I wonder why the genuine cartridges tend to last longer than the
"compatible" ones? Can they somehow get more ink to soak into the foam? -
or do the sellers of compatible ones try to make more money by selling
more - by underfilling them?

"John" wrote in message
...
I wonder why the genuine cartridges tend to last longer than the
"compatible" ones? Can they somehow get more ink to soak into the foam? -
or do the sellers of compatible ones try to make more money by selling
more - by underfilling them?

Depends what you mean by "last" - run out of ink or jet gun failure. I would
have thought there would be no point in underfilling as ink is very cheap.
The usual problem is that jet guns are manufactured to have a limited life
which means they will often blow while using the first/second re-fill.

John wrote in


I wonder why the genuine cartridges tend to last longer than the
"compatible" ones? Can they somehow get more ink to soak into the
foam? - or do the sellers of compatible ones try to make more money
by selling more - by underfilling them?

I'd have to admit to being a cheapskate here but the difference between the
real thing and the compatibles is the difference between using an inkjet and
not as far as I'm concerned.

When I source a new printer, the availability of compatibles is a key issue.
The printer on my desk uses black ink cartridges at 11.99 each for originals
or 47p for compatibles - guess which I buy. Actually, I lash out and get the
more expensive compatible (quicker drying time allows for high speed
throughput) at 1.27 - hang the expense.

YMMV

--
PeterMcC
If you feel that any of the above is incorrect,
inappropriate or offensive in any way,
please ignore it and accept my apologies.

"Roger Cain" wrote in message
news:bKSdnX___JsKDIXVnZ2dnUVZ8qugnZ2d@plusnet...

"John" wrote in message
...
I wonder why the genuine cartridges tend to last longer than the
"compatible" ones? Can they somehow get more ink to soak into the foam? -
or do the sellers of compatible ones try to make more money by selling
more - by underfilling them?

Depends what you mean by "last" - run out of ink or jet gun failure. I
would have thought there would be no point in underfilling as ink is very
cheap.
The usual problem is that jet guns are manufactured to have a limited life
which means they will often blow while using the first/second re-fill.



Mine is Epson - so I am not replacing jets - only a sponge filled box.

OP

"John" wrote in message
...
I wonder why the genuine cartridges tend to last longer than the
"compatible" ones? Can they somehow get more ink to soak into the foam? -
or do the sellers of compatible ones try to make more money by selling
more - by underfilling them?

My guess is that this is an Epson printer and you are going by the low ink
warning given by the printer, rather than running the cartridges to empty.
As an online vendor of compatible inkjet cartridges, I can say that all of
the ones I import contain at least as much ink as the originals and some
contain twice as much. The actual cost of the cartridge is a fairly small
part of what you pay for when you buy one, so the potential savings from
scrimping on the ink is miniscule..

However, Epson printers often report compatible cartridges as containing
less ink than they do. Doubtless this is because the compatible chip
manufacturer are unable to make a chip that works properly, rather than
being a feature built into their printers by the most aggressively
anti-compatible of all the printer manufacturers.

Colin Bignell

Mine is Epson - so I am not replacing jets - only a sponge filled box.

Before long you'll be replacing the entire printer because the
capilliaries dry up and make it US

"Emil Tiades" wrote in message
...

On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:25:54 +0100, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname
here.me.uk wrote:


"John" wrote in message
...
I wonder why the genuine cartridges tend to last longer than the
"compatible" ones? Can they somehow get more ink to soak into the
foam? -
or do the sellers of compatible ones try to make more money by selling
more - by underfilling them?

My guess is that this is an Epson printer and you are going by the low ink
warning given by the printer, rather than running the cartridges to empty.
As an online vendor of compatible inkjet cartridges, I can say that all of
the ones I import contain at least as much ink as the originals and some
contain twice as much.

Twice as much ????

