Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2 Weeks!!!

June 24, 2008

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2 We

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2 We

I have a Brother MFC-215C and never had any problems.

> Also, do I have to buy all 4 Brother cartridges at once? Or can I buy

> only the yellow, since that cartridge is the one that is almost empty?

Here in New Zealand you can buy each colour separately or a package

containing the 3 colours which is much cheaper. For the black same

proposition except the package contains 2 black cartridges. Up to you.

Your cartridge might have been a faulty one. Phone your supplier explain and

try to change it. Also in this part of the world Brother is very obliging.

Serge

June 24, 2008

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2 Weeks!!!

<midwest_46@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:ce99764b-172e-4d95-8cad-f59ddc2fdfcb@r66g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...

>I have a Gateway computer with the following: 1) a 1400-MHz Pentium 4

> processor, 2) 256 MB of RAM, and 3) 40 GB of hard-drive space.

>

> The computer is running Windows Millennium Edition (ME).

>

> Two and a half weeks ago, I bought a Brother MFC-240C printer. This is

> a multifunction device: printer, copier, fax, and scanner.

>

> ----------

>

> When I installed the ink cartridges, the machine cleaned the ink tube

> system. Then I pressed "Color Start" to test the four colors

> corresponding to the cartridges (black, yellow, cyan, and magenta).

>

> The machine printed out the Print Quality Check Sheet. This sheet

> showed a square pattern in each color. If all small lines were clear

> and visible, I had to press 1 for Yes, and the quality check would be

> done. If there were missing small lines, I had to press 2 for No, and

> the colors would be cleaned. Then the Check Sheet would be printed

> again.

>

> When the Check Sheet was printed the first time, there were no missing

> lines, but (in my opinion) some lines were not clear, especially the

> yellow lines. So, I pressed 2 for No, and the colors were cleaned, and

> the Check Sheet was printed out again. The colors were cleaned four

> times before I was satisfied that the small lines were clear and

> visible.

>

> After the color test, the rest of the installation was done.

>

> ----------

>

> In my regular usage, the first thing I printed out was an HTML page (2

> sheets). Since the HTML page was in color, the printed pages were in

> color as well. After that, during the next 2 weeks or so, I printed

> out or copied about 20 - 25 pages in black and white. Today, I printed

> out 4 pages in black and white, and then the printer showed the

> following message: "Near Empty Yellow", meaning that the Yellow ink

> cartridge was nearly empty.

>

> Now, I will admit that I keep the printer unplugged (from the AC power

> supply and from the wall phone jack) if I am not using the printer. I

> plug in the printer ONLY if I have to print and/or copy something.

> However, the printer is ALWAYS connected to the computer via USB

> cable.

>

> Also, sometimes when I printed something, the machine cleaned the

> print head before the printing occurred. Page 99 of the user's guide

> states the following: "To ensure good print quality, the machine will

> regularly clean the print head." The user's guide then explains that,

> in addition to the automatic cleaning of the print head, the user can

> clean the print head manually (by pressing some buttons). The user's

> guide then states the following: "Cleaning the print head consumes

> ink. Cleaning too often uses ink unnecessarily."

>

> ----------

>

> So, here are my questions:

>

> 1) How can the yellow cartridge be nearly empty after only 2.5 weeks?

> The colors were cleaned 4 times during the color test, and the print

> head was cleaned a few times, but I have printed only 2 color pages.

>

> 2) If cleaning the print head consumes ink and if the machine cleans

> the print head whenever the machine wants to, then how can I stop the

> machine from cleaning itself too much? Is this some scam on the part

> of Brother to get me to buy more ink cartridges? Can Brother be sued

> for this? Do printers from other brands also clean their print heads

> whenever they want to?

>

> 3) Do I have a defective printer? Should I get a refund? I bought this

> particular printer (Brother MFC-240C) because it was the only printer

> a) that was compatible with Windows ME, b) that was relatively

> lightweight, and c) that was relatively cheap. So, should I try to

> find a different printer? Unfortunately, upgrading my computer to

> Windows XP would be too much trouble.

>

You should be aware that the ink cartridges supplied with the most printers

contain a very minimal amount of ink. This is because the printer is sold

with virtually no profit. All the money is made selling the ink cartridges

which are vastly over priced for what the are. The minimal ink filling of

the supplied cartridges gets you buying the full price cartridges as soon as

possible.

Many printer buyers have found that a set of replacement cartridges can

actually cost more than the printer did, partiularly at the budget end of

the market.

