips. After several failed attempts to refill it, including replacing its charging station, I decided to recycle it and go for Canon.
I went with the MP750, then the MX850; both printers offered high quality in both plain and photo papers. Refilling was seemingly easy, but after a few refills it was necessary to purge the cartridges. So I explored the option of spongeless refillable cartridges, but it didn’t lead anywhere. This forum was a tremendous source of help and ideas however, and once the German method was published here I knew my printing cost concerns would be over for the foreseeable future. So I bought a couple of cheap ip3300s for backup.
In the years between 2006 and 2018 I printed more than 80k pages. The MP750 died after I tried to clean the waste pads for the 2nd time, and after printing 30k pages at least. The MX850 died with a printhead error; I replaced the printhead with a spare and the error didn’t go away. So I picked up my first spare ip3300, annoyed by the reduction in speed and the loss of features, but at least I kept going on printing with high quality on plain paper.
A couple weeks ago I received the (apparently planned?) error B200. Tried a few suggestions from the Internet, but nothing worked. So I went to my storeroom and unpacked the 2nd ip3300. I connected it, its light turned on and then off; a burning smell was coming from the inside. Admittedly the printer had been kept in storage for more than 5 years.
I didn’t feel annoyed. I consider myself lucky to have printed so much by paying so little. However, the “foreseeable future” had come to an end and I had to get a new printer.
After a bit of research I've decided to go with an Epson L382. It wasn't as fast as the Canon Maxify or some similarly priced HP Officet Pros; neither does it use pigmented inks. But its refillable, refillable as in 3 bottles of black and 3 bottles of colors provided by Epson itself.
I went to unpack the printer, feeling the same enthusiasm as I did so many years ago when I first successfully refilled my Canon MP750. Memories of this forum came back, so I had to write this. But this time it was different. This time I see Epson written all over these bottles.
And it does feel satisfying. It feels as if common sense has finally won.
Some years later, I bought an HP2000C for my job. It was a breakthrough in inkjet technology, very fast and with separate tanks, but it also brought the innovation of IC chips. After several failed attempts to refill it, including replacing its charging station, I decided to recycle it and go for Canon.
I went with the MP750, then the MX850; both printers offered high quality in both plain and photo papers. Refilling was seemingly easy, but after a few refills it was necessary to purge the cartridges. So I explored the option of spongeless refillable cartridges, but it didn’t lead anywhere. This forum was a tremendous source of help and ideas however, and once the German method was published here I knew my printing cost concerns would be over for the foreseeable future. So I bought a couple of cheap ip3300s for backup.
In the years between 2006 and 2018 I printed more than 80k pages. The MP750 died after I tried to clean the waste pads for the 2nd time, and after printing 30k pages at least. The MX850 died with a printhead error; I replaced the printhead with a spare and the error didn’t go away. So I picked up my first spare ip3300, annoyed by the reduction in speed and the loss of features, but at least I kept going on printing with high quality on plain paper.
A couple weeks ago I received the (apparently planned?) error B200. Tried a few suggestions from the Internet, but nothing worked. So I went to my storeroom and unpacked the 2nd ip3300. I connected it, its light turned on and then off; a burning smell was coming from the inside. Admittedly the printer had been kept in storage for more than 5 years.
I didn’t feel annoyed. I consider myself lucky to have printed so much by paying so little. However, the “foreseeable future” had come to an end and I had to get a new printer.
After a bit of research I've decided to go with an Epson L382. It wasn't as fast as the Canon Maxify or some similarly priced HP Officet Pros; neither does it use pigmented inks. But its refillable, refillable as in 3 bottles of black and 3 bottles of colors provided by Epson itself.
I went to unpack the printer, feeling the same enthusiasm as I did so many years ago when I first successfully refilled my Canon MP750. Memories of this forum came back, so I had to write this. But this time it was different. This time I see Epson written all over these bottles.
And it does feel satisfying. It feels as if common sense has finally won.
