Printer Ink Cartridges

**alaskaguy** · 09-30-2007, 01:28 PM

Remanufactured printer ink cartridges cost considerably less than purchasing new. What are the disadvantages and what is the overall recomendation?

**TykeClone** · 09-30-2007, 01:34 PM

Get a laser printer. A monochrome HP will run you less than $200 and a low end color laser printer can be had for around $400. Cartridges are more expensive to purchase than ink, but last _much_ longer.

**alaskaguy** · 09-30-2007, 01:49 PM

I already own a printer, a hp deskjet 6122 and need to replace the ink cartridges. Should i go with new or remanufactured cartridges?

**brianhos** · 09-30-2007, 01:50 PM

Never tried it, but give it a whirl. What is the worst that could happen? It does not work as long?

**cytech** · 09-30-2007, 02:02 PM

I find those re manufactured ones are kinda hit and miss. I used to use them then we got 2 or 3 bad ones in a row. Where they were full but had been messed up in the refilling stage. And they will give you a new one if you take it back, but having to take them back is a hassle.
Like others have said go with a laser printer, but if you go color some of them use something like 4 cartridges and some are like $150 per, can be pricey to refill but over time you do save money.

**sodakjoe** · 09-30-2007, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by cytech

I find those re manufactured ones are kinda hit and miss. I used to use them then we got 2 or 3 bad ones in a row. Where they were full but had been messed up in the refilling stage. And they will give you a new one if you take it back, but having to take them back is a hassle.
Like others have said go with a laser printer, but if you go color some of them use something like 4 cartridges and some are like $150 per, can be pricey to refill but over time you do save money.

Yeah, definitely. The ink is the same, but the process of refurbishment is far from perfect, and the percentage of good cartridges is typically well lower than normal.

Cyclone42 · 09-30-2007, 02:06 PM

That's the weird thing. Go to any place that sells brand-new name-brand ink cartridges. You'll easily pay $20+ for a black cartridge, $30+ for a color cartridge. But you can find brand-new color printers for as little as $30, sometimes even less than that. So there is NO downside to experimentation. What's the very worst you can do? Destroy the printer? Get a brand-new one, big deal. But the real likelihood of destroying the printer is very remote.

My best advise, if you have a bit of money, is to buy a printer with separate ink cartridges, one without the 3 (or 4) colored inks in one cartridge like with most printers. That makes it easier to unclog the nozzles, which is the most likely thing to happen with cheap re-manufactured or refilled ink.

**alaskaguy** · 09-30-2007, 02:08 PM

Thanks for the response. I don't live anywhere near where I can physically return the cartridges so I think I will purchase new.

I have a laser printer at work. For volume printing I can use the work printer.

**herbiedoobie** · 10-01-2007, 02:32 AM

We high volume print at our work, and our research shows that by the time the ink is out, more than half the time, other parts of the cartridge are shot, too. YMMV, but I don't think the $$$ work out on remanufacturing cartridges.

**Wesley** · 10-01-2007, 04:24 AM

Just buy a new duplicate printer everytime. Helps the environment for the Chinese.

**fruitengine_han** · 11-08-2007, 09:41 AM

I've been using recycled ink cartridge and so far I haven't got any problems with it... maybe you should just check on the quality..
_________
compatible ink cartridges

**CYdTracked** · 11-08-2007, 09:58 AM

I'm not a fan of remanufactured ink or toner cartridges because in the long run they do more harm than good I think. We've had a bad run before here at work with the remanufactured toner cartridges leaking all over the place inside the printer and ultimately you wind up having to pay to replace the fuser or other parts that got ruined from the leaks.

Like TykeClone said, start shopping around for laser printers. Toner does not dry up like ink will if you don't use it and the print quality is much better. Will save you a ton of money in the long run even though you will have to pay a few hundred up front. Even looking at good used printers on ebay is not a bad thing. I bought a small monochrome Lexmark laser printer in 2002 for $50, bought a $100 new toner cartridge for it and have not replaced the toner in it yet. Granted I don't do a ton of printing either but I can bet I would have spent hundreds of dollars by now replacing ink cartridges had I bought an inkjet printer.

**bos** · 11-08-2007, 09:59 AM

I am yet to find a bad recycled one. Guess it depends on the seller. They are so much cheaper though. Not sure if I would do it for business use, but for home based doc printing its fine.

**skundie** · 11-08-2007, 10:21 AM

Check out Cartridge World. Des Moines has two of them. West Glenn and 86th Street. I buy my personal ink there and our business buys its ink through them because they pick up and deliver the ink/toner for free! (for businesses at least)
Price is about HALF of new. Quality is excellent. Sometimes there is problems with a cartridge, but they will come bring you a new one if that happens and we always keep a spare on hand just in case.
There are more advantages than disadvantages.
They actually fill them at the stores, unlike Walgreens or some of the others.

**DaddyMac** · 11-08-2007, 10:26 AM

I bought Office Depot brand ink cartridges once and my printer was worthless within a few weeks.

Coincidence? I don't think so - but who knows. Printer wasn't THAT old. Personnally, I think they aren't manufactured as well and the ink is more apt to clog the ink jets.

FWIW, I buy less expensive printers. If you keep an eye out, you can literally get entire printers WITH cartridges for LESS than the cost to replace the cartridges. Of course, I don't require much of my printer. Simple receipts, maps, word docs etc. But I currently have a Epson C88+ and it prints better photos than the Walgreens down the street.