June 24, 2008

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2 Weeks!!!

Ink costs can be excessive for Ink Jet printers. Couple that with the almost

continuous issue of jets clogging and requiring cleaning. I recommend that

users have two printers - A B&W Laser Jet ( Brother is a good choice ) &

a separate Color printer. Color Laser Jet printers have come down in price

but might still be too costly for a home user. Most recent Brother Laser

Jet

B&W printers can be ~$120 and many have built-in Wireless capability.

"M.I.5¾" <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote in message

news:4860c7c4$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net...

>

> <midwest_46@yahoo.com> wrote in message

> news:ce99764b-172e-4d95-8cad-f59ddc2fdfcb@r66g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...

>>I have a Gateway computer with the following: 1) a 1400-MHz Pentium 4

>> processor, 2) 256 MB of RAM, and 3) 40 GB of hard-drive space.

>>

>> The computer is running Windows Millennium Edition (ME).

>>

>> Two and a half weeks ago, I bought a Brother MFC-240C printer. This is

>> a multifunction device: printer, copier, fax, and scanner.

>>

>> ----------

>>

>> When I installed the ink cartridges, the machine cleaned the ink tube

>> system. Then I pressed "Color Start" to test the four colors

>> corresponding to the cartridges (black, yellow, cyan, and magenta).

>>

>> The machine printed out the Print Quality Check Sheet. This sheet

>> showed a square pattern in each color. If all small lines were clear

>> and visible, I had to press 1 for Yes, and the quality check would be

>> done. If there were missing small lines, I had to press 2 for No, and

>> the colors would be cleaned. Then the Check Sheet would be printed

>> again.

>>

>> When the Check Sheet was printed the first time, there were no missing

>> lines, but (in my opinion) some lines were not clear, especially the

>> yellow lines. So, I pressed 2 for No, and the colors were cleaned, and

>> the Check Sheet was printed out again. The colors were cleaned four

>> times before I was satisfied that the small lines were clear and

>> visible.

>>

>> After the color test, the rest of the installation was done.

>>

>> ----------

>>

>> In my regular usage, the first thing I printed out was an HTML page (2

>> sheets). Since the HTML page was in color, the printed pages were in

>> color as well. After that, during the next 2 weeks or so, I printed

>> out or copied about 20 - 25 pages in black and white. Today, I printed

>> out 4 pages in black and white, and then the printer showed the

>> following message: "Near Empty Yellow", meaning that the Yellow ink

>> cartridge was nearly empty.

>>

>> Now, I will admit that I keep the printer unplugged (from the AC power

>> supply and from the wall phone jack) if I am not using the printer. I

>> plug in the printer ONLY if I have to print and/or copy something.

>> However, the printer is ALWAYS connected to the computer via USB

>> cable.

>>

>> Also, sometimes when I printed something, the machine cleaned the

>> print head before the printing occurred. Page 99 of the user's guide

>> states the following: "To ensure good print quality, the machine will

>> regularly clean the print head." The user's guide then explains that,

>> in addition to the automatic cleaning of the print head, the user can

>> clean the print head manually (by pressing some buttons). The user's

>> guide then states the following: "Cleaning the print head consumes

>> ink. Cleaning too often uses ink unnecessarily."

>>

>> ----------

>>

>> So, here are my questions:

>>

>> 1) How can the yellow cartridge be nearly empty after only 2.5 weeks?

>> The colors were cleaned 4 times during the color test, and the print

>> head was cleaned a few times, but I have printed only 2 color pages.

>>

>> 2) If cleaning the print head consumes ink and if the machine cleans

>> the print head whenever the machine wants to, then how can I stop the

>> machine from cleaning itself too much? Is this some scam on the part

>> of Brother to get me to buy more ink cartridges? Can Brother be sued

>> for this? Do printers from other brands also clean their print heads

>> whenever they want to?

>>

>> 3) Do I have a defective printer? Should I get a refund? I bought this

>> particular printer (Brother MFC-240C) because it was the only printer

>> a) that was compatible with Windows ME, b) that was relatively

>> lightweight, and c) that was relatively cheap. So, should I try to

>> find a different printer? Unfortunately, upgrading my computer to

>> Windows XP would be too much trouble.

>>

> You should be aware that the ink cartridges supplied with the most

> printers contain a very minimal amount of ink. This is because the

> printer is sold with virtually no profit. All the money is made selling

> the ink cartridges which are vastly over priced for what the are. The

> minimal ink filling of the supplied cartridges gets you buying the full

> price cartridges as soon as possible.

