Getting started with refilling a Canon MP830

[JoshC]

I got a Canon Pixma MP830 last week and am already running low on ink. I have never dealt with refilling cartridges before because I did not do a lot of photo printing with my old printer. I don't want to have to spend around $13 per cartridge but am sketchy about these refill kits. Do refill kits have the same quality as OEM and how hard is it to refill a cartridge? I am printing mostly 8.5x11 pictures so I use a lot of ink and they need to be high quality prints. What refill kits are recommended? My printer contains four CLI-8 tanks and one PGI-5 tank.
Thanks for any help.

 

[fotofreek]

Josh - there are lots of posts on this forum regarding all of your questions. In addition, if you have a newsgroup reader you can go onto comp.periphs.printers and there are several there as well. Bottom line:
1) There aren't any aftermarket carts available yet due to the computer chip and slightly different design Canon foisted on its customers.
2) There are a few companies that claim to have compatable inks, one of which is Hobbicolors. Their inks for the BCI-6 have a good reputation and they are easy to deal with. Go onto http://search.ebay.com/hobbicolors_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8 and look at the inks compatable with the ip4200.
3) easy to refill. Lots of info on this forum on refilling the bci-6 carts. Same techniques applies.
4) Refilling will subject you to a message on the printer that you are using an empty cart as the chip estimates ink usage and then gives you the ink low message. Further use subjects you to the warning. As long as you visually inspect your carts periodically to check ink levels and refill before the reservoir area is more than 80% empty you will do the printer no harm.

Do your research on this forum, the printer newsgroup, and Neil Slade's link at the top of this forum page, and then come back with more questions if you need more info.

 

[Osage]

To JoshC,

I will say fotofreek has given you an excellent answer. But I mention a few other things. (1) That in my opinion, the BCI-3&6 cartridge line are the easiest cartridges on the planet to refill.--the CLI-5&8 cartridge line is as easy because the same techiques apply. (2) That the only thing you really lose in having a chipped Canon is the ability to use prefilled third party cartridges. And that loss will be hopefully temporary and will change if and when the chip is defeated. (3) That refilling, in general is better than using third party prefilled cartridges---because if you select a high quality refill ink---your color balance will likely be better and your costs will be lower----and compared with Canon Oem cartridges much much much lower in cost. Savings starting out at a least 10x and going as high as 40x if your printing volume is high (4) For the refiller the Canon chips are more annoyances than barriers. But you may need to purchase at least one spare set of OEM cartridges so you have a already refilled cartridge ready to pop in when needed.
(5) This forum is perhaps the best single site on the internet for quality information.
Spending some time here just reading and becoming familar with issues really pays off--as you can avoid easily made mistakes.

 

[panos]

JoshC, here is my opinion:

Don't refill your carts and don't use a 3rd party cartridge yet. Your printer is still on warranty and your printhead might reveal some defects, requiring replacement. That will not be possible if your printhead is marked on having used 3rd party ink.

It also requires some experience to know when to replace the cartridges if you are not provided with an ink level counter (which you'll lose if you refill).

Buy a second quinted of Canon cartridges instead.

Then you can start refilling your first set cartridges (after you buy your ink and tools). After your second set cartridges are used, then you can use the refilled ones.

 

[Osage]

Panos's comment does make alot of good sence------but when you go back and read JoshC's post, its "I got my printer last week and am already running low on ink" on my originally supplied cartridges.

If this printing rate keeps up, JoshC is going to have to really scurry to get his refill supplies ordered or he will be on his fourth set of OEM cartridges before he is ready to refill.

But my overall comment is the most daunting task you will face in refilling will be creating an ink inlet hole and a means of sealing that ink inlet hole very well. I recommend 1/2" long #6 or #8 stainless steel pan head sheet metal screw with a tight fitting O-ring.---so best lay in a supply of at least 10 of the rascals with O-rings from your local hardware store

Another important question-----if JoshC lives in the USA and has either a credit card or a paypal account---getting refill ink and tools is easy and fast. Like in a half a week or so from order to delivery --if not the process can be slower.---but at $66. or so per quintet of canon Oem cartridge per week, time is money aquires an expensive meaning.---one other tip---don't throw away the wingnuts you took off the bottom of your Oem cartridges.

