The printer that cost you the least is rarely the printer with the cheapest ink. With a cartridge model, a single black cartridge can run out after a stack of worksheets, and by the time you finish a year of home printing the ink bill often dwarfs the printer itself.
An ink tank printer, also called a supertank or cartridge-free printer, is an all-in-one with built-in reservoirs you top up with refillable ink bottles. One bottle set covers thousands of pages instead of a few hundred, which drops the running cost per page to a fraction of cartridge pricing. Below I break down the ten tank printers with the cheapest ink we could justify, sorted by page yield, duplex support, speed and how painless the refill actually is.
The four names you will meet most are Epson EcoTank, Canon MegaTank, HP Smart Tank and Brother INKvestment. They all use the same refill-a-bottle idea, but the bottles are not interchangeable across brands, so we note the correct bottle number for every pick. If you want a broader look at the format first, our home inkjet printer guide covers where tank models sit against cartridge and laser options.
Everything here is updated for 2026, and every rating and review count below is copied straight from the listing. Our short answer: the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is the best balance of ink economics and ownership experience. The Canon MegaTank G3270 is a strong second pick, with rated page yields at the top of the group.
Top 3 Tank Printers With the Cheapest Ink
Epson EcoTank ET-2800
- Up to 4500 black and 7500 color pages
- One bottle set equals about 90 cartridges
- 10 ppm black Micro Piezo
Canon MegaTank G3270
- Up to 6000 black and 7700 color pages
- Spill-resistant keyed refill
- Wireless print copy and scan
Epson EcoTank ET-15000
- 13x19 inch wide format
- Auto duplex plus ADF and 250-sheet tray
- 17 ppm black
Those three cover the most common situations: a home user who wants maximum ink per bottle, a buyer who wants the lowest entry cost, and someone who needs wide-format output without giving up duplex. The seven printers below them fill in the gaps between, including the small-office models with document feeders and the one cartridge-based outlier worth comparing against.
Best Tank Printers With Cheap Ink at a Glance (October 2026)
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Epson EcoTank ET-2800 |
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| Canon MegaTank G3270 |
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| Epson EcoTank ET-15000 |
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 Epson EcoTank ET-2400 |
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 Epson EcoTank ET-4800 |
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 Canon PIXMA G5020 |
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 Epson EcoTank ET-4950 |
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 Canon MAXIFY GX2020 |
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 HP Smart Tank 5003 |
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 Brother MFC-J1365DW |
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1. Epson EcoTank ET-2800 – Best Overall for Cheap Ink
Epson EcoTank ET-2800 Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank Printer – Black
10 ppm black
5760 x 1440 dpi
100-sheet tray
11.4 pounds
Pros
- 4500 black and 7500 color pages per bottle set
- One set equals about 90 cartridges
- Compact body with flatbed scanner and copier
- Sharp text from Micro Piezo heat-free tech
Cons
- No automatic duplex
- 100-sheet paper tray
- No document feeder
We spent the bulk of our testing window on this one because it is the model most households end up with. The 522-series EcoFit bottles that ship in the box are rated at up to 4,500 black pages and 7,500 color pages, and one full set replaces roughly 90 individual cartridges.
In practice the ink rarely runs out, which changes how you use the machine. We stopped thinking about whether a job was worth printing and started printing when we needed to. That is the real saving, and it is the thing cartridge models never quite deliver.
Output quality is genuinely good for the money class. Color resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi gives clean photo prints on 4×6 and 5×7 paper, and text edges stay sharp because Micro Piezo heat-free technology does not use ink-heating nozzles.
The gaps are structural. There is no automatic duplex, so two-sided documents mean flipping the stack by hand, and the 100-sheet tray fills fast if you print packets. There is also no document feeder, so multi-page scanning is one lid lift at a time.
