The Canon C-104 toner cartridge is one of the few cartridge units not outfitted with a fill hole. Therefore to gain access to the toner hopper for the purpose of conducting a refill, the user will need to perforate a section of the cartridge's polymer housing. To do just that, a refill tool will come in handy. The refill tool, also called a holing tool, is actually an improvised soldering iron with a conical tip that is used to bore a hole over the polymer casing covering the toner chamber. While the process is fairly simple, diligent care should be observed as the user will be handling a heated device and mishandling could cause burns.
Aftermarket printer consumables such as the Canon 104 toner refill kit are preferred by many laser printer users due to its low pricing. Compared with the counter price of the OEM Canon 104 toner cartridge, a compatible toner refill product will only fetch a price of . Quality wise, variance is negligible as similar output quality has been observed from both OEM and compatible toner. Moreover, both products guarantee the same yield rating of 2000 pages at 5% page coverage. Now to kick off the refill task, you will be needing the following materials.
Soldering Kit
1 empty but still workable Canon 104 toner cartridge. 1 toner refill kit compatible with the Canon 104 cartridge (package comes with a funnel cap, a pair of latex gloves, lint-free toner wipes and an instructional material) 1 hole plug (hopper plug) Duct tape to prevent toner leaks. Refill tool
Remember to conduct the refill in a well-lit and well-ventilated environment. As much as possible, do it on a sturdy workbench or kitchen table and have a trash can nearby where old toner powder will be disposed. The refill process is rather simple and easy and does not need technical skills to perform. Here's how you do it:
Unload the empty toner cartridge from the laser printer and place it flat on the workbench or table. Mount the refill tool on the holder, plug it to an electrical outlet and let it heat-up for 3 to 5 minutes. Pinpoint and mark the section on the cartridge where a hole will be burned using the refill tool. Aim the heated refill tool vertically onto the marked section and gently push its copper tip over the polymer until a hole is burned on the cartridge. Unplug the refill tool thereafter and let it stand to cool. Clean the hole from any burned plastic residues since those could damage the sensitive imaging components inside the cartridge. Dump whatever is left of the old toner. Use a toner vacuum (optional) to rid the inside chamber from toner residues. Pull out the bottle of compatible toner from the package. Tap it on the workbench, unseal and attach the funnel cap over its mouth. Position the spout over the hole and let toner transfer freely into the chamber. When the chamber is full, seal the fill hole with the hopper plug and place duct tape over it to prevent toner leaks. This completes the refill process. Hold the cartridge and shake it gently to distribute toner into the cavities of the cartridge and load it back into the printer.
The entire refill process should only take you 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Grab a Canon 104 compatible toner refill kit now to start this cost effective and fun endeavor.