Keep us posted on any questions you have.

 

[Doug]

At the moment you can purchase a brand new Canon ip4200 with a new set of inks for 77.99 delivered in the USA. This will give you the second set of ink cartridges. The price will be about $12 over the cost of the inks alone and you will have a great second printer waiting in reserve.

 

[JoshC]

Thanks for all the responses. Sorry if the question was already asked before. I haven't dealt with printers much so many of the old posts confused me with them not applying to my particular ink tanks. I think I may just buy another set of the 3 color tanks as both of my blacks are still pretty full.

I did find a company called D' Printer's Ink on ebay and they have a 3-color starter kit for $6.95. This seems significantly lower than other places on the web. Should I be cautious with them or can they be trusted?

 

[fotofreek]

There are tons of vendors on ebay for these products. I'm not sure I'd trust them unless several people have posted good results and no printer damage. Sounds like "too good a deal". Stay with the companies that participants on this forum have used. So far, Hobbicolors (on ebay) claims to have inks specifically formulated for this printer (look up ip4000 - same print engine) and they have proven to be a reliable company. besides, you might as well get the whole set and have it. You're going to spend the equivalent of less than two replacement cartridges for about 20 to 25 refills.

When I first started refilling I use Neil Slade's technique and just kept refilling the set that came with the printer. It is much more convenient to have two sets, and it leaves the ink intake in the printhead exposed to air for less time. Read the series of posts on sealing the fill hole. My favorite technique is to melt a hole midway between the original fill hole (with the plastic ball seal in it left intact) and the near end of the carts. I use a heated straightened paper clip. I then use #6 1/2 or 5/16th stainless steel pan head sheet metal screws which self-tap their own threads. On the screw is a very tight fitting o-ring which seals very well after filling the cart through the screw hole you've made. Be careful to tighten the screw just enough to slightly compress the o-ring as you can overtighten it and the o_ring will squeeze out from under the screw head and not seal. You will then get ink leaking out of the cart and into your printer.

 

[Osage]

To JoshC,

In photoprinting very little ink will be used from your CLi-5 cartridge--its for regular text printing. Also your CLI-8 black is sort of an accent photoblack also is not used heavily in photoprinting. You can expect heavy usage of your cyan, magenta, and yellow in photoprinting.

As usual, fotofreak is exactly right. On this forum there are three concenus favorite inks everyone agrees are very good---the so called big three--and those are MIS, Forumalabs, and Hobbicolors.--And these inks are concenus favorites because they are so close to Canon OEM color balance--but hobbicolors seems to be the first to market with an ink specially blended for chipped Canons.--that use the chromalife 100 inks. So saving a few bucks on a refill kits and then fighting color balance problems seems like false economy to me.

So I'd spend the $16.95 to get the hobbicolor five color refill kit for the ip4200/ip5200---you get one syringe, four ounces of CLI-5 black ink and 2 ounces each of the four CLI-8 colors. Plus five rubber plug best thrown away.---figure $6.00 shipping.

Each CLI-8 color can be refilled about six times with 2 oz of ink.--your CLI-5 should give you about six refills also. But given your usuage---I would order an extra four ounce bottle of cyan, magenta, and yellow.----which should add about an extra $15.00 for ink and only add about 2 bucks to shipping.--for I am guessing about a total of $40.00.

Which would yield-----18 cyan refills
18 magenta refills
18 yellow refills
6 CLI-5 refills
6 CLI-8 fotoblack refills

Now figuring $13.00 per OEM CLI-8 and $14.00 for each CLI-5----that costs outs to $864.00 if the same is bought in the form of Canon OEM ink cartridges. Even when you subtract the $40.00---its still way over $800 savings. Ought to hold you for 18 weeks or so and no worries about color balance.

Buts its still your money and your choice

 

[Stubri]

Has anyone had any experience with a MP830 with refilled tanks?
I would like to know how the printer operates with an empty / refilled tank.
Does the printer come up with a message each time you go to print with a message indicating the tank is empty or can you lockout the tank status function. Evidently one can disable the tank status on the MP800 by holding down the reset button for an extended period of time, is the MP830 the same.