>

> Many printer buyers have found that a set of replacement cartridges can

> actually cost more than the printer did, partiularly at the budget end of

> the market.

>

June 24, 2008

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2 Weeks!!!

The problem is areas of the paper using color become fuzzy. I have no idea

what the "ink" button does other than the printer then works good for

another few days. It's like taking the cartridge(s) out and shaking them a

few times. New cartridges do exactly the same thing. The office printer has

been used for a few years and may need some type of cleaning but the home

computer is only a few months old with minimum usage. They both act the same

way.

Frank

<midwest_46@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:f9ed6d38-abd3-488d-870f-9e3185638df2@i76g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...

On Jun 23, 9:41?am, "FrankV" <Fra...@noaddress.com> wrote:

> The answer to that is never buy another Brother printer. I know because I

> have an MFC-5100c at home and another at my small business office. Both

> have

> the same problem with ink cartridges. I've learned I have to use the "ink"

> button every few days or the problem starts happening again.

>

> In other words, Brothers is JUNK.

>

How does using the "Ink" button help? And what problem does this

button solve?

June 24, 2008

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2Weeks!!!

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2Weeks!!!

On Jun 23, 11:27 pm, midwest...@yahoo.com wrote:

> On Jun 23, 10:34�am, measekite <inkysti...@oem.com> wrote:

>

> > I would upgrade the OS to at least W2k if the hardware allows.

>

> In a previous thread, I asked whether I should upgrade to Win XP or to

> another Win OS. It was determined that my hardware (RAM, hard-drive

> space) was insufficient and that upgrading the hardware would be too

> much trouble.

>

> > Since a set of ink costs almost as much as a printer I would trash the

> > Brother and buy a Canon on sale. �You problems with the system you have

> > will never cease.

>

> Which problems with the system I have will never cease? Are you saying

> that Brother ink cartridges will always be used up quickly?

>

> Some of the other posters have said that only the ink cartridges that

> come with the printer are low. So, if I buy new cartridges, these

> cartridges should last a long time. Correct?

>

> Also, do I have to buy all 4 Brother cartridges at once? Or can I buy

> only the yellow, since that cartridge is the one that is almost empty?

I bought a Brother MFC 665CW multi-function wireless and it is true

that they, like many other printer manufacturers, provide STARTER

cartridges.

I don't do a large volume of printing but I was amazed that I got a

year out of the starter cartridges. Makes me wonder if your's is just

a lemon.

You will need to buy the whole set of four replacement cartridges if

you have run out of just one color per the low ink warning on the one

color. If you don't, then you will just have to make extra trips to

your office supplies store.

I have found my model to be very reliable and trouble free and I love

everything wireless.

I use it with a Dell Inspiron E-1505 laptop, 80 GB HD and 1 GB RAM and

XP Home Edition. I have a Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router.

June 24, 2008

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2Weeks!!!

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2Weeks!!!

midwest_46@yahoo.com wrote:

>

> Why would I buy a printer that could print photos, and then send the

> photos to Wal-Mart for printing?

>

At the rate you're using ink, Wal-Mart might be cheaper...

Bill

June 24, 2008

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2 Weeks!!!

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2 Weeks!!!

I think Wal-Mart is cheaper even if not using excessive ink.

You can't buy decent photo paper cheaper than you can get 4x6 photos from

Wal-Mart at 15 cents a photo.

Gord

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:18:47 -0700, Bill Sharpe <wfsnopam@adelphia.net> wrote:

>midwest_46@yahoo.com wrote:

>>

>> Why would I buy a printer that could print photos, and then send the

>> photos to Wal-Mart for printing?

>>

>At the rate you're using ink, Wal-Mart might be cheaper...

>

>Bill

June 24, 2008

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2 We

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2 We

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:49:01 -0700, Serge

<Serge@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>I have a Brother MFC-215C and never had any problems.

>

>> Also, do I have to buy all 4 Brother cartridges at once? Or can I buy

>> only the yellow, since that cartridge is the one that is almost empty?

>

>Here in New Zealand you can buy each colour separately or a package

>containing the 3 colours which is much cheaper. For the black same

>proposition except the package contains 2 black cartridges. Up to you.

>

>Your cartridge might have been a faulty one. Phone your supplier explain and

>try to change it. Also in this part of the world Brother is very obliging.

>

>Serge

>

Please reply to the original thread and not start a new thread with

your reply. Now there are TWO threads dealing with this that always

seem to go in different direction.