If you want HP 363 colour compatibles. Otherwise, at least the same as the
originals, for both new compatible and remanufactured (recycled) cartridges,
comparing against the highest yield version if there is a choice of
cartridge capacity.

Are you from Red Shark [or whatever they call themselves this week] to
tell such fibs?
If not, say who you are as many might be interested.

http://www.inktecshop.co.uk

However, don't bother if you are the guy from Arundel who resells the
JetTec stuff.

I didn't know there was one. Arundel is only just down the road, but I
rarely go there. The bulk of our sales are to the trade and they don't want
customers coming back to the shop to complain, so we make sure what we
import is decent quality. Our new compatibles cartridges are G&G, which is a
brand name of Ninestar Corporation of China, and we are the UK agent for
InkTec of Korea, mainly selling their refill kits and bulk ink. Everything
comes with a 30 day no quibble guarantee on quality, a guarantee that we
will have G&G and InkTec products in stock and same day dispatch for orders
received by 2:30pm on a working day. Card handling is done by Protx, so we
don't get to see more than your card type and the last four numbers, and we
only take the money from the card after the post has been collected and the
goods are on their way.

Colin Bignell

"Colin Wilson" o.uk wrote
in message g...
Mine is Epson - so I am not replacing jets - only a sponge filled box.

Before long you'll be replacing the entire printer because the
capilliaries dry up and make it US

One of my Epson printers is about 8 years old. They just need to be used
regularly, although I have got one that had been standing idle for a couple
of years going again with about a dozen head clean cycles.

Colin Bignell

nightjar cpb@ wrote:

My guess is that this is an Epson printer and you are going by the low ink
warning given by the printer, rather than running the cartridges to empty.
As an online vendor of compatible inkjet cartridges, I can say that all of
the ones I import contain at least as much ink as the originals and some
contain twice as much. The actual cost of the cartridge is a fairly small
part of what you pay for when you buy one, so the potential savings from
scrimping on the ink is miniscule..



Colin,

Not meaning to suggest that this isn't so, but surely the advantage of
supplying less full cartridges would not be (as you suggest) minuscule
savings of ink but in needing to replace the cartridge sooner and hence
selling more?

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

On May 1, 4:33*am, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname here.me.uk
wrote:
"Emil Tiades" wrote in message

...







On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:25:54 +0100, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname
here.me.uk wrote:

"John" wrote in message
...
I wonder why the genuine cartridges tend to last longer than the
"compatible" ones? *Can they somehow get more ink to soak into the
foam? -
or do the sellers of compatible ones try to make more money by selling
more - by underfilling them?

My guess is that this is an Epson printer and you are going by the low ink
warning given by the printer, rather than running the cartridges to empty.
As an online vendor of compatible inkjet cartridges, I can say that all of
the ones I import contain at least as much ink as the originals and some
contain twice as much.

Twice as much ????

If you want HP 363 colour compatibles. Otherwise, at least the same as the
originals, for both new compatible and remanufactured (recycled) cartridges,
comparing against the highest yield version if there is a choice of
cartridge capacity.

Are you from Red Shark [or whatever they call themselves this week] to
tell such fibs?
If not, say who you are as many might be interested.

http://www.inktecshop.co.uk

How many refills do you get from a 20ml plunger?

MBQ

On May 1, 1:41*pm, "Man at B&Q" wrote:
On May 1, 4:33*am, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname here.me.uk
wrote:





"Emil Tiades" wrote in message

...

On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:25:54 +0100, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname
here.me.uk wrote:

"John" wrote in message
...
I wonder why the genuine cartridges tend to last longer than the
"compatible" ones? *Can they somehow get more ink to soak into the
foam? -
or do the sellers of compatible ones try to make more money by selling
more - by underfilling them?

My guess is that this is an Epson printer and you are going by the low ink
warning given by the printer, rather than running the cartridges to empty.
As an online vendor of compatible inkjet cartridges, I can say that all of
the ones I import contain at least as much ink as the originals and some
contain twice as much.

