DIY Or Not DIY – Ink Cartridge Refills
Due to the recent economy, lots of people are looking for ways to stretch budgets and cut costs. In some cases, there are less expensive alternatives for getting the same results. One way that a lot of people are cutting costs is by using replacement versions of ink cartridges. There are still plenty of people out there who simply purchase brand name cartridges and recycle them or even just throw them away. Most however, have caught the refillable trend and are saving hundreds of dollars annually (some businesses save in the thousands).
By refilling an ink cartridge, you can extend the life of an ink cartridge inexpensively. In addition to that, there’s more than one option for refilling your cartridges: by yourself, or through a service. Which method is better? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each to find out.
Do it Yourself: Refill kits for most any cartridge may be found online or in an office supply store. Most kits have enough ink to refill a single cartridge as many as 3 times, and most cartridges can withstand being filled between 4 and 8 times before really going bad. One important thing to note is that a cartridge should be refilled before they are completely empty to avoid having too much dried ink blocking the nozzle. This is to avoid gummy, dried out ink in your ink cartridges.
One important thing to note is that the refill kit has to be compatible with your exact ink cartridge, or it might not work quite right. Not only are refill kits priced well, often between $15 and $25, but you can fill them up as soon as you need to right from home. Refilling your own cartridges isn’t without disadvantages. You risk spilling messy ink, filling the cartridge too full, or even damaging the nozzle on the cartridge (or worse, on the printer) while refilling. Clogs caused by air bubbles due to incorrect refilling is a common problem as well.
Refill Services: Refill services can refill your cartridges by mail for less than you would imagine. You can simply purchase a package deal, send away a few cartridges at a time, then your service will refill them and send them back to you. Even though refilling your ink cartridges through a service can cost more, you can be assured that the service will do it correctly, and that they will be able to avoid common mistakes in the process. As well, upon completion of refilling, the cartridge is tested to ensure it will function. That’s one thing you can’t do yourself without risking the cartridge, or worse, the printer.
In truth, we should all be doing our part. Refilling ink cartridges, in some small way, helps the environment. Fewer empty ink cartridges in landfills is a good thing. As it turns out, after looking at both options, it seems like it might be worth the extra money to have experts do it. While it might require a trip to the store and some waiting time, it’s better than making a mess only to have the cartridge work incorrectly.
Steve McDowell dabbles in research for a lot of fields. One of them is ink cartridges. He’s glad to be here today to spread what he has learned in this area. – [ Don't pay Full Price! Get Inkjet Cartridges HALF OFF here! ]
