 Toner Refill InstructionsBEST PRACTICE ON REFILLING TONER CARTRIDGES
We can provide specific detailed instructions to refill hundreds of different kinds of lazer printer cartridges however most of the popular ones can be downloaded for free from http://www.futuregraphicsllc.com/techguides.php. The refilling page beneath this one details how to refill some of our most popular toner cartridges. Additional instructions are also available on our FORUM page or by simply emailing us.
There are 4 basic types of toner refilling: Method A - "Unplug and Pour" If you are lucky (like most Samsung, Oki, Brother and Panasonic printers) your cartridge will have a visible, existing filler hole (or plug) for the toner chamber. In these cases all you need to do is remove the plastic plug and pour in the toner. You may need to use pliers or a screwdriver to remove the plug and you should be careful not to damage it or it will leak as toner particles are VERY small. We've found leaks can be easily plugged by using something like Tipp-Ex or melted wax which will quickly dry sealling any microscopic hole(s). It takes a few minutes to refill an empty cartridge and you will find the cost of replacing toner less than half the price of buying a replacement cartridge so there's no excuse not to try it. Remember to gentle shake the toner cartridge once you have refilled it to evenly distribute the toner powder.
Method B - "Unplug, Empty and Pour" - There are some cartridges (like the Brother HL-1030 HL-1240, HL-1250 HL-1270 TN6600 cartridges) which although has an easily accessible plug on the outside, has to have its residual toner emptied out BEFORE pouring the new toner powder in.
Method C - "Unscrew and Pour" Often manufacturers have designed the cartridge so its not dead easy! (don't forget the majority of manufacturers make the majority of their profits by selling you their consumables so they don't really want you refilling inkjet cartridges or toners with your own ink or toner powder!) You may find a plastic cover over the plug (like on the Epson, Konica Minolta-QMS or Samsung ML-1610 cartridges) so you're going to have to undo some screws and remove a cover or some other complication before you can get at the filler hole and you may even be forced to dismantle the cartridge (like with the Lexmark Optra T cartridges) before you can reach the plug however we find that once you've mastered what needs to be done then next time you do it will only take you a few minutes.
Method D - "Melt and Pour" Quite a few manufacturers (particularly Hewlett Packard and Canon machines) have been designed to make them difficult to refill. We call these the"Melt and Pour types". This means you generally have to melt a hole in the top of the cartridge to pour the toner powder in. Naturally the hole needs to be resealed with sticky tape or a plastic plug before you use it however you can buy a melting tool which makes this job a lot easier and you can even buy a special kit which comes will all the pieces of equipment and tools you'll need to do it quickly and efficiently although heating a piece of plumbers copper piping and resealling the hole with a piece of gaffa tape can be just as efficient so refilling any cartridge can be done on a budget!
BEST PRACTICE - Different branded toner powders never like being mixed so its always a good idea when refilling powder from different suppliers to make sure the empty cartridge is COMPLETELY empty (we sell a compressed air can AIR DUSTER which is ideal or simply pour the small amount of waste toner into a plastic bag and dispose of it carefully) and don't forget always to shake the powder vigorously in the bottle BEFORE attempting to pour it into the cartridge as once agitated it will pour like water a lot more easily. Don't squeeze the bottle simply allow the toner powder to flow like water and it will quickly empty itself into the cartridge. WARNING: TONER POWDER IS MICROSCOPIC AND MAY LEAK THROUGH THE THREAD ON THE PLASTIC NOZZLE SO ALWAYS POUR THE BOTTLE OVER A PLASTIC BAG IN CASE THE TONER LEAKS OUT THE BOTTLE! Spills are best hoovered up straight away! Don't forget to reseal the plug and gently agitate the cartridge a couple of times once filled (rocking it gently a couple of times usually does the trick) as this moment will evenly distribute the powder inside and will also be an indicator if there are any leaks to your plug as the powder particles are so fine they will find microscopic holes to pour out from (a common problem is damaging the plug when you pull it out using a screwdriver) so once you know the plug is holding you can safely return the cartridge inside the machine and away you go!!
You can save additional money by using the "toner save" function under the printer settings (which will make the powder go twice as far) however this often means text will have a slightly grey/black finish rather than the jet black which you get under normal printing and on some lasers like Samsung will eventually cause black printouts to become permanently light grey in colour so is not recommended for extended periods of time!
As a rough guide 65g of laser toner powder will produce a page yield of approx 2000-3000 pages @ 5%, 85g 3000-4000 pages, 180g 5000-6000 pages and 220g 7000-8000 pages
When you buy a new laser it will often come with what's called "starter cartridges". These are often only quarter full with toner and will last no longer than 1000 pages and being made of inferior plastics will often fail if you attempt to refill them (how else do you suspect the manufacturers can get you to buy a genuine cartridge so quickly!) so its best not to rely on these as potential for refilling as they are not built to be used time and again however if you are prepared to clean the roller and clean the cartridge interior each time then you may be able to artificially extend the life of cartridges significantly. We have photo's and detailed refilling instructions we can easily email you and recommend reading these fact sheets before you attempt to refill for the first time as it can be messy until you master the techniques! You can always call us if you need additional help or advice!
