Inkjet Cartridge Source

[ErikW]

Where's a good place to get printer cartridges cheap?

[D.Hayden]

Have you tried to refill your own?

[bobert1]

http://www.myinks.com/asp/home/home.asp?cid=7824 Here is what I use for my 4 color canon.

[BrianH]

Have you tried to refill your own?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't do it. One speck of crud and your print head is hosed.

[George]

Erik, it depends on what brand and model of inkjet you have as to whether you will be able to use aftermarket cartridges. If you have an older HP, then re-filling is the only option available. If it's an older Epson, or a Canon and it doesn't use one of the new micro-piezo print heads, then aftermarket cartridges are available from:

http://www.inkjetmadness.com/

&

http://www.edps-nj.com/

Inkjet madness is the cheapest for aftermarket carts. EDPS has good paper stock real cheap and so does:

http://www.inkjetart.com/

Inkjetart.com used to offer aftermarket carts but Epson made them stop or they would lose their dealer status so now they only sell Epson cartridgess. But their aftermarket paper stock is great and very cheap compared to HP and Epson papers.

I have been sucessfully using aftermarket cartridges in my older Epson inkjets for many years now. At $5 and $6 a cartridge, it's the only way to go and it's a lot easier than re-filling at that price.

Contaminants in the inks will only be an issue with any recent inkjet that uses superfine jet technology. If it's an older HP, then re-filling is a very viable option and I would recommend it to anyone. The HP's (new and old) all use chips in the cartridges and the only solution to get around the Mfgr cartridges with HP is to re-fill. I have clients who re-fill the carts on their older HP inkjets and they have no problems.

If you have a new printer, you are pretty much stuck using the Mfgr. carts because of the chips they all put in them now, coupled with the possibility that contaminants will clog the superfine jets they use now (marketing feature designed to force their cart usage!!).

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Regards,

[benos]

I've been refilling my Epson 900 and Canon S300 for a couple years now with no problems at all. But, since Geoff turned me on to inkjetmadness - don't think I'll refill a cartridge again.

be

[EricW]

I bought the refills kits from Costco to use with a lexmark and the results sucked big wind.

My next printer will be a color laser, without a doubt. Upgrading to a $179 Brother laser printer was the best money I have ever spent on computer gear. I broke even in just a couple of months. Raging hordes of Mongols could not drive me back to the total PITA that is the inkjet printer.

[Nolan]

1 New Epson Printer (w/ink cartridges) at Staples -$99.00

6 New Epson Ink Jet Cartridges -$72.00

1 Slightly Used Epson Printer (with 1/8 full cartridges) sold on Ebay +$50.00

1 New Epson Printer (w/ink cartridges) at Staples $99.00 - $50.00 = $49.00

$23.00 savings over just buying new cartridges.

Nolan

[George]

It's all about using the older Epson printers (870, 800, 900, 980, 1270, 1280, 780, etc) and not the newer ones that have changed to microfine nozzles and microchips embedded in the cartridges that phone home to the printer. This is as much, or more designed to keep you using their cartridges as it is designed to provide an improved product.

Buy old stock, re-conditioned, or used epson printers from the past (anything using dura-bright inks is the new stuff with chips in the carts) and then use the supercheap aftermarket cartridges from inkjetmadness.com, you won't regret it.

I get black cartridges for my Epson 1520, 1270, 900 and 980 for $4.99/each and color for $5.99 and $6.99. Inkjets are the absolute best at photo printing and the aftermarket dye inks have nice snappy color when good paper is used.

I also find the aftermarket inks to be more tolerant of paper stock. Ever notice that Epson inks look best on Epson papers? Feature, I think not!

Aftermarket coated papers are less than half the price of Epson, HP and Canon coated inkjet papers and I have found many that give outstanding results that are superior to Epson ink on Epson paper in many cases. Some experimentation is needed to find ones that work real well.

Break the monopoly by breaking the mold. Use what you want and don't buy into the newer technology expressly designed to tighten the expendables market grip on the consumer.

Take this example, I bought an Epson CX-5400 for my wifes folks last year (new micro-piezo head technology) for $149 and got a $50 rebate. I think, wow a $100 printer, scanner and copier, good deal, I'll buy one myself I like it so much. After I use the first set of carts up I order some C-82 cartridges (equivalent for CX-5400) from an aftermarket supplier at $3.99 each, good deal!. Well the printer runs about 20 seconds with aftermarket cartridges without the ID chip and the printer stops and displays "The cartridges are not Genuine Epson and should be replaced". I clear the menu, continue printing and copying and all is well until I don't use the printer for a couple of days and the ink dries in the jets. Bam! dead printer, voided warranty and Epson suggests that I buy a new one and just use "Genuine Epson" cartridges.

Suffice to say, we now bring fresh "Genuine Epson" ink cartridges up every time we visit my inlaws because we don't want them to ever have to go to the store and find out that a complete set of "Genuine Epson" cartridges cost $64 for a $100 gift printer!!!!!

Outrageous.

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Regards,