Anyone use non-Canon brand ink in Canon Printers?

[monkeyboy311]

I know its recommended to use Canon brand ink in their printers, but does it really make a difference? Ive read a number of reviews on Amazon and Buy.com, and the cheap ink has bad reviews.

Main question, is cheap ink exactly what it is, cheap?

 

[Rottie]

I have used non-canon brand ink on my printer all the times i don't see any difference and it still running for 6 years now. Canon wants you to pay expensive one.

 

[Zepper]

I also use only 3rd party ink. The current set of tanks in my iP3000 came from USAInkjet on eBay at $12. a set of 4 shipped. If they can't persuade me that they have improved them since the set I now have (definitely less intense colors than the originals), I'll be switching to tanks from http://www.swiftink.com . I don't want just cheap, I also want tanks equal to the OEM ones. Too bad the dang things last so long - the originals lasted over 4 months (which included Christmas card printing) and these USA tanks are hardly down much after a couple of months of use.

.bh.

 

[monkeyboy311]

Originally posted by: Zepper
I'll be switching to tanks from http://www.swiftink.com . I don't want just cheap, I also want tanks equal to the OEM ones.

Have you seen any reviews for this site?

 

[Zepper]

No, but the guy that runs the site is an ATF denizen.

.bh.

 

[monkeyboy311]

Originally posted by: Zepper
No, but the guy that runs the site is an ATF denizen.

.bh.

Whats that?

 

[trickytraka]

I did for a while.. the were ok...

but now I use the original ones because the price difference if you get 5 x blacks and 5 x colour is not that great ... and the quality is definately better!

 

[Zepper]

Oh, sorry, looks like you're a relative noob here... ATF is short for the AnandTech Forums - denizen means one who skulks around a place or lives in da hood. IOW the guy that runs swiftink is a member here and wouldn't want to soil his own nest by selling subpar products, so to speak.

.bh.

 

[monkeyboy311]

Originally posted by: Zepper
Oh, sorry, looks like you're a relative noob here... ATF is short for the AnandTech Forums - denizen means one who skulks around a place or lives in da hood. IOW the guy that runs swiftink is a member here and wouldn't want to soil his own nest by selling subpar products, so to speak.

.bh.

LOL

Thanks for the reply. The only ATF that I knew of till now was the The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

 

[wseyller]

aftermarket canon ink consumables are one of the most easiest to remanufacturer, so not to many have problems.

 

[monkeyboy311]

Originally posted by: wseyller
aftermarket canon ink consumables are one of the most easiest to remanufacturer, so not to many have problems.

do they all of the prism system on the bottom that says when the ink is low?

 

[Macro2]

RE:"do they all of the prism system on the bottom that says when the ink is low?"

The ones with the BCI-3 and 6 carts do and those are the printers you should be buying if you do any amount of printing.

As for ink...Rainbow is ok. They use OCP ink from Germany. BUT I think Scencient-Formulabs is better ink and arrowjet uses that ink.
I dunno what ink USA Brand uses but the results are good.

When you're ready to buy I'll tell you where to get these. really good prices.

Yes, the ink does matter. Particularly the magenta.

 

[GoatHerderEd]

buy canon.

 

[nealh]

it depends on what you are going to use the prints for.... in my canon s820 I only use canon ink since I do pics supposedly last longer

in my older HP930..mostly text I refill with a kit from Costco

 

[Rottie]

Originally posted by: monkeyboy311

Originally posted by: wseyller
aftermarket canon ink consumables are one of the most easiest to remanufacturer, so not to many have problems.

do they all of the prism system on the bottom that says when the ink is low?

yes

 

[LED]

I go where Zepper does...no problems.

 

[Cheesetogo]

Have you guys seen the prices on the dell cartriges? THey run like 50-60 dollars each! Do they last any longer, and are their other brands that make cartriges for thier printers?

 

[Rottie]

I forgot..I have stopped using non-brand canon ink I have started using re-fill ink and it saves me more money.

 

[monkeyboy311]

Does Swiftink have any specials right now? I need Canon i860 ink.

 

[Zepper]

Not that I know of - $5. a tank has been the price for a while. but with the price of oil still going up, it probably won't be long before we see an increase in ink tank prices.

.bh.

 

[Zepper]

Dell had Lexmark modify the carts for their printers so the only place you could get carts for Dell is from Dell. I've heard that you can pop the top off the Dell carts and switch the top with the common Lexmark carts and they will fit then. What a PITA - DO NOT BUY LEXMARK OR DELL INK JET PRINTERS!!!.
. Until Canon does something goofy and/or anti-consumer like the others, then Canon is the way to go. You can buy a whole new iP3000 with a full set of ink tanks for less than a set of carts for Lex or Dell. And for a bit more there is the great iP4000.

.bh.

 

[NightCrawler]

Originally posted by: Zepper
Not that I know of - $5. a tank has been the price for a while. but with the price of oil still going up, it probably won't be long before we see an increase in ink tank prices.

.bh.

Great...that will suck.

 

[RKS]

If you print 4x6 or 8x10 on photo paper stick with Canon. I tried generic inks on my i900d and after 1/4 tank I gave away the other 12 or so full tanks.

 

[NightCrawler]

Originally posted by: RKS
If you print 4x6 or 8x10 on photo paper stick with Canon. I tried generic inks on my i900d and after 1/4 tank I gave away the other 12 or so full tanks.

I wonder if the swift ink is better quality. So far nobody has given them a review only to say that the ink was deliver very fast.

 

[beatle]

I've been printing with USA Inkjet carts since December of last year. Zepper's right, they last forever. I thought the prints looked fine, but I've been told they're a little too green. I still have the OEM carts sitting in my filing cabinet, so I can't compare the two back to back. I'll probably go for a set from SwiftInk.com when these need replacing, if they're as good as everyone says they are. It'll also be nice to support one of our own.

FWIW, I didn't know what ATF meant either.