Official Poll: How Do You Refill Your Inkjet Printer Cartridge?

[RetiredInColorado]

I use DIY Ink Refill kit for OEM Canon PGI225 CLI226 found on ebay which fits the OEM cartridge into a cassette with an additional cassette with needle that slides into the cartridge then a prepackaged ink pack is placed over the needle loading a predetermined ink pack into the cartridge. This is really the German method using a jig. It's really clean and easy to use. I've filled all the cartridges 3 times and am starting on the 4th. For $22 for 3 sets of refills, it's quite inexpensive refilling. I'm happy with how it's working thus far. I am using the OEM PGI225 and CLI226 where I can't see the ink, but I haven't seen any problems. I do have a set of 220/221's available but see little reason to change the chip to use them.

I just looked at the kit you are using, and it does look like a neat and clean way to go. Questions: 1. have you been pleased with the quality of the ink? are the colors pretty true? Any problems with print head clogging? 2. Is there a way to refill the prepackaged ink packs with another brand of bulk ink, or even DIYinks brand of bulk ink?

PeterBJ asked for a link: Here 'tis.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DIY-Ink-Ref...7582?pt=US_Ink_Cartridges&hash=item19cc73dc9e

 

[BaPa]

I'm sorry it took so long to reply.
I have not been using the printer for printing pictures, so haven't paid that much attention to the actual color correctness. I just use the printer for general printing including black and white as well as colored.

At one point I was using the German method which worked quite well, but I never got it down well enough that it wasn't somewhat messy to do. When I say the DIY-Ink setup, I decided to give it a try. What I've found is removing the cartridge, resetting the chip, placing the cartridge in the cassette, sliding in the needle side, placing the ink holder in the needed place, pressing on the top to break the seal and the ink flows in.

I tried using water to test fill the used ink tank once in the sink as I was unsure if it would work. It's been a while ago, but as I recall, I had a leakage issue. I did try using an ink bottle with a spout top that did connect and possibly would work other than I'm using PLI255/CLI226 cartridges which don't show when full as they are black. Perhaps if I rechiped some PLI220/CLI221 cartridges, all would work find. Or I could make and adapter to connect a syringe to the cartridge so I would dispense only the correct volume of ink. The syringe tip and cartridge connector point are the same size so the adapter would need to be female/female of same size.

At this point, for the $22 for filling 3 sets of 5 cartridges, I can't get too excited about lowering the cost because of the lack of problems I've had.

I have had no print head clogging problems on the MX982. I have a couple young grand children that the wife prints pages several times a week. I have had printer head problems with my MX860 using bulk ink. The main difference is the MX860 went unused for perhaps several months at a time, whereas the MX982 prints something quite often.

 

[BaPa]

I had to fill my magenta cartridge today. Being refilling the ink tank refill fresh on my mind, I proceeded to dismantle the ink tank that I just used for refill.

What I found is they are refillable quite easily. There is a colored top yoke that slips over the ink tank. On the inside of the yoke are two posts. One is about 1/2 inch long with a spring surrounding it and the other is pointed about 1/4 inch long. When new, there is a piece of tape over both holes on the clear plastic ink tank. On the clear tank where the 1/2 inch post inserts is a white silicone plug that when the colored yoke is pushed moves down in a chamber. On the other side of the ink tank is another silicone plug with a closing hole that opens when inserted onto the filling cassette. In unused condition, there is tape over the plug.

I removed the colored yoke by using my thumb nail at each end of the yoke. It came off easily. I took a blunt syringe needle inserted into the fill side to push out the plug on the opposite side where the 1/2 inch post is located. With the plug removed, you can now add the desired amount of ink into the tank. When filled, place the plug back in flush with the plastic top. Put some good sticky tape over both holes and replace the yoke. I was using water for my testing which didn't give any dripping out the bottom hole, but for safety sake a 3/8 inch cap or sticky tape may be worth the security.

With the success I've had using water, I may try at a later time actually reusing some cartridges as I have quite a bit of ink left over from when I was using the "German Method" for cartridges. I do have some 30 refills in stock so it will be quite a while before I give it a try.

 

[Methodical]

The top fill for me because I am pretty new at this and it seemed like the easiest method at the time I started down this road - about 2 months now I think. Just reset, pop out the ball, refill, install plug and re-insert into printer. (CL-42s)

 

[demoeb]

There are a lot of various ways people get ink into their printer cartridges. We thought it would be fun to take a poll of our members and the process(es) they use!

So, which method do you use to refill your inkjet cartridges?

Who makes that last picture, of the bottles being used for CIS?

D.

 

[The Hat]

Is this the image your referring too.
Because you’ll have to wait till @Nifty chips in to tell you about that..