Since 2006 with the introduction of "killer chips" some cartridges need to have their electronic chips or fuses replaced with new ones if the printer is going to recognise them as being new or full. Occasionally you may get around replacing these chips if you are happy to click past the toner empty error message which comes up each time you print however we do sell an extensive range of toner cartridge reset chips and fuses to ensure easy printing irrespective of which cartridge you refill!
IF YOU ENCOUNTER POOR PRINT QUALITY FOLLOWING REFILLING OF A TONER CARTRIDGE IT IS NORMALLY DOWN TO THE FOLLOWING:
There are 3 reasons why "backgrounding" occurs in toner cartridges and drum units. The first is toner contamination which is why it is always essential that you pour away the waste toner left inside the cartridge BEFORE you attempt to refill it. The second is that the drum unit is either worn out or dirty so you will need to airbrush it clean or use a lint free cloth
Dark Black Vertical Streaks is normally caused by a dirty drum unit
Gray Vertical Streaks is normally caused by a groove in the developer roller which will need replacing
Light Print is normally caused by a dirty or worn transfer roller
Black Horizontal lines are normally caused when there is a buildup of toner and White Horizontal lines are normally caused when there is a dead spot or contamination of the roller
Solid Black pages is normally down to the Drum Unit and is down to the gears becoming clogged with toner dust etc.
Perfectly Straight Thin Black Lines Down the Page is normally down to a scratched Drum Unit
Black Dots that repeat every 9 cm or so is down to something stuck to the surface of the drum unit |
 Refilling Brother CartridgesWe can provide specific detailed instructions to refill hundreds of different kinds of lazer printer cartridges. The refilling page beneath this one details how to refill some of our most popular toner cartridges. Additional instructions are also available on our FORUM page or by simply emailing us.
REFILL INSTRUCTIONS FOR BROTHER PRINTERS:
The Brother HL-1030, HL-1240, HL-1250, HL-1270 (TN6600 cartridge), although it does have a plug on the outside, has to have its residual toner emptied out through that plug before pouring the fresh toner in. As such, in 2002 it spawned a new type of cartridge - the "unplug, empty & pour" It is always good practice the first time you attempt to refill a toner cartridge to shake out any toner powder remaining in the cartridge (simply throw it away in a plastic bag) and gently clean the green roller using a lint-free cloth which removes any chance of toner contamination and will significantly increase the life of the roller if it is cleaned each time. Although you can refill a "starter cartridge" (the one which comes free with the printer) we tend not to recommend it only because they are only designed to print 1000 pages before failing whereas a genuine or remanufactured toner cartridge should be able to be refilled between 3-6 times (18,000+ sheets) or even more than this if you take the time to clean it each time. Don’t forget to always shake the bottle of toner powder to agitate the toner powder BEFORE you attempt to pour it into the empty toner cartridge as it will then pour easily like water and don’t forget to gently shake the toner cartridge from side to side once you have replaced the plug which distributes the toner powder inside and will also give an indication if the plug has not been damaged and is holding the toner powder inside without leaking.
The Brother HL-5200 (TN-550 = 3500 pages & TN-580 = 7000 pages) is very similar to the HL-2030 (TN-350) - the starter cartridge which comes free with both printers do not have the usual reset gear which comes with the normal cartridges which means it is impossible to refill them! There is also the technical issue with Brother cartridges that the bias voltage starts at 400 volts when a new cartridge is installed and it gradually reduces to 300 volts. As with all Brother cartridges waste toner is repelled out the drum and picked up by the developer roller in the toner cartridge and brought back to the supply chamber. This is why there is always a good amount of toner left in the supply chamber when the cartridge is finished so it is important that this toner is removed BEFORE you add new toner. Failure to do this will cause backgrounding and a buildup of contaminated toner on the cleaning brush and once contaminated with charged particles the printout will worsen!
1. ON THE NON-GEAR SIDE OF THE CARTRIDGE REMOVE THE SCREW AND REMOVE THE DRUM AXLE PLATE AND ON THE GEAR SIDE REMOVE THE 2 SCREWS AND COVER PLATE. THE BLACK SPRING-LOADED RESET GEAR MAY FALL OFF AS THE PLATE IS REMOVED. PRESS IN ON THE LOCKING TAB AND ROTATE THE ROLLER SO THE LOCK IS POINTING UP - THE TAIL OF THE SPRING FITS INTO A NOTCH AT THE BASE OF THE GEAR SHAFT AND MAKE SURE THE GEARS ALL MESH TOGETHER BEFORE REPLACING THE GEAR COVER PLATE
2. ALWAYS THROUGHLY CLEAN OUT BROTHER TONER CARTRIDGES BEFORE REFILLING WITH NEW TONER POWDER! WE RECOMMEND AN AIR DUSTER OR VACUUM IT OUT AND ALSO VACUUM CLEAN THE DOCTOR BLADE AND FOAM FEED ROLLER!
