Caution: I know that if something happens to your printer while under warranty that the manufacturer believes is related ot the ink used, and they discover you didn't use their brand ink....they won't cover it.
I think this is smoke and mirrors to keep you afraid and buying their $30 cartridges instead of a 3rd parties $10 cartridges....but I've had friends who have used off brand inking solutions and say they work just fine.
Thought I better caution you though.
Posted by Brian Snyder (Member # 41) on :
Its worth a shot. I've used no name ink cartridges from www.inkkeepers.com
In my Epson inkjet at home they have worked very well. They seen to empty more quickly than the OEM cartridges but at $3.00 a cartridge thats ok. I bought 2 sets of cartridges (CMYK) for the printer at the shop (its a Brother) and 5 out of 8 leaked. Thats when I found out their customer service sucked. Emails go unanswered for a month - voice mails get returned in a week. They finally sent a UPS call tag so I could return the bad cartridges but its been over a month and I am still waiting to see my credit card credited...
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Hi Brian,
Youch! That's kind of scary. Did the cartridges come from the linked company you show or someone else?
I've been getting cartridges from them for years, never had a problem. Even get them for the Epson Stylus 3000 at $9.50 for black, $10.50 for each color. OEM is $60 each.
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
I bought Staples ink for my Epson once.. I repeat ONCE. Never ever ever again. Printed a file that has always had a very red red. It came out peach/orange. Every day I had to do head cleaning at least 3 times because at least 1 cartridge would clog up. If the colors were remotely close, I still don't think I woulda been saving anything with the wasted ink during head cleaning.
Posted by faye welsh (Member # 2524) on :
don't use printpals...grrr. they arrived having leaked everyhere. both empty,one not even right style(canon),i emailed and never heard. i also bought refilled at wallymart, never again, also jill and i had a refill kit. just call us lucy and ethel.lol. more on us than in cartridges. funky colors... physcedilic colorama.... Posted by William DeBekker (Member # 3848) on :
I have tried Ink to go or somthing on that line and would never use a No Name again.. All they are doing is refilling old ones.. You can do the same thing if you want. They Leak didnt print worth a darn.
Posted by Dave Johnson (Member # 2535) on :
I've been refilling my Epson for a couple years with great results. I buy from PA Discount Inkjet Ink . They make sure you get the proper ink for you printer. Using the wrong ink can cause problems with jelling in the heads.
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
I bought cartridges for my encad NovaJet Pro 36 from Wallymart and really liked them.
Can anyone tell me where I might be able to buy ONLY the cartridge for an HP DesignJet 2500CP? I have a habit of letting it sit too long in between printing and the dried inks ruinthe cartridges. I am sitting here with bladders full of inks and no cartridges tht print decent.
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
with no problems! Especially, when you realize that Marty was using a couple ofcartriges a week in her biz!!!
Just my 2 cents worth.
[ February 13, 2004, 03:41 PM: Message edited by: Si Allen ]
Posted by paul bradshaw (Member # 4466) on :
I tried my first replacement cartridges from a company called megatoners out of new york , i think. There phone number is 1-800-489-0643. So far they seem to be working fine i had them with in a few days. web page Let me know if they work for you.
paul bradshaw Posted by Linda Schmidt (Member # 2337) on :
I used carrotink for years. They are great and have really good ink. When my Canon gave out and I still had a "carrot bunch" of unopened cartridges they gladly took them back and applied the credit to my next order. I don't use them anymore because all my printers are on a bulk ink system that is one of the best money savers around. Give carrot a try- www.carrotink.com Posted by Brian Snyder (Member # 41) on :
Todd- Yes, they were from inkkeepers.com I'll never use them again. If only 1 cartridge out of 10 was bad I could deal with it because they were only $3.00 each. But 5 bad ones out of 8 and I feel like I am getting ripped off. If their customer service was respectible and they'd "do the right thing" I'd have felt better about it.
Posted by Bob Ficucell (Member # 1460) on :
I have a Epson 760, I buy my cartridges on Ebay, and pay about $2.95 for a $18 cartridge, and it works fine.
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
An unknown fact. In some states it is illegal to deny warranty on a product if it fails. Whether you use their ink or not.
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Wow, haven't been in to check this in a few days. Great deal of responses, for and against certain 3rd party inks....I can see where you would have to be cautious.
I'll have to think this one through...
Posted by Stephen Broughton (Member # 2237) on :
This is a link to a british company that make cartridges and sell them in the US, I've been using their cartridges and refill kits for about the past 6 years and never had a problem, don't ask me about prices as the factory is in my town so I just buy them direct, but they sell well all over the UK in computer stores and the big supermarkets too.
