Refillable ink tank printers can save up to 90% over cartridge models. But with countless options available, how do you pick the right one? This comprehensive buyer‘s guide examines the pros, cons, hidden costs, and real-world performance to consider.
A Brief History of Inkjet Printing
Inkjet printing technology has rapidly evolved since HP introduced the first ThinkJet desktop printer in 1984. Those early inkjets used proprietary cartridges that had to be frequently replaced. This got expensive for high volume business use.
The Rise of Refillable Ink Systems
By the mid-2000s Canon, HP, and Epson began experimenting with “supertank” ink reservoir systems that could be refilled with bottled ink. This enabled:
- Much higher page yields lowering cost per page
- Reduced plastic waste without throwing out cartridges
- Lower user intervention with easy refill process
Epson sold over 60 million refillable tank printers by 2019. And recent offerings have improved print quality while integrating key features like scanning, copying and cloud printing.
Industry Growth Projections
The refillable ink printer market is projected to grow over 15% annually through 2028 according to MarketResearch.com. Key drivers include:
- Expanding SOHO and home office segments
- Continued demand for lower printing costs
- Eco-conscious desire to reduce waste
Inkjet technology now commands over 90% of the global printer market. Let’s examine why refillable tank-based systems make the most sense for buyers today.
Review Methodology
To make fair comparisons, I evaluated tank printers across five core performance areas:
Print Speed – Pages per minute for black and color
Print Quality – Sharpness, accuracy of text, photos and graphics
Ink Efficiency – Page yield per ink bottle, cost per page
Ease of Use – Setup, refill process, maintenance needs
Connectivity – Wired networking, wireless, mobile
My testing utilized a combination of firsthand, hands-on testing of leading market models along with compiled specification data, bench tests from industry sources like PCR and BLI, and user experiences from forums and reviews.
Key Factors To Consider
Keep these buyer considerations in mind when choosing your refillable tank printer:
Print Volume
Higher monthly print volumes make tank printers more economical long term through lower ink costs. For less than 100 pages per month, a standard cartridge inkjet may suffice. But for 100+ pages, refillable systems start realizing significant savings.
| Monthly Print Volume | Recommended Printer Type |
|---|---|
| Under 100 pages | Standard cartridge acceptable |
| 100-400 pages | Refillable tank model ideal |
| 400+ pages | High capacity refillable tank strongly advised |
Print Quality Needs
Refillable printers utilize the same underlying print head technologies as standard cartridge models. This includes HP Thermal Inkjet, Canon FINE, and Epson PrecisionCore offering comparable print quality, speed and longevity.
Most refillable ink printers can match standard cartridge models for everyday text documents and web graphics. When professional photo output is essential, focus on models with 6-color inks and high resolution output like the Epson EcoTank Photo series.
Purchase Price vs Total Cost of Ownership
The higher initial purchase price for tank-based printers gets offset over time through lower ink costs. Calculating total cost over the full lifespan provides the most accurate representation of value.
Here is a comparison of total cost of ownership over 5 years for two popular models printing 400 pages per month:
| Printer | Purchase Price | Ink Cost/Year | Total 5 Year Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP DeskJet 4120e (cartridge) | $69 | $432 | $2,317 |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2850 (refillable) | $300 | $36 | $636 |
While more expensive upfront, the refillable ET-2850 saves $1,681 or over 70% of the cost over five years.
Reviews of the Best Refillable Ink Printers
Best All Around Refillable Printer: Epson EcoTank ET-2850
The EcoTank ET-2850 strikes an ideal balance of value and performance making it my top overall recommendation for home and home office buyers.
Print Quality
The ET-2850 produces excellent quality across all tasks thanks to Epson’s PrecisionCore print chip. Black text looks sharp while graphics and photos show accurate colors and smooth gradations. It can print borderlessly up to 8.5” x 11” with pigment and dye based inks for versatile media capabilities.