3. REMOVE THE FILL PLUG AND DUMP THE REMAINING TONER AND BLOW/VACUUM OUT THE CARTRIDGE AND MAKE SURE THE GEAR AREA IS CLEAN
4. REFILL THE CARTRIDGE FROM A NEW BOTTLE AND REPLACE THE FILL PLUG BEFORE REPLACING THE COVER AND PRINTING A TEST PAGE
4. IF SHADING OCCURS YOU WILL NEED TO COMPLETELY CLEAN OUT THE TONER CARTRIDGE AND INSTALL FRESH POWDER AND YOU MAY NEED TO CLEAN THE BRUSH ON THE DRUM UNIT! THE MOST COMMON CAUSE IS TONER CONTAMINATION FOLLOWED BY A WORN OUT OR DIRTY DRUM UNIT. |
 Refilling Oki Toner CartridgesWe can provide specific detailed instructions to refill hundreds of different kinds of lazer printer cartridges. The refilling page beneath this one details how to refill some of our most popular toner cartridges. Additional instructions are also available on our FORUM page or by simply emailing us.
REFILL INSTRUCTIONS FOR OKI CARTRIDGES:
The Oki C3000 & C5000 series toner cartridges are some of the easiest in the industry to refill as the cartridges aren't chipped and are simply tanks to hold toner powder and the high capacity cartridges can be refilled time and time again without the need for buying new! Remember that you can refill the "starter" toner cartridges which come free with the machine however they are not designed to print more than 1,000 pages so don't expect them to last forever! If you try refilling them you will also need to accept that you'll need to continually click past the "toner empty" warning message and the red light on the machine will remain on warning you that the cartridges are empty. At some point its worth investing in a complete set of Oki High Capacity (5,000 page yield) Toner Cartridges as these will last a long time and you won't get any error messages regarding the machine being out of toner powder etc! Two thirds of the cartridge from the blue level side is the toner tank and the third at the other end is the waste tank. The waste tank needs to be emptied after about 2 refills and can be done by either pushing in the small plastic flap underneath the shiny piece of plastic and shaking out the waste toner or heating up a sharp knife and cutting a hole in the top of the cartridge (2 inches from the end and using a vacuum cleaner or shaking the cartridge upside down until it is empty before taping up the hole) You can also cut a hole in the top 2 inches from the blue level to load toner if you wish however you'll need to duct tape the hole closed each time. An easier way to refill the cartridge is to simply take the cartridge out of the machine by pulling back on the blue label (make sure the OPC Drum Unit is left inside as it is light sensitive) and by turning it upside down you will see a small piece of square plastic tab that needs to be depressed on the blue handle which will allow you to open the hopper door using the blue handle giving access to the middle of the cartridge. Don't forget before you pour in new toner you first need to empty the waste hopper which is located at the end of the cartridge opposite the blue handle. If you look beneath the piece of shiny black plastic you will see a small circular hole which if pushed in with a small screwdriver etc will open up a small plastic flap allowing you to tap out the waste toner. We suggest you tap out the waste toner into a plastic bag which can then be thrown away safely. Make sure the waste toner is empty before returning to the main hopper window into which new toner can now be poured inside. The easiest way to pour the powder inside is to either fold a piece of paper into a funnel shape or to heat up the plastic nozzle we send out with the bottles which if heated can be squashed and reshaped into a smaller flatter hole which will fit neatly into the hopper slit. Another tip for re-filling - it helps to reduce toner going everywhere - if you put a bit of sellotape over the cartridge slot and then poke the refill nozzle through it. A few taps and shakes and the toner then goes where you want it, rather than all over the floor!
Remember to shake the toner powder in the bottle before attempting to pour it into the hopper as it will then pour out like water and more easier to control. Once you've put in the correct amount of toner powder, close the hopper door and gently agitate the cartridge to make sure its not leaking anywhere before putting it back into the machine. Remember not to overfill the "starter" (1,000 pages), standard capacity (1,500 pages) or high capacity (3,000 pages) cartridges. Since toner powders from different manufacturers don't like to be mixed its always a good idea the first time to empty what's inside the empty toner before you put in new toner powder however once you're using the same toner from the same manufacturer you shouldn't have to do it again however occasionally its always a good idea to empty and clean the toner hopper particularly inside the waste hopper using compressed air as waste toner can get stuck inside and compressed air will force it to come out the cartridge. On the earlier C5000 series the emptying/refilling of the hopper will register the toner cartridge as being full when it is re-inserted into the machine however on the newer models which are chipped the printer will not register the cartridge as being full however you can continue to print by simply clicking past the toner error message which will come up each time you want to print something. Customers often ask us about Toner Sensor Error or Toner Empty messages. These can be caused by 3 things. The biggest cause is that the waste toner has not been emptied out of the cartridge so remember to tip the cartridge on its left hand side and stick something small to open the small flap under the plastic sheet to allow the waste toner to fall out. If this is not the cause then check that both the blue toner cartridge lock lever and the two blue transfer belt lock levers (located on each side of the transfer belt) are both in the correct position. If these are both in the correct position then it can also be due to the Lever Sensor in the toner cartridge sticking and not operating freely as it should. In the field simply tap the right hand side of the toner cartridge or turn the cartridge upside down and back again in order to free the white plastic lever in the window at the end of the cartridge. Be advised that 'Starter Cartridges' (the one that came with the machine) are notorious for creating these messages as some come with a small piece of silver tape that is very easily broken and if it does it generates this message on the printer forcing you to buy a new Oki cartridge (it’s a clever way that OKI has developed to force customers into buying a brand new Oki toner cartridge!!)
