PGI-525 and CLI-526

[chang]

Thanks for the suggestions - I had read about using 521s but they would cost a lot more than the 14 to buy this set of cartridges which are designed to be refilled. They look like they can be refilled without even taking them out of the printer which would be a bonus. Changing the chips is not a problem for me either. I also like that they come empty so I can fill them with my choice of ink. They look like the filling holes allow them to be filled in the same way as the German method but from the top instead. I would like to hear from people who have used these or similar types and how they got on with them.

 

[The Hat]

chang
I know that the OEMs are a lot dearer but you get what you pay for and thats good quality cartridges.

But if you want to buy the compatibles then go for it but dont try refilling them while there in the printer.
If these cartridges have two plug holes in them dont try filling the side with the sponge.

There are no short cuts when refilling a cartridge just very long ones, like coloured hands,
floors, tables and anything that's within easy reach of your inks..

 

[stratman]

Its ten Hail Marys for that stratman..

But I didn't give up chips for Lent. :/

Your good advice may fall on deaf ears, but keep to it anyway. Sometimes we all have to learn the hard way, as may happen with aftermarket cartridges.

Salutations on this Ash Wednesday.

 

[chang]

I agree that original cartridges are going to give the best results but at a very high price - 3 sets cost 150 which is the price of a new printer that comes with a set included. I am replacing an HP c6180 that we have used for over 2 years with a ciss that has paid for itself and the printer several times over compared to originals. It was very easy to install and refill plus the printouts were fine. The Epson we had before had many compatibles and refills before it died as well. So I have done it the hard way for about 4 or 5 years and saved hundreds of pounds at the expense of 2 printers and some minor loss of quality. Now do I buy originals at 50 a set or spend 3.70 on a refillable set and ink (assuming 10 refills for 37)? Looking at my bank balance, I think another box of latex gloves and some kitchen rolls are going to be needed.

 

[chang]

The Hat

I see you have a CISS on your IP4300 and would like to know how good it is, as I did not think sponge cartridges would work well with a CISS. If it is OK, why don't you fit one to your IP4500?

If I can use a CISS it would be great, as I loved being able to use the HP c6180 with a CISS for months without having to do anything with ink apart from check the levels now and then. As the Canon MX885 is new out I will have to get it first and see if a CISS can be installed as nobody is listing a kit for it yet.

 

[The Hat]

chang why don't you fit one to your IP4500?

I had the CISS on 5 of my Canon printers at one time but as my level of printing went down so did the CISS.
Youll need a daily print run of a dozen sheets to keep a CISS on a Canon happy thats minimum.

So unless you have a large volume of daily printing CISS are totally unnecessary.
I have only two of my printers left on CISS now as the others have all packed in and werent worth keeping alive, (trouble by the bucket load).

I mentioned in an earlier thread that the best, most comfortable, cheapest, reliable, and easiest way to keep your printer filled and happy is OEM cartridges.
You have a supplier that provides you with good quality ink now all you have to do is take a leap of faith with the OEMs and youll never look back.

Its never easy to do the right thing especially when the other way seems much cheaper.
Have a look again at stratman thread #43 he too was telling it right.

CISS works with high volume printing but are a real curse to maintain with occasional use on Canon printers.
Theres one fact that most people never hear about CISS systems and its that installation is relatively easy clean and straight forward
BUT the removal and possible death of your print head is a different matter entirely.
Being there done that and was left to clean up the mess afterwards..

 

[chang]

Thanks for the info - I thoght a CISS would be unreliable with this type of cartridge but hoped otherwise. As our daily use can vary between 0 to 100 pages but normally only around 4, I will be giving the refillables a try. The Pixma MX885 arrives next week and I look forwad to printing photos again as the Hp gave up printing cyan last month.

 

[twoob]

Re: Ebay 370490891888 Refiiable cartridges.

I bought a set of these for the i4850 (PGI-525 & CLI-526 cartridges) with the inks.
They work no problem and surprisingly I didn't have to make any adjustment to the
printer colour setup for printing photos. OEM cartridges? I went through 2 lots
of them printing hardly anything when I got the printer and at 50+ a pop for the set
who can afford that.

A few tips.

The place for refilling them is the kitchen, not the front room. Have some paper towels handy.
I've not tried it but I think if you were very careful (and you'd learnt to refill them outside the printer first)
you could refill them while still in the printer, take the printer in the kitchen though.

A BLUNT piece of stiff wire approx 1-2mm dia is just the thing for pushing the seals fully
home in the cartridges.

The first time I filled them took 1 hour, the second time took 30 minutes.

 

[l_d_allan]

The place for refilling them is the kitchen, not the front room. Have some paper towels handy.

Are you speaking from direct experience?

I've not tried it but I think if you were very careful (and you'd learnt to refill them outside the printer first) you could refill them while still in the printer, take the printer in the kitchen though.

Overall, I don't think it is a good idea to carry a printer around from room to room. Direct refilling in the printer would be great ... but my speculation is that with top-filling, you've got some plug and/or tape to get off the cart before refilling. Seems like there could be a fair amount of stress on the print-head and its carriage while doing this.

Also, I think it typically takes two or more "top offs" to get a reasonable amount of ink into a Low/Empty cart. During the time the top of the cart is open, there would seem to be potential for a leak. Also, I wouldn't think it is that easy to see just how full the cart is ... maybe the outside carts, but not the others.

Irv Weiner has described a method of injecting ink through a rubber'ish #1916 R-Jet Tek inlet port plug that could potentially stay in the cart while the cart stayed in the printer. But part of that method is having the cart upside down. The web-page for the #1916 plug recommends this method, but I haven't tried it.

A BLUNT piece of stiff wire approx 1-2mm dia is just the thing for pushing the seals fully home in the cartridges.

Are you describing pushing the plastic ball that seals the inlet port? Are you pushing it through into the reservoir? I did that at first, but my impression is that the GARP (generally accepted refilling practice) for top-filling (and purging) is to remove the plastic ball out the top. Not difficult once you get the hang of it. With German refilling, you generally leave the plastic ball in place under the undisturbed top tape.

But perhaps the CLI-526 is quite a bit different than the CLI-8 I am familiar with.

The first time I filled them took 1 hour, the second time took 30 minutes.

There is definitely a learning curve ... you'll probably get faster and faster. I got a number of "virgin empty" CLI-8 carts from eBay, and now I wait until I have 10 - 20+ or so carts to refill at a time. The setup and cleanup are somewhat fixed no matter how many you do at a time. I may eventually transition to a set of squeeze bottles with stay-in-place needles, which speeds up doing just one or a few at a time.

But "consider the source" ... I'm much less experienced at refilling than many of the other forum posters.

 

[The Hat]

twoob A few tips.

The place for refilling them is the kitchen, not the front room. Have some paper towels handy.
I've not tried it but I think if you were very careful (and you'd learnt to refill them outside the printer first)
you could refill them while still in the printer, take the printer in the kitchen though.

A BLUNT piece of stiff wire approx 1-2mm dia is just the thing for pushing the seals fully
home in the cartridges.

The first time I filled them took 1 hour, the second time took 30 minutes.

Just looking at the few tips that you posted here I would say that if you care to read some
if not all of the thread on here (on refilling) it might open your eyes considerably.

Commendable dough your tips are most guys on here would not find them good practice at all.
If you want your printer to last without having all the usual problems, then take some time to read through
the pages on this forum to save yourself a lot of grief, coloured hands kitchen floor and face.

It will take a lot longer than one hour but it will be time very well spent, Happy printing..