What You Give Up Compared With Office Models
If you print two-sided documents more than a few times a week, the missing duplex will be the first thing you miss. The ET-2800 sits at 10 ppm black and 5 ppm color, which is fine for occasional work and slow for a stack of 50 pages.
Against that, it is the smallest, lightest class of machine here at 11.4 pounds, and it draws only 12 watts. For a dorm room, a home office corner or a student room, that footprint matters more than throughput.
When It Is the Right Buy
Buy the ET-2800 if your printing is a mix of school work, occasional color and the occasional photo, and you have never wanted to hunt for a cartridge in a store. It carries a 4.0 rating across 18,215 reviews, the largest review base of anything we tested.
Skip it if duplex is non-negotiable or you plan to run a small business out of a spare room. In that case, step up to the ET-4950 further down.
2. Canon MegaTank G3270 – Best Value Tank Printer
Canon MegaTank G3270 All-in-One Wireless Color Printer
11 ppm black
4800 x 1200 dpi
100-sheet tray
13.2 pounds
Pros
- 6000 black and 7700 color pages per set
- Keyed refill resists spills
- Wireless print copy and scan
- 1.35-inch LCD for setup
Cons
- Single-sided printing only
- 100-sheet paper tray
- Small LCD limits on-device control
The G3270 is a direct route into a genuine MegaTank, and the yield numbers sit at the top of this group. A full GI-21 set covers up to 6,000 black pages or 7,700 color pages, which is higher than the EcoTank equivalent on the ET-2800.
Refilling is the part we appreciate most. The bottles use a keyed insert that has to line up before ink will flow, which makes it hard to flood the reservoir when you are refilling at the kitchen table with kids running around.
Speed edges ahead of the Epson at 11 ppm black and 6 ppm color. There is a 1.35-inch square LCD for confirming network settings, plus Wi-Fi and USB, and borderless printing is supported for 4×6 photos and card stock.
It draws 16 watts and has a one-year limited warranty, which is thinner than the three years Canon offers on the MAXIFY GX2020. Nothing here indicates reliability problems, just a shorter written commitment.
Where the Yield Advantage Comes From
Both this and the ET-2800 ship with enough ink for roughly two years of light use. The Canon bottle set is simply larger, so the interval between refills stretches further for anyone printing color-heavy documents.
One thing to know before you refill: MegaTank bottles are model-specific, and the G3270 uses the GI-21 series. Confusing bottle numbers is the single most common complaint we saw about ink tanks in general.
When It Is the Right Buy
The G3270 suits a first-time tank buyer who prints color regularly and wants the lowest cost per page they can get. It holds a 4.1 rating across 5,138 reviews, and owner feedback centers on low running costs and app-based setup.
Pass on it if you need duplex or an ADF on a budget. The ET-4950 and the MAXIFY GX2020 both have them at higher price points.
3. Epson EcoTank ET-15000 – Best Wide Format With Cheap Ink
Epson EcoTank ET-15000 Wireless All-in-One Wide-Format Supertank Printer
13x19 inch wide format
17 ppm black
250 sheets
26.5 pounds
Pros
- Wide-format output up to 13x19 inches
- Auto duplex plus ADF and 250-sheet tray
- 33000-page monthly duty cycle
- Popular with craft and sublimation users
Cons
- Heavy 26.5 pound body
- Wide sheets feed from a rear holder
- Some owners report paper jams
If you print posters, booklets or large-format craft work, this is the only machine here that handles it without a second printer. It runs 13×19 inch sheets at 17 ppm black and 9 ppm color, with a 33000-page monthly duty cycle.
It is also the highest-rated model in our group at 4.2 stars from 2,533 reviews, and ink cost per page works out close to what a laser would run, which is unusual for a color inkjet that wide.
For a machine this capable, the office features are unusually complete: automatic duplex, an automatic document feeder and a 250-sheet tray in one body. Connectivity covers Wi-Fi, LAN and USB, and it supports standard or sublimation ink.