My test prints showed vivid holiday photos, crisp PDF menus for a client lunch meeting, and even smooth gradients printing presentation charts. If you want one refillable printer to handle all everyday needs, the ET-2850 delivers.
Print Speed
While not blazing fast, the ET-2850 prints at very respectable speeds:
- Black Text: Up to 10.5 ppm
- Color Graphics: Up to 5.0 ppm
I experienced no slowdowns even printing 50 page Word documents or batch printing shipping labels and product photos. The ET-2850 keeps pace thanks to onboard 256MB memory expanding workspace.
Ink Efficiency
The ET-2850 has large integrated ink tanks viewable through a front window instead of cartridges. The included bottles provide an exceptional ink yield:
- 7,500 pages Black
- 6,000 pages Color
Replacement bottles run around $13 for black and $20 for color delivering an ultra low cost per page. Expect just $.01 black and $.04 color. The equivalent cartridge printer is 5-10X more expensive per page.
Ease of Use
Filling the tanks is simple using the included bottles with built in tips. Insert into the fill port, invert carefully, and let gravity do the work. Each tank has a max fill line so it‘s virtually foolproof.
The 2.4" LCD provides at-a-glance tank levels and if anything gets low, the printer proactively alerts you. And with enough ink to print over 4,500 photos worth of pages out of the box, you may go years before a first refill.
Connectivity
The ET-2850 ticks all boxes for seamless home use:
- Wi-Fi and Ethernet wired networking
- USB connectivity
- Mobile printing from Apple Airprint, Android devices
- Voice activated printing with Amazon Alexa
I had the ET-2850 connected to Wi-Fi and printing from my iPhone in under 5 minutes. It’s been reliable with strong reception even a full floor up from the router location.
Key Specs:
- Print Speed: 10.5ppm black, 5.0ppm color
- Max Print Size: 8.5” x 11” borderless photo
- Paper Capacity: 150 sheets
- 7,500 pages black, 6,000 color from included ink
With tremendous long term value, excellent print quality across the board, and hassle-free usability right out of the box, the EcoTank ET-2850 is my top recommended refillable inkjet for most home and home office buyers.
Best Photo Print Quality: Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550
While the ET-2850 handles photos admirably, graphic designers, photographers, and artists demand superior lab grade printing. For professional image output, the EcoTank Photo ET-8550 represents the new gold standard in refillable performance.
Print Quality
Featuring a wide color gamut 6-ink configuration with dedicated photo black ink and advanced emulsion transfer heating process, the ET-8550 achieves simply stunning image output.
My test landscape photos showed incredible definition, extremely accurate colors, and tack sharp details even zoomed in. Flesh tones look natural, night skies avoided graininess, shadows revealed clarity. Simply put, perfect photos.
And the magic extends beyond just photos to graphics, linework, technical drawings. If jaw dropping quality is essential, this EcoTank delivers.
Print Speed
While not especially fast, print speeds stay usable for semi-frequent photo printing thanks to onboard memory:
- Black Text: 8.0 ppm
- Color Graphics: 5.0 ppm
I experienced a roughly 10 second processing time per 8.5” x 11” glossy photo at maximum quality. Batching multiple copies brings the average down improving efficiency for retailers. But true high volume event photogs may still want a dedicated unit.
Ink Efficiency
The ET-8550 provides exceptional ink yields from each of the five included bottles:
- Black: 4,000 pages
- Color: 9,000 pages
This allows over 700 4R photos per black refill and over 1,600 per color. Replacement ink runs only $13 (B&W) and $39 (Color) making cost per print less than $.02 even for heavy production loads.
Connectivity & Convenience
Integrated Wi-Fi makes wireless printing a cinch from computers and mobile devices. The ET-8550 also offers:
- Hands-free voice activated printing
- Dedicated CD/DVD tray
- Large rear specialty media feeder
Even better, it supports Borderless printing up to A3+ 13” x 19” size for gallery wraps, posters and beyond.
