subject: Cheap Ink Cartridges - Are They Worth The Risk? [print this page] If you've owned an inkjet printer for more than six months or so you probably know the most expensive part of ownership is replacing the ink cartridges. Although many people stick with the original equipment manufacturers cartridges others try to save money by using replacement cartridges or by refilling their ink cartridges themselves.
In this article we'll explore the question of whether you really save money when you use a refilled ink cartridge in your printer. That's because there are times when cheap inkjet cartridges really aren't that cheap after all.
First, what exactly is a refilled cartridge? Brick and mortar as well as online vendors either buy or accept used ink cartridges from their patrons. They refill them and repackage the used cartridges and then sell them at a deep discount (compared to OEM cartridges) to the public.
If you're going to go this route do a little research on the company you plan on purchasing from on the Internet before you buy your cartridges. Although it's more expensive then filling it yourself you'll be able to sleep a little easier if you know that the professionally refilled ink cartridge you're buying are unlikely to ruin your computer.
However, if you're set on trying to save the most money you'll have to refill the cartridges yourself. This could be a bit problematic. Here's why.
Most of the inkjet refill kits that you can buy will have bottles of ink, a hole-drilling tool of one type or another, a syringe, and a tool that you will need to use to reset the security chip that's embedded in most consumer ink cartridges today.
These electronic security chips measure the approximate amount of ink that's left in the cartridge then and communicate this information to the printer. The chip has to be reset when the ink is refilled or the computer will "think" that the cartridge is still empty. The challenge you'll face is that the tool has to be designed for the exact brand of cartridge or the ink cartridges won't work. And some of the resetting tools are rather costly.
Aside from the possibility of not being able to actually use a cartridge that you've refilled, the process itself can be rather messy. And on top of that, if a cheap ink cartridge leaks when it's inside your printer the printer can stop working completely. So you'll have to buy another printer.
Some people argue that the cost of printers has dropped so much that it is worth the risk to use either a third party refilled ink cartridge or go to the trouble of refilling the ink cartridges themselves.
I guess the bottom line is how much of a gamble you're willing to take and if you think the odds are on your side.