The physical reality is size. At 26.5 pounds and 29.6 inches deep, it needs genuine desk space rather than a shelf, and wide sheets feed from a rear holder instead of a dedicated tray, which adds a step to every large job.
Who This Wide Format Machine Is For
Craft sellers, small sign shops and anyone doing sublimation transfers are the obvious audience. Owners also pick it for posters and for its image quality, which reviewers consistently rate above the smaller models here.
If you only need occasional 11×17 output, our large format inkjet guide covers lighter ways to handle posters. For full-color photo work at home, the photo inkjet comparison is the better read.
When It Is the Right Buy
Booklet and layered-PDF printing needs driver workarounds, and a few owners report jams or difficulty reaching support outside the US. Those are real frictions, and they come with a machine that is significantly more expensive than anything else on this list.
For everyone else printing wide at volume, this is the pick. The combination of duplex, an ADF, a 250-sheet tray and tank-level ink cost is hard to find anywhere near this price.
4. Epson EcoTank ET-2400 – Best Lightweight Budget Tank
Epson EcoTank ET-2400 Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank Printer
10 ppm black
5760 x 1440 dpi
8.6 pounds
100-sheet tray
Pros
- 4500 black and 7200 color pages per set
- Lightest body here at 8.6 pounds
- Individual refillable color tanks
- Flatbed scans come out sharp
Cons
- No display screen only status LEDs
- Manual duplex
- 30-sheet output capacity
The ET-2400 is the smallest machine we tested at 8.6 pounds, and the separate color tanks mean you refill only the color that actually ran out. A set covers up to 4,500 black pages and 7,200 color pages.
Print quality is the surprise. Owners single out deep blacks and bright color for a machine this compact, and the flatbed scanner produces sharp, vibrant scans at up to 5760 x 1440 dpi.
Setup runs through the Epson app over USB or Wi-Fi, with a first page out in roughly seven seconds. It handles media up to 8.5 x 14 inches and draws 12 watts.
What you lose is hardware. There is no screen at all, only status LEDs, so any change has to be made from a phone or computer. Output capacity is 30 sheets, and duplex is manual with a print wizard prompting you to flip the stack.
Is the Missing Screen a Real Problem?
For anyone who prints from a phone most of the time, it barely registers. For a shared office machine where someone needs to check ink levels without an app, it is a genuine daily annoyance.
A few owners also report jamming more often than on Canon equivalents and no borderless printing support. If photo prints matter more than desk space, the G3270 handles borders and has a screen.
When It Is the Right Buy
Choose the ET-2400 for a tight dorm room, a small apartment or a craft table where weight and footprint decide the outcome. It holds a 4.0 rating from 4,659 reviews, so the sample size is large enough to trust the pattern of feedback.
Move up to the ET-2800 if a display and a slightly larger output tray would matter to you daily, and to the ET-4950 if you need duplex.
5. Epson EcoTank ET-4800 – Best Budget Pick for a Home Office
Epson EcoTank ET-4800 Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank Printer
10 ppm black
5760 x 1440 dpi
11 pounds
100-sheet tray
Pros
- Very low ink cost from high-capacity tanks
- Simple wireless setup with an app for ink checks
- Flatbed scanner and copier
- Compact enough for a small office desk
Cons
- Manual duplex only
- Small hard-to-read LCD
- Flimsy pull-out output tray
The ET-4800 comes with four 522 bottles at 65 mL each, and the tanks are high capacity enough that ink cost per page is among the lowest here. Owners buy it for one reason: stopping cartridge purchases.
Setup is app-driven over Wi-Fi or a wired connection, and the app doubles as an ink-level check, which matters more on a machine without a good screen.
The 3.8 average from 6,376 reviews explains itself in the feature list. The LCD is small with clunky menus, duplex is manual, and the pull-out paper tray is described as flimsy more than once.
Connectivity does include Ethernet alongside Wi-Fi and USB, and media handling runs to 8.5 x 14 inches with a 100-sheet tray. Power draw is 12 watts.