June 25, 2008

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2Weeks!!!

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2Weeks!!!

On Jun 23, 10:48 am, Big_Al <Bi...@md.com> wrote:

>

> I have a canon IP4000 and love it. Doesn't use ink that much and you

> can buy 3rd party cartridges for about $4 per rather than the typical

> $12 at Costco.

I went to the Canon website, and I searched for the IP4000.

I found the following links:

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=184&modelid=10239

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=184&modelid=10438

When you guys talk about the Canon IP4000, do you have these two

printers in mind?

These two printers seem to be photo printers. Do they also print paper

documents? They are, however, compatible with Windows ME.

Furthermore, will these two Canon printers also have starter

cartridges? If yes, then is there any point in getting a refund on the

Brother printer and getting a Canon printer?

June 25, 2008

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2Weeks!!!

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2Weeks!!!

midwest_46@yahoo.com wrote:

On Jun 23, 10:48 am, Big_Al <Bi...@md.com> wrote:

I have a canon IP4000 and love it. Doesn't use ink that much and you can buy 3rd party cartridges for about $4 per rather than the typical $12 at Costco.

I went to the Canon website, and I searched for the IP4000. I found the following links: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=184&modelid=10239 http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=184&modelid=10438 When you guys talk about the Canon IP4000, do you have these two printers in mind? These two printers seem to be photo printers. Do they also print paper documents? They are, however, compatible with Windows ME. Furthermore, will these two Canon printers also have starter cartridges? If yes, then is there any point in getting a refund on the Brother printer and getting a Canon printer?

They only use starter carts for those in the midwest who have inferior printers...Oh Brother

June 25, 2008

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2 Weeks!!!

I have a Brother MFC420CN and am very happy with it.

Keep the printer plugged in to a power source, even when it's off, and you

will use less ink.

You can get ink cartridges from eBay for less than $2.00 per cartridge -

just make sure you use a vendor with a 99%+ rating.

"R. McCarty" <PcEngWork-NoSpam_@mindspring.com> wrote in message

news:%239jl0Ze1IHA.4476@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> Ink costs can be excessive for Ink Jet printers. Couple that with the

> almost

> continuous issue of jets clogging and requiring cleaning. I recommend that

> users have two printers - A B&W Laser Jet ( Brother is a good choice ) &

> a separate Color printer. Color Laser Jet printers have come down in

> price

> but might still be too costly for a home user. Most recent Brother Laser

> Jet

> B&W printers can be ~$120 and many have built-in Wireless capability.

>

> "M.I.5¾" <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote in message

> news:4860c7c4$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net...

>>

>> <midwest_46@yahoo.com> wrote in message

>> news:ce99764b-172e-4d95-8cad-f59ddc2fdfcb@r66g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...

>>>I have a Gateway computer with the following: 1) a 1400-MHz Pentium 4

>>> processor, 2) 256 MB of RAM, and 3) 40 GB of hard-drive space.

>>>

>>> The computer is running Windows Millennium Edition (ME).

>>>

>>> Two and a half weeks ago, I bought a Brother MFC-240C printer. This is

>>> a multifunction device: printer, copier, fax, and scanner.

>>>

>>> ----------

>>>

>>> When I installed the ink cartridges, the machine cleaned the ink tube

>>> system. Then I pressed "Color Start" to test the four colors

>>> corresponding to the cartridges (black, yellow, cyan, and magenta).

>>>

>>> The machine printed out the Print Quality Check Sheet. This sheet

>>> showed a square pattern in each color. If all small lines were clear

>>> and visible, I had to press 1 for Yes, and the quality check would be

>>> done. If there were missing small lines, I had to press 2 for No, and

>>> the colors would be cleaned. Then the Check Sheet would be printed

>>> again.

>>>

>>> When the Check Sheet was printed the first time, there were no missing

>>> lines, but (in my opinion) some lines were not clear, especially the

>>> yellow lines. So, I pressed 2 for No, and the colors were cleaned, and

>>> the Check Sheet was printed out again. The colors were cleaned four

>>> times before I was satisfied that the small lines were clear and

>>> visible.

>>>

>>> After the color test, the rest of the installation was done.

>>>

>>> ----------

>>>

>>> In my regular usage, the first thing I printed out was an HTML page (2

>>> sheets). Since the HTML page was in color, the printed pages were in

>>> color as well. After that, during the next 2 weeks or so, I printed

>>> out or copied about 20 - 25 pages in black and white. Today, I printed

>>> out 4 pages in black and white, and then the printer showed the

>>> following message: "Near Empty Yellow", meaning that the Yellow ink

>>> cartridge was nearly empty.

