Steve,
Thank you very much for your help. The cartridges and the print heads are separate, so I don't think that I'm going to have a lot of problems with the print heads drying out. Thanks again for all of your information. Sincerely, Tyler J Zollinger 260 Baker Street #11 Moscow, ID 83843 (208) 310-1392 From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Steve Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 2:00 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [HPDesignJet_Printers] Re: Used Ink Cartridges- Good or Bad --- In [email protected] <mailto:HPDesignJet_Printers%40yahoogroups.com> , "tylerzoll" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I have a question regarding recycled/used ink cartridges. We have a > local Cartridge World that recycles ink and toner cartridges. I called > them up the other day to get some details on the ink that they used, > and they said that it was not OEM HP ink, but that it either met or > exceded the quality standards. I have a DJ 500 and they wil refill the > cartridges for $22.00 vs. $38.99 new from HP. I know that HP wants you > to just buy a new one from them every time (they say that the recycled > ones are just junk). Are they correct? Am I going to notice a > difference in print quality if I don't use the OEM ink? I'm kindof > concerened that there could be some small dry ink particles on the end > of the cartridge that goes into the printer. Could this clogg the > printheads and cause me a disaster? Any help or shared past experiences > would be great! Don't wait until the cartridges are empty. Don't wipe the bottom of the cartridge (the print head) with anything. If you must, dab off excess ink with something like a chamois (real leather, not the crappy rough fake chamois) or microfiber cloths meant for wiping optics. Do -not- use paper towels. Don't believe me? Get a brand new sheet of plexiglass, peel the protective plastic off, hold up at an angle to look at the gloss. Now rub briskly in circles with a paper towel. Hold up to the light at an angle again, look at all the circular scratches. Don't do that to your print head. Do -not- tape the print head over. Adhesive will wick into the print head nozzles and clog them. The blue tape used by HP is a very special tape, more like a static cling than an adhesive tape. Ink life is an issue, but for standard office work it isn't such an issue. FYI, the color ink in that printer (and most HP Deskjets) is dye, and the black is pigmented. As long as that Cartridge World location is using the ink that they are supposed to, then they will replace the color ink with dye and the black with pigmented ink. Pretty much any pigmented ink will have a long life. Heck, I have prints from my Canon BJC 610 (all dye ink, 90% with 3rd party cartridges/ink) that were done about 10 years ago that still look great. How successful refilling is very much down to: 1. Your treatment of the cartridge. a. Don't run it 'til it's dry. b. Don't bring in cartridges you emptied last year and expect them to refill without problems. c. Don't leave them sitting in your hot car for a day while you do other errands. Put them in individual ziplock bags with a cloth to absorb any leakage and put them in your trunk. 2 minutes in the sun can be enough to cook a cartridge. 2. The skill of whomever is refilling. I worked for one of the Cartridge World franchises for 2 weeks. I was hired in as an expert to figure out and document all the ins and outs of each type of inkjet cartridge and train the employees and owner. But the owner seemed to think he was the Gordon Ramsey of inkjet, although he had no experience, kept breaking his own equipment, and managed to ruin a large percentage of cartridges, and didn't listen to the advice he'd paid me to give him. He fired the two employees before I even got a chance to meet them, much less attempt to train them. When he screamed (I mean that quite literally , shrieked might be more accurate) at me for stopping for lunch, I walked out. I've since heard he has earned a reputation of bungling refilling jobs. He was vague about what he'd done before, I suspect he was a cook somewhere like Denny's or Sherry's but that he aspired to be like the chef on the BBC's "Yes, Chef". I will stress that is -one- Cartridge World. Keep in mind that it is a franchise, not a chain, so every one has a different owner and therefore a different management style. I know people who go to other Cartridge World locations who are happy with them. Steve Greenfield
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