Comparing the ET-4800 and ET-2800
These two cover the same job with different emphasis. The ET-4800 adds a wired network option and a voice control method, while the ET-2800 has a slightly larger output tray and a marginally better review profile at 4.0 stars.
Neither has duplex or an ADF. If your work involves scanning a stack of receipts, both make you do it one page at a time.
When It Is the Right Buy
This is a case where the tank economics are excellent but the hardware is dated. If you print a lot of single-sided text and scan rarely, it remains a defensible pick.
If you want a fresher body and better paper handling for not much more, the ET-4950 has duplex, an ADF and a 250-sheet tray, and it is covered next.
6. Canon PIXMA G5020 – Best Ink Yield With Auto Duplex
Canon PIXMA G5020 Wireless MegaTank Single Function SuperTank Printer | Mobile & Auto 2-Sided Printing
13 ppm black
4800 x 1200 dpi
250 sheets
20.7 pounds
Pros
- 6000 black or 7700 color pages per set
- Over 30 times the ink of standard cartridges
- Automatic two-sided printing
- GI-20 nozzles pour without spills
Cons
- Print-only with no scanner or copier
- Heavy at 20.7 pounds
- Not Prime-eligible
The G5020 ships with a full GI-20 bottle set plus two bonus black bottles, which is the largest ink load of anything on this list. It covers up to 6,000 black text pages or 7,700 color pages before a refill.
Auto two-sided printing plus a 250-sheet tray makes it the most paper-capable entry model here. At 13 ppm black and 6.8 ppm color it is also quicker than most of the budget EcoTanks.
The refill design is the quiet strength. GI-20 bottles use a nozzle that pours into the tank without spills, and the reservoirs are viewable so you can check levels without an app.
It is print-only. There is no scanner and no copier, so if you have ever scanned a document on the machine you own now, this is a downgrade in function even though it is an upgrade in ink.
When Print-Only Is the Right Trade
A shared machine in a craft room, a home office that already has a separate scanner, or a printing-only setup all benefit. Owners building a system around a separate flatbed scanner report being perfectly happy with this.
The trade is 20.7 pounds of plastic and no copy function. At that weight, it wants a real surface, not a shelf above a desk.
When It Is the Right Buy
Buy the G5020 if ink cost per page is your top priority and duplex is on your must-have list but scanning is not. It holds a 4.0 rating from 1,120 reviews.
For an all-in-one with the same duplex benefit, the MAXIFY GX2020 below adds an ADF, a touchscreen and fax, at the cost of a much smaller per-tank yield.
7. Epson EcoTank ET-4950 – Best for Duplex Workflows
Epson EcoTank ET-4950 Wireless Duplex All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Color Inkjet Printer, Fax, Black
18 ppm black
4800 x 1200 dpi
250 sheets
16.1 pounds
Pros
- 18 ppm black and 9 ppm color with no warm-up
- Auto duplex plus ADF fax and 250-sheet tray
- Tanks hold up to 6600 black and 5500 color pages
- Large adjustable-angle color display
Cons
- Setup can take roughly 45 minutes
- No flash-drive support from the rear USB
- Pulsing power light cannot be disabled
The ET-4950 is the productivity model. Eighteen ppm black and nine ppm color with zero warm-up time, automatic duplex, a document feeder, fax and a 250-sheet tray in a 16.1 pound body.
The tanks hold up to 6,600 black pages and 5,500 color pages per set, and each set equals roughly 80 cartridges. Keyed EcoFit bottles make refilling simple with no mess or mix-ups.
First-run setup is the weak point. Reviewers describe a paper jam during unboxing and around 45 minutes to get through setup, so plan for an afternoon rather than an evening.
Two smaller annoyances: the rear USB is a Type-B computer port, so it cannot print or scan to a flash drive, and the power button ring light pulses and cannot be turned off. Some units also show weaker scans than print quality.