C5700 cartridges are even easier - as you turn the blue handle to open the hopper a small hole is opened at the far end of the hopper to drain out the waste toner so make sure you empty the waste hopper first by gently shaking out the waste toner before you attempt refilling the main hopper window using toner from your shaken bottle!
REFILLING THE OKI C5850 & C5950 CARTRIDGES:
These newer laser cartridges have an internal waste hopper so before you refill the cartridge with new toner through the main rectangular opening you need to empty out the waste toner. This is easily done by pressing down the small unlocking mechanism on the handle and twisting the handle - this not only opens the main hopper (into which you will later pour the new powder) but also opens a small silver door at the opposite end of the cartridge. If you hold the cartridge with the handle at the top waste toner will pour out through this small opening. Once you've emptied out the waste you can now pour in new toner through the main rectangular window. THIS IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT THERE IS NO UNUSED TONER POWDER INSIDE OTHERWISE THIS MAY POUR OUT THROUGH THE OPENING WHEN YOU EMPTY OUT THE WASTE (if you need to empty out the waste while there is still powder inside you can seal the opening with tape etc)
Refill instructions are therefore easy:
1. remove the empty toner cartridge and open the end translucent/metal square (this small opening reveals itself when you twist open blue lever which also opens up the main hopper door into which you will later pour in the new powder).
2. Once you've emptied out the waste you can turn the cartridge upside down and pour in the new powder (make sure you don't overfill the hopper as there needs to be enough space for the toner to be mixed by the internal paddles) - 60g is all you need for a complete refill!
3. Once you've poured in your 60g of new toner powder close the main door by twisting the handle and peal off the sticker revealing a small plastic cover underneath which you'll find the exhausted chip. You can pull out the old chip using a fingernail and replace the old chip making sure the new chip is inserted the correct way round (the 5 copper contacts should point to the right and be facing upwards!)
4. Replace the sticker to hold in the new reset chip and replace the cartridge into the machine and away you go!!
5. You don't have to empty the waste everytime however we advise that you get into the habit of doing so as it ensures your future printing goes without any problems!
Oki C9000 Series are the same as the smaller cartridges as above (remember to empty the waste tank which is on the opposite to the handle that you use to lock the handle in place). Things to remember about OKI toner - NEVER mix toner batches i.e. always make sure the toner cartridge is COMPLETELY EMPTY (preferably cleaned with air) before attempting to refill it and always empty the waste hopper on the underneath side of the cartridge BEFORE you attempt to refill it otherwise the toner cartridge will not register as being full! It is always good practice the first time you attempt to refill a toner cartridge to shake out any toner powder remaining in the cartridge (simply throw it away in a plastic bag) and gently clean the green roller using a lint-free cloth which removes any chance of toner contamination and will significantly increase the life of the roller if it is cleaned each time.
It has been reported to us the Oki C3300/C3400 series starter cartridges appear to be problematic to refill however proper cartridges are really easy to refill. Start by removing the chip cover (underneath the K, C, M or Y sticker) and tease out chip with a screwdriver. Slide a 2K replacement chip back into place. Due to this cartridge having an internal waste compartment inside the cartridge you will need at some point to either shake out the waste toner BEFORE refilling the cartridge with new (you can also melt a small hole in the waste section so the waste easily pours out each time) - failure to remove the waste will lead to a "Fatal Error" message appearing requiring the waste to be emptied as you can get away with not removing the waste every other refill if you wish! Once the waste has been removed (tapping the cartridge on one end while it is empty will force the waste toner back into the main hopper enabling you to dispose of it into a bag etc (MAKE SURE THE HOPPER IS COMPLETELY CLEAN OTHERWISE YOU WILL CONTAMINATE NEW TONER WITH OLD). When you are ready to refill the cartridge with new toner hold it upside down so the slat door can be opened by pushing on the handle lug while twisting it clockwise. Pour the new toner into the hopper but make sure you don't damage the fragile stirrer strips that live inside the hopper. Close the hopper door (it will make a small click) shake the cartridge to evenly distribute the toner inside and replace the cartridge into the machine!