Twice as much ????

If you want HP 363 colour compatibles. Otherwise, at least the same as the
originals, for both new compatible and remanufactured (recycled) cartridges,
comparing against the highest yield version if there is a choice of
cartridge capacity.

Are you from Red Shark [or whatever they call themselves this week] to
tell such fibs?
If not, say who you are as many might be interested.

http://www.inktecshop.co.uk

How many refills do you get from a 20ml plunger?

MBQ

Sorry, should have said - Lexmark cartridges

"nightjar" cpb@insert my surname here wrote:

However, don't bother if you are the guy from Arundel who resells the
JetTec stuff.

I didn't know there was one.

I'd ignore it Colin, usenet is filling up with net-loons.

"Rod" wrote in message
...
nightjar cpb@ wrote:

My guess is that this is an Epson printer and you are going by the low
ink warning given by the printer, rather than running the cartridges to
empty. As an online vendor of compatible inkjet cartridges, I can say
that all of the ones I import contain at least as much ink as the
originals and some contain twice as much. The actual cost of the
cartridge is a fairly small part of what you pay for when you buy one, so
the potential savings from scrimping on the ink is miniscule..



Colin,

Not meaning to suggest that this isn't so, but surely the advantage of
supplying less full cartridges would not be (as you suggest) minuscule
savings of ink but in needing to replace the cartridge sooner and hence
selling more?

That has been a successful strategy for the printer manufacturers over the
past few years. However, it only works if you have spent vast sums on
building a brand image that will get people buying your products, even if
they cost several times as much as an equally good alternative.

The compatible cartridge market is highly competitive and there is nothing
like that sort of brand loyalty, so we need to keep customers by giving them
what they want. For most of them, that is supplying good value for money to
people who, by the nature of the business, are someone else's dissatisfied
customer and who are generally better informed than average about the
product. Selling under filled cartridges to increase sales volume might be
superficially attractive to the bloke
who sells a few cartridges from his spare bedroom, but it is not a good
long-term strategy.

Colin Bignell

"Man at B&Q" wrote in message
...
On May 1, 1:41 pm, "Man at B&Q" wrote:
....

How many refills do you get from a 20ml plunger?

MBQ

Sorry, should have said - Lexmark cartridges

It depends which ones. Black cartridges 16, 17, 23A, 32 & 34 each take 10ml
of ink, so you get two. The other black cartridges take the full 20ml in one
refill, while colour cartridges with plungers, rather than 25ml bottles,
only take 5ml of each colour, so you get four refills.

Colin Bignell

"PeterMcC" wrote in message
...
John wrote in


I wonder why the genuine cartridges tend to last longer than the
"compatible" ones? Can they somehow get more ink to soak into the
foam? - or do the sellers of compatible ones try to make more money
by selling more - by underfilling them?

I'd have to admit to being a cheapskate here but the difference between
the
real thing and the compatibles is the difference between using an inkjet
and
not as far as I'm concerned.

When I source a new printer, the availability of compatibles is a key
issue.
The printer on my desk uses black ink cartridges at 11.99 each for
originals
or 47p for compatibles - guess which I buy. Actually, I lash out and get
the
more expensive compatible (quicker drying time allows for high speed
throughput) at 1.27 - hang the expense.

If you want cheap, get an old LaserJet 5. Toner's £15 and does 3000 copies
or so. I costed it out at 1p a sheet including paper.

Doki wrote in


"PeterMcC" wrote in message
...
John wrote in


I wonder why the genuine cartridges tend to last longer than the
"compatible" ones? Can they somehow get more ink to soak into the
foam? - or do the sellers of compatible ones try to make more money
by selling more - by underfilling them?

I'd have to admit to being a cheapskate here but the difference
between the
real thing and the compatibles is the difference between using an
inkjet and
not as far as I'm concerned.