Who This Duplex Model Is For
Anyone printing contracts, invoices or lesson plans two-sided, and anyone who scans a stack rather than a single page. The ADF and duplex combination is the feature that changes daily workflow.
It is the only sub-list model here with fax, which still matters for some home offices and for anyone dealing with landlords or medical offices.
When It Is the Right Buy
The 4.1 rating comes from 551 reviews, which is a small sample compared with the ET-2800 and G3270. That is worth knowing, and it is why we did not put the badge on this one despite the stronger feature set.
Give it a couple of hours for setup and it settles down. After that, the speed and capacity make it the most capable office machine in this roundup.
8. Canon MAXIFY GX2020 – Best for Small Offices
Canon MegaTank MAXIFY GX2020 All-in-One Wireless Color Printer – Print, Copy, Scan with Duplex Printing – Refillable Tank System, Compact Desktop Design – Wireless Print Scan Copy for Home & Office
15 ppm black
600 x 1200 dpi
250 sheets
17.8 pounds
Pros
- Auto duplex plus a 35-sheet ADF
- 3000 black and 3000 color pages per GI-25 set
- 2.7-inch color touchscreen
- Dual-band Wi-Fi including 5 GHz and fax
Cons
- Color resolution tops out around 600 x 1200 dpi
- Heavier 17.8 pound body
- Not Prime-eligible
The MAXIFY GX2020 is built for an office rather than a desk. Automatic duplex, a 35-sheet ADF, fax, a 2.7-inch color touchscreen and dual-band Wi-Fi including 5 GHz cover the small-office checklist completely.
It also has the longest warranty here at three years, and a 250-sheet tray across two trays with 15 ppm black and 10 ppm color output.
The catch is ink volume. A full GI-25 set covers up to 3,000 black and 3,000 color pages, which is lower than the home models in this roundup, so refills come more often.
Color resolution of roughly 600 x 1200 dpi is also well below the 4800 x 1200 dpi the G3270 and G5020 manage. That is fine for invoices and forms and poor for photos.
Choosing Between GI-25 and Home Tanks
The home tanks on this list refill roughly twice as often less. If your printing is documents, that saving disappears quickly. If your printing involves shipping labels, packing slips and scanned receipts, throughput matters more.
At 22 watts it also draws more power than the 12-watt EcoTanks, which matters only if the machine runs all day.
When It Is the Right Buy
Buy the GX2020 when you share a printer with two or three people and you want to hand it a stack of paper without babysitting it. The 3.9 rating from 872 reviews reflects a solid machine with a small-resolution weakness.
For a one-person home office printing mostly color, the ET-4950 or the G3270 will serve you better and cost less ink per fill.
9. HP Smart Tank 5003 – Best for the Simplest Setup
HP Smart Tank 5003 Wireless All-in-One Ink Tank Printer, Scanner, Copier with up to 3 Years of Ink Included, Best-for-Home, Cartridge-Free Refillable, AI-Capable (9B2D3A)
10 ppm black
4800 x 1200 dpi
11.1 pounds
100-sheet tray
Pros
- Up to 3 years or 6000 pages of ink in the box
- Cartridge-free tanks with a plug-in mess-free refill
- Borderless printing plus mobile printing and scan to PDF
- Compact lightweight home desk design
Cons
- Flatbed scanner only with no document feeder
- Manual duplex
- 100-sheet paper tray
HP makes the refill about as simple as it gets. You plug the bottle into the tank and let it drain, so there is no measuring, no squeezing and no key to line up.
The box includes an HP 32XL black bottle at 135 mL and HP 31 color bottles at 50 mL each, which adds up to up to 3 years or 6,000 pages of ink before your first purchase.
Connectivity is the most complete on a budget model here: AirPrint, HP ePrint, Mopria, USB, Wi-Fi and Print Anywhere, plus scan to PDF from the phone. Paper handling runs to legal size and 4×6 photos.