Replacing the fuse units in Oki Okidata ® C3200, C5100n, C5150n, C5200n, C5300n, C5400n, C5400tn, C5400dtn, c5500, c5800, c5900 OPC Drum Units to extend the life of the drum:
You will need to remove the toner cartridge from the top of the drum (do this over newspaper). From the top of the drum unit where the cartrdige was, remove the left and right screws. Gently clip off the top unit, exposing the toner powder. There is another screw on the right which you may or may not have to undo. On the side of the drum unit where the blue lever would be, you should be able to see two copper pieces. The fuse will need to slot into the copper pieces to create a circuit between the two pieces. You don't need to solder, just push the wire ends of the fuse into the slots on the copper sqaures. Reassemble and place back in the machine. Once the machine completes its warm up and initialises, the fuse should blow and the drum counter will be reset to 100 or 99%. |
Changing & Resetting OPC Drum UnitsCHANGING OPC DRUM ROLLERS YOURSELF:
There are no specific instructions as such for the various OPC Drum units as each series is slightly different however it is a case of just carefully taking apart and replacing the OPC roller and rebuilding. The waste toner return section on some units can be very tricky as it is full of gears and seals however on some it is simply a case of gently lifting out the roller after removing the outer casing. If you're unsure just make sure you either have a spare handy for reference or take notes as you go along so you don't forget where each bit goes. Handy instructions can also be found on: http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/forums/laser/23029
Once you have replaced the roller you occasionally have to reset the drum counter particularly on several of the Oki C3000 or C5000 series printers however this is done easily by following these instructions:
a. Press the MENU 1/Menu 2 button while turning the
printer on - USER MNT appears on the display.
b. Press the MENU 1/Menu 2 button until the message
corresponding to the drum you are replacing appears. For example, if you are replacing the magenta image drum:
MAGENTA DRMCNT RESET
c. Press the ENTER/POWER SAVE button. RESETTING briefly appears on the display.
d. Press the ON LINE button.
Okidata C5000 series drums will lock around 16000 pages. When you hear "clicking", drum is locked. You can buy new fuses from us for only £6.99 and install before drum locks. Undo two small screws on top of drum unit (remove toner cartridge) and carefully pry off the cover. Set drum on its legs so you don't spill toner. There is a hidden hook on lower left of cover- pry open at slot just below serial number tag. Install fuse where you see two copper or brass connectors. (Starter drums do not have a fuse installed). Reassemble.
RESETTING THE DRUM UNITS ON AN OKI C5300
How to reset all consumables (drums, transfer belt, & fuser; excluding toner cartridges) using only the printer menu. Thus, NO FUSES will be required and will reset all four drums on C5300n machines
1) Power on printer while holding both the + & - buttons simultaneously; release when OKIUSER is displayed.
2) Press either the + or - button until ENGINE DIAG MODE is displayed; press the Enter button and DIAGNOSTIC MODE xx.xx.xx will be displayed.
3) Press and hold both the - & On-line buttons simultaneously until ENG DIAG LEVEL2 is displayed.
4) Press either the + or - button until CONSUMABLE COUNTER SET is displayed, press the Enter button; you are now in the menu to set various consumables.
5) Press either the + or - buttons to scroll through the various consumables, at the desired consumable (ie. K-ID UNIT... for the Black Image Drum Unit) press the Enter button and the last digit of the count will start flashing.
6) Press the Cancel button to decrease the digit amount or press the On-line button to increase the digit amount; press the + or - buttons to move along individual digits in the count.
7) Once the count is at the level you desire (we reset ours to 50), press and hold the On-line, Cancel, & Back buttons (yes, it’s 3 of them this time) simultaneously until the * reappears next to the count; you have reset that consumable’s count to the number you specified.
8) Press the + or - buttons to move to the next consumable and repeat at step 5.
9) Once all consumable counts have been set to desired amounts that are below their end-of-life thresholds, you can use the Back, +, & - buttons to exit through the menus (reverse of steps 2 through 4) until INITIALIZING is displayed.
10) You're finished! Now log in to the web interface with your browser and check to see the remaining life of your consumables.
RESETTING TONER DRUM FOR OKI C3200
1. Turn machine on while pushing and holding the TWO up/down menu buttons at same time.
2. Menu window will show "OKI USER"
3. Scroll to " Engine Dialog Mode" is indicated. Push Enter button.
4. "Diagnostic Mode xx.xx.xx S-Mode is indicated.
5. Scroll to "NV-Ram initial" is indicated. Push ENTER.
6. Window shows "NV-Ram- Initial Table 1".
7. Push ONLINE and ENTER Buttons simultaneously and HOLD for 10 seconds after you see "Executing Reset" appear in menu window.
8. Restart printer.
All toner, drum, fuser and transfer figures return to 100%
There is a growing number of customers wishing to extend the life of their laser drum units. Brother offer an easy way to extend the life of the DR3100 OPC drum unit by simply following these engineer instructions: With the machine turned on and the drum light flashing, open the front cover (one which reveals the toner kit/drum kit). With the cover open, hold down the "GO" button until all the lights are lit. Once all the lights are lit, release the button, close the door and the warning light should have miraculously disappeared. |
 Refilling Lexmark Toner CartridgesWe can provide specific detailed instructions to refill hundreds of different kinds of lazer printer cartridges. The refilling page beneath this one details how to refill some of our most popular toner cartridges. Additional instructions are also available by simply emailing us.
