Usually, it can be challenging to purchase ink for your printer. If you are shopping online at discount stores, it becomes even more challenging. As usual, the challenge is more based on the variety of products available to choose from. Among the choices a buyer gets when selecting an ink for their printer is a remanufactured ink cartridge.
But is a remanufactured ink cartridge suitable for you? Let’s find that out;
What is a Remanufactured Ink Cartridge?
Also called recycled printer cartridge, this is a name brand cartridge that has gone through a cycle of use. Once the cartridge is used, it will be taken by the remanufacturing facility and professionally remanufactured to recycle them fully. The remanufactured cartridges will be sent to the manufacturer, who will then restock the ink and replace (or repair) any damaged or nonfunctional part.
After the cartridge is restored to its original form, it will be tested for quality.
The cartridges will use the same shell as the name brand cartridge. That is why they will look the same as the OEM (original) product. But there is a difference between the name brand, remanufactured, and compatible printer cartridges.
What Happens During the Remanufacturing?
During the remanufacturing process of the cartridge, it will be disassembled, thoroughly cleaned, and tested for quality. Here is where any worn out or damaged internal component will be replaced. After that, the cartridge will be carefully reassembled and refilled with ink or toner of the same yield as the OEM cartridge. But before it is brought back to life, it will be tested again if it is working as the original product was.
How Cost-Effective Are They?
Generally, remanufactured cartridges tend to be less costly than the OEM cartridges. The main reason for them being cheaper than name brand cartridges is that they do not involve new components. All the parts are refurbished, repaired and replaced, but the whole unit is not new.
The cartridge uses the same shell, and most of the internal parts are the ones that were manufactured by the name brand. In this case, the manufacturing costs will be low and hence cost-saving. This then leaves the customer with a cheaper but still functional and reliable cartridge.
Suppose you just purchased a new printer, which is also new to the market, you will need to wait until you find a remanufactured cartridge. It would take a longer time to find a remanufactured cartridge for your machine. This is because remanufactured cartridges depend on the recycled name brand cartridges. As a result, it means that the manufactures of the remanufactured cartridges will have to wait until there is a large supply of OEMs to develop the recycled units.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Remanufactured Cartridge
It is never easy to find the right recycled cartridge to use for your printer. One reason for this is that you may not know if you are buying a genuine recycled cartridge or a counterfeit. But in general, here are some of the things you should consider if you want to buy the right remanufactured ink cartridges:
- Consider the manufacturer
Before anything, you need to consider the retailer and manufacturer of the recycled cartridge. This is the same as considering the brand of the original product. The best way to do this is to conduct online research and see what people are saying about the manufacturer. Also, you can read the customer reviews, ask around about the manufacturer and even contact the Better Business Bureau.
The main aim of doing this is to be sure of buying the right product and avoid getting a counterfeit.
- Check for warranties/guarantee
You want to be confident about the product that you are about to buy. With a warranty or guarantee of some sort, you will be sure that the product will serve you accordingly without failing you. Furthermore, you will be sure that the manufacturer will replace the cartridge if it doesn’t work as promised.
The customer’s satisfaction is crucial whenever you want to buy a product. The more customers are satisfied with a specific product; the more reliable the merchants will be considered. A good merchant should refund your money without including the shipping and handling costs. This should happen if the product doesn’t function properly.
It should be noted that you can still enjoy your printer’s privileges even when you are using remanufactured ink cartridges.
- Ask and confirm that the cartridges meet the OEM standards
You should also check with the retailer to confirm that their remanufactured ink cartridges meet or even exceeds the OEM standards. Plus, they must be a Standardized Test Methods Committee (STMC)-certified. In other words, these remanufactured must have been tested by a third party for print quality.
Above all, you should not always believe everything you hear about remanufactured ink cartridges. These products will not damage the print heads of your machine. Plus, they will not cause the ink to leak in the printer. Above all, they will not result in low print quality just because they are recycled.
As long as they have been tested for excellent print quality, you can trust them and be sure of enjoying reliable cartridges at low costs. There are some good reasons for buying a remanufactured cartridge.
Facts About Remanufactured Cartridges
- Recycled ink cartridges are environment-friendly
Remanufactured cartridges go through recycling, and they are made almost complexly from reconstituted product and materials. This then limits the disposal of plastic around the environment. Plastics take longer to decompose.
- Some Might Compromise Quality
Even though the recycled cartridges use name brand products and that they go through a print quality test, it doesn’t always mean that they will never disappoint. Not all the remanufactured cartridges out there have the proper qualities. Plus, it doesn’t mean that they will always perform the same as the original products. For that, you should be prepared for that.
- They are ideal for documents, and not photos
Generally, images that are printed with an original cartridge like Epson might last up to 40 years without experiencing any fading. But a remanufactured cartridge will not offer a long-lasting image printing because photos can start fading in less than four years. For that, always use remanufactured cartridges for printing documents.