Continuous Inking Systems (CIS)

[Whizbang]

I have refilled my cartridges in four different printers the last four + years and have seen marked improvement in aftermarket ink quality during that time.  It has gone from "Are you kidding me?" to "This is unbelievable, and at this very cheap price!"  The last batch of replacement cartridges I just purchased actually beats what I can do by refilling, and I have used this current generic before with splendid results.  $14.95 + $10.00 S&H for twenty replacement cartridges is phenomenal.  I have seen no drop-off in quality from OEM, and the vendors now usually purchase US ink, even the Asian vendors.

I have, however, been considering a CIS unit so I could refill from outside the printer and was wondering if anyone here has had experience with this method of refilling that simply has a reservoir for each cartridge in an array next to the printer.  It is not as aesthetically appealing as an internally contained system, but the chances of spilling ink in continual refills is greatly diminished.  Only my workhorse Canon i860 would get the system because it is the only one that is used often enough to justify the added clutter.  I have a used i960 that I am trying to repair for photos and an Epson 3810 that is more easily adapted to Linux use.  I also have an MP500 Canon multifunction that I need to "re-invent" so that I can easily refill without causing the onboard chip sensors to scold me for not using Canon ink.  Although aftermarket Canon chip re-setters are now being manufactured for commercial use, they are still way to expensive at about $2000.00 for the consumer.  There is, however, a German firm that now has portable cartridge chips that simply are moved to the replacement generic to permit using the MP500 without Canon OEM ink.  This would also permit the use of a CIS.

CIS units vary widely in price from $40.00 to around $200.00, but the least expensive units I have found cost less than $40.00 and are well-documented.  Here is a picture of one system that Lin Exports sells for about $40.00.  I also cannot see any significant difference in the design from the expensive systems.