REFILL INSTRUCTIONS FOR LEXMARK CARTRIDGES:
Refilling Lexmark cartridges is relatively straightforward however they is an amount of dismantling to be done before you can reach the plug however once you've mastered what screws to undo it becomes easy and can be done in minutes. You also need to rewind the circular counter on one end which will tell the machine that you are putting in a full cartridge. Certain prebate Lexmark cartridges have a chip on the outside which stops the cartridge from being used once empty so please check to make sure you have a genuine cartridge which doesn't have this small chip. We sell new spare chips for only £12.99 which can be stuck on top of the old ones. You need to relocate the wheel at one end which tells the cartridge that it has been refilled. |
 Refilling Dell, Epson & QMS CartridgesWe can provide specific detailed instructions to refill hundreds of different kinds of lazer printer cartridges. The refilling page beneath this one details how to refill some of our most popular toner cartridges. Additional instructions are also available on our FORUM page or by simply emailing us.
REFILL INSTRUCTIONS FOR EPSON, MINOLTA & DELL CARTRIDGES:
Refilling the EPSON C900 and MINOLTA-QMS 2300 cartridges is relatively easy although we assume that you have disposed of the "starter" cartridges which came free with the machine as these are made of cheap components and are not designed to refilled time and time again. Remove the coloured end plate by unscrewing the one central screw which gives access to a circular plug through which you can pour the coloured toner powder. Its a good idea to shake the toner powder in its bottle before pouring and then gently shake the toner once inside to distribute the toner evenly. Remove the other coloured end plate which is held on by 4 screws (3 at the end and one tiny screw holding on the copper contact) - Gently ease out the copper strip which is clipped onto the case of the cartridge. By lifting it upwards you will then be able to remove the end plate giving you access to the reset mechanism (called a re-set plate ratchet). Gently pull away the end plate and gently remove the black piece of plastic which is the reset mechanism if it hasn't already fallen out on its own! You then need to place the black plastic reset mechanism back in its starting position. Replace the plastic reset mechanism (re-set plate ratchet) to this position which will tell the printer that you have a full cartridge! Photographs are available if you unsure what position you need to move this reset mechanism to! Make sure the copper strip is held in place by the casing when you come to replace the end plate as it's easy to leave it on the surface - the cartridge can now be gently shaken to evenly distribute the toner before being replaced inside the printer. Once replaced inside the printer you are ready to print! Something else you can do if you don't want to go through the hassle of resetting the cartridges is to go to Printer properties/optional settings/printer settings/ and choose toner out error to continue and not stop. Everything works fine then although you won't get any warning when the toner has run out. For those with an Oki C5100 cartridge simply use the blue handle to open the hopper and then pour the new toner inside the cartridge.
The Epson C2600 arrives with a high capacity black and standard capacity colour cartridges. Apparently they are normal cartridges so can be easily refilled and you don't need to replace the chips if you put the machine into "TONER OUT = CONTINUE" mode (press menu select button 3, cursor down to Setup Menu - select/enter, cursor down to Toner Out=Stop - select/enter, cursor down to Continue - select/enter. Carry on printing until the powder becomes exhausted and then refill through the end plug which lives under the end plate (you'll need to remove two screws to get access to the plug) - even better news is that you can refill the standard capacity colour cartridges with 180g of powder which is equal to a high capacity cartridge which means you don't need to buy a high capacity colour cartridge! |
 Refilling Samsung Toner CartridgesWe can provide specific detailed instructions to refill hundreds of different kinds of lazer printer cartridges. The refilling page beneath this one details how to refill some of our most popular toner cartridges. Additional instructions are also available on our FORUM page or by simply emailing us.
REFILL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SAMSUNG CARTRIDGES:
The refilling of most Samsung cartridges particularly the 'ML' series machines is usually really easy! Most Samsung cartridges have a clearly visible plug which needs to be gently prized off with a screwdriver and the toner powder poured into the cartridge and gently shaken to distribute it evenly inside after the plug has been reinserted! Some customers have experienced difficulties removing the plug however you can remove the casing by removing the screws which then means you can push the plug out from the inside, alternatively you can simply drill out or melt out the plug from the outside and simply seal it with gaffa tape once you have refilled it however make sure any debris doesn't fall inside the cartridge if you decide to did it this way!
WARNING: Leaving the "toner save" activated on Samsung lasers will eventually cause the printouts to become permanently worn out and light grey in colour so remember not to keep it switched on!
