Epson refillable cartridges - my experience

[JorgeO]

Hello,

That's my experience regarding an Epson T33 and refillable cartridges/ink:

First, if you consider cartridges expensives, we pay over here (Brazil) the equivalent of US$ 16 for a cartridge with just 5 (yes, that's five) ml of ink...
Someone has compared this price to very expensive luxury champagne - champagne is cheaper!
So, the logical step was mail ordering a set of refillable cartridges at the same time I purchased the printer.

The best ink available over here is by Sensient. There may be better ones, but I was unable to locate any. So I purchased a set of 100ml bottles (2 blacks, 3 colors, dye based) for some US$ 50 including postage.

The process was very straightforward, there's even a video in Youtube showing how to do it. The only 'trick' is to unplug the printer from power during the change, and plug it back when the refillable ones are in place so the new chips will be recognized.
I've printed a lot, no trouble at all.

Unfortunately, as I've posted in another thread, I was unable to compare the Sensient ink to Durabrite...

 

[ghwellsjr]

How does posting in another thread prevent you from comparing inks?

 

[JorgeO]

How does posting in another thread prevent you from comparing inks?

As I've posted here, I've purchased refillable cartridges/ink at the same time I purchased the printer.
But it took a few days for cartridges/ink to arrive, and during that time I've printed a few pages and photos with the Epson cartridges (Durabrite ink).

As soon as I received cartridge/inks, I replaced the Epsons with the refillable ones (I wanted to test the cartridges and ink quality).

A couple of days ago, I decided to compare print quality between the two inks, by taking out the refillable and inserting the Epsons. But the printer will not recognise the Epsons anymore...

???

 

[mikling]

You are possibly overlooking this aspect.

When the cartridges are inserted after another set has been used, the printer likely recognizes them as a new set. If it sees them as a new set of cartridges then logic tells it that the new cartridge prime sequence must be initiated. The new cartridge prime sequence uses a certain volume of ink. If the chip on the OEM cartridge estimates that there is insufficient ink to carry out this cycle it will reject the cartridge. This rejection is not that it is not recognized but that it is not acceptable to start the sequence. If you were to insert another cartridge whose ink level indicators exceed that required it would likely be OK.

This I believe is your situation.

There is likely nothing wrong with your setup,

 

[JorgeO]

Thanks, mikling

Your post makes sense. After all, the OEM cartridges sold over here have just a little bit of ink in them...

I may try to take the Durabrite ink out of the OEM cartridges using a syringe and fill the refillable ones with it.

Take care,

 

[ghwellsjr]

How does posting in another thread prevent you from comparing inks?

A couple of days ago, I decided to compare print quality between the two inks, by taking out the refillable and inserting the Epsons. But the printer will not recognise the Epsons anymore...

???

I think I misunderstood your original statement, "Unfortunately, as I've posted in another thread, I was unable to compare the Sensient ink to Durabrite..." to mean, "because I've posted in another thread..." when you meant "as I explained in another thread..."

So please disregard my question.

 

[JorgeO]

ghwellsjr

It's Ok, thanks for the interest!

 

[leo8088]

I strongly doubt any Epson printer would not recognize any Epson OEM ink cartridges because they do not contain enough ink to go over a priming cycle. It would make sense to say out of ink rather than unrecognized. I would consider Epson engineers brain damaged for not distinguishing between out of ink and not recognized then rejecting the cartridges like rejecting non OEM ones.

By the way, is there really such a thing as a new cartridge priming sequence on Epson printers? This is unheard of. Are we learning that Epson not only has a print head priming sequence, it also has a new cartridge priming sequence? It probably has another one called power on priming sequence. Are these the reasons to avoid Epson printers?

 

[The Hat]

leo8088

I strongly doubt any Epson printer would not recognize any Epson OEM ink cartridges because they do not contain enough ink to go over a priming cycle. It would make sense to say out of ink rather than unrecognized. I would consider Epson engineers brain damaged for not distinguishing between out of ink and not recognized then rejecting the cartridges like rejecting non OEM ones.

I think leo8088 you have just answered your own question..

 

[mikling]

Wow!