Does anyone
It depends. There are a number of factors that determine if a toner
refill will work well for you.
First off, it depends upon the model of the printer. Some brands have a
chip in the cartridge which will either burn out or reach a numerical
level that disables or otherwise alters the printers abilities. It may
be the printer will print more slowly, for instance.
If there is a chip involved, some are available for replacement by a 3rd
party vendor. They typically cost between $10-15 each.
The second issue may be how easily you can refill the cartridge. Some
have a nice plastic cap that just pops open and you can refill from
there. Others require you to drill or melt a hole in it.
Some laser toner cartridges store the toner from the drum cleaning
process, while others add it to the toner store and reuse it. The former
require that area be emptied.
Then there is the issue of the image drum itself. Some toner cartridge
contain the drum, others have two separate units, one containing the
drum, one containing the toner, others have this as one unit.
Over time the drum wears and loses its ability to produce a good image.
Lastly, the drum is fitted with a silicone rubber wiper blade. This
blade presses against the drum and removes the excess toner left over
after the print is made. These wiper blades tend to dull and wear over
time, and when they do there may be streaks or ghosting in the printed
image.
In general, most drums/wiper system last several to numerous refills
before degrading beyond use.
The last issue is that toner formulations and even technologies vary
considerably. They can use semi-permanent magnetic developer and
separate toner powder, some use both together and they are both used up
in printing, and yet others use just a toner powder which is controlled
by static charge. The wrong type of toner can make a real mess of
things, so buy from a reputable dealer who knows the toner and other
refill issues for your toner cartridge type.
So, unfortunately the simple question becomes a more complex reply. I
suggest checking several refiller services or toner suppliers and see if
the techniques suggested and consumables seem similar between supplier.
Many of the toner supply websites provide general refill instructions
for the brand and type of cartridge you are using, which should explain
how complex the process is and what tools you may need.
Art
If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste,
I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog:
http://e-trashtalk.spaces.live.com/