Hi- I am new to posting here. I am researching buying a cis for an epson r280. I see a huge price range for the systems. csiinks.com has a system for around fifty dollars, http://www.cisinks.com/continuous-ink-system-cis-ciss-for-epson-r260-r280-r380-inkjet-printers-p-391.html I see one that looks similar at inkrepublic.com for 170.00 http://www.inkrepublic.com/R260.asp
Are there some dealers and systems that I should stay away from, or is it just a shot in the dark which one will work the best. They both claim to have the latest chip. I am confused. Thanks for any help.

beverlyjc wrote:

Hi- I am new to posting here. I am researching buying a cis for an epson r280. I see a huge price range for the systems. csiinks.com has a system for around fifty dollars, http://www.cisinks.com/continuous-ink-system-cis-ciss-for-epson-r260-r280-r380-inkjet-printers-p-391.html I see one that looks similar at inkrepublic.com for 170.00 http://www.inkrepublic.com/R260.asp
Are there some dealers and systems that I should stay away from, or is it just a shot in the dark which one will work the best. They both claim to have the latest chip. I am confused. Thanks for any help.

Hi,

Ok... quick potted history of the inkjet market in order:

1. The profit margins available to folks selling 3rd party cartridges (compatibles), CIS kits and refill ink is or at least, was pretty high so there's a LOT of competition and a lot of marketing spiel, cut-throat underhand stuff going on so it's hard to see the wood for the trees.

2. The cost of buying in and reselling CIS kits, also makes it very easy for Jo Bloggs to set up a business from home and resell without really understanding all the physics and unfortunately there are a lot of people like that who suddenly become very unresponsive or unhelpful when something goes wrong.

3. Because of the cut throat nature of things it's very easy for shill (fake) posters, blogs, etc.. to try to bad mouth the competition, big up their own product and basically lie.

So, with this in mind you start to wonder how the heck you found yourself in this minefield and where you left your mummy


BUT, it's not all doom and gloom... Here's a few helpful tips which will probably sound like common sense but it helps to hear them again

• "Pay Peanuts, Get Monkeys"... As a general rule this is a good one. Along with "If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is"
  
• eBay only shopfronts should, as a rule be avoided... Often though you can find a separate site or location that the seller sells from independent of eBay so try a little googling on the name, etc...
  
• If you can find an independent site, try contacting them and asking questions about warranty, ink quality, source, etc... and see if you get a response at all, and whether it's actually knowledgeable, polite, etc...
  
• Look for other reviews.. I appreciate this is a little tricky but look for reviews on forums where the reviewer is a well established member and who doesn't have direct links. Places like nifty-stuff, stevesforums, etc... are good places to investigate
  
• Look for instructions, videos, and FAQ's for your product... If a seller has taken the time to actually put these together it speaks well of support (Caveat: make sure the material is actually theirs! - look for watermarks, etc..)
  
• Bit and final point... Look at the ink quality and source.. If it's cheap poor quality ink, especially Chinese, then think again. If the seller is prepared to tell you who the ink source is or at least provide reliable reviews (of more than a year) that the ink is of decent quality then I'd think again... Nifty stuff has a lot of info and discussion on the whole "which ink is best" debate
  

In terms of recommendations:

- Ink Republic are a company I used in the past and my review wasn't overly shining but we're talking years ago now and there are enough people who buy from them. They're definitely innovative in terms of their approach to things like the new chips on the R285 and D120 for example.

- Rihac.com.au (and .co.uk) are run by Sam Cahir and he's helped me out of a few holes in the past, provides excellent documentation although again there are some minor quibbles from enthusiasts who would like to see X change to Y design

- SVP.co.uk sell CIS kits and have a no quibble replacement policy but as they are primarily CD/DVD media related I'd question how much experience they have in support. There are a few folks who swear by them though.

... and finally MIS Associates (www.inksupply.com) who pretty much started the whole CIS revolution in desktop printers.



Ok... after that veritable hardback book of info' I hope you have enough to get on with so good luck


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Printers: (Canon) MP500/830, MX700, iP4000/4200/4300/4500/5200, iX4000(A3) (Epson) C84/86, D88, CX6600, R285/800/1900 (HP) K550, K850, K5400, L7680

thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my post. It is probably the case that the companies that sell "cheap" are not as knowledgeable and offer poor customer service. It is so difficult to know which website is bogus and which ones are not. I am in the us and I noticed that some of the recommended sites are in australia and England. I am willing to pay for a good cis, I just want to go with a reputible company, and be assured they have some knowledge of what will work and what won't. Thank you again for your help.
beverly

beverlyjc wrote:

thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my post. It is probably the case that the companies that sell "cheap" are not as knowledgeable and offer poor customer service. It is so difficult to know which website is bogus and which ones are not. I am in the us and I noticed that some of the recommended sites are in australia and England. I am willing to pay for a good cis, I just want to go with a reputible company, and be assured they have some knowledge of what will work and what won't. Thank you again for your help.
beverly

Well, if you can provide a rough idea of the area/country you live in I can probably help from there.. Nifty-stuff forums are a good place to ask for recommendations too..


_________________
Printers: (Canon) MP500/830, MX700, iP4000/4200/4300/4500/5200, iX4000(A3) (Epson) C84/86, D88, CX6600, R285/800/1900 (HP) K550, K850, K5400, L7680