Inkjet Printer

[pop3]

I have a lexmark z 605 printer and have been refilling my my ink cartrige for a long time, But now it has stoped printing, it goes through the motion of printing but the paper comes out as white as it went in ! The man in the computer shop told me that the cartrige has a chip in it to stop people fefilling it and not buying new, I have cut open an old cartrage and there is no chip inside ? does anybody know of a way around this ?

[Ajarn]

I have a lexmark z 605 printer and have been refilling my my ink cartrige for a long time,  But now it has stoped printing, it goes through the motion of printing but the paper comes out as white as it went in ! The man in the computer shop told me that the cartrige has a chip in it to stop people fefilling it and not buying new, I have cut open an old cartrage and there is no chip inside ? does anybody know of a way around this ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe clogged nozzles from such long use- much longer than it was designed for...

Time for a new one?

[monty]

All lexmark printers are designed to print a certain amount of pages/month.

Somehow they inserted electronics to detect if you go over this amount.

Mine suddenly stopped printing colour, either with new or refilled cartridges, so this circuitry is inside the printer or driver software.

Normally if you put in a new cartridge (or just take one out and reinsert it) the printer will detect this and ask if this is a new or old cartridge. Mine just stopped detecting anything on the colour cartridge holder...

This happened with two exactly the same printers, standing right next to each other doing the same print job. They both failed after printing approx. the same amount (a 100 sheet difference) so I very much boubt it is coincidence!

[Thetyim]

I went into the local computer shop this week to buy a set of cartridges for a Lexmark 515.

One black and one colour cartridge was going to cost 1700 baht and no discount.

When I complained that this was nearly the cost of a new printer he offered to sell me a printer with cartridges at the special price of 1500 baht.

I bought the printer.

[Firefoxx]

Remember that with new printers, you don't actually get to use the full amount of ink because the printer has to "charge" itself initially, sometimes using up to half the ink that's provided. Many manufacturers also don't provide full capacity ink/toner with the printer.

When buying an inkjet printer, you should'nt look at only the cost of the printer itself, since inkjets use up their inks very quickly (compared to lasers). If you paid only a few thousand for the printer but need to shell out several thousand in the next few months for ink, it won't be very economical after all. Some of the more expensive printers also have separate inks for each color, which lets you change only the color that's been depleted.

Of course if you want to go down the "refill" road, you should check with your local refill kiosk and ask which printer works best and is easiest to refill.

[dddk]

Remember that with new printers, you don't actually get to use the full amount of ink because the printer has to "charge" itself initially, sometimes using up to half the ink that's provided.  Many manufacturers also don't provide full capacity ink/toner with the printer.

When buying an inkjet printer, you should'nt look at only the cost of the printer itself, since inkjets use up their inks very quickly (compared to lasers).  If you paid only a few thousand for the printer but need to shell out several thousand in the next few months for ink, it won't be very economical after all.  Some of the more expensive printers also have separate inks for each color, which lets you change only the color that's been depleted.

Of course if you want to go down the "refill" road, you should check with your local refill kiosk and ask which printer works best and is easiest to refill.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[dddk]

Hi

I am not a specialist.. but there is a french man in Pattaya who has a company which remanufactures ink jet cartridges.

I don't know if he makes lexmark or not...

The name of the company is thai france supplies.co

phone number 038.70.22.97

website www.thaifrance.com

Maybe this could help you to get cheaper cartridges

Have a nice day

[pop3]

All lexmark printers are designed to print a certain amount of pages/month.

Somehow they inserted electronics to detect if you go over this amount.

Mine suddenly stopped printing colour, either with new or refilled cartridges, so this circuitry is inside the printer or driver software.

Normally if you put in a new cartridge (or just take one out and reinsert it) the printer will detect this and ask if this is a new or old cartridge. Mine just stopped detecting anything on the colour cartridge holder...

This happened with two exactly the same printers, standing right next to each other doing the same print job. They both failed after printing approx. the same amount (a 100 sheet difference) so I very much boubt it is coincidence!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ok Monty that's sounding just like mine, what was the bottom line ? how did you sort out the problem ? or do you have two nonworking printers now !

[Thetyim]

Where's the problem, just buy a pair of cartridges and get a new printer free.

[Phil Conners]

There's a refilling shop on every corner here, that's not the problem.

I have a Epson CX3100 (scanner/copier/printer combo) which had the cartridges refilled once without problem. The refiller shop is the one behind Big C on Sukhumvit (Pattaya) and they have an electronic gadget to reset the cartridge chip.

After 2nd refill yellow didn't work. Back in the shop they told me that cartridges could be refilled normally 2-3 times but perhaps there was a problem with the printer head. Brought the printer, and they fiddled with it. Next thing that happened was the printer gave an error when turned on (cartridge error).

In the end they found the only way I could have the printer working again was by buying a new original set of cartridges (~1,700 baht). The printer was 5,000 a few months ago so just throwing it out isn't really an option.