We now sell an American special polyester-based toner powder specifically for the new Samsung ML-1520 printer however the plug on the ML-1520 cartridge is only 8mm in diameter (often covered by a silver strip) so you'll need to create a funnel out of paper to pour the toner powder into this very small hole! You will also need a small flat-blade screwdriver and cross-head screwdriver to remove a couple of screws! The ML1520 needs to have the top of the cartridge removed by unscrewing five screws on the top of the unit. A slight finger pressure is needed at the back of the unit to release the small plastic clips and then the toner bucket is visible once the top is removed. The toner is then simply poured into the unit, up to a sensible top level. For faster refills it is suggested a fill hole (with bung) is made in the top of the toner unit (see FAQ for photos and instructions)
The ML1610 is relatively easy to refill. Simply remove the right hand end panel by using a small screwdriver to remove 2 tiny screws which will then give you access to a small circular plug which needs to be carefully removed before you can refill the toner cartridge. NOTE: By constantly using the TONER SAVE function on the ML1610 will cause a lot of toner to build up on the doctor blade and waste compartment making the print fade and have white gaps in the printouts. This will cause the print quality to fade after refilling and toner will eventually spill out of the waste compartment. You will need to remove the waste compartment and empty and clean it, remove the wiper blade and clean it and remove the doctor blade and clean it (pretty easy to do as it only involves a few more screws than you would have to deal with when refilling the cartridge). After resembling the cartridge it will work perfectly again
The popular (and recommended by us) Samsung ML2010 cartridge is relatively easy to refill:
-the first thing to do is to remove the two screws that hold the right hand side end plastic piece on the empty cartridge using a small screwdriver
-this reveals a small circular plastic plug that needs to be gently pulled out of the casing using a couple of knives or small screwdrivers (its fiddly the first time as its been rammed in by a machine however each successive time it becomes a lot easier). You then need to shake the cartridge and pour out into a plastic bag the old toner that remains inside the cartridge as this now also contains a quantity of waste toner that needs to be removed before you refill it with new powder!
-gently shake the new bottle of toner powder (making it easier to pour like water) before refilling the empty cartridge - go slowly being careful not to overfill it if you are using one of our bulk bottles (if you use a piece of paper folded to make a funnel and go slowly otherwise you’ll make a mess)
-replace cap and gentle shake the cartridge from side to side to make sure toner doesn't leak from the replaced plug - tiny damaged holes can be sealed with tipex or melted wax or replacement plugs can be easily purchased!
-put back in printer and away you go!!
All this should take about 5 minutes once you’ve got the hang of it! The only thing to note is that if you try to refill a "starter cartridge" (which came free with the machine) remember that they are different to normal OEM genuine or professionally refilled remanufactured cartridges (they are only designed to print 1000 pages before failing and are made of cheaper components than a normal cartridge and some even come as sealed units making it difficult removing the end panel to locate the plug). If you try to refill a starter cartridge (we recommend you buy an OEM or reman cartridge that will last a lot longer) then you have no choice but to either melt a small hole in one end in order to try and refill it or do what everyone else does and that is to buy either a genuine cartridge or a professionally refilled reman (both should last the life of the machine if looked after) as you can't dismantle them as they are always sealed!
The new Samsung ML2851 can be refilled using our Universal ML powder as there is a refill plug under the end cover however the red warning light will continue to flash and an out of toner status message pops up whenever you print however you can keep on printing.
The Samsung ML-6060, ML-6060D6, ML6060N, ML1440, ML1450, ML1451 cartridges are called 'melt and pour' types however we've also found another way to refill it - with front of cartridge facing you remove both top screws allowing the top to unhinge and lift off.
It is always good practice the first time you attempt to refill a toner cartridge to shake out any toner powder remaining in the cartridge (simply throw it away in a plastic bag) and gently clean the green roller using a lint-free cloth which removes any chance of toner contamination and will significantly increase the life of the roller if it is cleaned each time.
The Samsung CLP-300 small circular hoppers are easy to refill (either take off the top or create a small hole in the top of the hopper into which to pour the new powder) - the starter cartridges are sealed units however it is easy to create a small hole in the blue plastic lid. Make sure you find out where the electronic chip is first as they can be found hiding beneath a small square piece of plastic that can be lifted up from the top of the toner hopper with a sharp blade. You will need to replace the chips once they become exhausted.
The Samsung CLP-500 cartridges are easily refilled by simply removing the 4 screws to lift off the top where 3 copper terminals shows you where the filler plug can be removed for refilling. This cartridge needs to be reset after refilling so the printer recognises it as being full however it will continue to print without being reset however we now sell reset fuses with each refill bottle which is easily exchanged on the right hand side of the cartridge. The Samsung CLP-510 cartridges need to have their "killer chip" removed and exchanged with a new one in order for the printer to register the cartridge as being full (located on the right hand side under the side cover removed with 3 contacts) - refilling is easy by unscrewing the top to locate the filler plug (recessed circular piece of plastic beside the 3 copper terminals)
Both our Samsung CLP toner powders come with the fuse and replacement chip although its only on the CLP-510 cartridge that it is compulsory otherwise the printer won't work once it believes the cartridge is empty! At least with the CLP-500 the printer will continue to work if you click past the toner empty error message which will come up once it believes the cartridge is empty!
The Samsung SCX-4200 MFC (multi-function copier) and other similar all-in-one machines are also seen as "unplug and pour" type cartridges. Most of the SCX cartridges have a small round cap on the side which can be refilled simply by removing the plug and pouring in new powder. If no plug exists you can still refill your cartridge very simply and quickly by removing the screws from the top of the cartridge and gently levering the plastic retaining clips at the front edge of the cartridge with a flat blade screwdriver, the top of the cartridge can be removed completely so that you can pour new toner directly into the toner hopper. Some customers have stated they are unable to find the plug which suggests some starter cartridges are sealed units which means you'll need to melt a small hole at the top of the cartridge if you're going to attempt to refill one.
