I have a brand new Epson Stylus CX5400 multifunctional unit.

I was looking for opinions regarding compatible cartridges vs. epson
cartridges.

My main use of the unit is documents and my main concern is whether the
compatible cartridges can f**k up the print heads. If they can then I would
rather spend the money and get the real thing.

All input is appreciated in advance,

Devraj

devraj50 <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:A7uEb.19688$F22.4881@lakeread02...
> I have a brand new Epson Stylus CX5400 multifunctional unit.
>
> I was looking for opinions regarding compatible cartridges vs. epson
> cartridges.
>
> My main use of the unit is documents and my main concern is whether the
> compatible cartridges can f**k up the print heads. If they can then I
would
> rather spend the money and get the real thing.
>
> All input is appreciated in advance,
>
> Devraj

My Epson C60 was working beautifully, then I started buying replacement ink
from an office chainstore in the UK. Originally the photo output was so
good, I couldn't believe the printer had only cost £30. Then the colour
started going weird, then the black stopped, I bought new cheap black carts
( I think I was giving a sick person poison to cure them), it just went
downhill from there. I'm sitting here now, with a pile of letters and
projects to do, looking at a piece of worthless plastic.

I've only bought the one brand of cheaper refill (staples) and other makes
may be wonderful. I'm now wondering if other people end up blaming the
printer, when the ink has been the main cause of the problem. If
manufacturers are putting out such rubbish machines that fail so easily,
then it's a silent scandal that needs addressing- on the other hand if it's
the ink then they or their resellers should be made aware of this. If it was
mobile phones, it wouldn't be tolerated if they failed to function about
like some printers seem to.

james


>
>

"James Young" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>My Epson C60 was working beautifully, then I started buying replacement ink
>from an office chainstore in the UK. Originally the photo output was so
>good, I couldn't believe the printer had only cost £30. Then the colour
>started going weird, then the black stopped, I bought new cheap black carts
>( I think I was giving a sick person poison to cure them), it just went
>downhill from there. I'm sitting here now, with a pile of letters and
>projects to do, looking at a piece of worthless plastic.

Unlike HPs and some other brands, Epson printers have semi-permanent print heads
that do not get replaced with the ink cart. If you damaged the print heads with
unsuitable ink, going back to Epson ink is unlikely to fix the problem. The cost
of replacing the heads will far exceed the cost of a new printer. Fortunately,
£30 is not a high price to pay (as compared with some of the more expensive
Epsons).

James Young wrote:
(snip)
> If it was mobile phones, it wouldn't be tolerated if they failed to
> function about like some printers seem to.

I respectfully disagree. I know lots of "connected" people who continue
to pay big per-month charges for their flipper service while raging
about all the places where the silly things can't connect.

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 18:21:18 -0000, "James Young"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote something
.......and in reply I say!:

OOI, how many "real" carts did you run through vefore you started
buying others? I am not arguing with your experience (it actually
matches mine :-<), but if you had only used one or two genwines then a
problem _may_ have been developing already.

I went into OPs after the supplied cart ran out, so I cannot test
this. So I am asking with the intent of learning.

Have I toadied enough to not sound like I am attacking your theory?
<G>

>My Epson C60 was working beautifully, then I started buying replacement ink
>from an office chainstore in the UK. Originally the photo output was so
>good, I couldn't believe the printer had only cost £30. Then the colour
>started going weird, then the black stopped, I bought new cheap black carts
>( I think I was giving a sick person poison to cure them), it just went
>downhill from there. I'm sitting here now, with a pile of letters and
>projects to do, looking at a piece of worthless plastic.

**************************************************** sorry
remove ns from my header address to reply via email

I was frightened by the idea of a conspiracy that was
causing it all.
But then I was terrified that maybe there was no plan,
really. Is this unpleasant mess all a mistake?

"devraj50" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I have a brand new Epson Stylus CX5400 multifunctional unit.
>
>I was looking for opinions regarding compatible cartridges vs. epson
>cartridges.
>
>My main use of the unit is documents and my main concern is whether the
>compatible cartridges can f**k up the print heads. If they can then I would
>rather spend the money and get the real thing.
>
>All input is appreciated in advance,
>
>Devraj
>

We can know what that at least some third party inks ARE inferior.
How?
On the www.wilhelm-research.com/ site there is much information on
inks in general. Also there you will find a current and specific PDF
article printed in September of 2003 where third party inks were
tested. This article may be found at www.wilhelm-research.com/ and
http://tinyurl.com/xy59 will take you right to the article but you
must have adobe reader installed to read it. This is a free program
available here http://tinyurl.com/6ip . Wilhelm mentions the specific
inks he compared. The brands tested were from:

1. Amazon Imaging
2. Carrot Ink
3. OA100 (PrintPal)
4. Rainbow logo (a white box with nothing on it except for a rainbow
logo)
5. Canon
6. Epson (information on these last two inks may have been drawn from
previous testing)

As many on Usenet have pointed out many times, you pay your money and
make a choice. The manufacturers ink cost more but items including:

1. Color balance
2. Print longevity
3. Head clogging

are _ALWAYS_ better with the manufacturers own ink. If these items
are not as important to you as cost then, of course, that is certainly
your choice.

YMMV and many will cite anecdotal evidence to the contrary. However,
until someone presents _ACTUAL TEST DATA_ to refute Wilhelm test data
(not anecdotal evidence) then I will trust his site. I tried third
party inks with my Epson and even reported good results here. Except
for color balance, which had to be drastically changed, I thought they
were OK. After using the ink a while, I noticed that even with color
adjustment, the prints did not have the same color balance as Epson
inks. I also had some trouble with head clogging with one set of these
inks. Based on personal experience and testing by
www.wilhelm-research.com/

Personally, I will stick with ink from the manufacturer.

On Tue, 23 Dec 2003 16:55:54 GMT, Richard
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>"devraj50" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
snippped
>>
>
>As many on Usenet have pointed out many times, you pay your money and
>make a choice. The manufacturers ink cost more but items including:
>
>1. Color balance
>2. Print longevity
>3. Head clogging
>
>are _ALWAYS_ better with the manufacturers own ink.

All good points---I was with you until you used the word "ALWAYS"
above. I doubt if such a statement can be substantiated
**************************
Mark Herring, Pasadena, Calif.
Private e-mail: Just say no to "No".