Replacing my Canon printer

[jackson]

1. Yes, it will show full if it is a new full cart or a reset refilled cart.
2.The chip doesn't know you refilled the cartridge. It still reports a 3/4 empty cart unless you reset it to full.

If you reset a half empty cart and put it back in with out refilling, the printer would show it as being full and not warn you when it ran out of ink.

The printer and the cart chip do not monitor the actual physical level of the ink in the cart, they monitor and report ink levels based on the number and size of ink droplets fired by the printhead and the number and type of head cleanings performed.

A cart is half full and reset.
The cart develops a fault and the ink runs out - you are saying that the prism system no longer functions?
A brand new OEM cart can lose all of it's ink and as far as the printer is concerned it's been hardly used?
It doesn't sound right.

 

[iP4XXX]

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3364

 

[ghwellsjr]

I have tried several tests to see if the prism system was doing anything on my MX-700 and I cannot see that it is doing anything at all. It will not warn you if there is a leak in a cartridge.

I thought it would be one way Canon could determine if someone was refilling a cartridge but it doesn't seem to respond even to that situation. However, since it is in the printer, it is possible that it does keep track of refilled cartridges and maybe will do something nefarious in the future. I recommend putting a piece of tape over the sensor to avoid this potential problem.

 

[jackson]

I've never been in the situation where a cart emptied itself because of a fault - but it sounds like a good way to burn out a printhead.
If the ink usage is measured by monitoring the firings of the head, how does it reckon the amount of ink being used in a head clean?

 

[FryingSaucer]

The iP4600 is a descendent from the iP4000 which is a better printer because the cartridges do not have chips in them. If you can find a used one, that would be the way to go. All of the successive printers used cartridges that got smaller and smaller and also the printer mechanisms got cheaper and more flimsy. Right now, Canon only makes junk and I don't believe there are chip resetters available for the Canon printers on the market right now.

I've been looking for older used printers like the iP4000 or MP780 but unfortunately in the UK I have only seen them on eBay where I can't be confident of their condition.

I believe there is a chip resetter available for the cartridges in the iP4600 so that would be a strong incentive to get a new print head for it. And there is a lot of good quality ink available for refilling with the German method. If I were in your situation, I would buy a new print head and a set of new Canon original cartridges (unless you already have a used set) and refill them.

Actually replacing the print head and cartridges in my iP4600 does not seem to make sense in the UK. A new print head for the iP4600 is 54, and a set of Canon cartridges is 31. I can buy a new iP4700 for less than this and get a years warranty as well.

As far as I am aware the iP4700 is a direct replacement for the iP4600 using the same cartridges. I can get a chip resetter for these cartridges for the iP4600, and I assume this will work just as well with the iP4700 - if I've misunderstood this can someone please let me know.

So at the moment, I'm considering getting a new ip4700 and refilling the OEM cartridges that come with it.

But can anyone can answer my original post and reassure me that refilling using the German method is fairly painless, even for a newbie?

Also does anyone have any other suggestions? Maybe there is an Epson or HP printer that would be as good and easier to refill than the Canon iP4600/4700, especially as I'm not printing photographs.

 

[on30trainman]

Actually it looks like the ip4600 and ip4700 also use the same printhead. If you can get the ip4700 for a good enough price it may be the better deal. Unless you are concerned with electrical problems with your ip4600 burning out a new printhead - the new printhead could be used in it. As far a ink cartridges - I think it is always good to have at least one spare of each color. Not the best idea to remove a cartridge for refilling and leave the printhead input open to the air. Have a refilled spare sitting ready to be installed. Refill the one from the printer when you have time.

Steve W.

Edit: The German refilling method is relatively painless. It may take a try or two (or so) until you are really comfortable - but that applies to any refilling method. Refilling costs about $1 US per cartridge against about $15 US for a new Canon OEM cartridge. Can't beat that kind of savings.

 

[DomtheMon]

I have spares but always refill the ones I am using. I use two printers side by side but tend to wait till both have finished then check them all and refill as necessary. This takes 5 minutes and they are then back in.

I use the refill from top of ink reservoir method, drill hole in top of tank, syringe ink in to refill (you need to put other hand in a plastic bag or disposable glove and hold the cartridge and hold finger over the outlet hole whilst you do this). Then plug the hole with rubber plugs. I never allow to run dry. This ensures the ink from the reservoir is always topped up, as I regularly check and don't rely on any indicated levels (I actually find it easier to disable the ink levels by letting the chip say it is empty (having already refilled) then accept the override warnings. That then means no ink levels show but it never nags you to reset the chips and you don't need a chip resetter. I have an ip4600 I have done this on and an ip4500 I reset the chips.... but to be honest as I check them after a defined number of passes (and experience has taught me what I can safely print without them running less than 25% full) and as I ignore the stated levels on the ink monitor from the chip, I personally don't value chip resetters. I also don't see why so many people refill through the sponge. I don't see how this is easier than my method which just constantly tops up the reservoir which feeds the sponge.

