Re: printer cartridge replacement reality

"Robert Baer" <robertbaer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:e13Pe.496$Wd7.363@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Questions:
> What is the story concerning HP printers in general?

Depends on the model. Some of the newer models use "chipped" cartridges with
unique IDs, and once the printers decides that they're empty, it'll refuse to
use them again. However, the printer itself remembers the cartridge IDs and I
seem to recall it only remembers something like the last two you've used, so
it's easy to fool by keeping a set of three cartridges around and rotating
their usage (a good idea anyway). Alternatively, you can find on the 'net
which pins on the cartridge to cover up so as to foil reading the ID
completely, and -- happily -- HP decided that it was better to just keep
printing anyway in such cases rather than refusing to print at all.

> Can one use hundreds of cartridges until the printer *really* wears out?

I believe so. I have a DeskJet 6127 that just keeps on printing even though
it's been whining at me that there's "0% black ink left!" for many months now
(I've refilled it twice...).

In terms of user-unfriendlisness towards refilling, I think that Epson is the
worst, HP is in the middle, and Canon is the friendliest. For <$120, a Canon
ip6000d is one heck of a deal (auto duplexing, two paper trays, built in
memory card reader & color LCD, etc.), the cartridges are translucent and -- I
believe, haven't done it myself yet -- easy to refill.

---Joel Kolstad


.

Relevant Pages

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