Delivering incredible professional photo output with paint-like 6-color inks and a high capacity refillable ink system, the ET-8550 helps studios, graphic artists and photographers bring visions to life affordably.
Key Specs:
- Print Speed: 8.0 ppm black, 5.0 ppm color
- Max Print Size: Borderless 13”x19”
- Included Ink: 4,000 pages black, 9,000 pages color
- Paper Capacity: 200 sheets plain, 20 sheets premium
For artists and graphics professionals needing exhibition quality affordable prints with incredible detail and expansive color reproduction, the EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is peerless.
How To Refill EcoTank Printers
One common concern around refillable printers is exactly how you refill the tanks once the included ink runs out. The process is actually quite simple as I‘ll demonstrate.
Supplies Needed
- Approved refill ink bottles from printer manufacturer
- Paper towels/cloth to catch any minor spills
- Clean work surface area
Refill Procedure
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Turn on your EcoTank printer and raise the scanner unit. This exposes the ink tanks behind a removable plastic cover.
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Look at the ink levels shown on the LCD screen or in the see-through windows on certain models. Note tanks getting low needing a refill.
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Obtain replacement ink bottles for the corresponding colors. Always use manufacturer approved ink formulas only.
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Remove tank cover and identify correct fill ports – black, cyan, magenta, yellow.
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Twist or peel off the protective seal from ink bottle. Do NOT remove the tip adapter.
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Insert bottle tip firmly into the fill port. Invert carefully to allow ink to pour in. Leave small air gap at the top.
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Repeat refill process for any other low tanks requiring ink based on LCD alerts.
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Replace the tank cover securely when finished.
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Follow any on-screen prompts guiding you to reset the ink levels. And resume printing!
The video below demonstrates ink refilling on an Epson EcoTank step-by-step:
(embedded YouTube video showing refill process)
Refilling an EcoTank only takes 5-10 minutes. And with high capacity ink bottles delivering thousands more pages vs standard cartridges, you‘ll enjoy greater printing uptime keeping productivity high.
EcoTank Printer Pros & Cons Breakdown
Here is an overview of the notable pros and cons to consider around owning an EcoTank refillable ink printer:
Key Pros
Dramatic Ink Savings – Cost per page drops over 80% through high capacity refill bottles
High Page Yield – Thousands more pages than cartridges before needing a refill
Fast Refill Process – Simple bottle pouring takes just 5-10 minutes
Reduced Waste – Only the ink gets replaced vs whole cartridges
Strong Print Quality – Sharp details and accurate colors for most printing tasks
Touch Screen Convenience – Easy selection/navigation without using PC
Potential Cons
Higher Upfront Cost – Tank printer retail prices run 2-3X standard inkjets
Possible Messes – Careless ink refills could spill and stain surrounding workspace
Evaporation Over Time – Unused tanks may dry up if printer sits for many months unused
Learning Curve – Adjusting monitoring ink levels on LCD vs cartridge gauges
However for most buyers printing 100+ pages per month, the exponential long term ink savings outweigh the larger initial purchase price making an EcoTank model a smart investment.
Key Takeaways About Refillable Ink Printers
- Tank based refillable ink printers offer over 80% savings vs standard cartridge inkjets
- Print quality matches or exceeds standard inkjets for everyday text, graphics and photos
- Included ink yields thousands more pages before needing a refill
- Refilling tanks takes just 5-10 minutes by simply pouring ink bottles
- For under 400 pages per month, EcoTank models provide the fastest payback
By switching to an efficient supertank refillable printer system, you can maximize value while supporting green initiatives and reducing environmental waste at the same time. It‘s a winning combination for home, office and studio needs alike.
Based on my testing and analysis, Epson EcoTank models currently deliver the best overall user experience matching quality, efficiency and affordability. But competitors like Canon MegaTank and HP Smart Tank also offer strong options at value price points.
Be sure to reference the key buyer considerations around print volume needs, quality expectations and total cost of ownership to identify YOUR perfect refillable inkjet match. Your wallet and the planet will thank you!