[ February 16, 2004, 04:45 AM: Message edited by: Stephen Broughton ]
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Joe Endicott -
After looking around, I chose to order a couple black and color cartridges from the Tyler Company.
The reasons were:
1.) All three of their inkjet offerings are from ISO 9001 approved plants, which to me ensures a good level of quality procedures and reputable company.
2.) One brand was made in the USA, and I always choose to support American made goods when I can.
I'll give you an update after I have tried them. I will be using them in my Epson 1280 printer. I currently have about 3 color and 3 black cartridges of Epson Brand.
But I go through these quickly and I think I'll slip in the USA brand to see how they go.
I simply couldn't believe the price! $7 for color and $6 for black and white. That is a huge savings! I go through dozens of these things a year with my job.
Our accountant will be loving this if it pans out.
Thanks for all the replies and have a great, successful and uplifting day!
[ February 16, 2004, 04:08 PM: Message edited by: Todd Gill ]
Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
Thanks! Just ordered from Tyler Martin too! Hey, maybe we can convince them to be Letterheads Merchants!? Steve & Barb, are you listening?
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Update! I just received a personal note from Rex Price, President and CEO of Tyler Martin Co....the company Jane and I ordered ink jet cartridges from.
Mr. Price thanked me for filling out the "Where did you hear about us" portion of the online order form and mentioning I heard it at a Signmakers forum....Jane must have filled it out with the Letterheads address.
Anyway, Rex was very nice, thanked me for my order and made mention of checking out Letterheads and had a possible interest in becoming a merchant if there was interest here.
Very nice to get a reply from the owner of a company. Mr. Reed reiterated their dedication to providing the best product available .... so I fully expect to receive top notch cartridges at an affordable price.
I'll keep everyone posted on how these cartridges work with my Epson.
Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
Same note here! The fact that the owner of the company responded, and so quickly, only makes me think that this guy has got a desire to do good business! Todd & I will keep you all posted....
Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
Here's an update! Got a note from Todd Gill that he was having trouble with his printer. We tried the Tyler-Martin cartridges. We had so many problems last week that we shut our printer down, pulled the old printer out of the back room and hooked it up. Our printer started printing streaky about a month ago and one day when we tried to print is just refused to do anything. I figures it was 3+ years old and it had just run it's course but when I got this note from Todd and the symptoms sounded almost identical, I began to wonder if the cheaper cartridges might have been the death of my machine. Any body else had this problem too? Todd, jump right in here.....
Posted by roger bailey (Member # 556) on :
Interesting topic Todd, especially the "smoke and mirrors" comment. But are you not saying here to "go against the manufacturers info," kind of contridictory to ward the statements you have recently made about me, don't you think?
Roger
Posted by Joe Endicott (Member # 628) on :
Let's PLEASE not turn this topic into a rehash of recent crap!!!
I would hate to think you had problems because of the cartridges from a company I recommended. I still have not had any trouble. I just got some more cartridges last week.
Have you contacted them regarding the problem? I would be interested to see what they say.
Posted by TransLab (Member # 470) on :
Only inkjet I have is hp3500 and the only time I found the ink expensive was when I tried 'cheap' ink. Amount of time and materials wasted was way more than the difference in price of the cheaper inks and the 'oem product.
If you find desktop inkjet getting too expensive, you should look into getting a color laser. There are some great deals out there and the operating cost per page is much less than inkjet.
Posted by Checkers (Member # 63) on :
Mike, you said it better than I could. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. I would suggest that you spend more time worrying about how to make yourself more productive and efficient and less about saving a few dollars here and there by cutting corners. You'll find that you become a lot more profitable with more free time on your hands to do more things that you enjoy - like hanging out here and becoming a resident
Havin' fun,
Checkers
Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
Please note that this post started back in February. We told you we would keep you updated and we did. No, I have not had time to call the company that we got the ink from. I intend to. Just wanted you to know that Todd & I both had trouble with these cartridges and don't know if it is "their fault" or not, just seems like a coincidence that both printers did about the same thing. Take it or leave it. I hate paying almost $100 to buy new ink for my printer but I think I will have to in the future.
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
just this minute got back from Costco with my 3 pack HP inks for $72 (2 color cartridges, 1 black)
I hate spending that kind of money too... but I remember when I was printing black & white layout proofs & stapling vinyl swatchs on to identify colors.
I should be charging enough for the modern level of service... or not offering it.
I did try one of those refill kits... somehow got C in the M, M in the Y & Y in the K... & I'm a fairly careful guy & didn't spill ink on top... anyway, I gave up on that idea.