Now, buying for 1,700 baht cartridges monthly is going to be bad economy so I'm considering taking the loss and throwing out the printer and instead buy another brand. The guy in the refill shop suggested that HP was better for refills... but he didn't look like he really knew what he was talking about.

I'd be very curious to hear the experience of others - what is the best printer in the long term, particularly with regards to refillability.

[pop3]

we're back to my original question again ! I know we all live in a throw away society these days but when that throw away society starts to hit you in the pocket theres always someone that finds a cheeper way out, we just need to find him !

[lopburi3]

One thing that nobody seems to be addressing is the quality of ink these refills may be. If you are printing photos it would be nice to have something that lasts more than a month. And the top line replacement cartages that I have used are not all that great for longevity. I can imagine what goes into the refill business is the cheapest available. Buyer beware.

[Phil Conners]

lopburi3 - the first photos I printed - obviously with the original cartridges and ink, were no more lasting than later photos. I find if you want to keep the colors pure you need to wrap the pictures in plast somway. Even in a photoalbum or in a frame (with glass/plastic front) the colors stay fine, original or refill.

Don't buy into the FUD.

[waldwolf]

A lot of good information on cleaning/refilling/resetting inkjet print cartridges is available online. Try a google search.

A few examples:

Some suggestions for unclogging your Epson printer

Fighting the Epson ink chip and winning!

Beat the chip-Build your own resetter

Cracking the 1290 chip

Epson Cartridge Reset/Freeze Software

Sometimes, just a few drops of alcohol (vodka works well ) or water & ammonia (Window Cleaner) could get your "old printer" working like new.

[lopburi3]

lopburi3 - the first photos I printed - obviously with the original cartridges and ink, were no more lasting than later photos. I find if you want to keep the colors pure you need to wrap the pictures in plast somway. Even in a photoalbum or in a frame (with glass/plastic front) the colors stay fine, original or refill.

Don't buy into the FUD.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you keep light off them you are probably right that name brand is not critical but on photos I have around house open to sunlight I have noticed much faster fade from copy Epson cartage than from those printed with current ink Epson brand (which has shown no fade yet).

[Phil Conners]

A lot of good information on cleaning/refilling/resetting inkjet print cartridges is available online. Try a google search.

A few examples:

Some suggestions for unclogging your Epson printer

Fighting the Epson ink chip and winning!

Beat the chip-Build your own resetter

Cracking the 1290 chip

Epson Cartridge Reset/Freeze Software

Sometimes, just a few drops of alcohol (vodka works well ) or water & ammonia (Window Cleaner) could get your "old printer" working like new.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the links but the problem right now seems to be the chip Epson as seen fit to install in their cartridges apparently for the sole purpose to make refilling difficult.

The question now is, which is the best replacement. I need a printer that can also make half-decent photos, scan, act as copier, and have cartridges refilled.

[pop3]

The question now is, which is the best replacement. I need a printer that can also make half-decent photos, scan, act as copier, and have cartridges refilled.

Yeah, same here but it's a tall order when it's so dificalt to find somebody that realy know's about these chips, but the chip resetter seem's interesting ! I wonder how much ?

[Phil Conners]

The refiller shop has a chip resetter, seems it sometimes screw up the chip (as it did in my case, hence the need for buying new cartridges)

[A. BOOZER]

I experienced similar problems with my Epson, eventually purchased a Canon S520, which I refill with both black and colour, no difficulties. Have been running this well over a year, refill (black) about every two weeks, although do find that running the maintenance programme every little while does help with print quality.

[waldwolf]

Don't worry.....help is on the way!

A new European recycling law for electronic waste, taking effect in 2006, was voted in unanimously by the European Parliament. The law includes rules that stop printer manufacturers from including "clever chips" in their printer cartridges that prohibit different brand cartridges from being used in printers or stop consumers from refilling cartridges.

The new law has been made to help try and curb some of the 6 million tons of electronic waste ("electroscrap") that is produced in Europe. The clever chips were seen as detrimental to future recycling practices as they stopped consumers from recycling printer cartridges altogether, forcing them to always buy a new cartridge. Printer companies have warned that the new recycling law could see costs go up considerably and those costs will more than likely be passed on to the consumer.

HP claims that the chips used in their printer cartridges don't prohibit reuse. They say that only 10% of their cartridges include chips that monitor the level of ink in the cartridge. Thus, the only negative effect from refilling an HP ink cartridge with an embedded chip should be loss of the features of that chip, and not loss of use of the cartridge itself.

Remember, everything comes to he who waits!

(......and I'm still waiting for her. )

madsere - Take a look at the HP1210, HP1315 or HP1350 "Multifunction" inkjet printers. Recently rated "Best Value" by Consumer Reports. Priced in the 90-130 (US$) range. They Print/Scan/Copy. A Six-ink color cartridge is also available for photo printing.