Refillable Cartridges - please advice

[galore]

Hi to all . Been reading this forum a lot and its a mine of information so thanks in advance for any help you can give me. I am in the process of buying an all in one, mostly to occasionally print some of my photos. I think my choice is finally settled on the MG8150 . I was actually going to buy the Epson Stylus PX830FWD but nobody can give me assurance that their newer chips can be reset.

So have checked out Octoinkjet and they have a wonderful Refill kit bundle for the 8150 and that is what I will probably use if I refill my OEM`s.

What I cannot understand is why it is not suggested to use refillable cartridges like the one I found on the bay uk - item number is 270937343658 . I would prefer to buy this, then go through the whole process of refilling my original cartridges (opaque so cannot see ink level) or modifying CLI-521 cartridges to fit my printer. These cartridges seem like a nice and easy solution to a beginner like me.

Can you please forgive my ignorance and explain to me why refillables are not suitable ? Do they affect print quality ? Can they damage the printer ? Can they work normally if they are regularly maintained ?

Thanks

 

[Redbrickman]

Some work well, some don't, but for refilling and longevity there is nothing to beat the original cartridge.

The sponge system in the OEM carts is superior to any compatible. For instance, Canon have used two piece sponges in a lot of their carts for good reason, though perhaps we do not know all of the reasons why they do it.

So ask yourself why they would go to the trouble of filling a cart with two different types of sponge at more expense?

A one piece sponge in a compatible will work, but for how long?

Buy an extra set of OEM carts with the printer, fill them, and you have the perfect system. As soon as one cart is low change all of them for the spare set, and refill the part empty carts, that way you don't waste ink with a cleaning cycle each time you change one cart only.

May have missed something but no doubt greater minds will chip in :/

 

[galore]

Thanks for your reply Red . That does answer some of my questions although I would like to know if its possible to damage the printer itself if I try the refillables. Thats my biggest worry for now as the printer costs upwards of 200 euros so not exactly cheap.

By the way what you guys think of the MG8150 before I take the plunge tomorrow morning ? Any alternative suggestions ? I will be buying from Amazon UK as they are reliable to deliver here in Malta.

 

[OutOFtheinkwell]

I have to say that the Canon folks in here are the experts in all things Canon. I can only relate to Epsons and I am very happy with my Epson Artisan all in one. My model has it all except for the fax capability but other Artisan models include that also! It was not something I needed so I opted for the Artisan 725 model and after running the Epson OEM carts they came with I installed a damper/chip system and it works perfect, I can't tell the difference from the OEM output on my full color photo prints. I have the latest dampers for this printer and they have a flip top refill hole. I flip open the top door ( it has an O ring), and fill it up like at the gas station. Easy, way cheaper and simple, and they are said to work for years without the need to even remove them from the machine. I like the Artisan model feature that puts all 6 carts in a section that is separated from the moveable head and connected through tubes so the dampers are stationary! I can get bottles of the Claria type inks for $5.50 for 120 mils or bigger bottles if I want that are even more cost effective. I run a test page daily or just print a lot, that is the best way to keep the Piezo heads happy! I have not had a problem in almost a year and counting with the Artisian. As far as I'm concerned you can't beat this set up! By the way I bought this printer from Epson when they were offering them for $99.00 which is cheaper then one set of the OEM carts cost! I like it so much I bought two more printers, one black and one in white for the same price each! I have to smile when I think, (Every time I don't buy a set of OEM cartridges I have saved enough to buy a new printer!) How can a guy do better than that?

 

[The Hat]

Thanks for your reply Red . That does answer some of my questions although I would like to know if its possible to damage the printer itself if I try the refillables. Thats my biggest worry for now as the printer costs upwards of 200 euros so not exactly cheap.

By the way what you guys think of the MG8150 before I take the plunge tomorrow morning ? Any alternative suggestions ? I will be buying from Amazon UK as they are reliable to deliver here in Malta.

The MG8150 is a real smasher you couldnt go wrong with it but it is a bit pricy
and like all inkjet printers its expensive to run on only OEM inks.

So take the good advice you got from Redbrickman and get yourself some spare OEM cartridges.

You can get refillable cartridges if you want too, they are a much cheaper option,
and they are very easy to fill but their reliability is very questionable.

If you want you can refill your OEM opaque cartridges but they are a little harder especially if you just starting out
and havent done any refilling before or you can simply buy empty OEM 521/221 cart from OctoInkjet
when you are getting you ink and simply change the chip on them and they will refill and work a lot easier than the opaque one will.

Here are the instructions on an easy way to change your chips from one cart to another.
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=41631#p41631

There are also a few questions answered here for you on refilling.
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=51118#p51118

You can use which ever refill method that suits you the best, Top fill/ German fill try both and then decide
either way you wont damage your printer while using refilled OEM cartridges.

You should find some more answers on this post by newbie aussiedean that should help also
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=7535

 

[stratman]

You should find some more answers on this post by newbie aussiedean that should help also
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=7535

Answers by whom?

 

[Grandexp]

Hi to all . Been reading this forum a lot and its a mine of information

While it is true that this forum is like a mine of information be aware that some are with hidden commercial purposes.

 

[The Hat]

stratman

The Hat wrote:
You should find some more answers on this post by newbie aussiedean that should help also
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=7535

Answers by whom?

I should have word it a bit better and said answers to his post by yours truly.

Grandexp

galore wrote:
Hi to all . Been reading this forum a lot and its a mine of information

While it is true that this forum is like a mine of information be aware that some are with hidden commercial purposes

Why dont you get off the fence and say what you really mean because youre not contributing to this thread in any way at all..

 

[OutOFtheinkwell]

I noticed you are in Malta and I just watched an old film about the WW2 siege of Malta starring Alec Guinness who was also Obi One in Star Wars.
The people went through a great deal and saved a lot of lives in that time period. Not exactly related to Printing of course but I wonder if we'd be in here talking about anything had that war gone differently! Just a thought!

 

[galore]

I noticed you are in Malta and I just watched an old film about the WW2 siege of Malta starring Alec Guinness who was also Obi One in Star Wars.
The people went through a great deal and saved a lot of lives in that time period. Not exactly related to Printing of course but I wonder if we'd be in here talking about anything had that war gone differently! Just a thought!

Probably we`d all be here anyway but only Bosch printers would exist