Posted by Joe Endicott (Member # 628) on :
Jane, just to clarify...in my previous post, The first line of frustration was directed at the post by Roger right before me.
I am genuinely concerned about the problem you guys seem to be having with the inks...especially since I recommended them to you, and have recommended them to others as well. I am not trying to imply that the ink could not be the problem, just stating that I have not encountered any problems so far....but then I don't have the same model printer as you.
I hope you find the problem, and I hope it isn't the ink...please keep me posted.
Thanks.
Posted by Bob Stephens (Member # 858) on :
I just replaced all four of my ink cartridges in my Epson C84 at about a $100.00 Might seem expensive to some but those last four cartridges turned out a few color renderings for jobs I sold worth over $70k.
Not a bad investment if you ask me. Oh and I tried the cheap third party inks on my large format Epson. Total disaster. I should have known better after all these years, you get what you pay for.
Posted by Myra Grozinger (Member # 327) on :
I buy mine on e-bay. I have an HP Bus inkjet 2200 - and the cartridges are 34 bucks per color at Office depot. I get them on e-bay, and have a replacement cartridge of the proper kind, in all four colors, unexpired, in abeyance, at all time.
I can forego one that gets too expensive in the bidding, there will be a next one to come along. I end up getting them at half price counting shipping almost all the time.
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
Years ago I wasted money on a 'remanufactured' cartridge which was hopelessly streaky. Other than that one time, I've nearly always used generic brands for epson & canon printers, as well as refilling them myself-with no problems except occasional blocked jets,which have been fixable on the canon, but not lately on the epson which also suffers old age(?) (6 yrs) and they may be my fault due to using nongenuine cartridges- who knows?
[ June 29, 2004, 06:34 AM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
I have e-mailed this post to Tyler-Martin so we will see if we get a response....
Posted by Dusty Campbell (Member # 4601) on :
I was buying oem cartridges for my Epson Stylus CX3200 at about 65-70 bucks for both color and black. It was getting rather expensive(two trips to the store one week), so I googled up atlanticinkjet.com. I got good service, good ordering experience, quick shipping. I went for the refill myself option, so I ordered a chip resetter, 4 syringes(which I labeled so no contamination), and ink. Works great. I still get the same small problems, like having to clean the heads if it's been sitting a couple of days, but actually less than with oem. The only other problem I had was that the resetter doesn't always work the first time(which the instructions warned about, so I knew what to do). All the colors come out perfectly, and I can refill all colors way faster than going to the store. There you are, one more opinion.
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Sorry,
Been out of town R&R'ing.
Jane is correct in describing the problem we encountered.
We both purchased these cartridges after visiting Tyler Martin's site AND I personally talked to their customer service people before purchasing the ink to ensure that it was EXACTLY like the OEM product. They said it was....and the USA brand I purchased (and I believe the other two brands they offer) are advertised as being ISO 9001 certified manufacturing processes. I figured if it works for Toyota, it should render something as "simple" as an ink jet cartridge with award winning quality.
I am now not conviced of this as Jane has stated.
The product started out printing wonderfully...you couldn't tell the Epson from the USA brand. The ink cartridges were almost identical, the packaging was top notch, had the removable cellephane strips....very nicely done as far as visuals go.
Now, I can't totally put the blame on Tyler Martin, although I have my suspicions. My Epson 1280 is 2 1/2 years old and I print tabloid or larger prints in full color like probably no one else on this board. I have discovered in the past that the time period mentioned above is about all I could ever expect to get out of my ink jet printers. This has been my experience anyway.
Epson and Hp and the like aren't really in the business of selling printers....they're in the business of selling consumables: Ink and paper at exhorbitant prices.
Now, when a company guarantees a product to be of equal or better quality than the original...in this case an inkjet cartridge....you take them at their word. Sometimes you get burned.
But sorry Rog....you're not really talking apples to apples when you're talking about replacement parts verses application instructions.
Replacement parts in many industries are equal to or better than OEM originals. Certain car parts are a good example. Compare OEM GM brake pads to aftermarket Bosch....no contest. Same goes for rotors.
I view an inkjet cartridge as being a replacement "part". Epson doesn't really tell you what to expect except to give you a vague warning which I believed was an attempt to keep you lining their pockets with their consumable market.
I could have made a mistake in trying this. Funny, it worked great for a while. I can't really imagine why all of a sudden it changed.
And the really weird thing is....after letting it sit for a couple days and trying it again before I went out of town....several prints printed with no problems at all. I think I may be experiencing some intermittent problems which seem to be the precursor to the printer (heads) just being plain worn out.
