Now that we know your warranty CANNOT be voided, let’s consider the other side of the coin. They can’t void your warranty, BUT, they don’t have to warrant any part of the printer damaged from you using the WRONG cartridge or a defective cartridge. This is where you should have a solid relationship with the supplier you’re buying your ink or toner from. Buying cheap junk from Joe Schmoe from Cocomo off eBay just because it’s cheap is asking for a Customised eyelash box 3d mink lashes , and quite frankly if you buy that way you deserve what you get. Still, it is extremely rare to have a cartridge actually damage or break a printer.
Schrl More often than not what happens is the person using an alternative product in their machine doesn’t know the first thing about their printer. So, when they call a technician to check into why it’s not printing or giving some type of code all to often the technician will point to the cartridge, blame everything on it and tell the end-user it wouldn’t have happened if they were using the products the technician sells. Don’t even get me going on dishonest technicians – they make me sick, they’re like slick used car salesmen putting sawdust in the transmission.
What are some of the cartridge failures that one could experience? Streaks, smears, lines (colored or white), spots, blotches or dusting the entire page. These things happen to brand new, brand name OEM cartridges just as often as a well made after-market cartridge, but they won’t damage your printer. If you notice these things, replace the cartridge with another one and contact your supplier, they should warrant it for at least 12 months or longer. Every cartridge you put in your printer should give you perfect Customised eyelash box 3d mink lashes , if it doesn’t, replace the cartridge, and if it happens a lot – replace your supplier.
What are some of the things your machine will do regardless of what cartridge you use? If you have one type of laser printer you will periodically need to replace your drum unit or assembly – that’s not because of a defective cartridge, it’s like replacing tires on your car… they’re not meant to last forever. The other type of laser printer has the drum built into the cartridge – this should last longer than the toner so it’s a non-issue. You will also need an occasional maintenance kit which should contain pick-up and feed rollers, possibly a transfer roller. The fuser is another thing that is not meant to last the lifetime of your printer and should at some point (after much use) be Customised eyelash box 3d mink lashes – not replacing a fuser on an old and heavily used printer could cause serious damage and even start a fire. Scanners occasionally will need to be replaced – this is what puts the image on your drum so that it can be transferred to paper. NONE of these things come in contact with your toner cartridge, yet I’ve seen dishonest technicians blame the necessity for replacement on a toner cartridge. Most laser toner cartridges have a shutter which, if handled improperly, could come off inside your printer – simple fix… if you see something hanging off your cartridge DON’T INSTALL IT. Other than that, the cartridge only comes in contact with your paper, and the gears on either end of the cartridge connect to coinciding gears located inside the printer. In 20 years, and tens of thousands of cartridges, I’ve only had one printer damaged because a cartridge had a broken gear which caused it to jam the gears inside the printer and break what would be the equivalent of the printer’s transmission. Solution? we repaired the printer at no cost to the customer. Regarding your inkjet printer – well, quite frankly, there’s no drum, no fuser, no maintenance kits, there’s only the cartridges, and some inkjet printers will also require printheads. Replacing a printhead is NOT a result of using a different branded ink. True, some inks are just plain garbage and they will plug a printhead, but a well made inkjet cartridge uses the same identical type of ink used in the brand new, brand name OEM cartridges and will not ruin a printhead. For those machines with changeable printheads consult the OEM website to see how many times you’ll change your ink cartridge compared to your printhead.
Inkjet print failures and simple fixes: (note: these are typical of ALL cartridges)
- cartridge won’t print > maybe it’s empty, if not empty the printhead may be dry, follow a good support site for cleaning
- cartridge prints wrong color > if it’s a multi-color cartridge you probably used up one or more of the colors inside it
- cartridge prints white lines > something is plugging one or more of the jets, follow a good support site for cleaning
- cartridge prints thin colored streaks > ink can be sticky, there’s probably something stuck on the cartridge printhead [pet hair, dust or fuzz, lint, Customised eyelash box 3d mink lashes , etc. acting like a “Paint Brush”] follow a good support site for cleaning
If your supplier isn’t knowledgeable about such things or doesn’t offer a good online source for support, you should seriously consider a new supplier.
So, OEM vs. After-Market, who wins? A true Commercial Grade, Unconditionally Guaranteed after-market ink or toner wins by a mile, maybe more like a hundred miles, and for many reasons:
- You save money
- You have a better warranted product
- You determine what to use based on your own personal preferences
- The savings you have will most likely pay for all your maintenance AND even replacement of your printer when you’re ready for a new one
- You’re “GREEN” – you’re no longer filling the landfill with empty cartridges that can be re-used dozens of times
- And if you’ve done your homework right, you’re probably also supporting American industries who build and sell these Commercial Grade products
I’m proud to say that over the past nearly 20 years I’ve helped thousands of businesses (and individuals) save a combined MILLIONS of dollars on their printing supplies. So, whether you’re printing at home or responsible for hundreds of printers at a large corporation, you can “buy right” and save you or your company a LOT of money if you’re willing to put the effort forward to being an informed and educated Buyer.
Written by: Dan Widdis
Dan Widdis is the owner of TenPlusToner.com and TenPlusInks.com and been in the printing supplies industry since 1993 serving as Sales Associate, Sales Manager, Senior Buyer and Vice President of Sales & Marketing.
TenPlusToners.com sells ONLY Commercial Grade, Unconditionally Guaranteed toner cartridges for use in laser printers, laser fax, laser MFC machines and some copiers. All toners have an unlimited warranty.
Customised eyelash box 3d mink lashes sells ONLY Commercial Grade, Unconditionally Guaranteed ink cartridges and impact ribbons for use in your inkjet printer, fax, copier, postage meter and plotter, and impact printers. All inks & ribbons have a 12 month warranty.
If you have any questions or comments regarding this article or any of our products, please feel free to write to me directly at