Oem Vs Remanufactured Ink Cartridges
Printer manufacturers usually sell their printer at cost and make their profits on supplies
. Most printer users are surprised when they find out that replacement cartridge needed for the printer they recently bought is as nearly expensive as a brand new printer. Remanufactured cartridges are the solution to this costly problem.
So what is OEM Cartridge? OEM, which stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer), cartridge is produced by same manufacturer as the printer, such as HP, Canon, Epson, Lexmark, and Dell; just to be used specifically for their printers. On the other hand remanufactured ink cartridges are recycled from used OEM cartridges by companies other than the original manufacturers and can be used in branded printers. Remanufacturers collect empty cartridges either directly from consumers or empty brokers, test the cartridge functionality, clean, refill, test quality and repackaged.
One of the main reason for the popularity of remanufactured ink cartridges are the highly economical prices being offered which are much lower than OEM cartridges. While remanufactured cartridges can save printing costs anywhere between 25-40% in contrast to OEM cartridges, the latter are known for their high consistence in print yield and quality. Therefore it is very important to be aware of the various individual features and benefits of printer cartridges as listed below in order to make a wise choice.
Unlike OEM cartridges which are assembled by machines in big factories, remanufactured cartridges are mostly assembled and packaged by humans. Therefore, one can expect human errors which translate to defect rate about 1%-3% for ink cartridges and 3% - 5% for toner cartridges. It is important to note that OEM cartridges do not offer 100% reliability, although defect rate may be much less than that of remanufactured counterpart. The buying decision between OEM and remanufactured cartridge is basically a trade off savings and reliability. For most people, saving offered by remanufactured cartridge out weight the reliability that comes with OEM cartridges.
Print quality - This is major concern for most users. Can remanufactured ink give same quality as an OEM cartridge? The answer is "Yes". With some of the latest technologies being used by the remanufacturers, the quality of prints is as good as the cartridges being produced by original brands such as HP, Canon, Epson, Lexmark, Dell.
Page Yield - You may not believe it, but it is true when some remanufacturers claim that their cartridges can give higher page yield than OEM cartridges. OEM cartridges are not filled with ink completely full, but only with enough ink to give certain page yield promised by the manufacturer. Since the marginal cost of ink is quite low, remanufacturers sometimes overfill the cartridges. Please ask the remanufacturer about ink volume contained in the cartridge and compare it to OEM cartridge ink volume.
Warranty - Like OEM cartridges, the recycled ones also come with a warranty and money refund offer in case of defects which makes the latter a more cost effective and safe bargain purchase. Quality certification - With the latest technologies being used by the printing industry, most remanufactured ink cartridges come with ISO certification which makes them a superior product like the original cartridges.
Quality testing - All quality remanufactured ink cartridges go through a standard procedure of post testing in order to ensure consistency in their performance which meets OEM standards with better cost savings.
Environmental concerns - If you concern about the environment, remanufactured cartridge is your choice. As printer cartridges are non-biodegradable in nature, the usage of remanufactured ink cartridges is a much more energy efficient and environmental friendly option than purchasing OEM cartridges. Please note that compatible cartridges are not the same as remanufactured or recycled cartridges. They are molded from new plastic so they have negative effect on environment as new OEM cartridges. It is important to ask the seller if the cartridge you are buying is remanufactured or compatible. They are not the same!
by: li baocai
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