I am toying with the idea of going HP as their print cartridges give you a new "head" with each cartridge.
For the record....TylerMartin told me they would refund my purchases if I sent the cartridges back....but heck with that....I just don't want to bother with it.
Maybe I should have been a little more skeptical when I saw they also advertise "quick weight loss pills" on the same site they sell printer supplies. What's the tie-in there?????
Posted by roger bailey (Member # 556) on :
Its so amazing how "when you do it, its not the same".
But hey,I have grown to expect different treatment cause I'm not considered a letterhead,. Oh well.
Roger the salesman
Posted by roger bailey (Member # 556) on :
Pretty lame excuse Todd, don't you think? Course not, your a letterhead !
Roger
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
In this case Roger, TylerMartin would be taking on the role of the "person" suggesting an alternate method be used instead of following the manufacturer's warranty to a "T".
I, on the other hand, would be the consumer hoping to get equal quality as advertised by Tyler Martin in addition to saving a buck.
"You get what you pay for" does not always apply. If it did, I challenge everyone who likes to bandy this cliche around to pay sticker price for the next new car they purchase - - NO NEGOTIATION. Because trying to attain a car at a price other than full retail diminishes you as a "professional" and is unfair to the manufacturer. Plus, the time you waste in negotiating a price could be better spent making signs.
Following is the applicable "What this warranty does not cover" portion of the Epson warranty:
"This warranty does not cover damage to the Epson product caused by parts or supplies not manufactured, distributed or certified by Epson. This warranty does not cover ribbons, ink cartridges or third party parts, components, or peripheral devices added to the Epson product after ist's shipment from Epson."
So Roger, Epson does not recommend against using third party cartridges and they do not say that if you attempt this, that that fact in and of itself will void your warranty. They just [rightly] say that IF the printer is determined to have been damaged by use of third party supplies/components that they will render the warranty void and null.
They do not make a statement anywhere that expressly says YOU CANNOT use third party cartridges because THEY WILL damage the printer. They do not go this far because they probably CAN'T as some of the higher end inkjet cartridge replacement solutions are probably viable alternatives.
Now, I SUSPECT that the Tyler Martin USA brand cartridges have caused a problem with my inkjet printer. Suspicion is different than fact, and I have no way of scientifically proving the problem as a mechanical failure on the part of the [Epson]inkjet printer or an incompatability with the USA brand replacement cartridges.
My gut feeling is that the cartridges are to blame. Yet, my printing woes are sporadic now....TylerMartin claims they get very few complaints on these cartridges but does offer to replace or refund them.
So what Jane and I are conveying is to be very cautious before purchasing these.....and be aware that we both had problems that coincedence or not coincided with the purchase of these cartridges. Heads up "heads".
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
Jane?? $100 for 2 replacement cartriges??? Boy are you getting ripped off!
We have been using their inks fo years...and no problems!
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
I dont think the problems here are related to the ink cartidges as much as they're related to the fact it's an EPSON printer.
I had bought a very nice epson but it didnt last long at all, maybe 5 months. The 5700 some-odd printhead DPI and tiny droplet sizes leant the printheads on that particular model to some big time clogging, so bad that the printer would have to be shipped to Epson for them to repair it, and not covered under warranty. I had only used Epson inks in that printer, by the way.
Screw that! I tossed that $300 printer into the trash (shipping and repair costs didn't warrant the repairs) and *despite* my hatred for HP, I bought one of theirs. It's been flawless.
I sell 8x10 prints at $20-$30 a crack and I get so many prints from a set of OEM inks the cost is virtually negligible.
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
I've had my Epson C80 for over 2 years. I tried non-epson inks once. That is the only time I've had any problems with it. "OFF" doesn't begin to describe the colors coming out of it and that was after I ran the cleaning cycle several times to get any ink out. Even letting it sit just a few hours before printing again meant several cleaning cycles. Flung the cartridges in the garabge, put real epsons back in and haven't had any problems since. Paying a few extra $ for cartridges is worth it to me after that experience.
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Thanks for the replies. It's so hard to tell whether it's the printer or the cartridges...the chicken or the egg, so to speak.
On one hand, there have been several people happy with third party cartridges, and on the other hand...several people like Kissy that have had poor results with third party cartridges.
It could be the difference between cartridge manufacturers (third party ones)or it might be as Kissy suggests, best to stick with the originals and avoid the quandry altogether.
Posted by Steve Shortreed (Member # 436) on :
The desire to get something for free or at a great savings is not just limited to Letterheads Roger. I'm pretty sure all of us have tried fixing our own cars, appliances and other devices in an effort to save the money hiring a pro involves.
