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How to buy cartridges wisely Probably you have noticed that the printers are not so expensive especially compared to the price of the cartridges they use. That is because the OEM manufacturers (The OEM manufacturer is a company like HP, Canon, Lexmark, etc that produces the printer itself.) make money from the printer cartridges, not from the printer itself. We believe that there are certain things that can be done to significantly reduce the price you pay for you cartridge. First of all we’ll try to give you some information about the existing alternatives to OEM (Original Equipment Manufacture) cartridges. Compatible Cartridges Compatible cartridges are brand new cartridges, containing only new components, produced by other companies (not the OEM’s manufacturers). They are significantly cheaper than the brand-name cartridges; their prices are between 75%-35% of the price of the OEM cartridges. Compatible cartridges are manufactured to meet the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacture) specifications. Each printer cartridge is carefully researched, manufactured and tested. So Compatible cartridges are brand new cartridges, containing only new components. Like the other alternatives, for which we will talk later, using them in your printer does not void the printer's warranty. (For additional information why the warranty is not voided click here). The bad news is that not for all cartridges exist compatible cartridges, the good news is that you can use remanufactured cartridge that in most cases offer even bigger savings. Remanufactured Cartridges Remanufactured cartridges have been recycled (so they are not brand new) to meet or exceed Original Equipment Manufacturer specifications. The recycling and remanufacturing process involves inspecting, disassembling, cleaning, replacing worn out parts, reassembling, refilling the toner or ink, and testing. The prices are 70%-30% of the prices of the OEM cartridges. Using them in your printer will not void the manufacturer warranty. (For additional information why the warranty is not voided click here.) The next way to save money is to use refilled cartridges: Refilled Cartridges Most of the cartridges are almost as good as new after they run out of ink or toner, they are ready to start print except… they do not have ink. So by just adding new ink they are good to be used again and again. Adding new ink can be done in 2 ways: 1. For a price that is a fraction of the price of you cartridge you can refill it yourself. All you’ll need is a refill kit for your cartridge. Before rushing to buy refill kits be informed that the process is pretty messy and though it is the cheapest way to have your printer running again we do recommend using compatible cartridges, remanufactured cartridges or professional refilling (see below) instead. 2. You can send your cartridge for professional refilling which will be the more cost effective compared to buying compatible cartridge or remanufactured cartridge. You can find links on this site to places that offer such a service, just make sure your cartridge is in the list (These Web sites have lists of the cartridges they can refill). The advantage for you will be that your cartridge will be not only refilled but also cleaned and tested before you get it back. |