Again the Samsung ML-2510 ML-2570 ML-2571 is easy to refill. Simply remove the end panel with a small screwdriver which will give access to the small circular plug which will need to be carefully removed before the hopper can be refilled. |
 Refilling HP Toner CartridgesWe can provide specific detailed instructions to refill hundreds of different kinds of lazer printer cartridges. The refilling page beneath this one details how to refill some of our most popular toner cartridges. Additional instructions are also available on our FORUM page or by simply emailing us.
REFILL INSTRUCTIONS FOR HEWLETT PACKARD CARTRIDGES:
HP toner cartridges are sealed units so you will need to create small hole (to pour the new toner powder) at the top of the toner cartridge once it is empty! We offer a free service to customers who live in the Nottingham area to do it for them as we have a special melting tool here however creating a hole isn't difficult (melting a circular hole in the thin plastic with a soldering iron is one of the fastest ways or by heating up some copper piping over a flame will do it just as easily) otherwise use a sharp knife (be careful not to allow any of the debris to fall back into the toner cartridge) and its always a good idea to make sure the cartridge is empty otherwise you'll get toner all over your hands! The hole can be simply sealed using gaffa tape or a plug. On HP toners you can't go wrong creating a hole where the Hewlett Packard logo is (ie near the top of the cartridge when it is in the machine) which means there is very little likelihood the toner leaking out!)
It is always good practice the first time you attempt to refill a toner cartridge to shake out any toner powder remaining in the cartridge (simply throw it away in a plastic bag) and gently clean the green roller using a lint-free cloth which removes any chance of toner contamination and will significantly increase the life of the roller if it is cleaned each time. We sell compressed air in a can called AIR DUSTER which is ideal for this cleaning and the regular use of such will significantly increase the wear and tear of the toner cartridge. Although you can refill a "starter cartridge" (the one which comes free with the printer) we tend not to recommend it only because they are only designed to print 1000 pages before failing whereas a genuine or remanufactured toner cartridge should be able to be refilled between 3-6 times (18,000+ sheets) or even more than this if you take the time to clean it each time. Don’t forget to always shake the bottle of toner powder to agitate the toner powder BEFORE you attempt to pour it into the empty toner cartridge as it will then pour easily like water and don’t forget to gently shake the toner cartridge from side to side once you have replaced the plug which distributes the toner powder inside and will also give an indication if the plug has not been damaged and is holding the toner powder inside without leaking.
There are various movies on "You Tube" showing how to refill HP cartridges:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lw1FMEkA08 (for HP Cartridges 2600, 3600, 3800)
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn_663jGi7c
both of which are helpful if you require additional instruction where to melt the hole etc!
The HP CP1215 cartridge can be refilled indefinately without the need to change the chips. You'll need to melt a hole on the top label of the cartridge (1mm to the right of Product of Japan, 3mm from the top) and although the waste won't need to be emptied every time you can melt a hole just to the right of the thermometer symbol on the flat space on the side of the cartridge about 2mm to the right of the writing. Always a good idea to empty the waste toner before refilling with new powder.
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Help us with recycling!We like to encourage the recycling of toner and inkjet cartridge simply because approximately 1.1 billion printer cartridges are used each year worldwide and if we laid these out end to end, they would reach nearly 68 times around the equator and in the UK alone, more than 30 million inkjet cartridges are dumped per year. That’s 1800 tonnes a year, weighing the same as 18 Blue Whales, 782 Elephants or 30 million inkjet cartridges!
We collect and recycle empty cartridges for free locally however due to the rising costs of posting items we urge customers to find local recycling centres close to them to help with the problem of landfill etc.
On average, one inkjet cartridge is made out of 90 ml of oil. If this was vegetable oil, we would be able to prepare a traditional Vindaloo to serve 6 people!
A laser cartridge requires much more oil, roughly 3.5 litres to put a number on it. (That’s enough vegetable oil to prepare 234 servings of Vindaloo!)
Because of the plastic used to make printer cartridges, it can take up to 1000 years for just one cartridge to decompose.
Scientists have estimated that one printer cartridge can be remanufactured anywhere between 3 and 7 times, so recycling and reusing just one printer cartridge could save up to 7000 years off decomposing printer cartridges.
Currently, between 20% and 30% of all printer cartridges sold world wide will be recycled. With your help, in 10 years time this figure could be increased to 45%.
PLEASE DO YOUR PART TO HELP SAVE THIS PLANET!
If you require empty cartridges to be collected in the Nottingham Area please ring 08451665333 as we are happy to collect and recycle with profits going towards various Dogs Charities! |
COSHH & MSDS data on our toner powder & inksCOSHH (Control of substances hazardous to health) & MSDS (material safety data sheets) toner powder information
Fortunately there are no known risks to handling our toner or ink products although the normal safety proceedures should be understood as neither are suitable for human consumption! |