>>>

>>> Now, I will admit that I keep the printer unplugged (from the AC power

>>> supply and from the wall phone jack) if I am not using the printer. I

>>> plug in the printer ONLY if I have to print and/or copy something.

>>> However, the printer is ALWAYS connected to the computer via USB

>>> cable.

>>>

>>> Also, sometimes when I printed something, the machine cleaned the

>>> print head before the printing occurred. Page 99 of the user's guide

>>> states the following: "To ensure good print quality, the machine will

>>> regularly clean the print head." The user's guide then explains that,

>>> in addition to the automatic cleaning of the print head, the user can

>>> clean the print head manually (by pressing some buttons). The user's

>>> guide then states the following: "Cleaning the print head consumes

>>> ink. Cleaning too often uses ink unnecessarily."

>>>

>>> ----------

>>>

>>> So, here are my questions:

>>>

>>> 1) How can the yellow cartridge be nearly empty after only 2.5 weeks?

>>> The colors were cleaned 4 times during the color test, and the print

>>> head was cleaned a few times, but I have printed only 2 color pages.

>>>

>>> 2) If cleaning the print head consumes ink and if the machine cleans

>>> the print head whenever the machine wants to, then how can I stop the

>>> machine from cleaning itself too much? Is this some scam on the part

>>> of Brother to get me to buy more ink cartridges? Can Brother be sued

>>> for this? Do printers from other brands also clean their print heads

>>> whenever they want to?

>>>

>>> 3) Do I have a defective printer? Should I get a refund? I bought this

>>> particular printer (Brother MFC-240C) because it was the only printer

>>> a) that was compatible with Windows ME, b) that was relatively

>>> lightweight, and c) that was relatively cheap. So, should I try to

>>> find a different printer? Unfortunately, upgrading my computer to

>>> Windows XP would be too much trouble.

>>>

>> You should be aware that the ink cartridges supplied with the most

>> printers contain a very minimal amount of ink. This is because the

>> printer is sold with virtually no profit. All the money is made selling

>> the ink cartridges which are vastly over priced for what the are. The

>> minimal ink filling of the supplied cartridges gets you buying the full

>> price cartridges as soon as possible.

>>

>> Many printer buyers have found that a set of replacement cartridges can

>> actually cost more than the printer did, partiularly at the budget end of

>> the market.

>>

>

June 25, 2008

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2 Weeks!!!

"R. McCarty" <PcEngWork-NoSpam_@mindspring.com> wrote in message

news:%239jl0Ze1IHA.4476@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> Ink costs can be excessive for Ink Jet printers. Couple that with the

> almost

> continuous issue of jets clogging and requiring cleaning. I recommend that

> users have two printers - A B&W Laser Jet ( Brother is a good choice ) &

> a separate Color printer. Color Laser Jet printers have come down in

> price

> but might still be too costly for a home user. Most recent Brother Laser

> Jet

> B&W printers can be ~$120 and many have built-in Wireless capability.

>

You jest. A colour laser jet can be had these days for around £120. A set

of replacement toner cartridges costs far more than that. Different

technology - same scam.

June 26, 2008

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2 We

Re: Brother Printer Ink Cartridge Nearly Empty --- After Only 2 We

Yep, and this has become something of a racket, with manufacturers

'chipping' carts to cause deliberate failure after a set number of pages.

In any case I would always advise people to steer clear of these

multifunction units. Especially on a low-powered computer as they install

services which run continuously even when the MFU is not being used.

When you think about it:

Who faxes these days? Well, me, but one fax in three months and my modem

does that anyway.

Copying with an inkjet is hideously wasteful. Need to copy? Get a copier!

Scanners cost peanuts.

Color lasers are a lot cheaper than they used to be, and if you want a

PRINTER instead of a box of tricks then that is what I would advise.

>

> You should be aware that the ink cartridges supplied with the most printers

> contain a very minimal amount of ink. This is because the printer is sold

> with virtually no profit. All the money is made selling the ink cartridges

> which are vastly over priced for what the are. The minimal ink filling of

> the supplied cartridges gets you buying the full price cartridges as soon as

> possible.

>

> Many printer buyers have found that a set of replacement cartridges can

> actually cost more than the printer did, partiularly at the budget end of

> the market.

>

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