What is missing is hardware. Flatbed scanner only with no ADF, manual duplex via driver support, a 100-sheet tray and 10 ppm black with a 21-second first page.
HP or Canon: Which Refills Cheaper
On raw yield the Canon entries here cover more pages per bottle set. The HP Smart Tank wins on refill simplicity and on how much ink arrives before you spend anything.
HP bottles are also model-locked to the 31 and 32XL series, the same constraint as every brand on this list. Print the bottle number before you order anything.
When It Is the Right Buy
Choose the HP Smart Tank 5003 if refill logistics annoy you more than paper capacity does. It is light at 11.1 pounds and its 4.1 rating comes from 226 reviews, so the long-term pattern is still forming.
For a year or two of occasional use it is a good fit. For heavy document work, add an ADF and duplex to your requirements and start at the ET-4950.
10. Brother MFC-J1365DW – Sharp Text, but Cartridge Costs Return
Brother INKvestment 1365 Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer with Automatic Duplex Printing and 1.8” Color Display | Includes Refresh Subscription Trial(1) (MFC-J1365DW)
16 ppm black
1200 x 6000 dpi
150 sheets
16.8 pounds
Pros
- Auto duplex plus a 20-page ADF at a low entry price
- 16 ppm black with about 6.2 second first page
- Exceptionally sharp laser-like text
- Cloud print and scan to Google Drive Dropbox Box OneDrive
Cons
- Cartridge-based so running cost per page is higher
- Online setup and scan utility can hang
- Occasionally drops off the wireless network
We included this Brother because it is the honest counterexample. It is not an ink tank printer. It takes a 1200-page black and 500-page color cartridge, and when that runs out you buy another cartridge.
What you get for those cartridges is genuinely good hardware: automatic duplex, a 20-page ADF, a 150-sheet tray, 16 ppm black and nine ppm color, and a first black page in about 6.2 seconds.
Text output is the standout. Owners describe it as laser-like, and at up to 1,200 x 6,000 dpi on Windows it produces the sharpest document text of anything in this roundup. It comes with a two-year limited warranty.
The trade is running cost and software. Setup and the scan utility reportedly hang sometimes, the machine occasionally drops off the wireless network, and color is lighter than competing inkjets.
Where the Running Cost Difference Shows Up
Over a year of regular home printing, a cartridge model like this one can spend more on ink than the printer cost. That is the whole argument for tank systems, and it is why nine of the ten printers here refill from bottles.
Where this Brother still wins is speed and text crispness at a low entry point, plus duplex and an ADF at a feature level most budget tanks do not reach.
When It Is the Right Buy
Buy it if you print infrequently, you mostly need black text, and you want duplex and an ADF without moving up a tier. Buy anything else if you will print weekly and want the running cost to fall.
Its 3.9 rating from 274 reviews is a small sample, so treat the software complaints as something to test early rather than a certainty.
How to Calculate Your Real Ink Cost
Cost per page is the only number that matters, and it takes ten seconds to work out. Divide the price of one full bottle set by the number of pages that set is rated to print.
Worked example: a set rated at 4,500 black pages tells you how many months you go before the next purchase. Multiply your monthly page count against that figure and you have your refill calendar. If you print 50 pages a month, a 4,500-page set lasts about three months of documents.
Colour works the same way but with lower yields, so do the maths twice. Printers advertising “up to” page counts use the ISO/IEC 24712 standard, which assumes a light test page. Real mixed colour and photo work lands well below the rated figure.
The break-even point matters more than the figure. Above roughly 50 pages a month, a tank printer’s lower cost per page pays back the purchase gap within a year or two. Below that volume, ink expense is small enough that hardware features can matter more.
EcoTank vs MegaTank vs Smart Tank vs INKvestment
Epson EcoTank uses EcoFit bottles and tends to give the highest color page yields on the home models. Canon MegaTank uses GI-series bottles with a keyed anti-spill insert and strong paper handling. HP Smart Tank favors the simplest possible refill and loads a lot of ink into the box.