When I source a new printer, the availability of compatibles is a key
issue.
The printer on my desk uses black ink cartridges at 11.99 each for
originals
or 47p for compatibles - guess which I buy. Actually, I lash out and
get the
more expensive compatible (quicker drying time allows for high speed
throughput) at 1.27 - hang the expense.

If you want cheap, get an old LaserJet 5. Toner's £15 and does 3000
copies or so. I costed it out at 1p a sheet including paper.

I get around 500 pages to a 1.27 cartridge - at that rate, £15 does just
short of 6,000 and the inkjet prints in colour. Having said that, I would
agree with you that lasers can be good value - and again, I opt for
refilling my own cartridges - see, told you I was a cheapskate

--
PeterMcC
If you feel that any of the above is incorrect,
inappropriate or offensive in any way,
please ignore it and accept my apologies.

On 30 Apr, 17:00, "PeterMcC" wrote:

When I source a new printer, the availability of compatibles is a key issue.
The printer on my desk uses black ink cartridges at 11.99 each for originals
or 47p for compatibles - guess which I buy. Actually, I lash out and get the
more expensive compatible (quicker drying time allows for high speed
throughput) at 1.27 - hang the expense.

What make and model is that?

wrote in


On 30 Apr, 17:00, "PeterMcC" wrote:

When I source a new printer, the availability of compatibles is a
key issue. The printer on my desk uses black ink cartridges at 11.99
each for originals or 47p for compatibles - guess which I buy.
Actually, I lash out and get the more expensive compatible (quicker
drying time allows for high speed throughput) at 1.27 - hang the
expense.

What make and model is that?

Canon Pixma ip4300

--
PeterMcC
If you feel that any of the above is incorrect,
inappropriate or offensive in any way,
please ignore it and accept my apologies.

PeterMcC wrote:
wrote in


On 30 Apr, 17:00, "PeterMcC" wrote:

When I source a new printer, the availability of compatibles is a
key issue. The printer on my desk uses black ink cartridges at 11.99
each for originals or 47p for compatibles - guess which I buy.
Actually, I lash out and get the more expensive compatible (quicker
drying time allows for high speed throughput) at 1.27 - hang the
expense.
What make and model is that?

Canon Pixma ip4300

My Canon ip4000 seems to have suffered from the effects of JetTec ink,
and I've ordered an ip4500 as a distress purchase replacement.

May I ask Peter (and anyone else) which makes of compatible cartridges
have proved reliable, and for any tips on the re-use of the Canon chip?

(private email fine for "avoid ..." replies, if you prefer not to go public)

--
Kevin Poole
****Use current date to reply (e.g. )****

Kevin Poole wrote in


PeterMcC wrote:
wrote in


On 30 Apr, 17:00, "PeterMcC" wrote:

When I source a new printer, the availability of compatibles is a
key issue. The printer on my desk uses black ink cartridges at
11.99 each for originals or 47p for compatibles - guess which I
buy. Actually, I lash out and get the more expensive compatible
(quicker drying time allows for high speed throughput) at 1.27 -
hang the expense.
What make and model is that?

Canon Pixma ip4300

My Canon ip4000 seems to have suffered from the effects of JetTec ink,
and I've ordered an ip4500 as a distress purchase replacement.

May I ask Peter (and anyone else) which makes of compatible cartridges
have proved reliable, and for any tips on the re-use of the Canon
chip?

I buy cartridges from ink.co.uk - the chip issue is a bit of a pain but not
sufficient to put me off. The comments below refer to the black cartridges
as I use so many - I guess that they equally apply to the coloured ink
cartridges but I get through so relatively few that they don't appear on the
radar.

Some times - and I guess about once every 20-30 cartridges - the chip
doesn't seem to transfer. It will have been the same chip moving from
cartridge to cartridge without problem and then will simply refuse to work.
The printer dialogue brings up a message saying that the cartridge needs to
be replaced. When that happens, I buy a "real" cartridge and we're off
again.