Sometimes we are actually successful, and other times we just end up creating bigger problems and more cost. As professionals, we have a certain amount of distain for those who fail to recognize our talants and make their own signs.
We're all guilty and its not going to change. This is one of those things we can talk about forever, yet change nothing. The point I am trying to make is that Letterheads are people first, and subject to all the good and bad traits all humans share.
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Very well said Steve. The analogies make perfect sense.
Here's a self-effacing example:
Some time ago I dropped a computer when coming down the stairs into my office. Of course it bounced wildly down the stairs like a rickshaw careening down an alley.
It stopped after it had lodged itself into my drywall.
I spent about two weeks screwing around trying to repair it myself. I finally had it done to near perfection, when a piece of masking tape along the ceiling/wall fell down and stuck onto the newly painted wall. When I tried to peel it up, it took a strip of the paint and primer with it....exposing the bare drywall. Obviously, something wasn't prepared correctly .
I finally relented and called in a professional and he had it completed and ready to paint in three days.
Now there is a case where I could have saved a lot of time, money and aggravation by hiring a pro in the first place.
But, I like doing home improvement stuff, and really wanted to give this a shot. I thought patching a small section wouldn't be too difficult as I had originally done all the drywall when building my office...and it came out pretty nice. But patches are a little different...tougher to blend in to adjacent wall panels I discovered. But if a guy is willing to try...that's a good thing.
Sometimes doing things yourself, or finding a viable alternative which saves money is a very rewarding experience. And if you are willing to learn and try new things, you will most likely have more successes than failures.
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Update: After letting my printer set for a couple weeks while I was on vacation....I printed a couple of tabloid size prints after doing a few cleaning cycles and now they're printing fabulous again??!!
I must have had a piece of fuzz or something dragging those hairlines across the page....I'll see how this goes.
Maybe it wasn't the ink cartridges after all. Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
Haha Todd. I can relate.
I have long hair and shed constantly. I think it's just more noticeable because the hairs are long. Anyway, every once in a I print something and get a wierd looking ink pattern/smudge on it. Open the print cover, remove the hair & it's A-OK again.
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Yeah, maybe I need to dust more often.
Well I'm going to keep on printing with my Epson and see how it goes. I was hours away from picking up a new HP 9650 at CompUSA. Saved the company some $$.
Posted by Jack Keith (Member # 4499) on :
OK, I'm sure no one needs me to weigh in on this topic but I couldn't resist dropping m my two cents. I have used both Epson and HP printers for several years. I have only used non-oem type cartridges twice. When I used them in a year-old Epson , the print heads went out before I finished the cartridges. Don't know if that was happenstance or not but it sure made me suspicious. When I used them in a HP the quality was so poor I yanked em and went back to HP. I am now using an Epson 2200 and buy oem cartridges from www.atlex.com at $8.90 a pop. Small price to pay for consistent quality. I consider my time to be more wisely spent producing work for pay rather than tinkering with equipment. The only thing I would consider other than oem cartridges is a Lyson bulk ink conversion (http://www.lyson.com) whose system is used by a lot of photographers and so has a proven track record.
Just my 2¢... Jack "Did I spel that write?"
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
I spoke with folks at Tyler and the company Si mentioned, and ordered from the latter. The man at that business was more knowledgeable than anyone I've spoken with on that subject and they're two days shipping closer to me and the same price. Thank you Si!
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Rick, will you do me a favor and let me know how their product works out for you? And let me know the brand you chose as well. Thanks Rick.
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
my last home-refilled cartridges were a disaster and 'inexplicably' printed terribly.(they wereon their fourth refill), but putting new generic brand ones ("Fullmark") in got it back on track perfectly, thank goodness, and no operator- scheduled cleaning cycle was needed. (edit a typo)
[ July 15, 2004, 10:22 PM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
Todd, I'm pleasantly using the first of the generically labeled refilled cartridges I received from them. "Compatible Inkjet Cartridge" is what it reads on the package.
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Thanks Rick....by the way, which printer are you using?
Posted by Mindy Cassingham (Member # 4802) on :
There is a company based down in Moab Utah, really nice people - superior service too.
They specialize in photo printers and large format inkjets.
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[FYI]](graemlins/fyi.gif)
![[Applause]](graemlins/clap.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Dunno]](graemlins/dunno.gif)
Take it or leave it. I hate paying almost $100 to buy new ink for my printer but I think I will have to in the future.
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Embarrassed]](redface.gif)
.![[Confused]](confused.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)