What's the deal with refilling printer ink cartridges?

does the refilled cartridge really last as long/ work as well as a new one? how much money do you usually save by refilling instead of buying new? can any type of printer ink cartridge be refilled? thanks for any info!What's the deal with refilling printer ink cartridges?
Honestly, refilling your own ink cartridges is not worth the trouble. I have refilled many an ink cartridge in my day. While you'll save about 50% over genuine replacements, it's not worth the aggravation. Depending on the type of cartridge you're refilling, you could need a chip resetter. And even then there is always the risk that your printer won't recognize the cartridge. Typically after 3 refills the failure rate increases too.





Instead I always buy remanufactured cartridges for my HP printer. Basically these are cartridges that have been professionally refilled, and they cost 35-50% less than genuine replacements. Compatible or generic cartridges are another option you might want to explore too. I'd definitely give compatibles or remanufactured cartridges a shot before getting into refilling your own.





There are several good articles on Castle Ink that address the different cartridge options: http://www.castleink.com/_inkjet_article鈥?/a>





You may want to check out the ';Refilling Ink Cartridges'; section. Hope this helps.What's the deal with refilling printer ink cartridges?
Not all cartridges can be refilled easily or at all. The quality of the print depends somewhat on the refill ink used and the method used to refill. I've used products for HP, Canon, and Epson from http://inksupply.com before with good to great results (Some Epson cartridges can be a PITA to refill.)





I'd suggest taking a look to see if your particular cartridge is listed, and look at the online instructions for refilling.





Unless you are using at least 2 or 3 sets of cartridges per year, refilling probably won't make sense... Even a small refill kit will do that many refills, but if you are only needing one set per year, it's more likely that your current printer will end up ';dead'; before you use up all the ink you'll get in a refill kit.