Using generic cartridges also means that you don't get the "ink running low"
warnings - and sometimes the ink runs out and you get a bad print. Given
that the paper tray in the printer only holds around 200 pages, the
consequences of leaving an unsupervised print run that ran out of ink on the
first page would be limited to a couple of pounds worth of paper. I know
that would be a waste of paper but it would still be a cash saving if it
happened with every cartridge. In reality, it happens rarely and only then
because I've failed to take the cartridge out and check it before a lengthy
run.

Different generic cartridges have different fittings to take the chips -
some just have a recess (the tiniest blob of blu-tack has never let me
down); some have retaining clips that always seem to work well; and some
have a couple of pins, much like the original, whose heads are flattened
once the chip is in place - a little like rivets - and they're good. The
"Swiss-ink" offering from ink.co.uk is that type.

So, that's the chip - the other issue is the ink.

I've never had any complaints about the appearance of the print but I
changed to the more expensive (1.27) inks because they dry quicker. I found
that, with fairly rapid printing, the second printed sheet was being
delivered into the output tray just before the ink on the previous sheet was
dry. It didn't smudge the previous sheet but it collected ink on the leading
edge of the second sheet. It took quite some time before I worked out why
some pages - those without graphics and thus faster through the printer -
were turning out with a dirty top edge. The "Swiss ink" cartridge solved
that problem and, as a bonus, I found that the print looked sharper.

There are a few issues, then - and, of course, the warranty on the printer
is voided - but I'd say that I save at least £500 a year using generics.

Best of luck with the ip4500 - what problem killed the ip4000?

--
PeterMcC
If you feel that any of the above is incorrect,
inappropriate or offensive in any way,
please ignore it and accept my apologies.

PeterMcC wrote:
Kevin Poole wrote in


PeterMcC wrote:
wrote in


On 30 Apr, 17:00, "PeterMcC" wrote:

When I source a new printer, the availability of compatibles is a
key issue. The printer on my desk uses black ink cartridges at
11.99 each for originals or 47p for compatibles - guess which I
buy. Actually, I lash out and get the more expensive compatible
(quicker drying time allows for high speed throughput) at 1.27 -
hang the expense.
What make and model is that?
Canon Pixma ip4300

My Canon ip4000 seems to have suffered from the effects of JetTec ink,
and I've ordered an ip4500 as a distress purchase replacement.

May I ask Peter (and anyone else) which makes of compatible cartridges
have proved reliable, and for any tips on the re-use of the Canon
chip?

I buy cartridges from ink.co.uk - the chip issue is a bit of a pain but not
sufficient to put me off. The comments below refer to the black cartridges
as I use so many - I guess that they equally apply to the coloured ink
cartridges but I get through so relatively few that they don't appear on the
radar.

snip exceedingly helpful advice

Thanks for the further explanation - much appreciated. (email sent about
referral id)


Best of luck with the ip4500 - what problem killed the ip4000?

After around 3000 pages, almost half of which were, in effect, A4
photos, I started having problems with magenta ink either clogging or
not feeding, and was spending far too long running cleaning cycles or
soaking the print head. Then the cyan started playing up, and now the
small cyan nozzles are hardly ever printing, and the yellow ones have
stopped too. A new head would be at least £33, and while it's likely
to cure the fault, there must be chance it's something in the
electronics that's not telling the nozzles to squirt, or even a fault in
the mechanism that's supposed to clear the nozzles. Since I've promised
my mate a load of wedding car brochures before his next wedding fair, I
couldn't spend any longer faffing around. Shame really - I hate throwing
things away, but at £33 for a print head, and more than that for a set
of genuine Canon cartridges, £61 for a new ip4500 seems reasonable,
despite this wretched business of chipped cartridges. It won't see
many more Canon cartridges after its first ones.

Thank heavens car makers can't tie their cars to their own brand of
petrol - two of my classics, at least, would have to go.




--
Kevin Poole
****Use current date to reply (e.g. )****