HP officejet Pro 8620-changing ink cartridges

[Cuphoff1147]

How do I change the ink cartridges in my new Officejet Pro 8620?  My manual only shows working with and setting up fax procedures.   I am out of my yellow cartridge and am not sure even how to open this printer to have access to the cartridges.    Can I get a diagram of the unit also please?

[Tim-W-H · Accepted solution]

This guide shows how to change ink cartridges on that model step-by-step: LINK

Let me know if you have any questions while going through the guide.

[Dutch205]

The link showing how to change an ink cartridge on Inkjet Pro 8620 did not work.

How to change cartridge?

[Justme8]

What do I open on my Office Jet Pro 8620 to access and change the cartridge

[VicBlizz]

With the printer turned on open the flap on the left front of the printer. This is accomplished by inserting your finger behind the door to left of where "HP Officejet Pro 8620" is printed on the front panel. Once opened, wait for the printhead containing your inks to move to the left and come to a STOP. Do not turn your printer off.

Remove spent cartridge by pressing the bottom of the cartridge in (toward rear of printer). The spring behind the cartridge will push it forward. Pull it out and you are ready to install your replacement.

Hope this helps.

[dclaudew]

1. Open the door, which is right beside where the HP8620 logo is.  Put your thumb inside the slot on the top left of the printer (when facing the printer) and pull out and down.  (2) The bus holding the ink will automatically arrive at the open door. (3) Push on each cartridge. The push will make that cartridge pop out.  (4) Pull out each cartridge.  Push in a new one until it hits a stop, and release.  (5) With all four cartridges replaced, close the door.  (6) Reset your memory (ie, turn off the printer, pause, restart).

You may get lucky and not need to replace your full ink cartridges, but my experience is that once one cartridge is empty, the HP8620 will zap the chips in the other three, so that you will get an error message until you replace all four units.  When this happens to me, I ask Office Depot for a free replacement for my full color cartridges (ie, my black does tend to empty from true printing, but I rarely print in color).  Perhaps if you use genuine HP cartridges, then HP will also refund you for the three full color cartridges that you will have whenever you replace one empty black cartridge.

It is a constant battle with HP.  My printer dates to December 2014 (about 15 months).  HP has "updated" their printer software twice in that time, most recently in December 2015, with each "update" having the effect of outdating all Office Depot cartridges currently in production.  There may also have been updates to the cartridges' chip software.

It is easy to see why Office Depot and Office Max have had enough financial problems to merge, and why HP would want to distance itself from its unethical printer business by spinning off the printers.

[Bob_Headrick]

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@dclaudew wrote:
[snip] You may get lucky and not need to replace your full ink cartridges, but my experience is that once one cartridge is empty, the HP8620 will zap the chips in the other three, so that you will get an error message until you replace all four units.  [snip]

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The cartridges are separate, and changing one cartridge will not require the others to be changed unless they are also depleted.  The act of changing a cartridge will cause a priming cycle to be initiated, which will use up some ink from all the cartridges.  For this reason I typically change the color cartridges as a set if one runs out and the rest are nearly depleted.  I have never had an experience that changing a cartridge caused the other cartridges to be "zapped" and I have replaced many cartridges over the years in many printer models.

HP does not have control over the (generally poor) quality of third party cartridges.  See the study here for information: http://www.buyerslab.com/products/samples/HP-Inkjet-Cartridges-vs-Refilled-Cartridges.pdf

I got my Officejet Pro 8620 in April a year ago and am still using the original black setup cartridge, I replaced the color cartridges in December.  

[dclaudew]

I don't know if Office depot cartridges are poorly made or not.  It is generally impossible to make cartridges without cooperation of the manufacturer, as the manufacturer is the only supplier of the encrypted chip code in the cartridge.  Also, there are IP issues involved in mimicing someone else's cartridges without their permission.  Regardless, Office Depot is standing by their product.  They will pick up my cartridges on Tuesday from my house and then issue a full refund.

We just had somewhat of a scare with the new cartridges.  Since this site recommended replacing the software, I did download the December 2015 software upgrade to the printer.  After doing that, the printer was saying that one of the cartridges had gone bad.  We took the cartridges out, powered off, powered on, replaced the cartridges, powered off, powered on, and the messages went away.

I'm glad that some have been able to replace one cartridge at a time.  This has not worked on my 8620 for either of the two times that we have replaced the black ink.  For us, black ink gone bad results in messages that all ink is bad.  Again, our color cartridges are almost unused, but the control panel says replace the magenta, and continues to say that until all four cartridges are replaced.  HP did well by spinning off its printer business.

[VicBlizz]

Mate,

I have had it to the eye teeth with HP printer updates and their anti competitive behaviour. It is apparent that their firmware and other updates that the printer LCD nags you to download and install are mainly designed to stop the use of aftermarket cartridges.

Not sure what the law of the land is where you live but here in Australia, we have reasonably strong anti competitive laws which I am relatively confident prohibit this type of activity by companies.

Must look further into that one.

The inks I use and have been using for years without issues are supplied by a reputable quality supplier and if it is my choice to use their inks over genuine HP product then that is my right as a consumer. Hp cannot dictate what I am permitted to use, of that I pretty certain.

Further investigation of the laws in Aus are in order here. Can't let them get away this anti competitive  behaviour!

That being said, my HP 8620 is now dismantled so I can rescue my new inks.

It is interesting that apparently there is no way to take your printer back to the factory firmware at time of purchase. If this could be achieved, maybe we could overcome the issue that has arrisen post updates with non genuine inks?

[dclaudew]

@VicBuzz

The IP issues are way beyond me.  My son the patent lawyer has been involved in such cases for laser printers, although I am not sure which side he represented (original printer or replacement cartridge).  Let's just say the legal status of manufacturing another company's cartridges and chips is not clear.  This is unfortunate, because most industries benefit from such help.  Imagine if automotive companies had to make their own locks, radios, glass, suspension, transmissions, wheels, tires, hoses, pumps, chips, carburators, etc?  Or a gun maunfacturer that did not permit others to make ammunition for the gun?  A heating and air conditioner company that did not allow others to make filters?  A stapler that would not take Office Depot generic staples? For example, my refrigerator is a Viking, but Viking installs a Westinghouse filter (with a Viking-sticker overlay, of course) and I replace with Westinghouse filters from the cheapest source (ie, not Viking).  The Viking owner's manual even shows a Weshinghouse certificate as proof of the chemical prowess of the "Viking" filter to remove impurities.