I will say that after refilling the matte black cartridge, it was having a hard time printing smoothly. Even after a deep cleaning it was still a little off. But, it kept improving after each cleaning, and I'm relatively confident it will clear up with some time to sit and soak.
Overall, it's a little bit of trouble, but it's a great value.
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I purchased this kit over the cheaper $10 refill kits because these cartridges have rubber refill stoppers, and are designed for easier refilling. A lot of the other kits use some form of tape that you use to cover holes that you drill. While workable, I always thought that method to be a bit dicey. I figured that if these cartridges got me through at least one cartridge replacement (each), it would still be cheaper than purchasing a set of new Canon cartridges from the local warehouse store.I just received the kit today for my MX-860. Everything arrived as advertised, including the one black pigment + one black dye cartridges (this seems to be a problem with other kits, where only one type of black cartridge is delivered).
The rubber stoppers in each cartridge look easy to remove. This will be handy next time around.
I proceeded to replace my 2 empty cartridges (cyan & magenta). I followed the cartridge replacement directions on the enclosed sheets. They were clear and concise.
No refills at this time, since the cartridges I'm installing were pre-filled at the factory.
So, now we get into a few notes of warning:
Based on my experience, these cartridges can leak quite a bit of ink when you remove the orange protective cartridge cover. The orange cartridge cover is on *very* tight, and may need a bit of force to remove. I'm not sure if the amount of removal force influenced the ink leakage that ensued. All I can tell you is that both of the cartridges lost enough ink to cause a potential disaster, if I wasn't opening them over our stainless steel kitchen sink. Much more than one or two drops.
Now that you've read the bullet above: Wear plastic (or latex) gloves while trying to install these cartridges!! Your skin will love you for it.
Open each cartridge over a non-absorptive area that can be easily cleaned
Bring a few paper towels for cleanup, in case an "Oops" occurs.
Now, I will say that the last 3 bullets above really apply *whenever* you replace ink cartridges. I just haven't had many problems with the Canon manufactured cartridges in the past, so maybe I was lucky. Sometimes, the OEM ink cartridges have had leak problems, sometimes not. Never hurts to be a little cautious.
After a number of ink drops escaped each cartridge, the leaking stopped. I washed off the cartridges and used paper towels to dry off the loose ink, and then made sure the ink sponge was clear.
After the initial messiness, the replacement cartridges seem to be working just fine. I can't comment on the color accuracy yet, since I haven't replaced all the color cartridges yet. I can't comment on the ARC ink chip reset, since the ink is still new (The ink level shows "full"). I also can't comment on the refill process yet, though it looks promising. I will update this review as time goes on, and I work my way through the current ink load.
I guess I'll give 4 stars for now, since these are no worse than other OEM cartridges that I have purchased in the past, and look like they will be a big money saver in the future.
Cheers!
UPDATE AFTER MY FIRST REFILL:
First off, there is one important issue: The replacement cartridges I installed NEVER indicated that the ink had run out. They always showed "Full" in the level monitor, so I never knew the levels were low until the cartridges were totally dry. So, the rating has been reduced to 3 stars. These cartridges are usable, but I will need to check the levels every now and then by myself.
Next: ** Do not follow the printed instructions to use Scotch Tape to cover the top breathing hole **. It doesn't work, and the cartridges dripped ink rather quickly. I tried using a glue gun to cover the top breathing hole, and the dripping was slower but still messy. After I filled the cartridge, I tried to get the rubber plug back in. It is really tight (a good thing, I guess), but when combined with the dripping from from the cartridge, the ink well was not full when I got done. Once the rubber plug is in, the cartridge totally stopped dripping.
I let the cartridges sit for about 15 minutes to let the sponge soak up the ink before using. The cartridges print fine, and aren't leaking anymore.
I did use gloves this time, and did it in our stainless steel sink. Be sure to plan on the cartridges leaking when you refill them. Cleanup wasn't too bad, but I would have preferred no cleanup at all.
AzJazz
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