If you buy a generic refill kit from Tesco or Asda etc (I am in UK too) that gives you the plugs and the handy hand drill. Buy refill ink (Canon specific) from www.Phoenixdirectuk.co.uk, don't use the ink from the refill kit or be tempted to buy general ink from anywhere. You need to buy Canon pigmented black for the 520 cartridge and Canon dye black for the 521 black cartridge.

 

[FryingSaucer]

I have spares but always refill the ones I am using. I use two printers side by side but tend to wait till both have finished then check them all and refill as necessary. This takes 5 minutes and they are then back in.

I use the refill from top of ink reservoir method, drill hole in top of tank, syringe ink in to refill (you need to put other hand in a plastic bag or disposable glove and hold the cartridge and hold finger over the outlet hole whilst you do this). Then plug the hole with rubber plugs. I never allow to run dry. This ensures the ink from the reservoir is always topped up, as I regularly check and don't rely on any indicated levels (I actually find it easier to disable the ink levels by letting the chip say it is empty (having already refilled) then accept the override warnings. That then means no ink levels show but it never nags you to reset the chips and you don't need a chip resetter. I have an ip4600 I have done this on and an ip4500 I reset the chips.... but to be honest as I check them after a defined number of passes (and experience has taught me what I can safely print without them running less than 25% full) and as I ignore the stated levels on the ink monitor from the chip, I personally don't value chip resetters. I also don't see why so many people refill through the sponge. I don't see how this is easier than my method which just constantly tops up the reservoir which feeds the sponge.

If you buy a generic refill kit from Tesco or Asda etc (I am in UK too) that gives you the plugs and the handy hand drill. Buy refill ink (Canon specific) from www.Phoenixdirectuk.co.uk, don't use the ink from the refill kit or be tempted to buy general ink from anywhere. You need to buy Canon pigmented black for the 520 cartridge and Canon dye black for the 521 black cartridge.

Thanks for the information on ink supplies and refilling kits in the UK. I was not aware of these outlets.

What do you mean by a defined number of passes - number of sheets of paper? If this is so, how do you take account of the fact that the cartridges may run down at different rates? Or do you refill all at the same time?

Your refilling method appears quite easy, though most people on this forum seem to prefer the German method. Any comments from anyone on this?

 

[The Hat]

FryingSaucer..

Whichever method of refilling you use is really up to you as both have their own merits. Best way is to try out both and then decide which is for you. You can get refills from:- http://www.octoink.co.uk/ or try:- http://www.cityinkexpress.co.uk both has excellent quality ink. If you do a lot of printing you should get yourself a chip resetter, it will save you pounds in the long run

 

[DomtheMon]

I think my method is easy. What worries me about refilling through the sponge is how do you know how much ink to inject? As the new cartridges have a clear tank of ink that supplies the sponge then to me it is the logical way to do it, you are simply topping up the reservoir. This then feeds the sponge.

Yes by 'defined number of passes' I do mean that I do a set run (35 on ip4600 and 40 on ip4500) then top all the carts up (except any that are over 80-90% full still). I should say that I am doing a long (to me it is long but to others it wouldn't be!) run of 500 once every month, so am sitting near the printers doing the run of 500 full colour passes. So I print the 35/40, refill, set it off again etc etc. In between this monthly job my printing is minimal so when finished the ip4500 has a rest for 3 weeks or so, and the ip4600 (because it has a bottom cartridge feed so is neater to have sitting with the rear paper feed tray shut) is used to do the occasional invoice print or address label etc. I then refill before I start my main job again 3 or so weeks later.

In fairness to those recommending chip resetters, it is only because of the nature of my printing that I don't see the benefit - because I refill based on knowledge of cartridge range and I refill way before they are empty anyway as I find this gives me long (almost indefinate) cartridge life. Doing the long run I simply refill after each run of 35/40. The ink level monitor/chip resetting therefore is just an irritation to me on the ip4500. If I reset them and waited till it said empty, I would have an empty reservoir and therefore sponge would be drying out. I don't like to get to that stage, by keeping ink in the reservoir at all times keeps the sponge at afairly stable state and avoids any risk of printhead firing with no ink going to it (which is very bad news for the printhead!!!)

If I was using it normally then it would be more useful I guess, but I would still want to be refilling before it indicated the cartridge was empty. I guess most folks refill when getting the first warning of low ink, or at a pre-determined level showing on the on-screen ink level monitor?

Incidentally, I have four syringes pre-loaded with each dye ink (my PG pigment ink use is so minimal it doesn't warrant its own syringe, I just empty the dye ink one and use that) and these sit in a tray, such as you buy pre-packed meat in. This saves time rinsing and refilling for each colour.