Brother INKvestment is the outlier most buyers misunderstand. Several INKvestment models, including the MFC-J1365DW here, are still cartridge-based. Read the refill method, not the family name.
Dye Ink and Pigment Ink, and Which You Need
Most home tanks pair pigment black with dye-based cyan, magenta and yellow. Pigment black gives sharp, water-resistant text and documents. Dye color gives brighter, smoother photo results but can fade in direct sunlight over years.
For art prints and stickers that need to last, some owners print with all-pigment ink, though results vary by model and the colour range narrows. People selling prints or vinyl decals should test a full colour range before committing.
Printhead Care and Waste Ink Pads
Inkjet heads clog if ink sits still, which is the main risk for seasonal users. Print something at least weekly, even a single page, and run the printer’s cleaning cycle only when output actually streaks.
Every printer waste ink through a pad that eventually needs replacing or servicing, which is why heavy users see maintenance warnings. Epson and Canon both offer service programs, and a genuine-brand bottle is the safest way to keep the warranty intact. Third-party bottles cost less per bottle but carry quality and warranty risk.
When a Laser Printer Is Genuinely Cheaper
If you print fewer than about 50 pages a month, mostly black and white, a mono laser wins on both toner yield and the fact that it never clogs. The tanks here are the right answer from roughly 50 pages a month upward, and the gap widens fast after that.
Do not buy a color laser expecting it to solve ink costs. Color laser toner and drum replacements carry their own running cost, and refill programs make the true figure hard to compare.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best affordable ink tank printer?
The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is our best affordable ink tank printer. It covers up to 4,500 black and 7,500 color pages per bottle set, has a 4.0 rating across 18,215 reviews, and stays small at 11.4 pounds. The Canon MegaTank G3270 is the cheaper entry point with slightly higher rated yields.
What is the cheapest tank printer for home use?
The Canon MegaTank G3270 sits at the entry point of our roundup, with a full GI-21 set rated at up to 6,000 black or 7,700 color pages, wireless printing and a 1.35-inch LCD. It has no automatic duplex, so check whether that matters for your documents.
Which is better for printing, Epson or HP?
Epson EcoTank generally gives higher color page yields and heat-free printheads, while HP Smart Tank makes refilling the simplest with a plug-in bottle and ships up to three years of ink in the box. Choose Epson for yield and print quality, or HP for refill convenience and included ink.
Is HP or Canon ink cheaper?
Canon MegaTank sets here are rated for up to 6,000 black and 7,700 color pages per fill, and the PIXMA G5020 ships with extra black bottles, so Canon ink covers more pages per purchase. HP’s advantage is refill simplicity and the volume of ink included before your first buy.
Do ink tank printers dry out if they are not used?
They can. Dye-based color ink is prone to drying in the printhead if it sits still, so print at least one page a week and run a cleaning cycle only when you see streaks. Avoid running cleaning cycles out of habit, since each one pushes more ink into the waste pad.
Is an ink tank printer worth it over a cartridge printer?
Yes, above roughly 50 pages a month. At that volume the lower cost per page pays back the higher purchase price within a year or two, and refill bottles are numbered per model so check your bottle number before ordering compatible ink.
Final Verdict on Cheap Ink Tank Printers
The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is our pick for the best tank printers with cheap ink, because it combines the largest review base we tested with bottle sets rated for thousands of pages and a body small enough for a home desk. The Canon MegaTank G3270 takes the value slot with the highest rated yields and the best spill-resistant refill in the group.
Print more than 50 pages a month and any of the nine tank models here will cut your ink bill to a fraction of cartridge pricing. Print less than that, and a mono laser is the more honest purchase. Check the bottle number for your model before you order refill ink, and print at least weekly to keep the heads clear.