Compatibles or original cartridges?

[noblues]

I have an Epson RX640 and am almost out of the warranty period, thinking of going back to using compatible cartridges ...

1) Is their any advantage to using orginal Epson's?

2) Does using compatibles cause clogging problems (threw my old Epson printer out after x years using compatibles after cleaning tubes blocked up ..).

3) Do compatibles fade over time?

4) Can anyone recommend a good compatible brand (seen Projet which look OK on reviews).

Thanks.

[bjkeates]

Personally I won't go anywhere near compatibles. Too many bad experiences. A couple of good printers I've had have been affected by them - not broken, as such, but the print quality has never been the same after using them.

If it's on the grounds of cost, there's plenty of websites which sell originals at much lower prices than your average high street store. Personally I think anyone who buys an ink cartridge from PC World is daft (unless it's urgent) - why go out and pay a ridiculously inflated cost when you can order one online for about half the price and have it delivered straight to your door the next day?

[noblues]

I've tried a few compatibles in the past ... and eventually found some good ones ... they seem to vary enourmessly in ink quality ...

The price diffeential is so huge,
A set of 6 original Epsons : £28
For that I could buy 30 compatibles .....

[Turn It Off]

I use Cartridges from Morrisons in my Epson printer. They do the job and I buy them with Luncheon Vouchers!! Top Dollar!

[P.Pilcher]

I always use original cartridges in my Epson printers - the ones supplied with the printer when new. Unlike some, I have never had a problem with compatible cartridges. At one time I refilled them myself, but it is too much hassle when you look at the price of compatible cartridges for Epsons these days, so I have given up and my drawer is still full of ink bottles, chip resetter and various hypodermic syringes.
If S.D. will permit me, I always go to http://www.tonezoneuk.com for such consumables.

P.P.

[eticket]

On an HP printer I have had lots of problems of compatibles not being recognised but for the last 10 months I have been using the ones on sale at T**co and have not had any problems. (I do understand from an HP press release that T**co ink fades a lot quicker than HP's does. Here is a link to a site (http://www.photographyblog.com/index.php/weblog/comments/refilled_ink_cartridges_fade_rapidly/) mentioning the press release. How valid the criticism is I couldn't say.)

On an Epson that I use for printing labels onto printable CDs I have yet to find a set of compatible cartridges that will work. They work fine on paper prints but when printing directly onto the white surface of the CDs only the Epson inks have ever worked properly for me.

[EGCC4284]

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[Basil]

Advertising!
I'd say it's fair comment within a helpful posting.

[noblues]

I've been running my Epson with ProJets now for a few months, work out around £1 each (ebay) ... I am amazed at the quality and they require less cleaning cycles than original ...

PS: this is advise not advertising! :rolleyes:

[Keef]

My Canon is, I think, the last model in its series where "compatibles" can be used. A friend who was impressed by mine bought a slightly later model, which has chips in the ink cartridges (for heaven's sake!). The printer rejects refilled cartridges, and we've not found a supplier of non-"genuine" ones. A set of cartridges costs more than the printer, so when the present lot run out, the printer goes in the skip and she's buying a colour laser (not a Canon, either!).

I've found a good supplier for compatibles for mine, and if anything they're better than the originals. I pay £3.95 each (the thing uses six) compared with a list price of something like £18 each for the "genuine" article. I can see why they wanted to put chips in!

[P.Pilcher]

Just out of interest, Ive just been on the phone to my printer. Before you get worried as to how you use a telephone to talk to your printer, I am referring to a gentleman who spends his days in an industrial unit supervisiing his two offset litho machines, his colour laser unit and his A3 Epson inkjet unit which he uses for very small runs, photographic blowups e.t.c.
"Original cartridges for Epsons mate?" He enquired: "What's one of those? I always use 'compatible' water based ink, which is all it is and occasionally have to tweak the colour balance to get spot on results. It's a competitive world out there: I can't afford to waste money on ink!"

P.P.

[Bushfiva]

You may want to ask your gentleman how long the ink lasts, and you may want to ask his customers how long they're expecting it to last. I've used third-party ink that appears to have the same life as original ink, and I've used ink that was clearly fading within 30 days. The price and brand was no indicator to the longevity.

[A2QFI]

Comment here on exactly this subject - from another forum
I've used compatibles for 11 years - the first printer I bought in May 1996 was a Canon BJC600e (cost £360 at Makro) and, apart from the original cartridges, I either refilled the four cartridges or used compatibles.
In November 2005 I bought an Epson R300, like the BJC600e able to do both text and photos (the latter its main design criteria).
Epson genuine cartridges are around £12 each and it takes six in total. The cost is obvious.
Instead, I pay around £4 per set of six compatibles from www.diskdepot.co.uk, buying several sets at a time to make the most of the delivery charge.
These compatible cartridges appear to be exactly the same as sold on e-Bay and some retail outlets at higher prices when compared side by side - the ones from the link given are badged Sumvision, of MP3 players and other computer products fame.
Epson printers are known for playing up if using poor quality inks, but mine has never given any trouble. It's an excellent printer but the Canon, build quality wise, was in a higher league.
My thoughts are that on the basis that 2 sets of makers cartridges equal the cost of a complete printer I suggest using compatibles and if they spoil your printer buy a new one.

[Keef]

Keef,

Not sure if it will help your friend or not but my Canon also has the chips on the carts, but if you disable the 'low ink' and 'not compatible' warnings, you can refill to your hearts content! :ok:

A useful tip - thanks!

Actually, she's over 70 and isn't going to want to mess about refilling - what she really wants is trouble-free printing without paying a fortune for cartridges. I think Canon have blown it with her. Her previous printer died of old age, but that used compatibles for all but the first few weeks of its life.

[P.Pilcher]

My (human) printer has assured me that he has never had a longevity problem with his inkjet ink. I haven't enquired of his source yet but I expect he buys in bulk and in very large quantities.

P.P.