Epson Workforce 4540 Refillable Questions

[cls]

I have only one VERY last set left for the "old" workforce series and will not stock up again... nobody buys these cartridges or even ask for them http://www.ebay.de/itm/Wiederbefull...-Pro-WP-4025DW-4535DWF-4545DTWF-/400788748764

 

[Leonardjohn]

I ordered a new set from Leonardjohn. All 4 cartridges worked first time and every time in any order or combination even mixed with OEMs. I tested 1 before filling and it was recognized without complaint.

Many thanks Leonard.

PS: I sent an email to the original vendor simply asking for suggestions. No reply.

Thank you
LJH

 

[ghwellsjr]

I'm open to anything that that gives value, quality and simplicity. Even OEM in a pinch. Can we run the numbers together? Cost per image concerns me more than how long the cartridges last. Does anyone know how to pull image counts off Epson WP printers?

Leonard sells Epson pigment ink refill kits - 4 x 3.5oz/100ml for $59 or $99 with cartridges delivered. What is the net cost of Staples OEM after discount for 4 standard and XL carts? Do you know the capacity of each?

I don't know how to determine the number of images printed or how much ink each cartridge holds but I can run the numbers for the cost of OEM cartridges using Staples rewards and it comes out to be less than one third the retail cost.

Here's how I calculated:

First, you have to get a few hundred empty cartridges from eBay. These typically sell for between 10 and 20 cents each but we'll assume 20 cents. To get started on the Staples rewards, you have to spend at least $30 on ink so let's assume that you do that by buying a black 676XL cartridge for $39 plus $4 tax bringing the total to $43. Now for the next 180 days you turn in 10 cartridges per month for a total of 7 months or 70 cartridges total that cost you $14. These allow you to spend $140 over that time period which you can spend on one more black cartridge at $39 and four color cartridges at $25. There's no tax on the rewards purchases.

So to summarize, you have put out $57 to purchase $178 worth of cartridges (before taxes). That's like paying $13 for a black cartridge and $8.33 for a color cartridge. If these were the dinky type of cartridge that rides on the print head and runs out of ink in a few weeks, it wouldn't be much of a savings but we have already agreed that these cartridges typically last many months so the cost of OEM ink goes way down.

 

[ghwellsjr]

What is the net cost of Staples OEM after discount for 4 standard and XL carts?

Epson doesn't make a standard cartridge for this printer.

 

[nowhere]

Your figures look great! OEM black comes to $13 / 2400 or $.00542, color $8.33 / 1200 or $.00695. Both options are good.

When first considering a new printer I estimated cost per image for these refillable carts, 5% coverage black ink @ $.005 or less, color @ 2 to 3 times that. While visiting Staples to look at the printers I was considering, the promo price offered was so good I ended my search before confirming my numbers, based on the below info …

The unit's regular 676XL black ink cartridge lasts for approximately 2400 pages, yet costs only $38.49--a mere 1.6 cents per page. The 676XL cyan, magenta, and yellow cartridges cost $24.49 apiece and last for 1200 pages, or just over 2 cents per page. A four-color page costs 7.6 cents. Note: The WP-4540 ships with 1000-page black and 900-page color starter cartridges.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2506...eview_fast_high_capacity_business_inkjet.html

Ink Yield Information:

Epson provides ink cartridge yields based on the ISO / IEC 24711 and 24712 standard for inkjet products, which excludes the first installed cartridges.

676XL Black (T676XL120): About 2400 pages

676XL Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow (T676XL220, T676XL320, T676XL420): About 1200 pages per color

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/jsp/Product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&sku=C11CB32201

I noted the XL carts hold 30 ml ink. All OEM carts use the same size bag that can be refilled to 35 ml. Don’t remember where I got this. I estimate the XL OEM color about half or 15 ml. This would put a set of 4 OEMs @ almost 100 ml vs. 4 refillables @ 400 ml for about the same cost.

If 30 ml produces 2400 pages, 100 ml should yield over 7500 pages. Based on my usage over the past 6 months, this looks right. At $59 for a 400 ml set my cost per image should be considerably below my original estimate, or, so low it isn't worth further worry.

Another consideration is the ink quality. My first set of carts was a bust but the ink great. We liked the results from the start but had an outside event a few months in. Rained the entire day, hard at times. Handouts, speaker pages and signs with bold print showed no sign of water spotting, running, smearing or color on clothing.